A Historical Grammar of the Maya Language of Yucatan (1557-2000)

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A Historical Grammar of the Maya Language of Yucatan (1557-2000) Page 58

by Victoria R. Bricker

šóot’-en-šóot’

  cut here and there (several objects)

  The -maN- examples emphasize measurement, whereas the -VN- examples stress that more than one

  object has been affected by the action expressed by the participle.

  However, there is no apparent difference in meaning when these two kinds of stems are based on

  other roots:

  (50)

  CVVC-maN-CVVC

  CVVC-VN-CVVC

  Gloss

  ʔúuč’-man-ʔúuč’

  ʔúuč’-en-ʔúuč’

  dented here and there (several objects)

  sóop’-man-sóop’

  sóop’-en-sóop’

  piled here and there (hair on head)

  tíik-man-tíik

  tíik-en-tíik

  unravelled here and there (several objects)

  t’áal-man-t’áal

  t’áal-en-t’áal

  worn here and there (trails worn by ants)

  t’ées-man-t’ées

  t’ées-un-t’ées

  warped here and there (several objects)

  REDUPLICATION

  349

  wéek’-man-wéek’

  wéek’-un-wéek’

  smashed here and there (eggs, fruit on ground)

  wóol-man-wóol

  wóol-en-wóol

  bulging here and there (several objects)

  2.3. REDUPLICATED PARTICIPLES DERIVED FROM VERBAL ROOTS WITHOUT AFFIXES. The Calepino de Motul

  contains examples of reduplicated participles derived from both intransitive and transitive roots without

  either suffixes or infixes.

  2.3.1. REDUPLICATED PARTICIPLES DERIVED FROM INTRANSITIVE ROOTS WITHOUT AFFIXES. Only three

  examples of reduplicated participles derived from intranisitive roots without either suffixes or infixes are

  listed in the Calepino de Motul. One of them is completely reduplicated (cim-cim), and the others are only

  partially reduplicated (nu-mum, ta-tal):

  (51) Intransitive

  Reduplicated

  Root

  Gloss

  Stem

  Gloss

  cim

  die, expire, faint,

  cim-cim

  dying

   be sick

  num

  pass

  nu-num

  roaming, roving

  tal

  come, be about to ta-tal

  frequent, constant

  The sample of reduplicated participles derived from intransitive roots without suffixes or infixes in

  Modern Yucatec is limited to a single example that is partially reduplicated: líʔi-líʔik’ ‘raised in several places’

  < líik’ ‘rise, ascend.’5

  2.3.2. REDUPLICATED PARTICIPLES DERIVED FROM TRANSITIVE ROOTS WITHOUT AFFIXES. A much larger

  number of reduplicated participles derived from transitive roots without suffixes or infixes is listed in the

  Calepino de Motul. Five fully reduplicated participles of this kind appear below:

  (52) Transitive

  Reduplicated

  Root

  Gloss

  Stem

  Gloss

  ɔon

  shoot straight

  ɔon-ɔon

  somewhat straight

  hel

  change, exchange,

  hel-hel

  at times, alternatively

   return, recompense

  ipp

  crumble, chip, indent, ipp-ipp

  crumbled, chipped,

   notch

  notched, indented

  loch

  twist, bend

  loch-loch

  twisted, bent like a bugle

  vuɔ

  fold, bend, wrinkle

  vuɔ-vuɔ

  very wrinkled

  Seven partially reduplicated participles based on transitive roots without suffixes or infixes appear in

  the Calepino de Motul:

  (53) Transitive

  Reduplicated

  Root

  Gloss

  Stem

  Gloss

  cel

  grind corn hurriedly

  ce-cel

  unevenly ground, masticated

   and unevenly

  cop

  fold, bend, seize, twist co-cop

  arched, bent, folded

   /rope, cord, vine/

  ɔip

  flay, skin, scrape

  ɔi-ɔip

  flayed, skinned, scraped, injured,

   wounded

  350 REDUPLICATION

  het

  split, crack, break,

  he-het

  split, broken in many places

   burst

   (ceramic objects)

  nol

  gnaw /bones/, eat by no-nol

  loose (stone)

   moving around in

   mouth /fruit with

   large seed/

  tol

  spin /rough thread/

  to-tol

  coarse (cloth)

  xach

  thin out

  xa-xach

  separated slightly

  Of the more than 200 reduplicated participles without affixes derived from transitive roots in the

  Hocaba dictionary of Modern Yucatec, only those based on nasal-final roots are fully reduplicated:6

  (54)

  Transitive

  Full

  Root

  Gloss

  Reduplication

  Gloss

  č’am

  bruise, dent, flatten

  č’áʔan-č’áʔam

  dented in several places

  č’an

  bruise, dent, flatten

  č’áʔan-č’áʔan

  dented in several places

  č’in

  throw, hurl

  č’íʔin-č’íʔin

  hit in several places

  k’em

  twist

  k’èen-k’em

  twisted in several places

  k’em

  twist

  k’éʔen-k’éʔen

  twisted in several places

  t’on

  bend

  t’óʔon-t’on

  bowed [avoiding people]

  However, not all nasal-final stems of this kind are fully reduplicated in Modern Yucatec:

  (55) Transitive

  Partial

  Root

  Gloss

  Reduplication

  Gloss

  hen

  demolish, tear down

  heʔe_-héʔen

  torn down in several places

  lem

  insert, sink

  léʔe_-léʔem

  inserted in several places

  lom

  puncture, stab

  lóʔo_-lóʔom

  punctured in several places

  The Modern cognates of the fully reduplicated examples in (52) that did not end in a nasal, as well as

  the partially reduplicated examples in (53), are all partially reduplicated:

  (56)

  Transitive

  Partial

  Root

  Gloss

  Reduplication

  Gloss

  ȼ’ip

  scrape, flay, skin

  ȼ’íʔi-ȼ’íʔip

  scraped in several places

  het

  split, break /tree,

  héʔe-héʔet

  split in several places

   coconut, head/

  loč

  twist, bend

  lóʔo-lóʔoč

  windy (road)

  šač

  separate, spread

  šáʔa-šáʔač

  spread, separated in several places

   (teeth)

  wuȼ’

  fold, bend

  wúʔu-wúʔuȼ’

&nb
sp; folded in several places

  Note that the examples in (56) have infixed glottal stops, in addition to vowel length and tone (e.g.,

  héʔe-héʔet), which is a general characteristic of such reduplicated participles in Modern Yucatec. The only

  exceptions are derived from transitive roots with long vowels and high tone, in which neither syllable has

  an infixed glottal stop:

  REDUPLICATION 351

  (57) Transitive

  Partial

  Root

  Gloss

  Reduplication

  Gloss

  ȼ’íil

  peel, skin, husk

  ȼ’íi-ȼ’íil

  peeled in several places

  č’úuy

  raise, lift

  č’úu-č’úuy

  lifted in several places

  Another exception is derived from a mediopassive stem: kée-kéel grainy’ (< kéel ‘to grind’).

  3. VERBAL REDUPLICATION

  Verbal reduplication is limited to transitive stems in the Calepino de Motul. One kind is derived from transi-

  tive roots without suffixes or infixes. Another involves compounding such reduplicated stems with another

  transitive root or noun incorporation. And the third is derived by infixing -Vl- or -VN- between the redupli-

  cated elements.

  3.1. VERBAL REDUPLICATION WITHOUT AFFIXES. This kind of reduplication is the verbal counterpart of the

  reduplicated participles described in 2.3.2. above. Six examples of reduplicated transitive stems derived

  from transitive roots without suffixes or infixes appear in the Calepino de Motul, of which four are fully

  reduplicated:

  (58) Transitive

  Partial

  Root

  Gloss

  Reduplication

  Gloss

  çij

  give, make offering

  çi-çi

  offer quickly

  tzak

  beat, strike

  tzak-tzak

  ring one after another

  cħin

  throw, hurl /stones/

  cħin-cħin

  pelt with stones, oranges

  ye

  threaten, pretend;

  ye-ye

  threaten, pretend; show, present,

   show, present, offer

   offer

  The other two examples are only partially reduplicated:

  (59)

  Transitive

  Partial

  Root

  Gloss

  Reduplication

  Gloss

  kat

  ask, request, inquire, ka-kat

  want

   investigate,

   interrogate

  ppiz

  measure, weigh

  ppi-ppiz

  threaten

  Of the ca. 250 reduplicated transitive stems derived from transitive roots in the Hocaba dictionary of

  Modern Yucatec, only those with root-final nasals are fully reduplicated:

  (60)

  Transitive

  Full

  Root

  Gloss

  Reduplication

  Gloss

  ȼ’on

  shoot, hunt

  ȼ’óʔon-ȼ’on

  shoot several times

  č’am

  bruise, dent, flatten

  č’áʔan-č’am

  dent several times

  č’an

  bruise, dent, flatten

  č’áʔan-č’an

  dent several times

  č’in

  throw, hurl

  č’íʔin-č’in

  throw several times

  t’on

  bend

  t’óʔon-t’on

  bend several times

  352 REDUPLICATION

  However, not all reduplicated transitive stems derived from nasal-final roots are fully reduplicated:

  (61)

  Transitive

  Partial

  Root

  Gloss

  Reduplication

  Gloss

  ȼ’an

  compress, reduce

  ȼ’áʔa_-ȼ’an

  compress several times

  ȼ’um

  deflate, shrink

  ȼ’úʔu_-ȼ’um

  deflate, shrink

  čin

  bend

  číʔi_-čin

  bend several times

  kum

  overfill, brake, pull on kúʔu_-kum

  brake several times

   reins, beat down

  k’em

  twist

  k’éʔe_-k’em

  twisted several times

  lem

  insert, sink

  léʔe_-lem

  insert several times

  lom

  puncture, stab

  lóʔo_-lom

  stab several times

  sin

  stretch out, extend,

  síʔi_-sin

  stretch several times

   tighten, spread out

  Other partially reduplicated transitive stems derived from CVC transitive roots behave in the same way in

  Modern Yucatec:

  (62)

  Transitive

  Partial

  Root

  Gloss

  Reduplication

  Gloss

  ʔop’

  burst, break into

  ʔóʔo-ʔop’

  break several times

   pieces

  č’eh

  extinguish, break up

  čéʔe-č’eh

  extinguish several times

   coals

  hit’

  braid, weave

  híʔi-hit’

  braid several times

  kuč

  carry on back

  kúʔu-kuč

  carry several times

  pot

  perforate

  póʔo-pot

  perforate several times

  šač

  separate, spread

  šáʔa-šač

  spread several times

  tak’

  stick, adhere

  táʔa-tak’

  stick several times

  wuȼ’

  fold, bend

  wúʔu-wuȼ’

  fold several times

  The structure of these reduplicated transitive stems resembles the structure of the reduplicated participial

  stems in (56) with one exception, namely that only the first syllable in these stems has an infixed glot-

  tal stop, whereas both syllables in the reduplicated participal stems have infixed glottal stops (compare

  šáʔa-šač ‘to spread several times’ with šáʔa-šáʔač ‘spread, separated in several places’ and wúʔu-wuȼ’ ‘to

  fold, bend’ with wúʔu-wúʔuȼ’ ‘folded in several places’ in [56] and [62]).

  The only exceptions to this pattern are reduplicated transitive stems that are derived from transitive

  roots with long vowels and rising or high tone, in which neither syllable has an infixed glottal stop (com-

  pare with [56]):

  (63)

  Transitive

  Partial

  Root

  Gloss

  Reduplication

  Gloss

  č’úuy

  raise, lift

  č’úu-č’u-y

  lift several times7

  kóol

  pull, tug

  kóo-ko-l

  pull, tug along several times

  líil

  shake

  líi-li-l

  shake several times

  méek’

  embrace /child,

  mée-me-k’

  embrace several times

   bundle, person/

  REDUPLICATION 353

  túub’


  spit at

  túu-tu-b’

  spit several times

  t’óoh

  strike, hit

  t’óo-t’o-h

  strike several times

  t’úuy

  lift /by strap on

  t’úu-t’u-y

  lift several times

   handle/

  3.2. REDUPLICATED TRANSITIVE VERBS IN COMPOUND STEMS. Reduplicated verbs of the kind described in

  3.1. above may also appear in transitive compounds, in which a reduplicated transitive stem is combined

  with a transitive root or noun. For example, the reduplicated verb, ppi-ppiz ‘to threaten,’ was combined

  with the transitive roots, bax ‘to hammer,’ cħin ‘to hurl /stone/,’ haɔ ‘to whip,’ and lah ‘to slap,’ yielding the

  following compounds in Colonial Yucatec (Ciudad Real 1600?: fol. 390v):

  (64)

  Compound Stem

  Gloss

  ppi-ppiz=bax-t

  threaten to hammer

  ppi-ppiz=cħin-t

  threaten to hurl /stone/

  ppi-ppiz=haɔ-t

  threaten to whip

  ppi-ppiz=lah-t

  threaten to slap

  Similar constructions can be found in the Hocaba dictionary of Modern Yucatec. For example, the tran-

  sitive root, č’in ‘to hurl,’ co-occurs with reduplicatd transitive stems derived from hul ‘to thread /needle/,’

  nok ‘to bend over,’ tul ‘to make overflow, gush,’ and wek ‘to spill, shed /coffee, water, gruel, oil/’ (V. Bricker

  et al. 1998:84–85):

  (65)

  Compound Stem

  Gloss

  húu-hu-l=č’in-t

  thread suddenly several times

  nóo-no-k=č’in-t

  turn face down suddenly one after another

  túu-tu-l=č’in-t

  push several times

  wée-we-k=č’in-t

  hurl one after another /buckets of water/

  The transitive root, lah ‘to slap, strike with flat side of two or three fingers,’ when reduplicated, appeared

  in transitive expressions that incorporated the nouns, kab ‘hand, arm, lower forearm, finger’ and tan ‘front,

  presence, breast,’ in the Calepino de Motul (Ciudad Real 1600?: fol. 261v):

  (66)

  Compound Stem

  Gloss

  la-lah=kab-t

  knock, clap

  la-lah=tan-t

  pat child so that he sleeps and is calm

  In another construction of this kind, the noun, kab, appeared with the reduplicated form of bal ‘to hide,

  cover, protect,’ in ba-bal-kab-t ‘to keep hiding in fist, stealing what can be carried in hands; keep concealing

  what one will say’ (Ciudad Real 1600?: fol. 39r).

  The Hocaba dialect of Modern Yucatec has cognates of both constructions with kab (Bricker et al.

 

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