Morphophonemic properties of Cowichan actual aspect
Date
1976
Authors
Jones, Michael Kevin
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Abstract
A morphonemic analysis of Cowichan Actual aspect is presented. Actual aspect in the Cowichan dialect of Halkomelem is analysed as an inflectional category of verbs, akin to the imperfective in Indoeuropean languages. The shape which the Actual aspect assumes is conditioned by the phonological shape of the root. Actual aspect is manifested in //CVC// roots by reduplicative prefixation, a partial copy of the root. Roots with the shape //CVCC// undergo ablaut (vowel change), while //CC// roots undergo vowel insertion and ablaut. The related morphophonemic processes of Resonant Glottalization and Resonant Devoicing are also discussed. Rules which account for the shapes of the Actual aspect, Resonant Glottalization, and Resonant Devoicing are formulated.
Included are an introduction, which presents the Cowichan sound system and discusses the more general properties of Cowichan verbs, and an appendix , which provides a distinctive feature matrix of Cowichan phonological segments.