Johnson 2004 - CDLI - UCLA

prefix, and differentiates the various functions on the basis of definiteness, inalienability
and animacy. Note as well that the opposition between (42) and (44) above, the
existential and presentational “there” sentences in English, is also on the basis of locative
inversion.
The conflation of “existential” and “have” predicates in the *bi-√ prefix in BNBV inal
constructions is interesting in that the transfer of possession model that underlies my
earlier interpretation of the BNBV inal construction as a low source applicative seems to
include both an existential “moment” and a possessive “moment.” At the beginning of the
event, the bare inalienable noun is said to exist at a particular location identified by the
locative-terminative noun, while, at the end of the event, it is inalienably possessed by the
noun in the ergative case—this corresponds to Freeze’s “possessed theme” (Freeze 1992,
589).
In the Hindi examples provided by Freeze, three distinct forms stand out as typical
exemplars: the predicate locative construction, the alienable “have” construction and the
inalienable “have” construction, which correspond to the three following examples.
(48) a. mai hindustaan-mee thaa
I India-in Cop.Sg.Masc.Past
I was in India
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