A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE ...

of second position words or clitics) already inherent within the language itself for
discourse work. For Ojibwe, one of these existing mechanisms is the second position.
3.1.2.1 idash as a contrastive marker
While the foregoing markers largely satisfy Schiffrin’s initial characterization that
discourse markers occur in initial position, there are those which do not. One such
marker is idash. In my earlier work, idash was formally labeled as a SECOND POSITION
DISCOURSE MARKER, which sometimes may occur as a SECOND POSITION DISCOURSE
CLITIC (Fairbanks 2008, forthcoming). As this label indicates, idash must occur in the
second position of a clause or sentence. But like many discourse connectives, it has
functions in sentence grammar, as well as within discourse above the sentence level. In
sentence grammar, idash has a very restricted use within interrogative sentences as a pin
pointer, adding focusing power, allowing speakers to ask for exact information,
clarification, or elaboration. This function is illustrated below.
(49) idash in sentence grammar (Mille Lacs Sessions)
a) Wegonen? b) Wegonen dash?
what what exactly
‘What?’ ‘What does that mean (exactly)?’
‘What (are you looking for)?’
c) Awenen? d) Awenen dash?
who who exactly
‘Who?’ ‘Who is it exactly?’ (out of a group of people)
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