A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE ...

following excerpt from a story where an old man goes to get medicine at a lake. After
singing some spiritual songs, someone emerges from the water to provide the old man
with medicine.
(57) idash in digressions (Kegg 1991:156-157)
a) Bezhig giiwenh a’aw akiwenzii ezhi-maajaad, naadid mashkiki.
one apparently that old man then he leaves he gets medicine
b) Miish giiwenh iwidi jiigibiig ezhi-namadabid giiwenh, ezhi-nagamod
and then apparently over there on the shore then he sits apparently then he sings
manidoo-nagamonan, ingoji-sh igo niiwin, niiwin nagamonan,
spiritual songs about EMPH four four songs
iniw manidoo-nagamonan.
those spiritual songs
c) Mii giiwenh ezhi-maajijiwang i'iw zaaga’igaans.
DP apparently then it starts to whirl that little lake
d) Miish giiwenh ingoding, ingoding igo, mii imaa awiiya ezhi-mookiid.
and then apparently pretty soon pretty soon EMPH DP there someone then he emerges
a) ‘One old man went to get medicine.
b) He sat right on the lake shore and sang spiritual songs there, about four of
them.
c) That lake started to whirl.
d) Then somebody came up from the water.’
The lines in (57a-d) describe a sequence: an old man leaves to gather medicine at the
lake, he sits on the shore and sings some spiritual songs, the lake begins to whirl, and
finally a being emerges from the water which eventually provides the old man with
medicine. In (57b), however, the speaker uses idash (occurring here as clitic –sh) to
break from the general event line in order to provide an elaboration (in bold type) to the
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