A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE ...

the sentence level, etc. As a discourse connective, it carries the meaning roughly
equivalent to the English and then, and so (see also Nichols 1980:144 who first noted
this), showing that it is izhi’s indexical function as a relative prefix that is being exploited
for discourse work. The following example is a typical usage. Note that when using izhi,
no other discourse structuring device is needed in order to advance the narrative, although
miish (a discourse marker complex, i.e. the abbreviated form of mii dash) may optionally
occur before a clause containing izhi. Note that I gloss izhi as RP (“relative prefix”).
(63) Relative preverb izhi as discourse marker
a) (Eagle 1998:18, audio)
Gaa-izhi-wiindamawid nimaamaa, “Ambe wiib!”
IC.PAST-RP-ask.3>1 my mother come on hurry
‘And then my mom told me, “Hurry!”’
b) (example from Nichols 1980:144, transliterated) 52
Miish gaa-izhi-gagwejimag wa’aw mindimooyenh “aandi…”
and then IC.PAST-RP-ask.1>3 this old lady where
‘And I asked the old lady. “Where…’
For these examples, izhi does not function as a relative root in the way that it does at the
sentence level (i.e. where it may indicate manner or direction), but functions rather to
52
I slightly changed the gloss from the original example in Nichols (1980:144) to be consistent with the
analysis in this thesis.
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