A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE ...

short, it is the mii-clause containing izhi which shows initial change on the verbal
complex.
The fact that the conjunct verb carries the eventline structures of narratives may help
to explain another syntactical snafu involving the mii-clauses themselves, since they too
employ the use of both the conjunct order verbs and independent order verbs within
discourse. Earlier work has characterized mii as primarily requiring the use of conjunct
verbs, largely relegating cases involving independent verbs as rare cases or rare
constructions (see Rhodes 1998:289). While it has been well known that mii may
sometimes occur with independent verbs, especially with independent order negative
clauses (Nichols 1980:118, Rhodes 1998:287), the use of mii dash, or its contracted form
miish, with independent order verbs, as it turns out, is not so rare a phenomenon within
discourse. 67 In fact, these occurrences (especially those occurring with non-negative
clauses) are quite consistent within discourse, even across speakers. Once such case
occurs within the story from above about the old man who got mad because he thought a
couple of kids were laughing at him.
(141) mii dash with independent verbs (Eagle 1998:16-18, audio)
a) Gaa-zhi-wiindamawagwaa indedeyiban nimaamaa omaa eyaawaad:
IC.PAST-RR-tell.1>3P/CONJ my late dad my mom here where they are
“Wayaa akiwenzii niinawind a’aw Biindigegaabaw ingaagiigidomin di
wow old man we that Biindigegaabaw we are talking over there
67
This use of mii dash or miish with independent order verbs can be found quite commonly in older texts
such as the those originating from Bois Fort (a Minnesota reservation) within the 1919 William Jones
collection of stories. These occurrences are not limited to the Bois Fort texts, however, as mii dash or
miish can be found to occur with independent verbs quite frequently in modern texts as well. Many of
these examples occur within this thesis.
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