The phonology and morphology of Filomeno Mata Totonac
The phonology and morphology of Filomeno Mata Totonac
The phonology and morphology of Filomeno Mata Totonac
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To begin with, an overview <strong>of</strong> the possible interactions among TAM categories is necessary. As<br />
stated earlier, every verb in FM <strong>Totonac</strong> must be inflected for tense, aspect <strong>and</strong> for the mood<br />
distinction <strong>of</strong> realis/irrealis. Table 4.5 depicts the interactions <strong>of</strong> the obligatory TAM categories.<br />
Table 4.5 TAM interactions<br />
MOOD REALIS IRREALIS<br />
ASPECT IMPERFECTIVE PERFECT PROGRESSIVE PERFECTIVE<br />
TENSE FUTURE-PRES-PAST PRES-PAST PRES-PAST PRES-PAST<br />
<strong>The</strong> rest <strong>of</strong> this section will define all TAM terms used <strong>and</strong> illustrate their usage.<br />
4.7.1 Mood. Mood (or mode) is a cover term that can refer to a range <strong>of</strong> grammatical distinctions<br />
that generally fall into two categories: epistemic <strong>and</strong> deontic. Epistemic moods “pertain to<br />
knowledge <strong>and</strong> belief, specifying the speaker’s commitment to the truth <strong>of</strong> what is being related<br />
<strong>and</strong> the basis for that belief” (Mithun 1999:170). <strong>The</strong> epistemic moods in FM <strong>Totonac</strong> are realis<br />
<strong>and</strong> irrealis. Deontic moods “express the subject’s duty or obligation to perform the irrealis act<br />
expressed by the verb” (Payne1997:246). FM <strong>Totonac</strong> has three deontic moods:<br />
counterexpectational, negative potential, <strong>and</strong> desiderative. <strong>The</strong> first <strong>of</strong> these will be described in<br />
this section, because it is required for certain grammatical forms such as the negative future <strong>and</strong><br />
the conditional. <strong>The</strong> other deontic moods, not being obligatorily marked on the verb, will be<br />
covered in §5.3.1 on derivation.<br />
4.7.1.1 Realis <strong>and</strong> irrealis. Realis mood “asserts that a specific event or state <strong>of</strong> affairs has<br />
actually happened, or actually holds true” (Payne 1997:244). Irrealis mood locates the event or<br />
state in a possible world that is not the real world. As shown in Table 4.5, realis mood is<br />
compatible with any aspect or tense. It is zero-marked, that is, any verb without the irrealis<br />
prefix is assumed by speakers to be in realis mood.<br />
Irrealis marker ka- may only co-occur with perfective aspect. It is associated with four functions:<br />
negative future, imperative, hortative <strong>and</strong> a subordinate clause use.<br />
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