The phonology and morphology of Filomeno Mata Totonac

verbs are possible without any inflectional morphemes attached to the right or left edge of the
verb (3 rd person singular present tense, imperfective aspect realis forms are identical to bare
roots), verb compounding can sometimes be difficult to distinguish from other verb sequencing
constructions. Compounding is most easily recognized when inflectional affixes form a sort of
circumfix around the compound stem, that is, with the following person/TAM markings which
both require a prefix and a suffix:
Table 5.6 Person/TAM marking requiring prefix and suffix
1SUBpl k- . . . -wa&
1OBJpl kin-laa- . . . -wa&, or kin-kaa- . . . -ni&
2OBJ.pl kaa- . . . -ni&
3SUB.pl/PROG ta- . . . –maana
With all other persons/ TAM combinations, ambiguity is possible as to whether a structure is a
compound verb or a verb sequence.
In a verb compound, either verb stem may be morphologically complex, but such derived stems
are generally inceptivized positionals such as taa-yaa (INC-stand) ‘standing’ or lexicalized
forms, such as lii-‘an (INST-go) ‘take’. Nothing else can intervene between the two stems.
In a compound, V1 filled by a more or less open class of verbs, depending on the semantic
construction (i.e., in transitive caused motion constructions, V1 must be a verb that can cause
someone to move, like ‘scold’, ‘hit’, ‘whip’, ‘pull’.) V2 is limited to a closed set of verbs of
motion and (often inceptivized) positionals, of which those in Table 5.7 are representative:
Table 5.7 V1 verbs of motion
’aktii lower, cause to descend
’an, lii’an go, take
c%in arrive here
min, liimin come, bring
tapuuli go among the streets
(taa)kii get up
(ta)maa lie down
(ta)nuu enter
(ta)waka climb up
(ta)wi(la) sit
(ta)s%tu exit
(taa)yaa stand
(ta)xuu enter horizontally
(ta)kut exit
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