The phonology and morphology of Filomeno Mata Totonac

2.6.4.4.3.3 –ni! suffixes. Two nominal suffixes –ni" exist in FM Totonac: a nominal pluralizer
(§3.3.1.1); and a deverbal nominalizer (see §3.3.11). They simplify exactly as does 2OBJ –ni"
described in §2.6.4.4.3.1: whenever they occur word-finally attached to a vowel-final stem, the i
deletes and the nasal resyllabifies with the preceding syllable. Following an obstruent, both
suffixes devoice.
139)/ta-pa#-ni&/ 140) /laq-sqata&-ni&/
PURP-sweep-NOM PL-baby-PL
[tapá#n&i&/ [laqsqatán]
‘broom ‘babies’
141)/ta-ki#t#i-ni&/ 142) /ta-qa#i-ni&/
PURP-sing-NOM PURP-have-NOM
[taki#t#ín] [taqa#ín]
‘song’ ‘domestic animal’
2.6.4.4.3.4. Suffixal long vowel shortening. All suffixes ending in long vowels undergo vowel
shortening when they are unstressed word-finally. These include –ii TRANSITIVIZER; -nii
DATIVE; -mii and –pii DOWN; –maa PROGRESSIVE; -aa IMPERFECTIVE. However, when
perfect aspect suffix –niit! is optionally shortened to –nii, the long final vowel remains at the
surface.
143)/maa-paatsanqa-ii-li&/ 144) /k-wili-nii/
CAUS-forget-TRAN-PFTV 1SUB-hit DAT
[maapaatsánqe] [kwilíni]
‘she made him forget it’ ‘I hit him’
145)/ak-tlawa-mii-li&/ 146) /lak-siit-pii-ti&/
HEAD-do-DOWN-PFTV DIST-cut-DOWN-2SUB.sg
[aktlawámi] [laksíitpi]
‘she mistreated him’ ‘you cut it in pieces’
147)/kaa-tsiis-nan-maa/ 148) /na-tantu-munu-aa-[cg]/
LOC-night-HAB-PROG FUT-FOOT-water-IMPF-2SUB.sg
[kaatsiisnáma] [natantumunúy’a&]
‘night is falling’ ‘you’re going to water his feet’
! ()!