Adverbial and Argument-Doubling Clauses in Cree - MSpace

(24) a. Independent: niwâpamâw cîmiy.
see-TA-(1-3) Jimy-3
'I see Jimmy. '
b. Conjunct: 6-wâparnak cîmiy.
cj-see-TA-( 1-3) Jirnmy-3
'(When) 1 see Jimmy. '
In a Cree verb there is no specific position for an affix which identifies a subject or
object. The person-marking affixes serve only to identify sentence pariicipants, and it is a
direction marker within the verb which associates the appropriate participant to the
appropriate argument role. In other words, it is not position which identifies subjecvagent
and objectlpatient, but rather morphology. This association is also dependent upon a
person hierarchy. where second penon is hiyher than first person, and both outrank third
person. This hierarchy is shown in (25).
To demonstrate this somewhat complex system of argument assignment, let us
consider the following examples.
(16). niwâpamawa k.
1 -see.TA-direct-3 p
'1 see them.'
'O
3 = ihird person proximate, 3' = third person obviative. O = ina~mate
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