Special First Person Subjects in Coatecas Altas Zapotec

Joe Benton and Stephen A. Marlett

1. Introduction
2. Two enclitic pronouns for first-person singular
3. Intransitive subjects with the d-initial pronoun
4. Transitive subjects with the d-initial pronoun
5. Appendix A: Survey of features
6. References

1. Introduction
This paper discusses a detail about the distribution of first-person singular subject
pronouns in Zapotec. The pronouns in general are presented in another paper
(forthcoming).

2. Two enclitic pronouns for first-person singular

Some varieties of Zapotec have two different enclitic pronouns for first-person singular1.
As a result, the distribution of these is a bit more unusual than that of other enclitic
personal pronouns.
Coatecas Altas (zca) is one of these varieties of Zapotec. In fact, it has three
allomorphs of the first-person singular enclitic pronoun, but two of these have a
distribution that is simply determined phonologically: a after consonants and n after
vowels. This relatively trivial distinction is ignored in what follows. The other enclitic
begins with the consonant d. As shown in [1]-[3], one enclitic pronoun (the a/n one)
appears in subject position, and as shown in [4]-[5] the other allomorph (the d-initial
one) appears in object position.
[1] Zhin a lizh Chik.
zca n a li ik
P. arrive 1.sg home Chico
Llegar a la casa de Chico.
I will arrive at Chicos house. (Benton, f.n.)

1
In Coatecas Altas Zapotec, only the first-person has two different enclitic forms.

The Zapotec Grammar Files

Beth Merrill and Stephen A. Marlett (September 2008) Counting. In: Stephen A. Marlett (ed.) The Zapotec
grammar files. [http://www.XXXX] SIL International.
These are working papers that are periodically updated, expanded, and corrected. Comments or corrections
can be sent to the editor (see the index page). Date of this version: 28 February 2012.
 2

[2] Gut a ma.

zca ut 2 a ma
P.kill 1.sg 3.an
Lo matar (animal).
I will kill it (animal). (Benton, f.n.)
[3] Ngua n lani.
zca nwa n lani
C.go-1.sg party
Fui a la fiesta.
I went to the party. (Benton, f.n.)
[4] Miliya xa da.
zca miliya a da.
C.set.free 3.sg 1.sg
Me dej libre.
(S)he set me free. (Benton, f.n.)
(Good simple example needed of direct object 1st person)

[5] Ndin xa da.

zca ndin a da
C.hit 3.sg 1.sg
Me peg.
(S)he hit me. (Benton, f.n.)

The a/n pronoun is also used for first person singular possessor of body part nouns
and a subset of kinship nouns.
[6] yek a
zca jik a
head 1.sg
mi cabeza
my head (Benton, f.n.)
[7] ndxa n
zca na n
ear-1.sg
mi oreja
my ear (Benton, f.n.)

2
This verb may be analyzed as a morphological causative derived from the simple intransitive verb a t
die.
 3

[8] xuz a
zca uz a
father 1.sg
mi padre
my father (Benton, f.n.)
The d-initial pronoun is used for first person singular possessor of alienably-
possessed nouns and a different subset of kinship nouns. (It is not clear whether there is
any motivation for the split in the kinship nouns. This has not been studied yet.)
[9] za da3
zca za da
bean 1.sg
mi frijol
my bean (Benton, f.n.)
[10] bay da
zca baj da
shawl 1.sg
mi rebozo
my shawl (Benton, f.n.)
[11] bel da
zca bel da
sister.FE 1.sg
mi hermana (de mujer)
my sister (of woman) (Benton, f.n.)

3. Intransitive subjects with the d-initial pronoun

The previous section gives some of the basic facts about the distribution of these first-
person enclitic pronouns. However, it is important to point out the subject of some
intransitive verbs also require the d-initial pronoun. Two examples are given here.

3
When a nominal head is not present, or da is separated from its nominal head by other elements, the
genetive preposition chen pertain to is used with da, as with other pronominal clitics:

0-Kix-al lo bi-xa chen da mbaino chen-al .

P-pay-2sg. face Pl-3hum POSS 1sg. and.also POSS-2sg.
Pay them mine (in this context, what I owe) and yours (what you owe).

Biani kwan maska azbl chen da

light REL only shine POSS 1sg.
The only brilliant light that pertains to me
.
 4

[12] Naban da.

zca naban da
S.live 1.sg
Estoy vivo.
I am alive. (Benton, f.n.)
[13] Gat da.
zca at da
P.die 1.sg
Morir.
I will die. (Benton, f.n.)

Further investigation reveals that verbs which require the d-initial pronoun are
usually eperiencer type verbs. The following examples are all in the Potential aspect,
which is usually null for consonant-initial roots, or /g-/ for vowel- initial roots:
Zakzi da.4 I will be punished/ suffer greatly.
Voy a ser castigado/ pasar un sufrimento grande.
Zak da. I will suffer.
Me voy a pasar un sufrimiento/ tiempo difcil.
Zheb da. I will be afraid.
Voy a tener miedo.
Lan da. I will be hungry.
Voy a tener hambre.
G-akne da. I will be sick.
Me voy a enfermar.
Gach da. I will be buried.
Me voy a sepultar.
Ruban da. I will come back to life.
Voy a volver a vivir.
Yaga da. I will be arrested
Me van a agarrar.

4
It is possible that the final syllable in zakzi is related to the verb zi physically sense, and this potential
relationship needs to be investigated further. The only other word in zca with this root is yal-zi NOM-
punishment.
 5

Chab da. I will be unwilling to work.

Voy a tener flojera. (enfadado)
Gal da. (rising tone) I will be born.
Voy a nacer.
Gal da (low tone) I will cool off
Me voy a refrescar
Yal da I will cool down. (e.g., my fever will break, or I will cool
down from a hot environment)
Me voy a bajar de temperatura.
Yag da I will get cold. (e.g., due to a cold climate or a bodily
reaction to extreme fright)
Me voy a enfriar.
Rob da. I will grow up.
Voy a crecer.
Xiz da. I will tremble.
Voy a temblar.
G-ak miyizh da. I will be crazy.5
Voy a ser loco.
Gakbe da I will be known/ recognized.
Voy a ser reconocido.
Yo ra da lo yizhyuo re. I will exist (live) more on this Earth.
Voy a vivir todava en este mundo.
Bex da I will be weighed
Me voy a pesar.

5
Miyizh crazy is actually what was the Completive form of a verb which probably originally meant
become ill. Another frozen form of this verb survives in the nominalized form, yal-yezh (NOM-be.ill),
which means illness. The formerly Completive form of what was probably originally a verb is now an
adverb, and means be mentally ill. The current verb for become ill is nzhak-ne (H-be.done-pain), with
ne meaning pain.
 6

Lox da I will be finished.

Me voy a acabar.
Bizh da I will dry out.
Me voy a secar.
Dach da I will be squashed.
Me voy a aplastar.
Dib da I will be stitched up (i.e., in a medical operation)
Me van a meter costuras.
Ga da I will stretch myself.
Me voy a estirar.
Gax da My account will be paid. (i.e., my bus fare)
Me van a cobrar (pasaje)
Gazh da (falling tone) I will be made wet.
Me voy a mojar.
Gazh da (high tone) I will rot. (e.g. in the grave, like fruit or meat)
Me voy a podrir.
Kao da I will lose consciousness.
Me voy a estar inconsciente o Me va a dar un ataque.
La da I will be lowered.
Me voy a bajar.
La da I will stink.
Me voy a apestar.
Lat da I will empty myself.
Me voy a vaciar. (vomitar o tener diarrea)
Lats da I will become thin.
Me voy a adelgar.
L da I will break off relations with someone.
Me voy a apartar (separarme de alguien)
 7

Mbe da I will become clean.

Me voy a limpiar.
Nu da I will lose my sense of right and wrong.
(lit. I will lose my original flavor)
Me voy a perder moralmente.
(cuando se aplica a cosas comestibles, quiere decir perder el
sabor original)
Rz da I will burst open.
Me voy a reventar. (en una operacin)
Rog da I will be cut off.
Me voy a cortar.
Rubdan da I will roll over. (esp. rolling down an incline)
Me voy a revolcar. (esp. en una parte alta, irse revolcndose
hacia abajo)
We da I will be wounded.
Me voy a herir.
Win da (hi tone) I will move/wiggle.
Me voy a mover.
Wix da I will desire.
Voy a desear.
Xix da I will be cut into pieces.
Me voy a cortar en pedazos.
Xizh da I will laugh.
Me voy a rer.
Yan da I will remain.
Me voy a quedar.
 8

Yaz da I will sink into something. (esp. water, mud)

Me voy a hundir o atascar. (esp. agua o lodo)
(Ngwaz tu yich nin: Se me clav una espina
en mi pie)
Yagal da I will become old.
Me voy a envejecer.
Yak da I will get well.
Me voy a sanar.
Yan da. I will remain.
Me voy a quedar.
Yao da I will be stopped up. (i.e, be unable to
urinate/defecate.
Se va a tapar mi vejiga o mis intestinos.
Yaoyo da I will be shut up. (e.g., in jail)
Me voy a encerrar.
Yap da I will drown. or I will choke on my food.
Me voy a ahogar. (en el agua o comiendo)
Yazha da. I will get tired.
Me voy a cansar.
Yb da. I will decompose. (i.e., wood or metal)
Me voy a descomponer.
Yk da. I will burn up.
Me voy a quemar.
Yachin da. I will fall. (i.e., to the ground from a standing position)
Me voy a caer. (de pie)
 9

Gab da. I will fall. (i.e., to the ground from a height.)

Me voy a caer. (desde arriba, como de un rbol)
Yixian da. I will be extremely angry.
Me voy a enojar mucho.
Yatsiya da. I will be raised.
Voy a sentir arriba.
Ych da I feel chills. (out of fear)
Me siento escalofros.
Yt da. I will be washed.
Me voy a lavar.
Yt da wen. I will be mentioned well.
Van a hablar bien de m.
Yitlo da I will disappear.
Me voy a desaparecer (del mundo).
Yo da (tono alto) I will become powder/ be ground up.
Voy a ser molido.
Ziki da I will swell up.
Me voy a inchar.
Zu da I will be useful.
Voy a ser til.
Zuzh da I will get drunk.
Me voy a emborrachar.
 10

Zh da I will get warm (from being cold). (contrast w. be cold)

Me voy a calentar.
Or:
I will be changed from my position./someone else will take my
place.
Me van a cambiar de mi puesto.
Adjectives and stative verbs also appear to always take the d-initial pronoun:6
[14] Tsak da.
zca tsak da
Important 1.sg
Soy importante.
I am important. (Benton, f.n.)

[15] Win da.

zca win da
Small 1.sg
Soy chico.
I am small. (Benton, f.n.)

[16] Xi da.
zca i da
Young 1.sg
Soy joven 1.sg
I am young. (Benton, f.n.)

[17] Nalib da.

zca Nalib da
S.be.bound 1.sg
Estoy atado.
I am bound. (Benton, f.n.)

6
Adjectives and stative verbs are not always easily distinguished in zca. While verbs are normally
distinguished from adjectives by their aspect prefixes, some adjectives come from frozen forms of verbs in
the Completive aspect (e.g., miyizh crazy, which comes from the Completive form of *-yizh, which
originally meant to become ill). Adjectives typically occur without any prefixes, and can sound or look like
stative verbs with a null Potential aspect prefix.
 11

[18] Nak da tu maestr.

zca Nak da tu maes tr.
S.be 1.sg one teacher
Soy un maestro.
I am a teacher. (Benton, f.n.)

4. Transitive subjects with the d-initial pronoun

A few transitive verbs also take the d-initial pronoun as subject.
[19] Nazhi da lu.
zca nai da lu.
S.love 1.sg 2.sg
Te amo. o Te estimo.
I love you. or I esteem you. (Benton, f.n.)
(Alternate translation: You are loveable/esteemable to me.)

[20] Gal da tu herens.

zca Gal da tu h erens
P.touch 1.sg one inheritance
Me voy a tocar una herencia.
I will receive an inheritance. (Benton, f.n.)
(Alternate translation: An inheritance is coming to me.)

[21] Naziylta da lu tu una xtizh Dios lo miyi.

zca naziylta da lu tu una ti Djos lo miyi.
Neg.permit 1.sg P.show one woman Pos.word God face men.
No permito que una mujer le ensee la palabra de Dios a los hombres.
I do not allow a woman to teach men the word of God. (Benton, f.n.)
(Alternate translation: It is not allowed to me that a woman should teach men the
word of God.)

[22] Zhl da go.

zca l da go.
P.find 1.sg 2.pl
Voy a encontrar a usted(es).
I will find you (sg. polite or you pl.).
(Alternate translation: You will be found to me.)
 12

Zi Physically sense, wix Desire (in a covetous way) and zen Psychologically
7
sense do not take a noun phrase as their direct object, but rather a clause. These are
the only verbs requiring the d-initial pronoun that I know of with this restriction.
[23] Zi da kwan tul.
zca zi da kwan t ul.
P.sense 1.sg that.which pretty
Voy a sentir lo que es bonito.
I will feel something good. (Benton, f.n.)
(Alternate translation: Something good will be felt to me.)

[25] Wix da g tu mansan.

zca wi da g tu ma nsan.
P.desire 1.sg P.eat one apple
Voy a desear comer una manzana.
I will desire to eat an apple.
(Alternate translation: It is desireable to me to eat an apple.)
(Benton, f.n.)
[26] Zen da ndzap a dol.
zca zn da ndap a dol.
P.psych sense 1.sg H.have 1sg guilt
Voy a sentir que tengo culpa.
I will feel that I have guilt. (Benton, f.n.)
(Alternate translation: Guilt will be felt to me.)

At least one speaker8 uses the d-initial form with miliwen healed. Mili did normally
takes the a/-n form of the 1sg. pronoun, but when wen well is incorpororated as an
adverb, this speaker uses the d-intial pronoun:
[26] Mili wen da lu.
zca mili wen da lu
C.do well 1.sg 2.sg
Te san.
I healed you. (Benton, f.n.)
However, one other speaker I consulted9 says that the above example is incorrect, and
that only the a/-n form of the 1sg. pronoun clitic is the correct one to use:

7
According to others I interviewed after writing this paper, zi and zen are identical in meaning.
8
This speaker has lived outside of the language community since he was a young teen, and I do not consider
him a good model of the language.
9
This speaker has lived for most of his life in the language community, and I consider him to be a much
better model of the language than the first speaker.
 13

[27] Mili wen a lu

zca mili wen a lu
C.do well 1.sg 2.sg
Te sane.
I healed you.
[Benton, f.n.]
GIVE ME AT LEAST FIVE MORE EXAMPLES BESIDES THIS ONE. Is it only when there is a
word between the verb and the pronoun? (Yes: intervening, close-knit adverbs such as
nu accompaniment and ra
more apparently can trigger the d-initial pronoun,
provided that there is a clausal element preceding the verb that prevents the d-initial
pronoun from being fronted.) How about after an incorporated preposition? Do you
have those? (No. Only adverbs can occur between the verb root and bound subject
clitics)

Since prepositions are nearly always obligatorily possessed body parts, only the a/-n
form of the 1sg. subject clitic occurs with these.
I currently know of only two other cases in which an intervening adverbial element can
trigger the d-initial pronoun. Gaknu help, normally takes the a/-n form of the 1sg.
pronoun, but when followed by ra more, the d-initial pronoun is used, provided that a
clause-initial element (including the negative particle na-) prevents the d-initial pronoun
from being fronted.

[28] Per por gaknu ra da r go,10 dox nakin ra ban da.

But for P.help more 1.sg all 2.pl much S-need more P.live 1.sg.
Pero como todava les voy a ayudar, necesito vivir todava.

[29] Na- ng- - t- ra- da- i

Neg1- Irrealis- eat- Neg2- more 1.sg 3.sg inanimate
No lo com ms.

However, if the subject clitic can be fronted, it is ungrammatical for the d- initial
pronoun to occur after the close-knit adverb:

10
Even though the 2pl. pronoun clitic, go, does have the meaning of you all, it is more often used as the
polite 2sg. form, like Spanish usted. For this reason, the prefix r, all, is needed to make it clear that the
plural sense is intended.
 14

[30] L da gaknu ra r go.

Base 1.sg P.help more all 2.pl
Voy a seguir todava a ayudarlos.

[31] *Gaknu ra da r go.

P.help more 1.sg pl 2.pl
Voy a seguir todava a ayudarlos.

It looks like in preverbal position the difference between na and leeda is something else
it is correlated with what has been said so far. Did I misunderstand that? From
looking at further data, it appears that the choice between preverbal na and lda is
determined by two factors: relative prominence and negation on the verb. Na appears
to be the default form11, while lda12 is an option for greater prominence if the verb is
not negated. For example, in the following pair of examples, while na is the default
form, lda is optional, and is probably more emphatic:
[32] Ter nayat al Lola, per na ya ka (default)
Although Not.P.go 2.sg Oaxaca but 1.sg P.go certainly
Although you will not go to Oaxaca, but I will certainly go.

[33] Ter nayat al Lola, per lda ya ka

Although Not.P.go 2.sg Oaxaca but 1.sg P.go certainly
Although you will not go to Oaxaca, but I will certainly go.

However, in the following pair of examples, the example with lda is considered
ungrammatical, most likely because the verb is negated:
[34] Lu gak ya Lola, per na nayat (default)
2.sg P.can P.go Oaxaca but 1.sg Not.P.go.neg
You can go to Oaxaca, but I will not go.

11
My main language associate calls it the automatic form.
12
My main language associate calls this the more complete form.
 15

[35] *Lu gak ya Lola, per lda nayat.

2.sg P.can P.go Oaxaca but 1.sg Not.P.go .neg
You can go to Oaxaca, but I will not go.
 16

5. Appendix A: Survey of features

ISO 639-3 Identifier as in has two has
code Ethnologue enclitic forms intransitive
of 1.sg, one of verbs with
which is with the d-initial
d pronoun
zaa Sierra de Jurez
zab San Juan Guelava
zac Ocotln
zad Cajonos
zae Yareni
zaf Ayoquesco
zai Isthmus
zam Miahuatln
zao Ozolotepec
zaq Alopam
zar Rincn
zas Santo Domingo
Albarradas
zat Tabaa
zav Yatzachi
zaw Mitla
zax Xadani
zca Coatecas Altas yes yes
zoo Asuncin Mixtepec
zpa Lachiguiri
zpb Yautepec
zpc Choapan
zpd Southeastern Ixtln
zpe Petapa
zpf San Pedro Quiatoni
zpg Guvea de Humboldt
zph Totmachapan
zpi Santa Mara
Quiegolani
zpj Quiavicuzas
zpk Tlacolulita
zpl Lachixo
 17

ISO 639-3 Identifier as in has two has

code Ethnologue enclitic forms intransitive
of 1.sg, one of verbs with
which is with the d-initial
d pronoun
zpm Mixtepec
zpn Santa Ins Yatzechi
zpo Amatln
zpp El Alto
zpq Zoogocho
zpr Santiago Xanica
zpt San Vicente Coatln
zpu Yallag
zpv Chichicapan
zpw Zaniza
zpx Coatln
zpx San Baltazar Loxicha
zpy Mazaltepec
zpz Texmelucan
zsr Southern Rincn
ztc Lchirioag
zte Elotepec
ztg Xanagua
ztl Santiago Lapagua
ztm San Agustn Mixtepec
ztn Santa Catarina
Albarradas
ztp Loxicha
zts Tilquiapan
ztt Tejalpan
ztu Gil
ztx Zaachila
zty Yatee
 18

6. References
See Zapotec grammar data sources and bibliography for Zapotec-specific references.

Galant, Michael. A Lexico-Semantically Driven Alternation in Subject Markers in San

Juan Yaee Zapotec. Paper presented at the annual SSILA meeting on January 8,
2005.

Lillehaugen, Brook Danielle. 2004. Is Valley Zapotec lohoh a dative marker? Paper
presented at the First Conference on Otomanguean and Oaxacan Languages.