Derived Verbs of Possession in Uto-Aztecan: Reconstructions and Paths of Change

Abstract:Languages of the Uto-Aztecan family are notable for typically having multiple ways to indicate predicative possession, as well as for having a variety of mechanisms for deriving verbs from nouns (i.e., creating denominal verbs). Five morphemes can be reconstructed for Proto—Uto-Aztecan that gave rise to specific denominal verb-creating affixes (most usually, suffixes) that mark predicative possession across the family. The reconstructed suffixes are *-ka 'have (alienable)', *-pV 'have (inalienable)', *-ɨ, a postposition (most likely a locative), *-tu 'active possession' ('get', 'acquire'), and *-wa, a marker of attributive possession ('possessed thing').