81 near the speaker, within a text it constrains an interpretation that its referent is currently
“in or near the spotlight.” Following Levinsohn 2008:136, I use the term “local VIP” to refer to a major participant who is a center of attention for some portion of a narrative.
The demonstrative
xil is used to refer to something in the immediately preceding context that is salient. In some cases, it functions as a bridge between preceding
information and the events which follow, and in other cases it serves to introduce a new participant to the narrative.
4.4.1.1 Relating to the immediately preceding context
79a ‘The land harrowed by the younger brother was bigger and better than [the land] harrowed by the older brother.’
79b Miqnieiq
xil dyul mol taoqngaoq, algo aqnil naogo
Things this
DPL see DM
o.bro y.bro with 79c
eil miq.
say TRAN
‘When [he] saw these things, [the] older brother said to [the] younger brother: ...’
The Older and Younger Brothers 12 In 79b the reference is to the immediately preceding context, forming a bridge between
the information which precedes and that which follows. In this case, the referent of “these things” is salient in that it provides an explanation for what follows, but is not a
new center of attention.
4.4.1.2 Following introductions of new referents
Xil is also used just after a new referent has been introduced to the narrative with a presentational structure, to give more information about it. In these cases, the referent
82 of xil is a salient prop or participant who is of particular importance for this section of the
narrative.
80a Aqyoq hulbu leil
kul e
alzil qiq qa
jol 3
cuckoo QUO call LNK
bird one kind exist nga
leil gaq.
OBJ QUO
hear ‘He had heard that there was a kind of bird called a cuckoo.’
80b
Alzil xil qa huvq ssol
nao hev
nia. bird this
kind year and day know
able
‘This kind of bird knew [the] days and years ...’
I:36 Sentence 80 introduces the bird, which plays a key role in the rest of the narrative, as
suggested by the title of the story, “Alloq Searches for a Cuckoo.” Next, consider 81:
81a Xil gei
laqhyul xaolcyuq
qiq yaol jav.
this place
house broken.down
one CL
exist ‘There was a broken-down house here.’
81b Col niq
ma-ssaq jol.
person 2
mother-son exist
‘There were a mother and son [here].’
81c Xil niq
ma -ssaq taolnao _nei moqdev
duq alnei,
this two
mother -son
daily yam
dig ADD
wuqdeiq leiq
deiv zaq. stomach seek
full eat
‘This mother and son ate by digging yams.’
II:4
83 Once the mother and son have been introduced with in this way, they function as local
VIPs in the next section of the narrative, and are not marked by any demonstrative. The effect of xil here is to mark them as salient, since they will be major participants in the
next section.
4.4.2 The distal demonstrative yul