Knowledge base · Part X — The Personal-Affix System and Alignment · this topic as a network

69. The Personal-Affix Template: Position Classes and Affix Ordering

How are subject and object personal affixes ordered relative to each other, to valency markers, and to the verb stem?

The position-class template

What positions do the person indexes occupy in the verb word, and how does that ordering relate to valency-changing morphology?

Among prefixal personal affixes, nominative affixes stand first, accusative affixes follow, and directional/applicative affixes representing complements follow those. (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936) Nominative-objective affixation refers to the situation where two pronominal affixes are combined and affixed to a single verb. (Refsing 1986) Pronominal affixes occur both preceding and following the verb only when the subject is first-person singular and the object is second-person plural; in all other cases, pronominal affixes are either exclusively prefixed or exclusively suffixed. (Refsing 1986: 273)

The left personal layer: A and O prefixes

Which subject and object person indexes appear as prefixes before the verb stem?

When both subject and object personal affixes are prefixed to the verb, the subject prefix precedes the object prefix. (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936, Shibatani 1990: 26) In the Shizunai dialect, when both subject and object are marked by pronominal affixes, the nominative affix precedes the objective affix. (Refsing 1986: 143, 144) In the Shizunai dialect, a pronominal affix in the assertive ki-construction is usually attached to the main verb. (Refsing 1986: 208) In the Shizunai dialect, the nominative affix generally precedes the objective affix and both are prefixed to the verb. (Refsing 1986) In the Shizunai dialect, the combination of a first-person singular subject and a second-person plural object can be realized circumfixally with eci- prefixed and -an suffixed to the verb. (Refsing 1986) In the Shizunai dialect, no definite pattern governs the preference between the circumfixal form eci-...-an and the prefixed form an-eci-. (Refsing 1986) In the Saru dialect, all nominative-objective combined pronominal forms are prefixed to the verb. (reported in Refsing 1986) All transitive subject personal affixes are prefixes. (Nakagawa 2024: 168) Transitive verbs in the Shizunai dialect always take pronominal affixes as prefixes. (Refsing 1986: 141) In assertive ki constructions, the pronominal affix may also attach to ki instead, or both the main verb and ki may take the pronominal affix. (Refsing 1986: 211) When ka is interpolated between the main verb and assertive ki, the pronominal affix always attaches to the main verb. (Refsing 1986: 211) In nominative-objective combined forms in the Shizunai dialect, the first-person nominative is always realized as the indefinite pronominal affix a- or an-. (Refsing 1986) In Shizunai, the prefixed form an-eci- is possible as an equivalent to the circumfixal form eci-...-an for first-person singular subject acting on second-person plural object without any change in meaning. (Refsing 1986: 225)

The right personal layer: =as and =an

Which subject person indexes appear as suffixes at the right edge of the inflected verb?

In the Ishikari dialect, there are combined pronominal forms in which the objective affix is prefixed and the nominative affix is suffixed to the verb. (reported in Refsing 1986: 143, 144) In the Ishikari dialect, nominative-objective combined forms include both fully prefixed forms and split forms where the objective affix is prefixed and the nominative affix is suffixed. (reported in Refsing 1986)

Ordering with valency morphology and number suffixes

Where do valency-changing suffixes and stem-plural suffixes occur relative to the root and right-edge person suffixes?

In the periphrastic construction with a transitive verb and rusuy 'to want', the subjective person marker attaches to the lexical verb bearing the objective marker rather than to the auxiliary verb. (Satō 2025)

The two-index ceiling

What is the maximum number of personal affixes a finite verb allows, and which combinations are possible?

Ainu verbs may index at most two arguments with personal affixes (one subject and one object). (Satō 2023, Satō 2025) In the classical register, when a second-person subject acts on a first-person object, only the first-person object is marked, omitting the second-person subject marker. (Satō 2008: 262) Subject and object personal affixes indexing the same person never attach simultaneously to a single verb stem. (Tamura 1972: 35)

Clitic and affix status of the personal indexes

Does the equal sign used with person markers reflect any phonological or morphological boundary, or is it purely notational?

In closely connected verbal expressions, ellipsis of a pronominal affix is permitted (though not required) when it would otherwise occur more than once. (proposed in Refsing 1986: 24) Pronominal affixes attach to verbs or verb expressions before verb prefixes and after verb suffixes, but before verb auxiliaries. (Refsing 1986: 79) When hine replaces wa in aspectual auxiliary constructions, pronominal affixes invariably attach to both the main verb and the auxiliary, unlike in wa-constructions where the main verb alone may carry the pronominal affix. (Refsing 1986: 242)

The Ijäs learner template

How does the pedagogical presentation order person indexes and treat independent pronouns as optional?