SERI LANDSCAPE CLASSIFICATION AND SPATIAL REFERENCE by Carolyn O’Meara June 1, 2010 A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University at Buffalo, State University of New York in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Linguistics UMI Number: 3407934 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI 3407934 Copyright 2010 by ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This edition of the work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1346 Acknowledgements This dissertation could not have been written without the support and assistance of many people, some of whom I would like to acknowledge here. First of all, this dissertation could not have been completed without the ever- present support of my advisor, Dr. Jürgen Bohnemeyer. He began meeting with me in my first year of graduate school and from the beginning he helped me develop my skills in conducting linguistic fieldwork, developing research questions and developing solutions to such questions, as well as preparing presentations and, of course, writing. Vielen Dank Jürgen! Dr. David Mark has also been instrumental in the direction of my research. His work in ethnophysiography inspired me to go to the field and conduct research similar to his, albeit with a bit more of a linguistic focus. Throughout my time as a graduate student, he has regularly provided me with a different perspective from which to look at data and to solve problems. His endless curiousity in language, culture and landscape has been a driving force for me while working on my dissertation research. Dr. David Zubin has been both a source of inspiration and feedback throughout my time as a PhD student. I am grateful for the time he has spent with me talking about issues in the Seri language. His feedback has been valuable in making me and this dissertation more informed of previous research in similar areas. The fourth member of my dissertation committee, Dr. Jean Pierre Koenig, provided me with lots of useful feedback that has made this dissertation much better than what it would have been without his feedback. He has also been a constant source of practical advice and feedback regarding my professional development as a linguist. ii Without the previous documentation and description of the Seri language conducted laid down by Edward and Becky Moser and subsequently by Steve Marlett, this dissertation would have been much more difficult to write. I would also like to thank Steve Marlett for his asssistance in helping me understand the Seri language better and for responding to all of the little questions I have had about Seri. He has also served as a very thoughtful reviewer of my papers and of this dissertaton. This research would not have been possible without generous funding from the National Science Foundation (BCS-0723694 and BCS-0553965). I also received support in the form of small travel grants from the University at Buffalo Department of Linguistics. The staff of the University at Buffalo Department of Linguistics has also made the process of being a graduate student much easier. I am extremely grateful for their asssistance. I am, of course, very grateful for the support provided by my friends and fellow students while I was writing the dissertation and while I was traveling to and from the field. In particular, I am indebted to the advice and friendship of Lilian Guerrero, who is the person who initially suggested I look into conducting fieldwork on the Seri language. Rodrigo Renteria was instrumental is helping me get to the field the first time, as he drove the car to the Seri territory and introduced me to Seri families. Rodrigo Romero Mendez provided me with both a solid friendship and academic stimulation when we were both living in Buffalo working on our doctoral degrees. I would also like to thank my friends from outside of the university setting who helped me get to know Buffalo better and helped me keep sane by having a life outside of academia. iii My parents and family assisted me throughout this journey in various ways – by providing unwavering support and making me feel confident that I could finish the PhD in one piece. My parents provided me with a place to stay on the way to and from the field in Tucson, Arizona. I am also immensely grateful for their generosity in letting me drive their car to and from the field for my later fieldtrips. Without their assistance, my trips to the field would have been much more difficult. My sisters, Megan and Erin, have provided me with much inspiration in becoming truly amazing women. I am grateful to have them as role models. Finally, this dissertation is dedicated to the Seri people, without whom this dissertation would have most certainly been impossible. In particular, I am very grateful to all of the native speaker consultants that I have had the pleasure of working with. I have learned so much from them and truly value the friendships I have made while staying in HaxölIihom. In particular, I would like to thank Alma Imelda Morales Romero, Gabriel Hoeffer Felix, Teresa Hoeffer Felix, Raquel Hoeffer Felix, Geno Hoeffer Felix, Lourdes Hoeffer Felix, Óscar Perales, Francisco Morales Herrera, Maria Luisa Astorga Flores de Estrella, Efrain Estrella, Mayra Estrella, Beto Estrella, Francisca Morales, René Montaño Herrera, Lorenzo Herrera Casanova, Anna and Valentin Morales Romero, Angelita Torres Covilla, Fernando Torres, Erika Molina, Roberto Molina Romero, Ana Bertha Molina, Saúl Molina Romero, Efrain Perales. I would also like to extend a big thank you to the rest of the residents of HaxölIihom for allowing me to spend so much time living in their village. This dissertation is dedicated to the Seri people and the amazing place where they live. iv Table of Contents Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................... ii Abstract .......................................................................................................................... vii 1 Introduction............................................................................................................... 2 1.1 The landscape domain in Seri.......................................................................... 2 1.2 Ethnophysiography........................................................................................... 4 1.3 This study........................................................................................................... 7 1.4 Structure of this dissertation.......................................................................... 12 2 The Seri people, their language and their territory............................................. 15 2.1 The Seri people................................................................................................ 15 2.2 The Seri language............................................................................................ 20 2.3 The Seri territory ............................................................................................ 22 2.3.1 Bodies of water ........................................................................................ 23 2.3.2 Landforms ............................................................................................... 25 2.3.3 Geographic artifacts ............................................................................... 26 2.3.4 Conclusions.............................................................................................. 27 3 Methodology and data collection........................................................................... 29 4 Elements of Seri grammar and lexicon................................................................. 36 4.1 Typological profile .......................................................................................... 36 4.2 Basic verb morphosyntax............................................................................... 42 4.2.1 Argument marking ................................................................................. 43 4.2.2 Mood......................................................................................................... 45 4.2.2.1 Irrealis ................................................................................................... 46 4.2.2.2 Realis independent................................................................................ 49 4.2.2.3 Realis dependent ................................................................................... 52 4.2.3 Aspect....................................................................................................... 53 4.2.4 Sentence type ........................................................................................... 57 4.2.5 Derived verb forms ................................................................................. 58 4.3 Basic noun morphosyntax .............................................................................. 58 4.3.1 Types of nominal expressions ................................................................ 59 4.3.2 Determination.........................................................................................