The old object pronoun slot (tr)
For many Tolowa verbs, in particular those with short prefix sequences (the inner or ‘conjunct’ range), slot (8) is still the object pronoun slot, as in:
(1)
Various diachronic changes have conspired, however, to re-define this slot. First, the contrast between the obviate and proximate 3rd person object pronouns (y- vs. m- in Tolowa; see Thompson 1989) has disappeared from this slot. Morpho logically transitive verbs with 3rd person subject and 3rd person object are marked by the yu=- prefix, as in (1b) above.
Second, many morphologically-detransitivized verbs are syntactically transitive, and can thus take an object pronoun. But that pronoun does not necessarily occupy the old slot (8). Thus consider:
(2)
Further, with many morphologically transitive verbs that take the yu =- prefix but also display more external (‘disjunct’) adverbial-locative prefixes, the yu =- prefix retains slot (8) but object pronouns are ejected to the more external slot (14). Thus, with the verb ‘put’:
(3)
In (3d, e), the yu=- prefix in the old object pronoun position (slot 8) now co exists with the real object pronoun in slot (14), and thus could not be considered an object pronoun any more. Although some might want to suggest that it can be considered an obviate subject pronoun, as in Koyukon (Thompson 1989).
With some verbs, one can find the restructuring of the object pronoun position within the very same paradigm, as in:
(4)
