Point of View |
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In many languages of Mexico, especially those of the Uto-Aztecan stock, the verb must indicate the speaker’s point of view in relation to an object or event. Cora, spoken in the State of Nayarit, is one of those languages. In the sketch below, two men say, “it (water) is pouring down.” One man faces the falling water; the other stands above it. The first must use ii ‘facing’ in the verb; the second must use n ‘above’. | ||
| ankásuuna “it is pouring down” | |||
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| aiikásuuna “it is pouring down” | |||
| To say “the dog’s tail is short” the speaker uses a ‘sideways’ if the dog is seen from the side, but uses u ‘away from’ if the dog is facing away from him. | |||
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| ahkïtyapu'u uhkïtyapu'u | |||
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© 2005 Instituto
Lingüístico de Verano, A.C. |
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