32.1. Lexical suffixes as objects
| ƛ̓ə́m̓nəxʷ cn cə nəsq̓ʷúŋiʔ. | ‘I bumped my head.’ |
| ƛ̓əm̓éʔqʷ cn. | ‘I bumped my head.’ |
► 1 First of all, note that there are two new words here: sq̓ʷúŋiʔ means ‘head,’ and ƛ̓əm̓ is a root meaning ‘bump.’ With the ‑t transitive suffix, ƛ̓ə́m̓t means ‘bump it.’
► 2 There are two ways of expressing the idea ‘I bumped my head’ in Klallam. One uses the noun phrase cə nəsq̓ʷúŋiʔ as the direct object, and the other uses the lexical suffix ‑éʔqʷ.
► 3 The first model sentence is an ordinary transitive sentence that we have seen many times since §7.2. Here is the complete analysis:
ƛ̓ə́m̓‑nəxʷ cn cə nə‑sq̓ʷúŋiʔ.
bump‑trans I the my‑head
► 4 The second model sentence—with the lexical suffix—is not transitive, though the English translation given is the same as for the first. A more literal translation of the second model sentence would be ‘I got head‑bumped.’
► 5 We can make the second model sentence transitive by simply adding the ‑t or ‑nəxʷ transitive suffix:
ƛ̓əm̓éʔqʷt cn. ‘I bumped his/her/its head.’
ƛ̓əm̓éʔqʷnəxʷ cn. ‘I accidentally bumped his/her/its head.’
► 6 And once we get it transitive, we can add object suffixes, such as:
ƛ̓əm̓éʔqʷc cn. ‘I bumped your head.’
► 7 You can specify an object in a noun phrase as usual:
ƛ̓əm̓éʔqʷt cn cə nəsčáʔčaʔ. ‘I bumped my friend’s head.’
Note that the direct object is always the possessor of the thing that is indicated by the lexical suffix.
► 8 There is actually a subtle difference in meaning between the two models. The one with the lexical suffix, ƛ̓əm̓éʔqʷ cn, implies that ‘head bumping’ is somewhat of a regular, usual, or expected event. The model sentence without the lexical suffix, ƛ̓ə́m̓t cn cə nəsq̓ʷúŋiʔ, does not have this extra meaning.
► 9 Only lexical suffixes referring to body parts can function as objects in this pattern. So, for example, you cannot use *ƛ̓əm̓áw̓txʷ, to mean ‘bump the house.’ (Remember that the asterisk on a word or sentence indicates that it is not grammatical.)
► 10 Here are some new words for use in this and the following sections:
k̓ʷás ‘scald, toast, burn’ (k̓ʷást ‘scald it,’ k̓ʷsátəŋ ‘is scalded’)
ɬə́ŋ ‘remove, take off’ (ɬŋə́t ‘remove it’)
c̓áʔkʷ ‘wash, clean’ (c̓áʔkʷt ‘wash it,’ c̓aʔkʷátəŋ ‘is washed’)
x̣ə́ɬ ‘hurt’ (x̣ɬə́t ‘hurt it’)
kʷápi ‘coffee’
► 11 By the way: Are these four new roots weak, strong, or zero stems? Hint: two are zero, and two are weak.
 | ɬə́ŋ cn ʔuʔ k̓ʷsə́qsən. | ‘I really burned my nose.’ |
 | ƛ̓áy cn ʔuʔ k̓ʷsə́qsən ʔiʔ k̓ʷsínəs. | ‘I also burned my nose and my chest.’ |
| mán̓ ʔuʔ ɬaʔt̓íqəŋ cə kʷápi. | ‘The coffee is too hot.’ |
| ʔáa. x̣ʷnáŋ ʔaʔ či sčə́qʷəwc. | ‘Yes. It’s like fire.’ |