Huron/Wendat interactions with the Seneca language
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Megan Lukaniec
Abstract
This paper examines a historical language shift from Wendat, or Huron (Iroquoian), to Seneca (Iroquoian). Speakers of the two related polysynthetic languages were in intense contact with one another during the late 17th century when Wendat refugees settled in Seneca towns. Evidence for this language shift is scattered throughout two manuscript dictionaries dating from the same period. As Wendat speakers shifted to Seneca, various types of contact-induced change occurred, including phonological, lexical, semantic, and grammatical changes. Sources of Wendat and Modern Seneca data provide the basis for comparison to the heavily Wendat-influenced Seneca found in the manuscript Tsonnontuan dictionaries.
Abstract
This paper examines a historical language shift from Wendat, or Huron (Iroquoian), to Seneca (Iroquoian). Speakers of the two related polysynthetic languages were in intense contact with one another during the late 17th century when Wendat refugees settled in Seneca towns. Evidence for this language shift is scattered throughout two manuscript dictionaries dating from the same period. As Wendat speakers shifted to Seneca, various types of contact-induced change occurred, including phonological, lexical, semantic, and grammatical changes. Sources of Wendat and Modern Seneca data provide the basis for comparison to the heavily Wendat-influenced Seneca found in the manuscript Tsonnontuan dictionaries.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Foreword vii
- Language contact and change in the Americas 1
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Part I North America: California
- Yuki, Pomoan, Wintun, and Athabaskan 17
- The role of passives in the formation of hierarchical systems in Northern California 33
- Assessing the effects of language contact on Northeastern Pomo 67
- Synchronic and diachronic accounts of phonological features in Central Chumash languages 91
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Part II North America: Athabaskan, Iroquoian, and Uto-Aztecan
- Contact and semantic shift in extreme language endangerment 107
- “Excorporation” in a Dene (Athabaskan) language 139
- Contact and change in Oneida 167
- Huron/Wendat interactions with the Seneca language 189
- The usual suspects 219
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Part III Northern Mexico, Mesoamerica, and South America
- Language documentation and historical linguistics 249
- The Jakaltek Popti’ noun classifier system 273
- Language contact and word structure 297
- Auxiliation and typological shift 315
- Discourse pattern replication in South Conchucos Quechua and Andean Spanish 339
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Part IV The Americas and beyond
- Measuring language typicality, with special reference to the Americas 365
- Words for ‘dog’ as a diagnostic of language contact in the Americas 385
- Index 411
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Foreword vii
- Language contact and change in the Americas 1
-
Part I North America: California
- Yuki, Pomoan, Wintun, and Athabaskan 17
- The role of passives in the formation of hierarchical systems in Northern California 33
- Assessing the effects of language contact on Northeastern Pomo 67
- Synchronic and diachronic accounts of phonological features in Central Chumash languages 91
-
Part II North America: Athabaskan, Iroquoian, and Uto-Aztecan
- Contact and semantic shift in extreme language endangerment 107
- “Excorporation” in a Dene (Athabaskan) language 139
- Contact and change in Oneida 167
- Huron/Wendat interactions with the Seneca language 189
- The usual suspects 219
-
Part III Northern Mexico, Mesoamerica, and South America
- Language documentation and historical linguistics 249
- The Jakaltek Popti’ noun classifier system 273
- Language contact and word structure 297
- Auxiliation and typological shift 315
- Discourse pattern replication in South Conchucos Quechua and Andean Spanish 339
-
Part IV The Americas and beyond
- Measuring language typicality, with special reference to the Americas 365
- Words for ‘dog’ as a diagnostic of language contact in the Americas 385
- Index 411
