Possessive Constructions

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In Mingo, you can express the fact that a certain object belongs to someone by using the Possessive Construction. The basic Possessive Construction is very similar to the Basic Noun Construction. The only difference is that instead of using one of the Neuter prefixes (either NsA or NsP, depending on the Noun), you use one of the other Pronominal prefixes to express who is the owner of the object.

Take, for example, the Basic Noun Form káyatöshæ' book, with the NsA prefix ká- attaching to the Noun Stem -yatöshæ'. To show that the book belongs to someone, all you have to do is to remove the NsA prefix and replace it with one of the other Pronominal prefixes. For instance, you could use the 1s Patient prefix akh- to make akhyatöshæ' my book. Or, you could use the Ms Patient prefix hó- to make hóyatöshæ' his book.

The basic pattern for the Possessive Construction in Mingo, then, is shown below:

Possessed Form Construction

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Note!

Be careful to note that in the basic Possessive Construction, you use Patient prefixes to express possession. It doesn't matter whether the noun belongs to the "A-Class" and normally takes an Agent prefix (NsA) or belongs to the "P-Class" and normally takes a Patient prefix (NsP) when it's in its Basic Form -- either way, it will still take Patient prefixes in the basic Possessive Construction. Look at the examples below to see how this works.

Possessed Forms of Nouns that take Agent Prefixes in their Basic Form
Basic Noun Form 1s Possessed Noun Form
káyatöshæ' book akhyatöshæ' my book
kanö'skwa' bed aknö'skwa' my bed
kanö'tsa' pail aknö'tsa' my pail
kaöwö' boat akhôwö' my boat
waösha' cap akaösha' my cap

Possessed Forms of Nouns that take Patient Prefixes in their Basic Form
Basic Noun Form 1s Possessed Noun Form
oyë'kwa' tobacco akyë'kwa' my tobacco
onô'kta' room aknô'kta' my room
oëkahsa' stick akëkahsa' my stick
owânö' candy akânö' my candy
oisëhta' dream akisëhta' my dream

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But!!

There is one major exception to the rule that you have to use Patient prefixes in the Possessive Construction. Often, when you want to talk about a specific part of someone's body -- for example, her hand, my face or your eyes -- then you must use AGENT prefixes and NOT PATIENT prefixes to express the possessor. Look carefully at the examples below. Note how they use the 1s Agent (1sA) prefix and not the 1s Patient (1sP) prefix, as the other nouns before did.

Possessed Forms of Body Part Nouns using Agent Prefixes
Basic Noun Form 1s Possessed Noun Form
os'ohta' hand kes'ohta' my hand
ónyahsa' neck kényahsa' my neck
oya'ta' body kya'ta my body
okáa' eye kekáa' my eye
okôta' nose kekôta' my nose

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Except!!

There are exceptions to this exception, though. Not all body part nouns require the use of the Agent prefixes to express a possessor. Some of them behave just like regular nouns and take a PATIENT prefix to express a possessor. In the table below are some examples of the more common body part nouns that take Patient prefixes in the Possessive Construction.

Possessed Form of Body Part Nouns using Patient Prefixes
Basic Noun Form 1s Possessed Noun Form
otkwëhsa' blood aketkwëhsa' my blood
[no unpossessed form?] aketwë'hsa' my liver
onë'kë'ta' stomach aknëkë'ta' my stomach
onökëë' head aknö'ëë' my head
oke'æ' hair akeke'æ' my hair
aöhta' ear akaöhta' my ear

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Related Constructions

[JL:2 August 96]