1. Yakima Sahaptin Phonology and Morphology
Linguistics 200
Virginia Beavert
Spring 2002

2. The Sahaptin language
Proto-Sahaptian 2
Sahaptin Nez Perce

3. Plateau languages

4. Phonology Consonant phonemes labial alveolar palatal velar labio-velar
uvular
labio-uvular
glottal
stops
p p'
t t'
k k'
kw kw'
q q'
qw qw' /
affricates
sibilant
ts ts'
c c'
lateral
t t'
fricatives
central s š x xw X Xw h 
nasals m n l
glides w j

5. Phonology
Vowel phonemes
front
central
back
high
i i: 
u u:
low
a a:

6. Vowel contrasts i [pipš] pipsh 'bone'
u [puqpuq] pukpúk 'soft, fluffy'
a [pap] pap 'daughter'
 [pc'm] pch'm 'bobcat'

7. Long vs. short vowels [a] vs. [a:] [i] vs. [i:] [u] vs. [u:]
[sts'at] sts'at 'night'
[sts'a:t] sts'aat 'dark'
[i] vs. [i:]
[pišiš] pishísh 'paternal aunt'
[ci:š] chiish 'water'
[u] vs. [u:]
[pjuš] pyush 'snake'
[pu:š] puush 'juniper'

8. Stress contrasts [jXa] yxa 'beaver' [wXa] wxá 'foot' [pamta]
‘toad’
[pamta]
pámta
‘nephew!’ (woman's brother's child)
[akak]
ákak
'goose'
[kak]
kák
'your maternal uncle'

9. [] = voiceless lateral fricative [ajaj] áyay 'rash, pimples'
[p’u] p’u 'teardrop'
[ap] ap 'leaf'
cf. [l]
[apl] ápl 'apple'

10. [k] vs. [k'] [kupi] kúpi 'coffee' [k'usi] k'úsi 'horse'
[kaas] kaas 'train'
[k'ask'as] k'ásk'as 'small'

11. [k] vs. [q] [qajli] kaylí 'shoe' [kajX] kayx 'drinking glass'
[qaw] kaw 'separate'
[kawX] kawx 'shiny'

12. [q] vs. [q'] [qajX] kayx 'light, bright' [q'ajik] k'ayík 'colt, calf'
[qa:šqa:š] kaashkáash 'roan'
[q'a:X] k’aax 'torn'

13. [qw] vs. [qw'] [qw'ašqw'aš] kw'áshkw'ash 'crane'
[qwalqwal] kwálkwal 'turkey'
[qwtqwt] kwtkwt 'thorny'
[qw'šm] kw'shm 'mischievous'

14. Morphology singular dual plural
Affixation
singular dual plural
[p’u:s] [p’u:sin] [p’u:sma] 'cat'
p'úus p'úusin p'úusma
[spilja] [spiljajin] [spiljama] 'coyote'
spílya spílyayin spílyama
some morphological characteristics

15. Reduplicative compounding
singular plural
[t'pi:p] [t'pi:p t'pi:p] 'wingdress'
tl'piip tl'píip tl'piip
[šp’aw] [šp’aw šp’aw] 'ball'
shp'aw shp'áw shp'aw
[tk’u] [tk’u tk’u] 'cattail'
tk'u tk'ú tk'u

16. Consonant symbolism bigger smaller n l š s [timaš] tímash ‘book’
[timas] tímas ‘paper’ 
[mjanaš] myánash ‘child’
[mjalas] myálas ‘infant’

17. Affixation Verb structure:
pronominal prefix- root(s) - direction - tense - pronominal suffixes
Some verb roots:
[qqnajwi]- kknáywi- 'be busy'
[q'inu]- k'ínu- 'see'
[tiwi]- tíwi- 'fight'

18. A verb paradigm paradigm = set of related words
[anawi]- anáwi- 'be hungry'
-[ša] sha imperfective (ongoing action)

19. A verb paradigm 1sg [anawiša:š] anáwishaash 'I'm hungry' 2sg
[anawiša:m]
anáwishaam
'you're hungry'
3sg
[i/anawiša]
i'anáwisha
'he/she is hungry'
1du
[anawišana]
anáwishana
'we 2 are hungry'
1pl
[anawišataš]
anáwishatash
'we are hungry'
2pl
[anawišapam]
anáwishapam
'you (folks) are hungry'
3pl
[pa/anawiša]
pa'anáwisha
'they're hungry'