Chuj Verb Building Fragment @cite{coon-2019} #
@cite{davis-1997}
Theory-neutral fragment for Chuj (Q'anjob'alan, Mayan), encoding root classification, voice morphology, paradigm grammaticality, and lexical inventory from @cite{coon-2019} "Building verbs in Chuj: Consequences for the nature of roots."
Contents #
- Root classes (§§1–3): four abstract
Roottypes (√TV, √ITV, √POS, √NOM) with distributionalCRootClassenum and bridge function. - Voice suffixes (§§4–5):
ChujVoiceSuffix(Ø, -ch, -j, -w) with external argument status, thematic properties, and morphological forms. - Paradigm grammaticality (§6): which root×voice combinations are grammatical, and which roots form bare transitive stems.
- -aj distribution (§7): existential closure suffix distribution across voice forms and antipassive subtypes.
- Agent diagnostics (§8): agent-oriented adverb and by-phrase tests distinguishing -ch (implicit agent) from -j (no agent).
- Voice system profile (§9): four-way asymmetrical voice system.
- Root lexicon (§10):
ChujRootentries from Table (5) and additional examples in the paper. - Verification theorems (§11): paradigm, -aj, agent diagnostic, and root classification checks.
Modeling Notes #
RootArity captures complement projection, not semantic type.
Coon's semantic types (3) group {√TV, √ITV} together as ⟨e, ⟨s,t⟩⟩ — both
compose with an entity argument per @cite{davis-1997}. But syntactically, only
√TV projects a complement DP that persists across voice alternations; √ITV's
entity argument becomes the subject. Our RootArity.selectsTheme captures
the syntactic complement projection, giving {√TV} vs {√ITV, √POS, √NOM}.
This matches the -aj diagnostic: -aj marks implicit arguments, and only √TV
stems show -aj (the theme can be implicit), not √ITV.
√TV root (PC): selects theme, no entailed change-of-state. Semantic type ⟨e, ⟨s,t⟩⟩ (@cite{coon-2019}, (3)). Examples: mak' "hit", tek' "kick".
Equations
- Fragments.Chuj.rootTV_pc = { arity := RootArity.selectsTheme, changeType := RootType.propertyConcept, denotationType := some RootDenotationType.eventPred }
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√TV root (result): selects theme, entails change-of-state. Semantic type ⟨e, ⟨s,t⟩⟩ (@cite{coon-2019}, (3)). Examples: jatz' "hit (breaking)", tzak' "wrap".
Equations
- Fragments.Chuj.rootTV_res = { arity := RootArity.selectsTheme, changeType := RootType.result, denotationType := some RootDenotationType.eventPred }
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√ITV root: semantic type ⟨e, ⟨s,t⟩⟩ (same as √TV per @cite{davis-1997}), but does NOT project a complement — the entity argument becomes the subject. The class is morphologically defined: roots that appear with null v/Voice⁰ in intransitive stems (p. 40). Examples: way "sleep", ok' "cry", jaw "arrive", b'at "go".
Equations
- Fragments.Chuj.rootITV = { arity := RootArity.noTheme, changeType := RootType.propertyConcept, denotationType := some RootDenotationType.eventPred }
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√POS root: positional/stative. Semantic type ⟨e, ⟨s,d⟩⟩ — a measure function, not a truth-value predicate. Examples: chot "sit", kot "on all fours", watz "lie face down".
Equations
- Fragments.Chuj.rootPOS = { arity := RootArity.noTheme, changeType := RootType.propertyConcept, denotationType := some RootDenotationType.measureFn }
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√NOM root: nominal base. Semantic type ⟨e,t⟩ — entity predicate with no event argument (@cite{coon-2019}, (3)). Examples: a' "water", ixim "corn", chanhal "dance".
Equations
- Fragments.Chuj.rootNOM = { arity := RootArity.noTheme, changeType := RootType.propertyConcept, denotationType := some RootDenotationType.entityPred }
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Coon's four root classes are recovered as (arity × denotationType) pairs. √TV = selectsTheme + eventPred, √ITV = noTheme + eventPred, √POS = noTheme + measureFn, √NOM = noTheme + entityPred.
The four root classes are pairwise distinguishable: no two share both arity and denotationType.
The four morphosyntactic root classes in Chuj, identified by surface distribution (which suffixes they combine with, whether they form bare transitive stems). Labels follow Coon's notation.
- tv : CRootClass
- itv : CRootClass
- pos : CRootClass
- nom : CRootClass
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- Fragments.Chuj.instBEqCRootClass.beq x✝ y✝ = (x✝.ctorIdx == y✝.ctorIdx)
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Map an abstract Root to the distributional CRootClass. The bridge is determined by (arity × denotationType).
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The bridge is correct for each abstract root definition.
The four voice suffixes in Chuj (ex. (78), pp. 75–76).
- null : ChujVoiceSuffix
- ch : ChujVoiceSuffix
- j : ChujVoiceSuffix
- w : ChujVoiceSuffix
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Equations
- Fragments.Chuj.instBEqChujVoiceSuffix.beq x✝ y✝ = (x✝.ctorIdx == y✝.ctorIdx)
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The morphological form of each suffix.
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Status of the external argument for each voice form.
- overt_erg : ExtArgStatus
- overt_abs : ExtArgStatus
- implicit : ExtArgStatus
- absent : ExtArgStatus
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- Fragments.Chuj.instBEqExtArgStatus.beq x✝ y✝ = (x✝.ctorIdx == y✝.ctorIdx)
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External argument status for each voice suffix (ex. (78)).
Equations
- Fragments.Chuj.ChujVoiceSuffix.null.extArgStatus = Fragments.Chuj.ExtArgStatus.overt_erg
- Fragments.Chuj.ChujVoiceSuffix.ch.extArgStatus = Fragments.Chuj.ExtArgStatus.implicit
- Fragments.Chuj.ChujVoiceSuffix.j.extArgStatus = Fragments.Chuj.ExtArgStatus.absent
- Fragments.Chuj.ChujVoiceSuffix.w.extArgStatus = Fragments.Chuj.ExtArgStatus.overt_abs
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Whether the voice suffix assigns a thematic role to an external argument (observed via agent-oriented adverb diagnostics, §4.1–4.2).
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Whether a root class can combine with a voice suffix to form a grammatical verb stem.
Based on the distributional facts in §§2–5:
- √TV: all four voices (Ø, -ch, -j, -w) — ex. (78)
- √ITV: null v only (§2.1, p. 40)
- √POS: -w only (§2.4, p. 43)
- √NOM: -w only (§3.1, p. 46)
Equations
- Fragments.Chuj.isGrammatical Fragments.Chuj.CRootClass.tv vs = true
- Fragments.Chuj.isGrammatical Fragments.Chuj.CRootClass.itv Fragments.Chuj.ChujVoiceSuffix.null = true
- Fragments.Chuj.isGrammatical Fragments.Chuj.CRootClass.pos Fragments.Chuj.ChujVoiceSuffix.w = true
- Fragments.Chuj.isGrammatical Fragments.Chuj.CRootClass.nom Fragments.Chuj.ChujVoiceSuffix.w = true
- Fragments.Chuj.isGrammatical rc vs = false
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√TV is the only class that forms bare transitive stems (§2.2, p. 41).
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Whether -aj (existential closure) appears on a √TV stem in each voice form (ex. (78), pp. 75–76; §4.2, p. 72).
-aj marks the presence of an implicit argument:
- Ø: no implicit arg → no -aj
- -ch: implicit external arg → -aj on stem (§4.1.1, p. 68)
- -j: no external arg at all → no -aj
- -w (absolutive): implicit internal arg → -aj (ex. (55c), p. 65)
- -w (incorporation): overt bare NP internal arg → no -aj (ex. (54a), p. 64)
- absolutive : AntipassiveType
- incorporation : AntipassiveType
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Equations
- Fragments.Chuj.instBEqAntipassiveType.beq x✝ y✝ = (x✝.ctorIdx == y✝.ctorIdx)
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-aj on √TV stems in passive/agentless contexts.
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-aj on √TV stems in antipassive (-w) contexts.
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Agent-oriented adverb test (§4.1.1–4.1.2). "on purpose" adverbs are grammatical with -chaj but not -j.
(63a) on purpose ... ix-ch'ak-chaj te' te'. 'The tree was felled on purpose.' ✓ (p. 68)
(67a) *on purpose ... ix-ch'ak-j-i te' te'. intended: 'The tree was felled on purpose.' ✗ (p. 70)
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By-phrase test (§4.1.1–4.1.2). Oblique agents ("yuj" DPs) are grammatical with -chaj but not -j.
(62) ... yuj ... 'by them' ✓ with -chaj (p. 68) (65–66) -uj phrases with -j are causal, not agentive (pp. 69–70)
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Chuj voice system: four-way asymmetrical (Ø, -w, -ch, -j).
Unlike pivot systems (Toba Batak, Tagalog), Chuj voices don't promote arguments to a privileged position. Instead, Voice controls whether an external argument is overt, implicit, or absent. Each voice form is built independently from root + v/Voice⁰: passive is not derived from active.
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Chuj is NOT a simple active/passive: it has 4 voices, not 2.
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- Fragments.Chuj.xik = { form := "xik", gloss := "chop", root := Fragments.Chuj.rootTV_pc }
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- Fragments.Chuj.chonh = { form := "chonh", gloss := "sell", root := Fragments.Chuj.rootTV_pc }
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- Fragments.Chuj.jax = { form := "jax", gloss := "grind", root := Fragments.Chuj.rootTV_pc }
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- Fragments.Chuj.chel = { form := "chel", gloss := "hug", root := Fragments.Chuj.rootTV_pc }
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- Fragments.Chuj.tek' = { form := "tek'", gloss := "kick", root := Fragments.Chuj.rootTV_pc }
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- Fragments.Chuj.mak' = { form := "mak'", gloss := "hit", root := Fragments.Chuj.rootTV_pc }
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- Fragments.Chuj.il = { form := "il", gloss := "see", root := Fragments.Chuj.rootTV_pc }
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- Fragments.Chuj.ch'ak = { form := "ch'ak", gloss := "fell", root := Fragments.Chuj.rootTV_pc }
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- Fragments.Chuj.b'o' = { form := "b'o'", gloss := "make", root := Fragments.Chuj.rootTV_pc }
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- Fragments.Chuj.man = { form := "man", gloss := "buy", root := Fragments.Chuj.rootTV_pc }
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- Fragments.Chuj.b'at = { form := "b'at", gloss := "go", root := Fragments.Chuj.rootITV }
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- Fragments.Chuj.way = { form := "way", gloss := "sleep", root := Fragments.Chuj.rootITV }
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- Fragments.Chuj.k'ey = { form := "k'ey", gloss := "ascend", root := Fragments.Chuj.rootITV }
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- Fragments.Chuj.jaw = { form := "jaw", gloss := "arrive", root := Fragments.Chuj.rootITV }
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- Fragments.Chuj.ok' = { form := "ok'", gloss := "cry", root := Fragments.Chuj.rootITV }
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- Fragments.Chuj.chot = { form := "chot", gloss := "crouched", root := Fragments.Chuj.rootPOS }
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- Fragments.Chuj.jenh = { form := "jenh", gloss := "outstretched", root := Fragments.Chuj.rootPOS }
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- Fragments.Chuj.lich' = { form := "lich'", gloss := "leaning", root := Fragments.Chuj.rootPOS }
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- Fragments.Chuj.b'ul = { form := "b'ul", gloss := "gathered", root := Fragments.Chuj.rootPOS }
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- Fragments.Chuj.kot = { form := "kot", gloss := "on four legs", root := Fragments.Chuj.rootPOS }
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- Fragments.Chuj.tel = { form := "tel", gloss := "lying down", root := Fragments.Chuj.rootPOS }
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- Fragments.Chuj.pat = { form := "pat", gloss := "house", root := Fragments.Chuj.rootNOM }
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- Fragments.Chuj.k'atzitz = { form := "k'atzitz", gloss := "wood", root := Fragments.Chuj.rootNOM }
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- Fragments.Chuj.ixim = { form := "ixim", gloss := "corn", root := Fragments.Chuj.rootNOM }
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- Fragments.Chuj.winak = { form := "winak", gloss := "man", root := Fragments.Chuj.rootNOM }
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- Fragments.Chuj.chanhal = { form := "chanhal", gloss := "dance", root := Fragments.Chuj.rootNOM }
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- Fragments.Chuj.at'is = { form := "at'is", gloss := "sneeze", root := Fragments.Chuj.rootNOM }
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- Fragments.Chuj.tz'ib' = { form := "tz'ib'", gloss := "writing", root := Fragments.Chuj.rootNOM }
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All √TV roots from Table (5).
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All √ITV roots from Table (5).
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All √POS roots from Table (5).
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All √NOM roots from Table (5).