ee INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY—PUBLICATION NO. 8 
ceeds by the attachment of paradigmatic sets of 
nonthematic affixes to themes. The paradigmatic 
sets used differ on the whole for words of different 
form classes, although there is some overlapping. 
Each paradigmatic set constitutes a separate 
morphological category. 
5.5. Morphological categories may be defined 
as follows. 
(1) Pronominal reference. This is a category 
of nouns, verbs, and enumeratives, and is ex- 
pressed by means of prefixes. For nouns and 
enumeratives it is a category of possession, and 
for verbs one of resolution. For verbs there are 
two sets of prefixes which indicate intransitivity 
(subject) and transitivity (both subject and ob- 
ject). The noun and enumerative set corre- 
sponds to the transitive set for verbs. Number 
is expressed only in the first person. 
(2) Case. This is a category of nouns, and to 
a limited extent of attributives. It is expressed 
by means of suffixes of locative, indirective, and 
durational reference. 
(3) Number. Number is expressed in verbs, 
pronouns, nouns, enumeratives, and (occasionally) 
attributives by means of suffixation and prefixa- 
tion for the first person. 
(4) Aspect, mode, voice, agent, and subordina- 
tion. These are categories of the verb and are 
expressed through suffixation. 
(5) Enumeration. These are categories of the 
enumeratives (and of a few attributives) and are 
expressed through prefixation and suffixation. 
5.6. Enclitics are suffixes which may be attached 
to a formally complete word of any form class; 
they are qualifying, intensifying, or limiting. 
6. THE VERB THEME 
6.1. One of the most complex and productive 
morphological processes in Popoluca is the system 
of formation of new verb themes from verb and 
substantive themes through affixation and com- 
pounding. This, with the system of verb inflection 
(or attachment of nonthematic affixes of the verb to 
the verb theme), accounts for most of the functional 
expression of the language. A verb theme is a 
single morpheme or a group of morphemes built 
up through affixation, compounding, or both, to 
which nonthematic prefixes and suffixes (which 
may be phonetically zero) must be attached to 
form a complete verb. 
The thematic prefixes and suffixes are attached 
to a root verb morpheme, or stem, which may 
also be a verb theme. There are also thematic 
prefixes and suffixes, which, attached to a word of 
the substantive class, form verb themes. Other 
thematic affixes may then be attached to these. 
Compound verb themes are formed through the 
juxtaposition of substantive themes and verb 
themes, or two verb themes. Thematic affixes 
may then be attached to a compound theme to 
form a new theme. Most verb stems are also 
verb themes, though a few are found only with 
their thematic affixes, or as a member of a com- 
pound theme. Verb stems may be reduplicated, 
but stem reduplication has been noted only in 
conjunction with certain thematic affixes. 
THE VERB STEM 
6.2. Verb stems usually are monosyllabic of the 
patterns CVC and CVCC and, rarely, CV and 
CVCCC. A few are disyllabic of the pattern 
CV.CVC. Examples: 
*pa’ get fat 
*?1°S see 
*ka? die 
*Gin bathe 
*kips knead dough 
*he?k frighten 
*ta?ps twist rope 
*hi.kin take apart 
*du. kum arise 
Verb stems are reduplicated only when used 
with the repetitive and durative thematic suffixes. 
THEMATIC PREFIXES OF THE VERB 
6.3. Five thematic prefixes of the verb have 
been isolated. These may be attached to a verb 
stem or to a compound verb theme in order to 
form special categories of meaning. These se- 
mantic categories are apparently not always clear- 
cut, but insofar as they have been established they 
are purposive, simulative, benefactive, comitative, 
and causative. 
6.4. The prefix ku- is purposive and defines an 
action undertaken with a definite purpose in view. 
*ku?4?m search for (*?a?m look) 
*kunds go beyond (*na‘s pass) 
*kupin choose (*pin touch lightly) 
*ku¢é-n tie to something (*¢ern tie) 
*kuput free (*put go out) 
*kukéh dawn (*keh appear) 
*kumatén hear where something is (*maté6n hear) 
