BOAS] HANDBOOK OF AMERICAN INDIAN LANGUAGES 365 



§ 34. Incorporation 



In expressions designating- an habitual activity directed toward an 

 object, the verbal stem and its object form a compound word, which 

 is treated like a single verb, so that the object appears in an incorpo- 

 rated form. Examples of this form are the following: 



Tsimshian: 



go'lts/Exgan to be a stick-carrier {gtj'Its.'Eg to carry; gan stick) 

 gd'lts!Exl6'°l) to be a stone-carrier {lo°h stone) 

 waliga'n to be a stick-carrier {^mdl to carry on back) 

 g'^E'rla to be out harpooning seals {(j'elg to harpoon; e' lia seal) 

 hu'sgan to split wood {bus to split) 

 hu'slag to split fire- wood {lag fire) 



g'etxhV°snu I am a box-carver {g'elg to carve; xhlPs box) 

 SE-yel-wa'yinu 1 am a paddle-polisher (.s'£- to make; yelg smooth; 

 wa' I paddle) 



Reduplication (§^ 35-38) 



§ 35, General Iteniarks 



There are two types of reduplication in Tsimshian — one in which 

 the beginning of the word, including the first consonant following 

 the first vowel, is repeated; the other in which the initial .sounds, 

 including the first vowel, are repeated. The functions of these two 

 methods of reduplication are quite distinct. The former is generally 

 used to form plurals, and with a number of proclitic particles that 

 imply more or less clearly the meaning of repetition or plurality. 

 The second forms generally a progressive form, or, perhaps better, 

 a present participle of the verb. 



§ 36. Initial Medajjlicationf ineladinf/ the First Conso- 

 nant folloa^huf the First Vowel 



This part of the word is repeated before the stem-syllable with 

 weakened vowel. The accent of the word is not changed, and the 

 reduplicated syllable remains separated from the word by a hiatus. 

 This is particularly evident in words beginning with a vowel. 



Singular Plural 



6x' tx^o'x' to throw 



am, EvCa'TTh good 



a'lg'tx EVa'lg'tx to speak 



Itk^s afl'tk^s to name 



§§ 34^-36 



