Barxaw: Possessive Constructions

The possessive constructions of Barxa tend to be rather varied in what other functions the different expressions overlap with. In this post, both predicative possession and attributive possession is described.

For nominal constructions, the overlaps mainly are in how the possessor or the possessee is marked:
One of the primary overlaps is the recipient or beneficiary:

aðál ðo Kpèma - Kpèma's horse (horse for Kpéma)

il istà kuì ðo Kpèma éŋxa  - that house belongs to Kpèma (by inheritance)

wík'an çùmut òrt^ho ðo Janwàp - three gifts (are/were) presented to Janwàp

saxk'ùlhimá ðo Inàm ðo Epáλ do Risíx - Nénsiqu òrt^ho ðo - harshword (~criticism) to Inàm, Epáɟ and Risíx was given by Nénsiqu. 

Q^huì ðo Kpèma - Kpèma's possession(s), alternatively also the VP 'belongs to Kpèma'. 

Another overlap is causative constructions, where causers and possessors can be marked the same for normally intransitive, stative verbs. The causee takes a preposition, as does the possessee. 

ɛ̀ŋðà kur jà Uq^hir zémp'u t'rol - Eŋðà makes Uq^hir carry burden

Rəɟə` kur t'aníp jà Epàλ - Rəɟə` cause scare to Epàλ 

C'aʝ kur lùjun  jà istà - C'aʝ's house is big, C'aʝ has a big house.

The fourth construction is a double comitative - with x with y, where y is the possessed noun. Often, this has animate nouns as possessees or culturally significant nouns, but some nouns we would normally consider inanimate are considered animate in Barxaw:

k'e kopì k'e dəsé - with thunder with rain - thunder brings rain, thunder has rain

k'e Inàm k'e aðál ðo Kpèma - Inam has/brings a horse for Kpèma.

k'e Inàm k'e tanaλ, k'e dìnaλ - Inàm has brothers and sisters.

k'e Epàλ k'e losàm - Epàλ has the respect of the community

k'e C'aʝ k'e níxq^hà ðo il-Pəzézð - C'aʝ has judicial authority in Pəzézð village.