Motion events in Pima Bajo

Abstract

The present study represents a first approach to the constructions that express motion events in Pima Bajo, a Uto-Aztecan language spoken in northwest Mexico. This contribution explores, from a usage-based perspective, the strategies that this language has for the expression of motion events, and how they are encoded. The analysis allows us to propose that in this language the notions of motion and trajectory appear lexicalized as a Verbal-frame, but constructions also exist which express motion events, with Satellite-frame, Equipollent, and a Parallel system, which prevents the language from being characterized typologically as a whole; instead, it is better to speak of types of constructions. The study makes also reference to what is observed in two other Uto-Aztecan languages: Southern Tepehuan and Yaqui.