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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Gabriel Martinez VeraORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
This paper analyzes the enclitic =mi in Saraguro Kichwa (a severely endangered language spoken in Saraguro, Ecuador) in matrix declarative clauses in an approach that integrates the broader Quechuan language family. Based on original fieldwork that documents an otherwise undocumented variety of Kichwa, I make three novel empirical observations: (i) I provide evidence suggesting that =mi signals verum, (ii) I show that using =mi is possible to confirm the truth of the scope proposition when following up a sentence with a reportative (but not a direct) evidential, and (iii) I show that =mi surfaces in contrastive (corrective) uses. I make a proposal where =mi is analyzed as a focus marker, which is likened to focus-sensitive items such as only. I further broaden the discussion of =mi to the Quechuan family, showing that integration with prior discourse is the common feature across the family. The discussion bears on general debates of how to best analyze verum and contrast strategies cross-linguistically by introducing a novel strategy instantiated by =mi in that analyzing this element requires the integration of elements of both focus (alternative semantics) and discourse management (sensitivity to the question under discussion).
Author(s): MartÃnez Vera G
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Natural Language Semantics
Year: 2026
Pages: epub ahead of print
Online publication date: 04/05/2026
Acceptance date: 17/04/2026
Date deposited: 04/05/2026
ISSN (print): 0925-854X
ISSN (electronic): 1572-865X
Publisher: Springer Dordrecht
URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11050-026-09248-z
DOI: 10.1007/s11050-026-09248-z
Data Access Statement: All data collection materials are available in an OSF repository that can be accessed via this link: https://osf.io/4edyz/overview.
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