TE-XA-SETEL-XULEM [THE BUZZARDS WERE CIRCLING] - CATEGORIES OF VERBALROOTS IN (ZINACANTEC) TZOTZIL

The semantics of Zinacantec Tzotzil verbs displays an apparent preoccu pation with space, shape, position, and configuration, which pervades all aspects of normal language use. Spatial notions are routinely conf lated with states and actions. Surface verb stems derive from verbal r oots that can be partitioned into formal types on the basis of derivat ional possibilities. These formal types, in turn, represent unmarked v ehicles for expressing certain schematic semantic domains. The paper s ketches both the formal and the notional categories that must be disti nguished across the entire verbal inventory of the Tzotzil lexicon.