Uses of the Defocusing Pronominal Prefixes in Caddo

This paper describes various uses of defocusing prefixes in Caddo, a Caddoan language spoken today in Oklahoma. The general function of these prefixes is to deflect attention from referents that may be irrelevant, unknown, or defocused for another reason. In looking at the different uses occurring in Caddo, some of which are characteristic of analogous prefixes in other languages, we gain insight into the many ways in which this option can be exploited.