Proto-utian (Miwok-Costanoan) case system

Utian (Miwok-Costanoan) is a family of Central California Indian languages, each with a rich case system. Proto-Utian had a possible genitive case, as well as objective, adverbial, allative, locative, instrumental, comitative, and vocative cases. It apparently lacked a nominative case, although the genitive may have functioned as the subject marker of some clauses. The adverbial case specified time, manner, and goal of an action. The allative case indicated direction of an action and precise location. The locative case signaled less precise location. The instrumental case indicated means, the comitative case designated accompaniment, and the vocative case was used in direct address. [KEYWORDS: Amerindian, California, Utian, historical, cases] [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]