Saraguro Kichwa evidentiality

Saraguro Kichwa (Quechuan, Loja Province, Ecuador) has a three-way contrast in matrix declaratives: direct -rka and reportative -shka, both also past tenses, and inferential -shi. The discourse-sensitive enclitic =mi, whose analysis is contested across Quechuan varieties, is not an evidential of this variety; Martínez Vera's analysis of it is in Studies/MartinezVera2026.lean.

References

• [Aik04]
• [MV26]

def Quechua.SaraguroKichwa.Evidentiality.rka : Evidential

The direct past -rka marks direct perceptual evidence.

Equations

• Quechua.SaraguroKichwa.Evidentiality.rka = { morphs := [Morphology.Morph.suff "rka"], covers := {Evidential.Parameter.visual, Evidential.Parameter.sensory} }

def Quechua.SaraguroKichwa.Evidentiality.shka : Evidential

The reportative past -shka marks that the speaker was told.

Equations

• Quechua.SaraguroKichwa.Evidentiality.shka = { morphs := [Morphology.Morph.suff "shka"], covers := {Evidential.Parameter.hearsay, Evidential.Parameter.quotative} }

def Quechua.SaraguroKichwa.Evidentiality.shi : Evidential

The inferential -shi marks inference or assumption.

Equations

• Quechua.SaraguroKichwa.Evidentiality.shi = { morphs := [Morphology.Morph.suff "shi"], covers := {Evidential.Parameter.inference, Evidential.Parameter.assumption} }

def Quechua.SaraguroKichwa.Evidentiality.evidentials : List Evidential

The evidentials of matrix declaratives are direct -rka, reportative -shka and inferential -shi.

Equations

• Quechua.SaraguroKichwa.Evidentiality.evidentials = [Quechua.SaraguroKichwa.Evidentiality.rka, Quechua.SaraguroKichwa.Evidentiality.shka, Quechua.SaraguroKichwa.Evidentiality.shi]