Classifying clitics in Sm'algyax: Approaching theory from the field

Sm’algyax (British Columbia and Alaska) is a highly ergative VAO/VS language with an uncommonly wide range of clitics. This chapter has the two-fold function of demonstrating how Anderson’s (2005) constraint-based analysis of clitics gives insight into the complex behavior of Sm’algyax clitics, and how the clitics themselves afford empirical means of testing such a theory. The Sm’algyax data are drawn from both field research and pub lished texts, reflecting a community-based approach to language documentation that has evolved through a long-term, collaborative relationship with the Tsimshian (Sm’algyax) communities. Building on Stebbin’s (2003) definitions of intermediate word classes in Sm’algyax and Anderson’s Optimality Theoretical approach, we determine that in terms of their varying phonological dependence, Sm’algyax clitics include internal, phonological word, and affixal clitics. The existence of affixal clitics in Sm’algyax, however, calls into question the viability of the Strict Layer Hypothesis (Selkirk 1984) as inviolable rules when describing clitics. Furthermore, Sm’algyax provides strong evidence that the direction of clitic attachment is more clitic specific than language specific. In characterising the behaviour of Sm’algyax clitics, we find that not only does linguistic theory help sharpen our understanding of the fieldwork data, but also that field linguistics has consequences for linguistic theory. 1. INTRODUCTION. Sm’algyax (Coast Tsimshian), an endangered member of the Tsimshianic language family, is a highly ergative, mildly polysynthetic VAO/VS language spoken by the Tsimshian people in the northernmost area of coastal British Columbia, Canada and since the late nineteenth century in the neighboring region in Alaska. In Canada there are seven Tsimshian bands, with a total of approximately 7,700 band members. While there is no accurate survey of the total number of fluent speakers, Sm’algyax is highly endangered with complete speaking command mostly restricted to older age groups. The extent of the shift toward English correlates not only with age but also with the population size and degree of geographic isolation of the community. However, over the last 30 years the Tsimshian people have been actively working to preserve and revitalize their traditional language through a range of activities involving school-based language programs, curriculum development, literacy training, native language teacher training and language documentation. Linguistic description of Sm’algyax began with fieldwork by Franz Boas (e.g., 1911, 1912) and then most significantly continued from 1969 with the efforts of John

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