Grammatically, there are two types of clauses formed with nonverbal predicates: In the simplest case (the juxtaposition clause), the subject and predicate are juxtaposed without a copula. The copular clause is more complex, containing at least a copula and the predicate nucleus, and perhaps also an explicit subject. Functionally, Cariban nonverbal predicate constructions can code all six of the typological functions often found with nonverbal predicates: equative (identify the subject as a unique individual), proper inclusion (identify the subject as a member of a category), attributive (predicate a property of the subject), locative (predicate a location of the subject), existential (introduce the subject into discourse, or else predicate the existence/non-existence of the subject), and possessive (predicate the relation of possession between two entities, the possessor and the possessum).

• Juxtaposition Construction
  • Grammar: A nominal predicate is allowed in all Cariban languages, an adverbial predicate is allowed in some, but not all
  • Function:
    • With nominal predicate: Equative, Proper Inclusion, Attributive (nominal, and so more permanent), possessive (nominalized, identifies subject as having a permanent or characteristic possession)
    • With adverbial predicate: property, locative, existential, possessive

• Copular Construction
  • Grammar: An adverbial predicate is allowed in all Cariban languages, a nominal predicate is allowed in some, but not all
  • Function:
    • With an adverbial predicate: all six functions are possible
    • With a nominal predicate: at least equative and proper inclusion

• Other constructions that commonly employ copular auxiliaries
  • Negative
  • Desiderative (also, sometimes other cognition predicates)
  • Progressive (derived from locative predicate)

The session will end with a detailed look at paradigms for copulas, reconstructions for two distinct copular roots, and the use of one copular root as a source for TAM suffixes.