Maksymilian Dąbkowski & Scott AnderBois. 2026. The apprehensional domain in A’ingae (Cofán). In Martina Faller, Marine Vuillermet & Eva Schultze-Berndt (eds.), Apprehensional constructions in a cross-linguistic perspective, 77–117. Berlin: Language Science Press. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19708126
This paper provides the first detailed description of the apprehensional domain in A’ingae (Cofán, iso 639-3: con), with the cross-linguistic category of apprehension defined as a mixed modality encoding both undesirability and epistemic possibility. We contribute to the study of apprehensional typology by reporting on a language of a so far unattested profile: one apprehensional morpheme =sa’ne ‘APPR’ spanning robust precautioning uses (both avertive and ‘in-case’), negative-verbal complementizer uses, restricted timitive uses, and marginal apprehensive uses. Lastly, we contribute to the study of apprehensional semantics by arguing that the particular functional range of the A’ingae apprehensional clitic =sa’ne ‘APPR’ is not entirely a question of diachronic development, but rather that much of its polyfunctionality emerges from a single meaning. We propose that the situation denoted by the =sa’ne ‘APPR’ clause is contained within a possible undesirable situation. If that containment is proper (i.e. the situation denoted by the =sa’ne ‘APPR’ clause is not identical to the negative situation), the ‘in-case’ function obtains. If the containment is improper (i.e. the situation denoted by the =sa’ne ‘APPR’ clause is the undesirable situation), the avertive function obtains.
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