Abstract
In this paper, we discuss two bipartite verb stem formation constructions in Washo, where an element translated into English as a nominal appears as the initial in a bipartite verb stem: Body-Part Initials (BPIs) and Instrument Noun Initials (INIs). We pursue the idea that these may in fact be instances of Noun Incorporation (NI) in Washo. These two constructions differ in their morphosyntactic and discourse properties, specifically with respect to argument structure and discourse transparency of the nominal initial. We compare the properties of BPI and INI stems against the typological predictions made by two influential theories of NI: the lexicalist theory of Rosen (1989) and the syntactic theory of Baker (1988) and Baker, Aranovich, and Golluscio (2004). We ultimately conclude that BPI stems represent an example of syntactic NI, while INI stems do not involve NI at all but rather are more akin to instrumental affix constructions found in other Amerindian languages. [Keywords: Washo, noun incorporation, syntax, morphology, bipartite verbs]
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