Benefits and Challenges of the Use of Narrative Texts in Linguistic Analysis

Logan J. Sites
Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:45:00 PDT

In this presentation, I consider some benefits and issues of the use of narrative texts for linguistic research. The discussion is framed by the analysis of the Séliš-Ql̓ispé suffix -m based on narratives transcribed by Hans Vogt in 1937. The stories were recounted by One-Eyed Tom and translated into English for Vogt by Joe Abrahamson. The data in this presentation is taken from Camp 2007 and Ward 2008, two interlinearizations (morpheme by morpheme analyses) of several of the Vogt texts. The analysis of -m provides an opportunity to demonstrate the usefulness of narratives in linguistic work, as Camp (2007) and Ward (2008)’s description of the suffix’ function sometimes differ. I argue, based on an analysis of dialogue in one of the narrative texts, that -m is unilaterally a passive suffix. Furthermore, in this presentation, I explore how to treat translations in the use of narrative texts. Translations in the metalanguage may express a linguistic structure different to that of the target language so that the translations sound “natural” in the target language. However, basing one’s analysis off of the translation may impact the interpretation of the target language’s grammar. This becomes relevant in the analysis of the -m suffix in Séliš-Ql̓ispé, as the structure of English grammar in the translations appears to support the description of -m as an antipassive suffix, even as the Séliš-Ql̓ispé sentences demonstrate that it functions as a passive suffix. The analysis proposed in this presentation shows how narrative texts are an excellent opportunity for linguistic research, and may nonetheless present issues in their use that should be recognized and examined.