the many proclitics in Tsimshian. Attached to nouns and verbs, they may convey locative, aspectual, modal, case relational and lexical information. The following descriptions of the prefixes are intended to convey what sort of position the object or person is in. So /lax-/ can be used to express the top of the foot, because it has the properties of being "above" and "parallel", and /t'm-/ could be used for the backbone, because it has the properties of being "above" and "perpendicular". "Tangent" indicates that the object or action is taking place next to, or alongside of something. "Efferent" refers to going away from the action. Locative Stative /lax-/ tangent, above, parallel /t'm-/ tangent, above, perpendicular /lag̲ax/ tangent, not above, bilateral /ɫüü-, ɫüükɫi-, ɫüükwɫi-/ proximate, below /na̰k-/ proximate, not below /alo-, alu/ remote, below Motional /ksi-, ksa-, ksü-, xsa-/ internal source, efferent /g̲aɫdik-/ internal source, efferent, ascending /txa-/ internal source, efferent, descending /bax-/ tangent source, tangent goal, ascending, parageographic /dzag̲am-/ geographic, upstream /uks-/ geographic, out to sea aspectual /si-, sü-, su-/ beginning, inception /adigul-/ continual, enduring /huk-/ habitual /gwüldm/ beforehand /wil-/ subsequent Modal /ap-, a̰b-/ certain /kbi-, xbi-/ not really, half /liks-, lüks-/ different, strange /sis-, süs-/ play, pretend /sm-/ real genuine (as in /sm'algyax/ "true language") Case /ha-/ instrumental /ha'ali-/ place or time for /sa̰-, si-, sü-, s-/ causative /xs-/ resemble Lexical Like the lexical suffixes, these proclitics derive from existing morphemes and can alter the stem meaning in various ways. Proclitics are much more common than suffixes; only a small list is provided. /aam/ "good" → /amadaalḵ/ "praise, worship" (/daalg̲/ "rebuke; scold") /gwa̰s/ "blanket" → /gwisg̲an/ "cedar bark mat coat; raincoat" (/g̲an/ "tree") /gyeɫk/ "to stab" → /gyiɫts'ax/ "nose-ring" (/ts'a̰ḵ/ "nose") /ts'usk/ "little" → /ts'übaa/ "lame (run a short distance)" (/baa/ "run") /'wiileeks/ "big" → /'wiiḵ'ooli/ "one with long hair" (/ḵ'ooli/ "scalp") Syntax Tsimshian is an ergative–absolutive language. Although nominal and verbal marking allows syntax to be freer than English, word order is still an important aspect of the phrase. The basic word order for transitive and intransitive sentences is: Intransitive: TEMPORAL MARKER, verb, absolutive. Transitive: TEMPORAL MARKER, verb, ergative, absolutive, indirect object, instrumental/benefactive/locative. Inversions to this order are permitted. To place specific emphasis on the ergative noun (topicalization), it may be moved to the front of the phrase with the subsequent changes: temporal marker + /-t/ and /in-/ + verb. However, this order is only permitted if the