Analysis of the predicative -a

The role of the so-called predicative -a has still not been satisfactorily established. However, it seems necessary to remove the distinction between indicative and subjunctive in ON introduced by Browne.

Synchronic evidence:

1) The predicative -a which is the hallmark of the indicative, also attaches to verb forms under different circumstance, e.g. before the quantifier miššan. L. 107.8: aïka denǧisn-a miššan

2) -a operates on a sentence (perhaps even discourse level) and does not solely attach to verb forms

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