Brazil

In Jamamadí, the form used to introduce a participant is basically determined by the role he will play in the plot structure. The undergoer, actor and other participants each have a characteristic introduction. Participants are kept straight principally by relating them to the participant who is topic within a paragraph. Once a participant has been established as topic there are various signals used to refer to him and maintain him as topic. Pronouns, kinship terms, unpossessed body parts, and gender agreement all serve to maintain the topic.