13. Simple verbal clauses

• the minimal verbal clause consists of a single verb (1)
• only inflectional morphology is (optional) ta- (6.1), compare (2) with (undefined)
• personal proclitics can occur on verb (3-5); no transitive 1+2first person inclusive attested
  • usually express P, 2A attested
  • wïrë and ejnë rarely cliticized
• arguments can be expressed by pronouns or nouns / noun phrases
• "free" order
• clausal particles?

1. 1. epese

      epese epe -se escape-pstpast

      ‘They got away.’ ()
   2. yakaramaja

      yakaramaja -ja tell-negnegation

      ‘They didn't tell.’ ()

2. tayakaramaja

   tayakaramaja ta- -ja 3third personppatient-like argument-tell-negnegation

   ‘They didn't tell it.’ ()

3. 1. uyïwïj yawë usenejkari sukuri jwama

      u =yïwïj u =y- ïwïj -∅ 1first person=lklinker-house-pertpertensive

      yawë yawë loclocative

      u =senejkari u =-ri 1first person=stay-ipfvimperfective

      sukuri sukuri silently

      jwama   ***

      ‘I silently stay in my house.’ (Conversación sobre la risa entre GrMe y ElPe : 28)
   2. aniki ta uyeremari

      aniki aniki who

      ta ta like

      u =yeremari u =-ri 1first person=feed-ipfvimperfective

      ‘Who was going to feed me then?’ ()

4. 1. tototomo pata yaka mëtëja

      tototomo toto -tomo non_Indian-plplural

      pata pata -∅ village-pertpertensive

      yaka yaka allallative

      më =tëja më =të -ja 2second person=go-negnegation

      ‘You don't go to the creoles' village.’ ()
   2. mëwë wïrë ya

      më =wë më =wë -∅ 2second person=kill-ipfvimperfective

      wïrë wïrë 1first personpropronoun

      ya ya ergergative

      ‘I will kill you.’ ()

5. ejwintikatojpano, moneka

   ej =wintikatojpano ej =wintika -tojpano 1+2first person inclusive=disappear-futfuture.conclconclusive

   moneka moneka girl.vocvocative

   ‘We will be finished, daughter.’ ()

13.1 Person proclitics

• Second person A
  • më marking A in (6)
  • subordinate clauses (8) and (12)
  • is 'learn' transitive? (9)

6. 1. michi ma mëyapëjjrama

      michi michi medmedial.animanimate

      ma ma rstrestrictive

      më =yapëjjrama më =yapëj -jrama 2second person=grab-prohprohibitive

      ‘Do not touch this.’ ()
   2. mëinija ka, aniki pinchi, tënësem warai yichapë, okonotojpe

      më =inija më =ini -ja 2second person=see-negnegation

      ka ka qquestion particle/marker

      aniki aniki who

      pinchi pinchi heshesitative

      tënësem tënësem fish

      warai warai like

      yichapë   ***

      okonotojpe   ***

      ‘You have not seen a fish that is put on to dry.’ ()
   3. tëwï ma takï mëyakarama chijpë wararë kwa ta sënkatoj mëtë

      tëwï tëwï 3third personpropronoun

      ma ma rstrestrictive

      takï takï cnfrmconfirmative

      më =yakarama më =-∅ 2second person=tell-ipfvimperfective

      chijpë chi -jpë copcopula-pstpast.acnnmlzaction nominalizer

      wara =rë wara =rë thus=empemphatic

      kwa kwa how

      ta ta like

      sënkatoj -toj finish-circcircumstantive.nmlznominalizer

      mëtë   ?

      ‘Tell us again how they ended up there.’ ()

7. mëwë wïrë ya

   më =wë më =wë -∅ 2second person=kill-ipfvimperfective

   wïrë wïrë 1first personpropronoun

   ya ya ergergative

   ‘I will kill you.’ ()

8. 1. mërë warë mëyënëtojpano ka uyakërë mërë wepïrï

      mërë mërë medmedial.inaninanimate

      wa =rë wa =rë thus=empemphatic

      më =yënëtojpano më =yënë -tojpano 2second person=eat(meat)-futfuture.conclconclusive

      ka   ?

      u =yakërë u =y- akërë 1first person=lklinker-with

      mërë mërë 2second personpropronoun

      wepïrï wepï -rï come-ipfvimperfective

      ‘So for you to eat you came with me?’ ()
   2. mëyakarama mare

      më =yakarama më =-∅ 2second person=tell-ipfvimperfective

      mare mare relrelativizer.inaninanimate

      ‘What you are talking about.’ ()

9. 1. kwase mëëmpamïjpë ejnë waimu yaye

      kwase kwase how

      më =ëmpamïjpë më =ëmpamï -jpë 2second person=learn-pstpast

      ejnë ejnë 1+2first person inclusivepropronoun

      waimu waimu -∅ language-pertpertensive

      yaye yaye loclocative

      ‘How you learned our language.’ ()
   2. irëjpë, kwaraijyawë rë mëëmpamïjpë tajto marë ti?

      irëjpë irëjpë then

      kwaraijyawë   ***

      rë rë empemphatic

      më =ëmpamïjpë më =ëmpamï -jpë 2second person=learn-pstpast

      tajto taj -to say-circcircumstantive.nmlznominalizer

      marë marë relrelativizer.inaninanimate

      ti ti hsyhearsay evidentiality

      ‘Afterwards, when did you learn what you say?’ ()

10. mërë ya wïrë inija wejtane

    mërë mërë 2second personpropronoun

    ya ya ergergative

    wïrë wïrë 1first personpropronoun

    inija ini -ja see-negnegation

    wejtane wej -tane copcopula-cncsconcessive

    ‘Although you won't see me.’ ()

11. mërë ma ejnë waimu yaye mëwaimuru

    mërë mërë 2second personpropronoun

    ma ma rstrestrictive

    ejnë ejnë 1+2first person inclusivepropronoun

    waimu waimu -∅ language-pertpertensive

    yaye yaye loclocative

    më =waimuru më =waimu -ru 2second person=speak-ipfvimperfective

    ‘Only your speak in our language.’ ()

• First person A (12)

12. uyepematojpe pïrarë wïrë inawë

    u =yepematojpe u =yepema -tojpe 1first person=pay-purppurposive

    pïrarë pïrarë negnegation.existexistential

    wïrë wïrë 1first personpropronoun

    inawë inawë have

    ‘I can't afford to pay.’ ()

• Transitive local scenarios

13. 1. entë mëinpojra wïrë ya

       entë entë here.loclocative

       më =inpo =jra më =in -po -∅ =jra 2second person=see-desdesiderative-ipfvimperfective=negnegation

       wïrë wïrë 1first personpropronoun

       ya ya ergergative

       ‘I don't want to see you here.’ ()
    2. mëini wïrë ya

       më =ini më =ini -∅ 2second person=see-ipfvimperfective

       wïrë wïrë 1first personpropronoun

       ya ya ergergative

       ‘I will see you.’ ()
    3. tëwï ke ma mëyepema wïrë ya, ta ti ta

       tëwï tëwï 3third personpropronoun

       ke ke insinstrumental

       ma ma rstrestrictive

       më =yepema më =yepema -∅ 2second person=pay-ipfvimperfective

       wïrë wïrë 1first personpropronoun

       ya ya ergergative

       ta ta -∅ say-ipfvimperfective

       ti ti hsyhearsay evidentiality

       ta ta like

       ‘"I'll pay you only this," he said.’ ()

• one attested case of ta- on the lexical verb of a -pëkë construction w/ 2nd person aagent-like argument on auxauxiliary ❕
  • zero-marked third person on transitive verbs with 1first personaagent-like argument or 2second personaagent-like argument
• one example of më ‘2second personaagent-like argument’ on imperative verb ❕

• *t‑V‑se is no more — the t‑ is gone, except in lexicalized items

• only free first person pronouns with V-initial verbs:

14. tëwï wïrë inija

    tëwï tëwï 3third personpropronoun

    wïrë wïrë 1first personpropronoun

    inija ini -ja see-negnegation

    ‘I didn't see that.’ ()

15. tawara chipëkë takï wïrë ëmpamïja wejsapë tase wïrë

    tawara tawara too

    chipëkë chipëkë because

    takï takï cnfrmconfirmative

    wïrë wïrë 1first personpropronoun

    ëmpamïja ëmpamï -ja learn-negnegation

    wejsapë wej -sapë copcopula-pstpast

    tase ta -se say-pstpast

    wïrë wïrë 1first personpropronoun

    ‘Since it was like that, I did not learn, I said.’ ()

• unmarked third person:

16. yajtëpe neke n ti warotakontomo wejsapë

    yajtëpe yajtëpe before

    neke =n neke =n cntrcontrastive=intsintensifier

    ti ti hsyhearsay evidentiality

    warota =kontomo warota -∅ =kontomo work-ipfvimperfective=plplural

    wejsapë wej -sapë copcopula-pstpast

    ‘At the beginning they worked.’ ()

13.2 Intransitive clauses

13.2.1 First person

17. Preverbal pronoun

    wïrë yaruwarijra

    wïrë wïrë 1first personpropronoun

    yaruwari =jra yaruwa -ri =jra laugh-ipfvimperfective=negnegation

    ‘I don’t laugh.’ (Conversación sobre la risa entre GrMe y ElPe : 4)

18. Postverbal pronoun

    këyaja wïrë

    këyaja këya -ja think-negnegation

    wïrë wïrë 1first personpropronoun

    ‘I don't know.’ ()

19. Preverbal pronoun and prefix

    aaa usukuru morone ta, wïrë usujta ta ne

    aaa aaa ah

    u =sukuru u =suku -ru 1first person=urine-pertpertensive

    morone morone hurting

    ta ta like

    wïrë wïrë 1first personpropronoun

    u =sujta u =-∅ 1first person=urinate-ipfvimperfective

    ta =ne ta =ne like=intsintensifier

    ‘My urine hurts, I will urinate.’ (Cuento de las ratas por AnFo : 23)

• not attested: prefixed verb followed by pronoun

13.2.2 Second person

• not attested: pronoun

13.2.3 Third person

20. Zero

    wïnïjse

    wïnïjse wïnïj -se sleep-pstpast

    ‘He slept.’ (Cuento de las ratas por AnFo : 6)

21. Preverbal NP

    irëjpë tëwï waijtatomo nwajtëri

    irëjpë irëjpë then

    tëwï tëwï 3third personpropronoun

    waijtatomo waijta -tomo mouse-plplural

    nwajtëri nwajtë -ri dance-ipfvimperfective

    ‘Then the mice were dancing.’ (Cuento de las ratas por AnFo : 16)

22. Postverbal NP

    wepïrï makë

    wepïrï wepï -rï come-ipfvimperfective

    makë makë mom

    ‘My mother is coming.’ ()

23. Preverbal pronoun

    tëwï nwajtënëpëkë

    tëwï tëwï 3third personpropronoun

    nwajtënëpëkë nwajtë -nëpëkë dance-progprogressive.intrintransitive

    ‘He was dancing.’ ()

24. Postverbal pronoun

    ë'ë, tawara takï chapëtiri tëwï

    ëʼë ëʼë yes

    tawara tawara too

    takï takï cnfrmconfirmative

    chapëtiri chapëti -ri squeal-ipfvimperfective

    tëwï tëwï 3third personpropronoun

    ‘Yes, he also shouts that.’ ()

• të has an irregular third person marker ij-:

25. waraijtokon maniki irëjpë ijtëse

    waraijtokon waraijtokon man

    maniki maniki relrelativizer.animanimate

    irëjpë irëjpë then

    ijtëse ij- të -se 3third person-go-pstpast

    ‘Then the man went.’ (Cuento de las ratas por AnFo : 45)

13.3 Transitive clauses

There are several factors that play a role here:

1. presence or absence of prefix
2. presence or absence of pronouns and NPs
3. order of free arguments
4. presence or absence of ya

13.3.1 Third on third

26. preverbal pronoun with ya

    tëwï ya nepïjpë wejsapë

    tëwï tëwï 3third personpropronoun

    ya ya ergergative

    nepïjpë nepï -jpë bring-pstpast

    wejsapë wej -sapë copcopula-pstpast

    ‘He brought it.’ ()

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