Key

Subject Phrases (A, S, CS) are double underlined. Object Phrases (O, CC) are single underlined. Peripheral Phrases are dashed. Verb Phrases are unmarked. Clauses are set off by vertical lines.

Wusu Poto Kunosece (The Time I Was Sick)

Interlinear

Wusu poto kunosece, poto kuno kuttalace, setta-seje calloboloce.

wusu
time+at
poto
sick
kuno
have
-se
-RP+REP
=ce
=1SG.O
poto
sick
kuno
have
kutta
FORCE
-la
-RP+DIR
=ce
=1SG.O
setta
stop
seje
finish
callo
SEEM
-bolo
-RP+INF
=ce
=1SG.O

When I was sick, I was very sick, I was almost dying.

Pay attention to the evidentials: I was reported sick, I was directly experiencing very sick, I was inferring that I was close to dying. And this is all in the recent past.

Degelace mudu todusu, modo-dunnoboloce.

degi
recline
-la
-RP+DIR
=ce
=1SG.O
mudu
mat
todusu
surface+at
modo
moon
dunno
see
-bolo
-RP+INF
=ce
=1SG.O

I lay down on the mat and I dreamed.

Modo dunno sedece.

modo
moon
dunno
see
sede
PROG
-∅
-NP
=ce
=1SG.O

I am dreaming.

Narrative present is the tense for reporting a dream, and progressive sets the scene.

Degi sedece mudu todusu, wudu yedenadana nodana.

degi
recline
sede
PROG
-∅
-NP
=ce
=1SG.O
mudu
mat
todusu
surface+at
wudu
wind
yedena
spirit+PL
=dana
=this+PL.3A
no
come
-∅
-NP
=dana
=this+PL.3A

I am laying down on the mat, when the wind spirits come.

Kuno kuttadanace, kuno dadanace jidi banodu.

kuno
have
kutta
FORCE
-∅
-NP
=dana
=this+PL.3A
=ce
=1SG.O
kuno
have
da
GO&
-∅
-NP
=dana
=this+PL.3A
=ce
=1SG.O
jidi
dry.wash
banodu
bottom+to

They grab me and take me to the bottom of a dry wash.

Jidi yedenakena ŋene jede kaddedana yedenadana.

jidi
dry.wash
yedena
spirit+PL
=kena
=yon+PL.3A
ŋene
person+via
jede
game
kadde
act
-∅
-NP
=dana
=this+PL.3A
yedena
spirit+PL
=dana
=this+PL.3A

These spirits play with the dry wash spirits.

Cedubeli wudu noye nomekenama; yebe gada nome deyekenanu xokesu, deye deyekenanu wukedu dadullowa xokedu.

cedubeli
dustdevil
wudu
wind
noye
emerge
nome
LET
-∅
-NP
=kena
=yon+PL.3A
=ma
=N2
yebe
pool
gada
water
nome
come.out
deye
LET
-∅
-NP
=kena
=yon+PL.3A
=nu
=N4
xokesu
place+yon+at
deye
leave
deye
LET
-∅
-NP
=kena
=yon+PL.3A
=nu
=N4
wukedu
to.then
da
go
=dullo
=ABLE
=wa
=NOM
xokedu
place+yon+to

They make dust devils, (and) they make appear a pool of water in the distance, (and then) make it disappear before you can go there.

Kidi giŋine kudi giŋine kullodanace.

kidi
rock
giŋine
pointed+via
kudi
thorn
giŋine
pointed+via
kullo
drag
-∅
-NP
=dana
=this+PL.3A
=ce
=1SG.O

They drag me through rocks and through thorns.

Xotoxoto ŋehele xosu kenni kannece.

xotoxoto
everywhere
ŋehe
body
=le
=1SG.A
xosu
place+at
kenni
hit
kanne
PASSIVE
-∅
-NP
=ce
=1SG.O

I am hit all over my body.

Xotoxoto piŋi cannoce, gohogoho basa cannoce.

xotoxoto
everywhere
piŋi
painful
canno
feel
-∅
-NP
=ce
=1SG.O
gohogoho
all.kinds
basa
bad
canno
feel
-∅
-NP
=ce
=1SG.O

I feel pain all over, and I feel all kinds of bad.

Selemona, “Setta telloja.

se
say
-∅
-NP
=le
=1SG.A
=mona
=this+PL.3O
setta
stop
tello
MUST
-∅
-NP
=ja
=2PL.A

I say to them, “You must stop!

Using tello is the standard polite imperative.

Kadde tetta telloja.

kadde
act
tetta
STOP
tello
MUST
-∅
-NP
=ja
=2PL.A

You must stop doing this!

Cewadu gehe kadde telloja.”

cewa
1SG.O
=du
=to
gehe
good
kadde
act
tello
MUST
-∅
-NP
=ja
=2PL.A

You must be good to me!”

Sada kuno wodanace yedenadana.

sada
ear
kuno
have
wo
NEG
-∅
-NP
=dana
=this+PL.3A
=ce
=1SG.O
yedena
spirit+PL
=dana
=this+PL.3A

But the spirits do not hear me.

Wososu dunnolebe besedi genebe.

wososu
then
dunno
see
-∅
-NP
=le
=1SG.A
=be
=that.3O
besedi
great.uncle
gene
elder
=be
=that.3O

Then, I see my great-uncle.

Sedetosa bese madedi genesa.

sede
stand
-to
-DP+REP
=sa
=that.3A
bese
uncle
madedi
grandmother
gene
elder
=sa
=that.3A

He was my grandmother’s uncle.

Note the distant past plus reported evidential. In other words, the narrator has never met this person, only been told of him, so he's probably a spirit, too.

Kadde kadde nosa cewadu.

kadde
act
kadde
act
no
COME&
-∅
-NP
=sa
=that.3A
cewa
1SG.O
=du
=to

He comes to help me.

Kuno kuttasamona wudu yedenamona, jede kadde tetta deyesamona cewane.

kuno
have
kutta
FORCE
-∅
-NP
=sa
=that.3A
=mona
=this+PL.3O
wudu
wind
yedena
spirit+PL
=mona
=this+PL.3O
jede
game
kadde
act
tetta
STOP
deye
LET
-∅
-NP
=sa
=that.3A
=mona
=this+PL.3O
cewa
1SG.O
=ne
=via

He grabs the wind spirits and stops them playing with me.

Sesamona, “laca lewa yisida sededa yeleda.

se
say
-∅
-NP
=sa
=that.3A
=mona
=this+PL.3O
laca
daughter
lewa
1SG.A
yisi
child
=da
=this.3A
sede
stand
-∅
-NP
=da
=this.3A
yele
person
=da
=this.3A

He says to them, “This person is my daughter.

Kenni tettajamo, no!

kenni
hit
tetta
STOP
-∅
-NP
=ja
=2PL.A
=mo
=this.3O
no!
come!

Stop hitting her!

Using no! is slightly more polite than using da!. It might be used by a parent towards a child.

Gehe kaddeja mowadu, no!”

gehe
good
kadde
act
-∅
-NP
=ja
=2PL.A
mo
this.3O
=wa
=NOM
=du
=to
no!
come!

Be good to her!”

Wososu yedenadana kenni tettadanace.

wososu
then
yedena
spirit+PL
=dana
=this+PL.3A
kenni
hit
tetta
STOP
-∅
-NP
=dana
=this+PL.3A
=ce
=1SG.O

Then the spirits stop hitting me.

Sesamona, “Laca yisimo kuno dajamo yebe kelekede gadodu, da!”

se
say
-∅
-NP
=sa
=that.3A
=mona
=this+PL.3O
laca
daughter
yisi
child
=mo
=this.3O
kuno
have
da
GO&
-∅
-NP
=ja
=2PL.A
=mo
=this.3O
yebe
pool
kelekede
sacred
gadodu
water+to
da!
go!

He says, “Take my daughter to the sacred pool.”

Less polite, but the verb is already da, so it makes sense the imperative should be da, too.

Kuno dadanace yebe gadodu.

kuno
have
da
GO&
-∅
-NP
=dana
=this+PL.3A
=ce
=1SG.O
yebe
pool
gadodu
water+to

They take me to the pool.

Gada kugidananu piŋi ŋehele xotoxotope.

gada
water
kugi
touch
-∅
-NP
=dana
=this+PL.3A
=nu
=N4
piŋi
painful
ŋehe
body
=le
=1SG.A
xotoxoto
everywhere
=pe
=from

They wash away the pain from all over my body.

Xosape yedenadana deyedana, xotoyidedu jede kaddedana wosape.

xosape
place+that+from
yedena
spirit+PL
=dana
=this+PL.3A
deye
leave
-∅
-NP
=dana
=this+PL.3A
xotoyide
elsewhere
=du
=to
jede
game
kadde
act
-∅
-NP
=dana
=this+PL.3A
wosape
from.then

Then the spirits leave there and they play elsewhere.

Besedi genesa sede deyesace koxodu gelisu.

besedi
great.uncle
gene
elder
=sa
=that.3A
sede
stand
deye
LET
-∅
-NP
=sa
=that.3A
=ce
=1SG.O
ko
home
=xodu
=place+to
gelisu
curvilinear+via

My great-uncle puts me on the path to home.

Dace koxodu, degice mudu todusu, doŋi delloce.

da
go
-∅
-NP
=ce
=1SG.O
ko
home
=xodu
=place+to
degi
recline
-∅
-NP
=ce
=1SG.O
mudu
mat
todusu
surface+at
doŋi
eye
dello
rise
-∅
-NP
=ce
=1SG.O

Then I am sent home, and I lay down on the mat, and I wake up.

Poto kuno-wo-noyelace wosape.

poto
sick
kuno
have
wo
NEG
noye
START
-la
-RP+DIR
=ce
=1SG.O
wosape
from.then

I began to be not sick after.

 

Back to text

HOME