Sentence #11
Selalemo: “Hu! Kidi sewanu tenedi?”
- se
- say
- -la
- -RP+DIR
- =le
- =1SG.A
- =mo
- =this.3O
- hu!
- hey!
- kidi
- rock
- sewa
- talking
- =nu
- =N4
- tene
- sit
- -∅
- -NP
- =di
- =2SG.A
I said to it, “Hey! Are you a talking rock?”
Interjections are single syllable, violating the two-syllable phonological word rule.
Re kidi sewanu: the noun class particle nu is used here instead of a shape classifier. Rational animates don’t have shape classifiers, and shape classifiers are generally not used for non-rational animates like animals or living things like plants (unless referencing part of the plant). So using nu instead of doŋi from the previous sentence is being polite, but not as polite as using ŋe, the rational animate/person noun class particle.
This sentence is part of Kidi Sewanu (The Talking Rock).
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.