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.
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.