The
following is an abstract of a folktale with morpheme-by morpheme
explication followed by a free translation.
Abbreviations used:
part.
Particularizer
p.a.m.
Progressive aspect marker
f.t.m
Future tense marker
i.a.m.
Immediacy aspect marker
v.r.m.
Valency-role marker
q.
Quotative
obj.
Objective case marker
Instr.
Instrumental case marker
asso.
Associative case marker
conj.
conjunctive particpializer
source
Source case marker
Loc.
Locative or place case marker
temp.
Temporal sub-ordinator
nar.
Narrative-ending particle
f
The zero allomorph of the conjunctive
participializer.
Note that
since past tense is not morphologically marked, to mark it
throughout by * is an avoidable superfluity. Hence the English
translation will indicate whether the Angami verb expresses the
semantic present tense or past tense.
thevdznyo
dze
Egg
story
thevpf
puo
s
le
hen
one
part.
went down+f
kharu
ienu
be
ba
tea
puo
village
behind
hatch
p.a.m
wild cat
one
vo
puo
kr
tets
-lie
thevdznyo
went
its
parent
killed-
v.r.m
egg
ate up
s
puo
kr
khepu
tyo
di1
rtou
part.
its
parent
take
f.t.m
q.
roll down
revenge
________________
1 The future
tense marker followed by the quotative will form the purposive (cf
p. 79)
cu
-z
khulinyo
puo
thevedz
no
go
p.a.m
(an insect
one
egg
you
like beetle)
kirapuo
vo
tyo
-ie2
idi
ketso
where
go
f.t.m.
i.a.m."
q.
asked
teanyo
u
kre
tets
-lie
-ketala
wild
cat
our
parent kill-
v.r.m.
because
eat up
u
krnyo
khepu
tyo
-ie
is
our
parent’s
take
f.t.m.
i.a.m
said
revenge
ou
avu
tyo
mu
sidi
puonie
Oh
we
will
and
like this
they(du.)
(incl.du.)
keze
cu
-z
chala
nu
together
go
p.a.m
way
in
dzierA
ze
kese
-lie
(a locust-like
asso.(with)
meet
v.r.m.
insect)
dzierA
s
thevdz
nnie
(a locust-like
part.
egg
you
insect)
(du)
kirapuo
vo
tyo
-ie
idi
where
go
f.t.m.
i.a.m.
q.
ketso
teanyo
u
kr
tets
-lie
asked
wild cat
our
parent
kill -
v.r.m.
eat up
________________
2 The future
tense marker followed by the formal immediacy aspect marker
marks also the progressive aspect (cf p. 71).
dz
ienu
a
ie2
