4.5.3.3 |
It
may be observed that in the passive transformation
there is no change in the verb form except that
/nìh/ ‘is’, a copula verb, is added at the end
of the sentence and an /a/, a 3p pronoun, as usual,
precedes /nìh/. The subject (=agent) and the object
of the active sentence undergo mutual transposition
in the passive transformation. It may further
the observed that in the second alternative set
of passive sentences the original subject (=agent)
of the main verb obtains a nominal derivative
form of an agent-noun such as /thàt-tú/ ‘kill-er’
/síem-tú/ ‘make-er’, /hmá ài-tú/
‘love-er’, /ká:p-tú/ ‘shoot-er’.
|
|
|
The
construction of complex sentences in Hmar is also very
straight forward. The dependant clause generally precedes
the main clause, and both the clauses are normally connected
by a conjunctive article which in most cases is /cùn/
‘when’, ‘if’ and in some /lei(in)/ ‘as’, ‘because’,
‘while’. The verb in the main clause is realised in
appropriate tense and the verb in the subordinate clause
generally appears in simple present tense form (=base
verb root). The verb in either clause could be in any
tense as required by the context. Generally complex
sentences with ‘if-’ clause, ‘where-’ clause, ‘which-’
clause and ‘what-’ clauses are formed in one way and
those with ‘as or because-clause’ and ‘while-clause’
in another way. |
| 4.6.2
|
Given
below are a few sets of complex sentences where
one is the principal clause and other is the subordinate
clause. |
|
‘if-’
clause |
|
/à
hú
cùn fè:
ká tìh/ |
(he)(come)(if)
(go) (I) (will) |
‘if
he comes, I will go’ |
| |
/rùo
à sú:r cún à |
(rain)(it)
(occurs)(if) (he) |
| |
húthèi
dí:m á ní?/ |
(come)
(cna)(will) (he is) |
‘if
it rains, can he come?’ |
| |
hl :
lá síen là cù sà:rí/ |
(salary)
(take) (if) (if) (then) (saree) |
‘had
he received salary, he would have surely bought a saree’
|
| |
|
(he)
(come) (buy) (surely)(will) (he) (is) |
Here
/na:/ is used in place of /nih/. |
‘when’-’
clause |
| |
/stésn
ka tlú
cù
ré:l cù á fè: tàh/ |
(station)
(I) (reach) (when) (train) (then) (it) (go) (+past)
|
‘when
I reached the station the train left’ |
| |
/nípúi
à hú
cù
hùon cú à hu
m:i
|
(spring)(it)
(come) (when) (garden)(then) (it) (come) (green)
|
tàh
a/ |
(+past)
(it) |
‘when
spring came the garden became green’ |
/(kà
sín) ká c:l
phá: cùn d:r
th:
ká tìh/ |
(my)
(work) (I) (rest) (when) (when) (shop) (start) (I) (will)
|
‘when
I retire (from work) I will start a shop’ |
| |
‘which’-
clause |
/hí
rúom hì á nìh hrí
zí
hlàk cù (nì)/ |
(this)
(valley) (this) (it) (is) (green) (still) (continue)
(which)(is) |
‘this
is a valley which is ever green’ |
| |
/hí
hmún hì á nìh í zr
tàh khà/ |
(this)
(plot) (this) (it) (is) (you) (sell) (+past) (which)
|
‘this
is the plot which you sold’ |
:k
