3.3.7.2.
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The Direct Object |
The Direct Object occupies the second position among the nominal
constituents of the sentence.
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458 |
. 1. |
lohro1
larübvü-sü2 pie3
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Lohro1
gave3 the book2
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2. |
pfotamüi1
a2 cü3
hu vue4 |
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they (excl. pl.)1
guested4 my2
house3 |
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3. |
akha1
ree·io2
cakra-o bue3
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Akha1
is listening to3
radio2 |
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4. |
oso kadao1
okhe2 kali3
so hae4
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(the) butcher1
killed4 a3
tiger2 |
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5. |
ai1
ahia-yi2
le shüe3 |
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I1
love3 Athia2
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6. |
ni1
a2 larübvü3
pfo ko4 |
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you (sg.)1
bring4 my2
book(s)3 |
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7. |
besü1
baibl2 phro-we3
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Besü1
is reading3 (the)
Bible2 |
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8. |
cakho1
cihi2
rü-we3 |
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Chakho1
is writing3 (a)
letter2 |
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Word order is an infalliable indicator of the direct
object in two-participant unitransitive since topic foregrouding change in
the natural word order is either marked, nonbasic or infelicitous, the
latter being indicated by a question mark in the following examples.
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1 |
a. |
larübvü-sü
lohro pie |
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2 |
a. |
a cü pfotamüi
hu vue |
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3 |
a. |
? ree·iyo
akha cakrü-o bue |
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4 |
a. |
okhe kali
oso kadao sohae |
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5 |
a. |
ahia-yi
ai le shüe |
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6 |
a. |
a larübvü
ni pfo ko |
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7 |
a. |
baibl besü
phro-we |
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8 |
a. |
? cihi
cakho rü-we |
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The situation is however different in the case
of three participant transitive sentences in which the nominal constituents
other than the subject can freely interchange positions :
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459 |
.1. |
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pfo-no1
omo-yi2 ocu3
-no4 dakhoe5
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he1
broke5 the pumpkin2
with4 (a) stone3
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1 |
a. |
pfo-no1
ocu-no4 omo-yi2
dakhoe3 |
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2. |
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a-no1
pfoyi2 khiboli3
mokro tae4
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I1
sent4 him2
to Kohima3 |
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2 |
a. |
a-no1
khiboli3 pfoyi2
mokro tae4 |
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3. |
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pfokreio1
pen2 kali3
kasha4 makai5
-no6 hrü-loe7
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Pfokrelo1
bought7 a pen2
for6 twenty5
rupees4 |
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3 |
a. |
pfokrelo1
kasha4 makai5
-no6 pen2
kali3 hrü-loe7
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Where marking in terms of word order is rendered
inoperative, marking in terms of linguistic/phonic material comes into play
as can be seen in the above (1-3) examples. It is seldom that the nonsubject
NP’s are phonically unmarked. One such rare-to-find example is
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460 |
a. |
ai1
larübvü2 -i3
ocü4 pfo vu5
le6 |
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I1
will6 take5
the3 book2
home4 |
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b. |
ai1
ocü4 larübvü2
-i3
pfo vu5 le6
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But even in such example, the alternative word
order (of the latter sentence) is highly marked. In sum, then, the direct
object is always marked either in terms of word order or of phonic material,
if not of both.
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The direct
object is marked by -yi for animate nouns and for
plants (perhaps considered animate for this purpose) :
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| 461 |
1 |
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ai1
athia-yi2 sü-we3
I1 know3
Athia2 |
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2. |
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onao-yi1
da2 -sho3
don’t3 beat2
(the) child1
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3. |
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pfo-yi 1
ko-hio2
call2 him1
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4. |
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ata1
ahikho-yi2
so khro pie3
we (excl. prn. & excl. pl.)1
helped3 Athikho
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5. |
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a1
pfo2 ayi3
ore roi4
le5 my1
father2 will5
be angry4 with
me 3 |
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6. |
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ayi1
bazar2 -li3
sao tao4
take4 me1
to3 (the) bazaar2
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7. |
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ata1
pfoyi2 khiboli3
matae4 we
(excl. prn. & excl. pl.)1
sent4 her2
toKohima 3 |
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8. |
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loli1
losü-yi2 marie3
Loli1 resembles3
Losü 2
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9. |
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ai1
ni-yi2 shodu3
kade4 le5
I1 will5
meet4 you (sg.)2
tomorrow3
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10.
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ahikho1
lokho-yi2 kahi)e3
Athikho1 is close
(in spatial distance)3
to Lokho 2
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