|
5. |
pfo-no
pfo pfü-yi sp khro-we |
| |
he helps
his mother |
| |
|
|
6. |
imemüi
kamüiko ipre so to-lo-we |
| |
some Maos
eat elephant-meat |
| |
|
|
7. |
ikhrumüi
oba -no rü-we |
| |
we (incl.
prn. & incl. pl.) write with hands
|
| |
|
|
8. |
ai
ocü ko huni
pil kaxi to-we |
| |
I eat two
pills daily |
| |
|
|
9. |
pfo
na-hi)
larücü -li vu-we |
| |
all his
two sons go to school |
| |
|
|
10. |
ove-hi
odzü -li bu-we |
| |
frogs live
in water |
| |
|
|
11. |
a
dzürieo cühu-li
tali ta-we |
| |
‘my1
elder brother2 goes for a
walk4 in the morning3’
|
|
my elder brother goes for a walk in the morning
Habitual regularity which is of particularly recent
origin is indicated by the verb bu ‘to
be’ followed by the habitual aspect marker -we.
|
|
contrast |
|
|
iwe |
|
| |
|
|
51 |
a. |
cihi
kopfomüi1
vu2
makra3
-we2
|
| |
|
(the) postman1
comes2
regularly3
|
| |
|
|
with |
|
| |
|
|
51 |
b. |
cihi
kopfomüi1
vu2
makra3
bu-we2
|
| |
|
(the) postman1
comes2
regularly3
now0
|
|
As opposed to we, *iwe expresses any
one of the following : (a) that the speaker knows
aboutthe proposition from experience. (b) that
the habit is realised in specific conditions which
may be expressed either in the same clause or
in a subordinate caluse (c) that the action, although
habitual, takes place much less frequently, much
more irregularly than -we would suggest.
The third-meaning of *iwe, illustrated
below (54.1-12), is in a way the opposite of the
iterative aspect :
|
|
52 |
1. |
pfohi1
ve-i-we2
|
| |
|
he1
steals irregularly, infrequently, sporadically2
|
| |
|
|
|
|
2. |
sanni1
pfo2
pro3
ta-i-we4
|
| |
|
Sanny1
takes4
his2
medicine3
irregularly, infrequently, sporadically
3 |
| |
|
|
|
|
3. |
hreli1
hayi2
pajü3
sho-i-we4
|
| |
|
Hreli1
drinks4
too much3
ricebeer2
irregularly, infrequently, sporadically
|
| |
|
|
|
|
4. |
lonia1
larücü2
-li3
vu-i-we4 |
| |
|
Lonia1
attends/goes4
to3
school2
irregularly, infrequently, sporadically
4 |
| |
|
|
|
|
5. |
imeli1
ocü rü-i-we2 |
| |
|
it rains2
at Mao1
irregularly, infrequently, sporadically
3
|
|
In yes-no iterrogative sentences, -o, marks the
habitual aspect :
|
|
53. |
1. |
ni1
ovo so-o2
-o3
|
| |
|
are2
you (sg.)1
working (= are you remuneratively engaged
or employed)2
? 3 |
| |
|
|
| |
2. |
cakho1
ni2
cü3
he4
bu5
-o6
-do7
|
| |
|
Is5
Chakho1
in4
your2
house3
on a regular basis6
(= does5
Chakho1
live5
in4
your2
house 8)
?7
|
|
Since simple past is phonically unmarked, all
the above sentences exemplifying habitual aspect
express both (and are therefore ambiguous between)
the (optional) past and present tense meanings.
Time adverbs (eg. deni ‘a long time back’
etc.) may be used to disambiguate as in the following
:
|
|
54. |
1. |
imemüi1
deni2
ipre so3
to-we4
|
| |
|
a long time
back 2
, Maos1
used to eat4
elephant meat3
|
| |
|
|
|
|
2. |
ai1
deni2
hayi3
sho büi-we4
|
| |
|
a long time
back 2,
I1
used to choose to drink4
ricebeer3
|
| |
|
|
|
|
3. |
deni1
lopüi-hi2
rü3
mazhü4
-we3
ana5
izho deni6
oli0
rü7
mazhü8
mo-ie9
|
| |
|
long ago1,she2
used to write3
well4,
but5
now a days6(she)does
not9(write7
well 8
) |
| |
|
|
|
|
4. |
ideko1
ata2
cühuni3
pero4
coro5
bu-we6
, ikhüi7
cühuni8
pero9
|
| |
|
cani
10 bu-we11
|
|
we (excl. prn. & excl. pl.)2
used to have6
six5 periods4
every day3 last
year1 , this
year7 (we) have11
seven10 periods9
daily8
|
|
5. |
hata-li-i1
cühuni2
ocü rü-we3
hata-li-hi4
ocü rü5
mo-ie6
|
| |
it used
to rain3
daily2
last week 1;
it5
does not6
rain5
at all6 this
week4
|
|
