(6)
|
V Adv (N) |
|
|
‘wear anything below the loins-underwear’
|
Note : the external distribution class
of the compound is different from that of either
of its components.
|
(7)
|
NVN (N) |
|
397. |
cu-kra-ni
|
stone-be
white-clay |
‘chalk’ |
|
(8)
|
VV (V) |
|
398. |
he
kongo |
‘blow-shake’
|
‘shake by
blowing’ |
|
vv compounds are typically causatives. As must have been clear,
Mao Naga compounds could be parathetical i.e., with no attendant
morphophonemic changes, or nonparathetical. |
|
SYNTAX
|
6.1
|
General Remarks
|
Mao Naga is a s(ubject)- O(bject)- V(erb) language, the I(ndirect)
O(bject) either preceding or following the DO. This is the
unmarked, natural order of sentence constituents. In imperative
and interrogative sentences, the marked order of (O)VS is pretty
common :
|
|
1. |
1. |
pe-hi1
ni2 |
| |
|
you(sg.)2
tell1 (us/them/him) |
| |
|
|
|
|
2. |
kheto1
to-lo2 nita3 |
| |
|
you (excl.pl.)3
eat2 rice1
|
| |
|
|
|
|
3. |
sodu1
mikrüli2 lo3
le4 omo-e/ama
5 pfota6 |
| |
|
will4
the(excl.pl.)6 go
down3 to Imphal
2 tomorrow1
?5 |
| |
|
|
|
|
4. |
sü1
ama/omo-e2 ni3
/pfo4 |
| |
|
do/does2
you(sg.)3 /he4
know1 ?2 |
|
The marked order is much less elegant with indicatives :
|
|
2. |
1. |
sodu1
mikrüli2 lo3
le4 ai 5 |
| |
|
I5
will 4 go down3
to Imphal2 tomorrow1
|
| |
|
|
|
|
2. |
rashü1
to-e2 pfo3
he3 ate2
fruits1 |
|
|
|
Sentential Direct Objects can occur felicitously
sentence-initially, the unmarked order than being OSV :
|
| 3.
|
1. |
ni1
ovako2 ta-ko-o-hi3
ai-no4 sü-lo-e5 |
| |
|
I1
learnt5 (about)
you1 going2
abroad2 |
| |
|
|
| |
2. |
lokho1
mikrüli2 lo-ko-o-hi3
lohro-no4 sü5
mo-e6 |
| |
|
Lohro4
did not6 know5
(about) Lokho1
going down3 to
Imphal2 |
|
