(188) |
| /kwįg1
dśge2/ |
`the dog1 jumped2’
|
|
(189)
|
| /kwįg1
dśso2/ |
`the dog1
jumped2’
|
|
The difference in these two sentences
lies in the fact that while the second sentence indicates simply jumping
from a stationary posture, the first sentence would necessarily signify a
running jump.
|
2.5.3.2.7.
|
Reportive :
|
|
In Mishmi, any event can be reported only twice
successively. The events are reported by means of the addition of a
reportive morpheme to the predicate in the sentence.
|
When an event is reported once, the predicate in the
sentence takes the morpheme /-la/ which makes no tense distinction. In
sentences with non-pronominal subjects, this suffix indicates the lack of
first hand information or knowledge concerning the validity of the event on
the part of the speaker. For example, consider
|
| (190) |
/kwįg1 w  ąla2/ |
| dog-Nom bark-Hab (3Sg)-Ret |
`(Someone says that)2 the dog1
barks2’
|
|
(191)
|
| /karasola/ |
| rain-RecP-Ret |
`(someone says that) it rained’
|
|
However, if the sentence has a
pronominal subject, the reference to the subject changes according to the
relation that holds between the subject, the reporter and the person
reported to. Consider
|
(192)
|
/h 1
cimy m2/ |
`I1 am not sleepy2’
|
|
(193)
|
|
|
| (194) |
|
|
When the person reported to is the
subject of the sentence, the three take the form
|
(195)
|
| /nyś1
cimy
mla2/ |
| `[someone (specific) said that]2
|
you1 are not sleepy2’
|
|
When the reporter is the original
subject of the sentence, they take the form
|
(196)
|
| /h1
cimy
mla2/ |
| `[someone (specific) said that]2
|
`I1 am not sleepy2’
|
|
When the subject is neither the
reporter nor the person reported to, they take the form
|
