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TEXT

1.bāmčlm  ad
   
clan-eight-Poss  tale-Nom
   
  (This is) the story of the eight clans.
   
2. bāmčl m adl m                            adde
   
clan-eight-Poss  tale-eight-Acc             tell-P (1Sg)
   
(I, the story-teller),  tell the eight stories of the eight clans.
   

3. kathma

  ajidyabyama
   
ant-Nom-Rec  ueen-Nom-Rec
   
(The tale happened) between a queen and an ant.
   
4. kathwč ajidyabyawč      tap  asayą
   
  ant-Nom queen-Nom food-Acc give-T

chygyąla

  

walk-T-Ret

  

The want was taking food from the queen.
The two nominative NPs are the subjects of the two VCS. Both are topics. Throughout the tale, the tense inflexion used is a neutral one instead of past except where the subject and the speaker are co referential and the subject is speaking for itself.

5.pįhwćwč

 dityusoyą
   

frog-Nm

  sit-Ref-RP-t
   

A frog wa

 sitting up the middle of the road.
   
6.pįhwćwč   dityusonąkįnįm             kathw
   

frog-Nom

   sit-Ref-RP-Inst-reason    ant-Nom
   

khimyõyągõ

   pįhwćwč   thįgyą
   

be angry-CF-Imp1

   frog-Nom bite-T
   

The ant, angered,

 bit the frog which was
 
sitting in the middle of the road.
 
The event of biting implies the event of becoming angry. The two events are the cause and effect. Hence the embedding is implicative subordination. Further, the instrumental signifies that the second event brings about the third event as a consequence.

 
7.      pįhwćwč    hrigyągõ                       tadyįsągkwnył

         frog-Nom startle-T-Impl                   squirrel-nest-Loc-Dat
        dunabo
         jump-Rep-Cau
        The frog, startled, jumped through a
        squirrel nest.
 
8.     tadyįwč                                         khimyõnayągõ
        squirrel-Nom be angry-Rep-T-Imp1
        lakabsyg             krįhająyąla
        wood apple-fruit-Acc bite-drop-T-Ret
 
The repetitive signifies the previous happening of the action in the discourse.
 
9.     lakabsygwč                                   tadyį
        wood apple-fruit-Nom squirrel-Nom
        lakabsyg                                            krįhająyąwč
        wood apple-fruit-Acc bite-drop-T-Nom
        tįmčthikynyś                                   hįrwinabo
        wild boar-lone-Loc-Dat fall-Rep-Cau

The wood apple that was bitten and dropped by the squirrel fell on a lone wide boar.
The causal suffix indicates the existence of an external stimulus (the squirrel). The use of path case suggests that the act of falling did not end there, but continued till, perhaps, the fruit reached the ground.

 
 
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