kumu u-kumuu
|
‘in disguised
manner’
|
|
|
|
or, they may have verb, as a base -
|
|
uku uku
|
‘hiding’
|
dana -dana
|
‘under
cover’
|
|
honor-honor
’
|
‘while walking
|
|
|
| 3.1.4.
Verb phrases; |
| Verb phrases are
not many types in Mundari. A Verb phrase may be defined as a phrase
which can be substituted by a single word of the category of verb.
W.A. Cook has considered the imperfect formations with /taiken/
as a verb phrase, but as a matter of fact /taiken/ is only an aspect
marker, it can not subsitute a verb root. /tainken/ can transform
all the tenses to their resepective imperfect counter parts in combination
with them. In free form it functions as copulative past. The two
‘taiken’ forms can not be related. Similarly such construction,
where a nominal is an object of a verb or where there is negative
formation, cannot be treated as a verb phrase. Such cases having
been eliminated, we find three main types of verb phrases - (1)
phrases with the combination of infinitives, (2) phrases with intensifiers
for the verb and (3) phrases where permissive markers prcede the
roots, but which semantically do not constitute a permissive. |
| 3.1.4.1.
With infinitives: |
| There are certain
categories of verbs in Mundari which are juxtaposted to another
verb, either in preceding position or in following and make a phrase
in infinitive. They are quite different from the compound verbs,
where the combining verbs may frequently even lose their semantic
identity and thus may stand for unrelated action. The verb phrases
in infinitives are simple constructions: |
|
nirtab
|
‘to
hasten to flee’
|
seno?sasa
|
‘to wish to
go’
|
jom e e
|
‘to begin
to eat’
|
nirdai
|
‘to
be able to run’
|
kamitaa
|
‘to continue
to work’
|
|
|
| Some of these infinitive
markers like tab, tara,
etc. do not occur freely. |
| 3.1.4.2.
With intensifiers: |
| The most common
intensifier /ge/ is used with a verb in the tense denoted by akan/akad
in order to constitute present continuous, differentiating them
from pure perfects. However, /ge/ is not a tense merker, here such
uses are very restricted: |
| 3.1.4.3.
With imperative marker: |
| The
two common imprative markers/dola/ and mar/ may be used in preceding
postion with any verb and with all the three persons. In such cosntructions,
they are no more imperative trasformations, they simply put emphsis
on the intended action: |
dolaseno?ai
|
‘let me go’
|
|
marseno?pe
|
‘you
may go’
|
|
|
| 3.2.
Clauses: |
| Phrases combine
into larger structure of clause, capable of conveying a complete
message but which however, may or may not be an independent unit
in still larger structure of a sentence. Ina siple sentence, the
clause overlaps the sentence entirely. In Mundari, a verb phrase
alone may constitute a clause. Such a verb phrase structurally includes
the subyject and the object, wherever applicable, in pronominal
micro forms. Every other elements are either secondary or optional
and will precede the verb phrase. Except, in rare stylistic change
in the order, a verb phrase marks the end of the clause along with
a terminal contour. |
| Mundari clauses
may be divided into three categories as far as their status in a
sentence is concerned. A clause may be principal or subordinate
or co-ordinate. A subordinate clause can perform a number of functions
with respect to the principal clause or the sentence and is related
to the latter by means of one or other relator, which is marked.
A co-ordinate clause is |
