Re: Infinitives
From: | Roger Mills <rfmilly@...> |
Date: | Tuesday, March 28, 2000, 6:04 |
Kash uses conjugated forms of both the modal/aux. and the main verb in these
cases:
mamelo macosa (I-want I-go) "I want to go"
yamelo yacosa "he wants to go"
ta mipole mimepu (not we-can we-do [it]) "we can't do it"
There are eight or ten such auxiliaries that require this construction.
Colloquially, the second subject-prefix is often omitted.
Verbs of intention or perception are similar--
mapila manahan "I think I'll eat"
yatanjañsa yañewa "he realized he was mistaken --
but there is an approved alternative: pilami, manahan lit. "my thinking,
I'll eat" or tanjañi, yañewa(sa) -- here, -sa PAST might be added if the
context weren't clear.
When the subject of the main verb differs:
mamelo re hacosa "I want you to go"
yamelo re yacosa "he(A) wants him(B) to go"
mapila re yanahan "I think he's eating" (or: pilami, yanahan)
Such things as "I heard him cough(ing)" probably: ne masosirsa, yawoko lit.
3s-DAT I-heard, 3s-cough (possibly: sosimbri, yawokosa)-- this allows one to
distinguish other cases like "I hear him coming" ne masosir, yarata, vs. "I
hear (that) he's coming" masosir re yarata. (And sosimbri, yarata for both,
ambiguous.)