Tiwi/Grammar

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We based our grammar documentation on the Traditional Tiwi interpretation from Tiwi Today.

Parts of Speech

"The categories for Modern Tiwi are, in general, the same as those for Traditional Tiwi, the main differences being within the classes or sub-classes. Some classes, such as inflected verbs, are much reduced in size, while other classes, such as free verbs, are expanded." Tiwi Today

Nominals<n>}

  • nouns
  • kin nouns
  • numerals <num>
  • adjectives <adj>


Verbals <v>}

inflected verbs and free form verbs

  • transitive <tv>
  • intransitive <iv>

Other

  • predicatives <pred>
  • locatives <loc>
  • temporals<temp> adverbs<adv>
  • particles
  • interjections <ij>
  • Gender < m> or <f>

Alternations

Alternation 1: singular imperative mood

  • wapa<v><tv><imp><s_sg2> ↔ taapa
  • wapa<v><tv><imp><s_sg2> ↔ takirimi

Alternation 2: non-past verbs

"nonpast verbs have one of the non-past set of subject forms, but are not otherwise marked for tense. Past tense verbs are formed by a} selecting one of the past tense set of subject forms and b) inserting the past tense marker rə- wherever the subject form carries no tense meaning. (An exception to this is that rə- is inserted following pu- "they", which has a distinctively past tense meaning.)

  • wapa<v><iv><nonpast><s_sg3><m> ↔ awapa
  • pangurlimayi<v><iv><nonpast><s_sg1> ↔ ngipangurlimayi
  • takirayi<v><tv><nonpast><s_sg3><m> ↔ atakirayi
  • wapa<v><iv><nonpast><s_sg1> ↔ ngiwapa

Alternation 3: past verbs

  • wapa<v><iv><past><s_sg3><m> ↔ yiwapa
  • pangurlimayi<v><iv><past><s_sg1> ↔ ngirripangurlimayi
  • kirimi <v><iv><past><s_pl3> ↔ pirikirimi
  • akijiti <v><iv><past><s_pl3> ↔ pirripakijiti
  • walangarti<v><tv><past><s_sg3><m> ↔ yiwalangarti

In past tense verbs when third-person singular direct object co-occurs with third-person singular subject, the subject prefixes are used to express gender of the object, and the gender of the subject is neutralized.(Osborne 41)

  • pirni <v><tv><past><s_sg3><o_sg3><m> ↔ yipirni

Alternation 4: direct object

  • takirayi<v><tv><nonpast><s_sg3><m><o_pl3> ↔ awuntakirayi
  • pirni<v><tv><past><s_sg3><m><o_sg1> ↔ yiminipirni


Alternation 5

Alternation 6

Alternation 7

Alternation 8

Alternation 9

Alternation 10

Other

  • Examples not in Tiwi