Tiwi/Grammar

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

Parts of Speech

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>

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." [1]

  • 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

"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.)"[2]

  • 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."[3]

  • 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

Citations

  1. Osborne, p.41
  2. ibid
  3. Osborne, p.40