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Melanesian Demonstratives

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 December 2009

Extract

In his various grammars in Melanesian Languages Codrington places the Melanesian demonstratives under “ Pronouns ”; as also does Ray in Melanesian Island Languages. To class them asdemonstrative pronouns is the nearest approximation to a correct statement of their nature and use. In general they answer to theEnglish “this”, “that”, “here”, “there”; but, as Codringtonsays, the Melanesian demonstratives are in use also as articles andadverbs, and are to be found embedded in the personal pronouns.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London 1937

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References

page 385 note 1 R. H. Codrington, Clarendon Press, 1885 (ML.).

page 385 note 2 S. H. Ray, Cambridge Press, 1925 (MIL.).

page 386 note 1 Cf. the forms in Maori te nei, te na, te ra, where te is an article.

page 387 note 1 For similar uses in Melanesian languages in New Guinea, see Ray, Expedition to Torres Straits, vol. iii, p. 246, Cambridge Press, 1907.

page 387 note 2 The use of na, following a noun, to denote emphasis, or by way of explanation, is widespread throughout Melanesia: ‘aeku na (Sa‘a), “ mind my foot! ”

page 389 note 1 Mota Dictionary, ia 1.

page 390 note 1 The form is found as the dative of the article in Bolaang-Mongondou.

page 390 note 2 ko and o occur as articles in Central Celebes.

page 391 note 1 See also ML., p. 117 for i.

page 391 note 2 A demonstrative te isi occurs in Mortlock, Micronesia.

page 392 note 1 Other instances of the “ dropping ” of n in Solomon Island languages in connection with articles are: Oroha mani, ma‘i, plural articles; Ulawa mwai, Fagani mwani, plural articles. Fiu and Kwara ‘Ae have i, personal article used with names ofwomen, where Lau and Malu‘u, neighbouring languages, have ni. The “ dropping ”of a consonant is not always marked in those languages in which the “ break ” occurs.

page 392 note 2 The personal article a with u, personal pronoun, 1st person sing., makes the form au, which is attached as object to verbs and prepositions in certain Melanesianlanguages.

page 392 note 3 See MIL., p. 402, 4, for an example of the use of te as indefinite article in Melanesia.

page 393 note 1 Cf. the Sa' wau “ there ”, Ulawa wau ni, ni wau “ that ”, “ there ”. In both languages lae wau = “ go on ”, “ go away ”.

page 393 note 2 owe the list of Indonesian articles to the kindness of the Rev. A. Capell.

page 394 note 1 In the language of Florida, Solomon Islands, where the plural article is lei, preceding the noun, the singular article na may be used of the plural, the plurality being denoted by the context. In an idiomatic use in Florida a doubling of a noun with its article na, and the copula ma, denotes a plural: na vavata ma na vavata “ generations ”. Certain Melanesian languages, e.g. Florida, Raga, are not concerned to mark plurality, Florida using the singular article na and Raga omitting the pluralsign gaha, the sense in both cases being shown by the context.

page 394 note 2 For the use of a personal pronoun, 3rd person pi., as a sign of number, see MIL., p. 274, 7, hera; and see also p. 371, 6. In Vaturanga the pronoun hira “ they ” isprefixed to the demonstrative de “ this ” to denote “ these ”.

page 395 note 1 In Florida, Solomon Islands, ke used at the end of a sentence denotes “ if ”.

page 396 note 1 In some Melanesian languages the one conjunction may mean “ and “ or “ but ” and it is true to say that Melanesian languages, generally, lay little stress on the adversative conjunction, using rather a connective.

page 396 note 2 It is also used to denote “ when ”.

page 397 note 1 But sa is the oblique case of the article in Tagalog, and is a relative article in Lampong.

page 405 note 1 Hawaiian has ka, ke articles