Help with Glossing
Answers to the Questions
- List all the content words you can find.
- mama (n) mama
- da (n) daddy
- ba (n) milk
- tu (n) toy
- da (n) doggy
- -ai (v) love
- -ak (v) have
- -a (v) understand, see
- -u (v) want
- -ili (v) to think x is funny
- -liu (v) sleep
- What is the basic word order of the babish sentence? subject object verb
- How is negation expressed? Negation is expressed with a free function word 'gi' that is placed immeadiately before the verb.
- How is tense expressed?
- Tense is expressed as a bound prefix:
- -g- present tense
- -m- past tense
- How is emphasis expressed?
Emphasis is expressed by reduplicating the verb root along with the tense marker.
- Do you notice any agreement morphology?
- Vergbs agree in person with their subjects.
- First person subjects are marked with a prefix a-
- Third person subjects are marked with a prefix i-.
- There appears to be no free first person singular pronoun.
1. mama agai
I love mama.
2. ba agu
I want milk
3. aga
I see what you mean.
4. da agiligili
I think Daddy is really funny.
5. da ba igak
Daddy has my milk.
6. da igliu
The doggy is sleeping.
7. gi agliu
I am not sleeping!
8. Mama tu igai
Mama loves my toy.
9. ba agugu
I want milk right now!
10. da gi igliu
Daddy is not sleeping.
11. da agai
I love daddy.
12. da agak
I have the doggy.
13. Tu agili
I think my toy is funny.
14. gi agaga
I really don't understand
15. ba amaimai
I really liked my milk!
16. tu gi amakmak
I really didn't want my toy.
Questions about Babish