[PapuanLanguages] 'do/say' verbs

[John Roberts]

In Amele (Papuan) it is possible to embed verb series and clause chains 
inside a verb. For example, (1) shows a verb stem *qet* 'cut' with verb 
inflection attached. But this verb stem can be substituted by a verb 
series, as in (2), or a switch-reference clause chain, as in (3). In (2) 
and (3) the verb inflection attaches to the whole verb series or whole 
clause chain rather than to the last item. Thus Amele has syntax within 
the word.

1) Ege cinim qet-oqo-na.
1pl kunai cut-1pl.SU-PRES
‘We cut the kunai grass.’

2) Ege cinim qet-i l-i qet-i h-u oqo-na.
1pl kunai cut- go- cut- come- 1pl.SU-PRES
‘We cut the kunai grass backwards and forwards.’

3) Ege qet-ud-ece-b qet-ud-ece-b oqo-na.
1pl cut-3sg.DO-DS-3sg.SU cut-3sg.DO-DS-3sg.SU 1pl.SU-PRES
‘We cut each other.’

I am sure Amele is not the only Papuan language that can do this and I 
would like some more examples for some research I am conducting. If any 
of you are familiar with a Papuan language that can do this same kind of 
embedding within the verb-word, could you give me some examples? You can 
either post them to this list or send them to me at dr_john_roberts at sil.org.

Thanks.

John Roberts


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John R Roberts
SIL International Linguistics Consultant
dr_john_roberts at sil.org
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