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Ngehu: Difference between revisions
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→Indefinite
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=====Indefinite===== | =====Indefinite===== | ||
Indefinite pronouns are, in many cases, simply omitted. | Indefinite pronouns are, in many cases such as in the subject, able to be simply omitted, owing to the propensity of subjectless sentences to be interpreted as containing an unspoken indefinite subject. | ||
:{| | :{| | ||
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| colspan="3" | ''Someone/something is coming.'' | | colspan="3" | ''Someone/something is coming.'' | ||
|} | |} | ||
The three most important words that are frequently used as indefinite pronouns are: | The three most important words that are frequently used as indefinite pronouns are: | ||
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* '''ya mbwo''' → '''mbyo''' = of some, of a substance | * '''ya mbwo''' → '''mbyo''' = of some, of a substance | ||
In addition, | In addition to these, generic nouns such as '''ngo''' 'person' and '''nu''' 'thing' may be used indefinitely. | ||
Due to the tendency of most nouns to be interpreted as definite when they are in the subject, indefinite subjects, when not simply omitted are generally used in a kind of cleft-sentence which places them in the predicate, being followed by what is more or less a relative clause. | |||
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|- | |- | ||
| colspan="5" | ''<span style="color:blue">There is a person who</span> is coming.'' | | colspan="5" | ''<span style="color:blue">There is a person who</span> is coming.'' | ||
|} | |||
:{| | |||
|- | |||
| colspan="5" | '''''Na i zi vwe <span style="color:blue">mbya</span>.''''' | |||
|- | |||
|na || i || zi || vwe || mbya | |||
|- | |||
|1S|| <small>COP</small> || <small>PRF.E</small> || see.<small>AG</small> || <small>GEN</small>.one | |||
|- | |||
| "I" || "am" || "former one" || "seer" || "of one" | |||
|- | |||
| colspan="5" | ''I saw <span style="color:blue">something/someone</span>.'' | |||
|} | |||
:{| | |||
|- | |||
| colspan="6" | '''''Na i zi vwe <span style="color:blue">ya nu</span>.''''' | |||
|- | |||
|na || i || zi || vwe || ya || nu | |||
|- | |||
|1S|| <small>COP</small> || <small>PRF.E</small> || see.<small>AG</small> || <small>GEN</small> || <small>thing</small> | |||
|- | |||
| "I" || "am" || "former one" || "seer" || "of" || "thing" | |||
|- | |||
| colspan="5" | ''I saw <span style="color:blue">something</span>.'' | |||
|} | |||
:{| | |||
|- | |||
| colspan="6" | '''''Na i zi vwe <span style="color:blue">ya ngo</span>.''''' | |||
|- | |||
|na || i || zi || vwe || ya || ngo | |||
|- | |||
|1S|| <small>COP</small> || <small>PRF.E</small> || see.<small>AG</small> || <small>GEN</small> || <small>person</small> | |||
|- | |||
| "I" || "am" || "former one" || "seer" || "of" || "someone" | |||
|- | |||
| colspan="5" | ''I saw <span style="color:blue">someone</span>.'' | |||
|} | |} | ||