|
||||||
This lesson enters into the realm of the Passive voice. Up to this point everything has been written in the Active voice where the action is done by the subject. Now the subject will receive the action or be acted upon.
This conversation is between the housewife and her houseboy at the beginning of a day.
Wife: | Walɛ, ɛ jɛn jiɛc la̲t kä̲ ɤä̲n göörä̲ ɤöö baa ti̲ti̲ la̲t walɛ.
Today, it is Monday and I want that these will be done today. |
Kɛɛ nhiam baa duɛ̲l yiɛ̩c kɛɛliw a mä̲ni̲ bä̲ŋ bä̲.
at first the house will be swept completely and also the verandah too. |
|
I̲yɔɔ baa bie̲e̲yni̲ lak, kä̲ bɛɛ miɛ̲th ca̲ŋ da̲a̲r rial i̲kä̲.
Later the clothes will be washed, and the mid-day food will be prepared. |
|
Boy: | Ɣɔ̲ɔ̲, ɛ jɛn. Ɛ jï̲n i̲ baa duɛ̲l yi̩ɛc kɛɛliw, kä̲ baa bä̲ŋ yi̩ɛc bä̲,
Oh, it is so. You said that the house will be swept completely, and the verandanh will be swept also, |
kä̲ bie̲e̲yni̲ baa kɛ lak, kä̲ miɛ̲th ca̲ŋ da̲a̲r baa jɛ rial i̲kä̲.
and the colthes will be washed, and the mid-day food will be prepared. |
|
Kɛ kɛn da̲ŋ ŋuaan, /ci̲ ɛ jɛn.
They are (those) four. Is it not so? |
|
Wife: | Kä̲ duɔ̲ɔ̲r kɛl a thï̲n. Cä̲ tha̲a̲n bie̲e̲yni̲ ka̲m raar mïndan.
And there is one thing. I took out some of the clothes a little while ago |
i̲ /caa kɛ bi̲ lak walɛ. Pä̲l tɔtɔ. Baa kɛ lak cä̲ŋ kɛl.
(thinking) that they will not be washed today. Leave those, they will be washed one day. |
|
Boy: | Ɛ jɛn, bä̲ kɛ pä̲l.
Okay, I will leave them. |
Wife: | Tä̲ä̲̲mɛ cɛ wä̲ lɔɔcdu̲ kɛɛliw?
Now has it gone into your heart completely? |
Boy: | Ɣɔ̲ɔ̲n cɛ wä̲ lɔɔcdä̲.
Yes, it has gone into my heart. |
PHONETICS
SYNTAX
The Occurrence of the Passive:
The Formation of the Passive: The Passive occurs in all 3 Aspects negative and positive with transitive verbs. It is unconjugated, having one form for all persons in each Aspect.
The Subject of the Passive: The subject of the passive is always in the objective case. It is most obvious in pronouns. Apparently this is due to the thought that the subject is receiving the action and thus is the object of the action.
The Word Order of the Passive:
-- Passive Word Order --
Subj. | Vb. Part. | Subj. Receiver | Verb | Sub. Rec. | Agent | |
1st Asp. | Nɛmɛ | la̲tkɛ | jɛ | ɛ wu̲t | ||
2nd Asp. | Nɛmɛ | caa | jɛ | la̲t | ɛ wu̲t | |
3rd Asp. | Nɛmɛ | baa | jɛ | la̲t | ɛ wu̲t |
Nuer Field Project | Nouns | Verbs | Verb Book | Expressions | Grammar | Genesis | Others |