LIN3SYN Linguistics Assignment For the Word Classes

DET   ADJ        N        V          N 

9x10) Bula jalbubulalangka bayan ngarany.
bula jalbu-bulal-angka bayan ngara-ny
3du.NOM woman-pair-ERG camp set.up-PST

The pair of women set up camp

DET     N     CON             V   ADV N

10x11) Dubungku nyunguny makunyajiny karrkay.
dubu-ngku nyunguny makunyaji-ny karrkay
ghost-ERG 3sg.ACC meet-PST child

The ghost met the child

DET           N     V     DET      N

11x12) Dingarangka kaya kanan kuniny.
dingar-angka kaya kanan kuni-ny
man-ERG dog by.mistake hit-PST

The man hit the dog by mistake

DET    N      V    DET N   CONJ     N

12x13) Yinyangka kubarrangka yalbayngka maral baykany.
yinya-ngka kubarr-angka yalbay-ngka maral bayka-ny
that-ERG eel-ERG big-ERG girl bite-PST

That big eel bit the girl

PRN    ADJ   N     V   DET   N

Part B

Grammatical features of the word classes

Noun (N)

• Refers to a case marking(Patz, 1982, p. 119) ( example 3 and example 9 “ women”)
• Has plural marking( Example 7 “ widow (er)”
• Identifies a person ( Example 2‘wallaby’,)
• Represents an object or thing ( In example 8 “ sea turtle” and example 12 “ Eel”
• Shows an idea, mental condition, personal attribute or condition ( In example 11, “mistake” Example 7 “sad”)
• Functions as an adjunct in the case of a verb ( In example 12 “the girl”
• Serves as a head of a noun phrase (In example 4 “ father”)

Pronoun (PRN)

• Represents an object
• Functions as a noun ( subjective, as in example 12 and 2 “ That”)

Adjective (ADJ)

• Gives more information about a noun (In example 2, 3 “ Two, old”)
• Describes an attribute ( Example 12 “big” Example 8 “young”)
• Modifies the noun ( example 3 and example 6 ”the” Example 5 “ Many”) 

Verb (V)

• Refers to actions  ( Example 1 “ coming”, Example 2 “ running”,  Example 4 “running”, Example 8, “ speared”
• Functions as a predicate of a clause, example 9 “set”
• Occurs as a clause final“ Example 3 “ Sang”
• Has subject and person number suffix ( Example 5, 6, 7 “is”
• Shows tense marking ( Example, 10 “ met”, Example 11 “hit”, Example 12 “ bit” )

Adverb (AD)

• Defines the verb ( Example 9 “up “example 3 “ out”)

Determinant (DET)

• Introduction of a noun ( Example, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 “ The”

Conjunction

• Join relating items in a sentence ( In example 9 “ of” ) 

2. Clauses  

Identify the transitivity of example sentences 

1x1) Kaba kaday.
kaba kada-y
rain come-NONPST

Rain is coming.

Transitive

2x2) Yinya kadar warriy.
yinya kadar warri-y
that wallaby run-NONPST

That wallaby is running.

Transitive

3x3) Bula wulbuman yirrkany.
bula wulbuman yirrka-ny
3du.NOM old.woman sing.out-PST

The two old women sang out.

Intransitive + location

4x4) Nganjan wunanay.
nganjan wunana-y
father lie-NONPST

Father is resting

Transitive

Nyulu warrungku ngawuya damany.
nyulu warru-ngku ngawuya dama-ny
3sg.NOM yg.man-ERG sea.turtle spear-PST

The young man speared a sea turtle.

Ditransitive

9x10) Bula jalbubulalangka bayan ngarany.
bula jalbu-bulal-angka bayan ngara-ny
3du.NOM woman-pair-ERG camp set.up-PST

The pair of women set up camp.

Intransitive + location

10x11) Dubungku nyunguny makunyajiny karrkay.
dubu-ngku nyunguny makunyaji-ny karrkay
ghost-ERG 3sg.ACC meet-PST child

The ghost met the child.

Intransitive

11x12) Dingarangka kaya kanan kuniny.
dingar-angka kaya kanan kuni-ny
man-ERG dog by.mistake hit-PST

The man hit the dog by mistake.

Transitive

12x13) Yinyangka kubarrangka yalbayngka maral baykany.
yinya-ngka kubarr-angka yalbay-ngka maral bayka-ny
that-ERG eel-ERG big-ERG girl bite-PST

That big eel bit the girl.

Transitive

Ngaykuwundu ngamungku minya yakal naybubu.
ngayku-wun-du ngamu-ngku minya yaka-l naybu-bu
1sg.POSS-wun-ERG mother-ERG meat cut.up-NONPST knife-INST

My mother is cutting meat with a knife.

Transitive

32x35) Ngayku ngamu yakajiny naybubu.
ngayku ngamu yaka-ji-ny naybu-bu
1sg.POSS mother cut.up-INTR-PST knife-INST

My mother cut herself with a knife.

Intransitive

33x36) Nganya jukubu kuniny.
nganya juku-bu kuni-ny
1sg.ACC tree-INST hit-PST

A tree hit me

Transitive

34x37) Ngayu jukubu kunijiny.
ngayu juku-bu kuni-ji-ny
1s.NOM tree-INST hit-INTR-PST

I was hit by a tree.

Ditransitive

35x40) Ngayu murrajanga bakajiny.
ngayu murraja-nga baka-ji-ny
1s.NOM stonefish-LOC poke-INTR-PST

I was poked by a stonefish

Ditransitive 

Nganjiny burrira marijiny.
nganjiny burrir-a mariji-ny
1pl.excl.NOM island-LOC swim-PST

We swam to the island.

Intransitive

54x66) Charlie dungany yarramananda.
charlie dunga-ny yarraman-anda
Charlie go-PST horse-LOC

Charlie went to the horses.

Intransitive

55x67) Ngayu minya milbil bujinda.
ngayu minya milbi-l buji-nda
1s.NOM meat show-NONPST cat-LOC

I showed the meat to the cat.

Transitive 

56x68) Nyulu marrkin dajiny yabanda.
nyulu marrkin daji-ny yaba-nda
3sg.NOM gun give-PST eB-LOC

He gave the gun to his elder brother.

Ditransitive

Part B

Transitive Subjects can change to intransitive in cases of a causative verbalizer. For example in 32”, my mother cut herself with a knife could become “my mother hit herself”. In the alignment of cases, marking is in normative accusative. In this case, objects in the transitive clauses (P) contain are marked with uniqueness. Transitive Subjects (A) are different from the intransitive subjects (S) based on variations in marking. Marking the transitive subject (A) depends on the inanimate agent. The transitive object occurs with the noun as an absolute case. For example in sentence 3 “That wallaby is running”. The intransitive verb represents the nonproductive verbalizer for example in the sentence 33 “the tree hit me”. Location is a case marker for ‘location at’ or ‘direction to’. It refers to the location in general and not space (Madiesson, 2009). In this case, it includes ‘out’ and ‘up’. There is no possessive forms because the inanimate does not own things. This explains the Sentence No. 56, which states, “He gave t in 32.he gun to his elder brother”.   

Bibliography

Madiesson, I., 2009. LAPSyD Online Page for Kuku Yalanji, s.l.: LapsyD.

Patz, E., 1982. A Grammar of the Kuku Yalanji Language of North Queensland, s.l.: Australian National University.