A grammar of Umbu-Ungu June Head first created 1976 prepared for web publication 2011 Table of Contents Abbreviations used in glosses: ............................................................................................... vi 1. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Language overview ....................................................................................................... 2 2. MORPHOPHONEMICS ............................................................................................ 3 2.1 Phonemics and orthography .......................................................................................... 3 2.2 Morphophonemic rules ................................................................................................. 3 2.2.1 Rule 1: the high-low vowel rule ............................................................................... 3 2.2.2 Rule 2: the front-back rule ........................................................................................ 4 2.2.2.1 Rule 2b ....................................................................................................................... 5 2.2.3 Rule 3: the complete vowel harmony rule ................................................................ 5 2.2.4 Rule 4 concerning stems ending in -lV ..................................................................... 5 2.2.4.1 Rule 4a. When a stem ending in lV is followed by a suffix lV, the lV of the stem is elided. ....................................................................................................... 5 2.2.4.2 Rule 4b. When the combination lV plus -kV occurs across morpheme borders the first vowel is elided. ................................................................................. 6 2.2.5 Rule 5 governs the change from simple (i.e. non-prenasalised) stop plus vowel to pre-nasalized stop plus vowel in some verb suffixes. ............................... 6 3. STEMS ......................................................................................................................... 8 3.1 Derived stems ................................................................................................................ 8 3.2 Compound verb stems ................................................................................................... 8 3.3 Compound non-verb stems ........................................................................................... 9 4. WORDS ..................................................................................................................... 10 4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 10 4.2 Verb classes ................................................................................................................ 10 4.2.1 Existential verbs (class 1) ....................................................................................... 10 4.2.2 Modifying verbs (class 2) ....................................................................................... 10 4.2.2.1 Post-head modifying verbs (class 2a) ....................................................................... 10 4.2.2.2 Pre-head modifying verbs (Class 2b) ....................................................................... 11 4.2.3 Stative verbs (class 3) ............................................................................................. 11 4.2.4 Regular verbs (class 4)............................................................................................ 11 4.3 Verb suffixes ............................................................................................................... 13 4.3.1 The benefactive suffix -ndV ................................................................................... 13 4.3.2 Dependent verb suffixation ..................................................................................... 13 4.3.3 Person suffixes of the dependent verb system ........................................................ 14 4.3.4 Independent verb suffixation .................................................................................. 14 4.3.5 Tense suffixes ......................................................................................................... 16 4.3.6 Person suffixes of the independent verb system ..................................................... 17 4.3.7 Sequences of verbs ................................................................................................. 21 4.4 Non-verbs .................................................................................................................... 21 4.4.1 Nouns ...................................................................................................................... 21 4.4.1.1 Common nouns ........................................................................................................ 21 4.4.1.2 Kin terms .................................................................................................................. 22 4.4.1.3 Proper names ............................................................................................................ 22 4.4.2 Pronouns ................................................................................................................. 23 4.4.3 Adjectives ............................................................................................................... 23 i 4.4.3.1 Adjectives of quality ................................................................................................ 23 4.4.3.2 Adjectives of colour ................................................................................................. 24 4.4.3.3 Adjectives of size ..................................................................................................... 24 4.4.3.4 Adjectives of quantity .............................................................................................. 25 4.4.3.5 Adjective class 5 ....................................................................................................... 26 4.4.4 Adverbs ................................................................................................................... 26 4.4.5 Spatials.................................................................................................................... 26 4.4.5.1 Horizontal directionals ............................................................................................. 26 4.4.5.2 Vertical directionals ................................................................................................. 27 4.4.5.3 Locationals ............................................................................................................... 27 4.4.5.4 Temporal 1 ............................................................................................................... 27 4.4.5.5 Temporal 2 ............................................................................................................... 28 4.4.5.6 Temporal 3 ............................................................................................................... 28 4.4.5.7 Temporal 4 ............................................................................................................... 28 4.4.5.8 Spatial augment ........................................................................................................ 28 4.4.5.9 Spatial clitics ............................................................................................................ 29 4.4.6 Demonstratives ....................................................................................................... 31 4.4.7 Question words ....................................................................................................... 31 4.4.8 Adjuncts .................................................................................................................. 33 4.4.9 Connectors .............................................................................................................. 33 4.4.9.1 Conjunctions ............................................................................................................. 33 4.4.9.2 Connectives .............................................................................................................. 33 4.4.10 Other small closed classes ...................................................................................... 34 4.4.10.1 Augments ................................................................................................................. 34 4.4.10.2 Response words ........................................................................................................ 34 4.4.10.3 Exclamations ............................................................................................................ 34 4.4.10.4 Greetings .................................................................................................................. 35 4.4.10.5 Pause words .............................................................................................................. 35 4.4.10.6 Verbal negative ......................................................................................................... 35 4.4.10.7 Substantive negative ................................................................................................. 35 5. CLITICS ...................................................................................................................