9/18 Small group elicitation notes

Subject pronouns of Bengali (Based on data as of 9/18/15)

Referent	Singular	Plural
1st person	ami	amra
2nd person, very informal	tui	tora
2nd person, informal	tumi	tomra
2nd person, formal	apni	apnara
3rd person, informal	ʃe	tara
3rd person, informal, proximal	e	era
3rd person, informal, distal	o	ora
3rd person, formal	tini	tara
3rd person, formal, proximal	ini	enara
3rd person, formal, distal	uni	onara

The data elicited so far show that verbs are not inflected for number. 'I eat' and 'we eat' are ami khai and amra khai respectively. The 3rd person, informal pronouns, ʃe/o/e, share the same verb ending. The 3rd person, formal pronouns, tini/ini/uni share the same verb ending with apni. Therefore, verb paradigms will only show the ami, tui, tumi, apni, and ʃe forms of the verb.

Verb	ami	tui	tumi	apni	ʃe
ate	khelam	kheli	khele	khelen	khelo
saw	deklam	dekli	dekle	deklen	deklo
turned	ghurlam	ghurli	ghurle	ghurlen	ghurlo
will eat	khabo	khabi	khabe	khaben	khabe
will see	dekbo	dekbi	dekbe	dekben	dekbe
will turn	ghurlo	ghurli	ghurle	ghurlen	ghurle

• ey kukur khae - This dog eats.
• e kukur khae - This (person) eats dogs.
• oy kukur khae - That dog eats.
• o kukur khae - That (person) eats dogs.
• ami khelam - I ate.
• ami khellam - I played.
• khælla - play (V)
• ami mach khai - I eat fish.
• mach ami khai - Fish I eat.
• ey/oy mach ami khae. - The fish eats me.
• o mach, amake khae - That (person) eats fish and me.

The data in the following table were elicited by asking the consultant to say the sentence ey mach ___ khae 'The fish eats ___.'

Direct Object pronouns of Bengali (Based on data as of 9/18/15)

Referent	Singular	Plural
1st person	amake	amaderke
2nd person, very informal	toke	toderke
2nd person, informal	tomake	tomaderke
2nd person, formal	apnake	apnaderke
3rd person, informal	take	taderke
3rd person, informal, proximal	eke	ederke
3rd person, informal, distal	oke	oderke
3rd person, formal	take	?
3rd person, formal, proximal	enake	enaderke
3rd person, formal, distal	onake	onaderke

• mach gulo - those fish
• ɔnek mach - many fish
• ami mach dhorte jacchi - I am going to catch fish.
• dhora - catch, hold (V)
• ami dhori - I hold.
• ami ey mach khai - I eat this fish.
• ami ey mach gulo khai - I eat these fish.
• ami ɔnek mach khai - I eat a lot of fish. (prefered reading)/ I eat many kinds of fish.
• ami ɔnek rɔkomer mach khai - I eat many kinds of fish.
• ami rɔkomari mach khai - I eat many kinds of fish.
• rɔkom - type (N)
• mach mach khae - Fish eat fish.
• mach onno mach (ke) khae - Fish eat other fish.
• amake khawa hɔjche - I have been eaten.
• amake dækha hɔjche - I have been seen.
• amake dækha jacche - I can be seen.
• ami dekte pai - I get to see. ('Every morning I get to see the sun.')
• ami dekte parchi - I am being able to see. ('I have a good view of the stage right now.')
• ami dekte pari - I have vision./ I am able to see. (Cannot take DO)