11/13/15 Meeting with Paroma

Field Methods: Bengali

Ian Holloway and Daniel Plesniak

11/13/15 Meeting with Paroma

I. Indefinite pronouns/negation

(1) jei    kono sentens  banate        paɽo

    DEM any  sentence make.2SG can

‘You can make any sentence.’

(2) jei kono sentens banao

    DEM any  sentence make.2SG

‘Make any sentence.’

jei-the one that (demonstrative)

sentens- sentence

banano- to make

(3) keu      jete       paɽe

    anyone go.3SG can

‘Anyone can go.’  

(4) karor               bhalo laga    ucith

     anyone.GEN? good  attach must

     ‘MISSING TRANSLATION’

(5) ʃara     bejrum    kujlo                         kintu cabi kothao       peilam na

     whole bedroom look-for.1SG.PAST but    keys anywhere  recieve NEG

     ‘I searched my whole bedroom but didn’t find keys anywhere.’

(6) ʃara     bejrum    kujlo                        kintu cabi  kothao      neye

     whole bedroom look-for.1SG.PAST but    keys anywhere NEG

     ‘I searched my whole bedroom but there weren’t any keys anywhere.’

karor-anyone’s  

bejrum-bedroom

cabi-keys

kothao-anywhere

Notes: I previously determined that indefinite pronouns such as kothao-’anywhere’ and keu-’anyone’ are used in negative constructions with the negative particle na. The sentences above demonstrate how these terms are also licensed in affirmative sentences, which is further evidence to suggest that Bengali does not have negative polarity items, that is, words licensed only in negative contexts. These examples also demonstrate how the particle ‘neye’, differs from ‘na’: ‘na’ appears to simply reverse the polarity of a predicate, always occurring after a verb, while ‘neye’ has the sense of something not being present, as in sentence (6).

II. Causative and Non-Causative Verbs

phelle dewa- to throw away

(7) ami  phelle           dite  jyesta korlam

     I      throw.away  give try      do

    ‘I try to throw it away.’

nac korlo- did dance

nac hollo- dance happened

(8) rum   -e  nac    hollo

     room-in dance be.past

    ‘Dancing happened in the room.’

lekhapoɽa korlo

studying   happened

khawano-to feed

(9) Rani Makhon -ke    haʃabe

    Rani Makhon -OBJ laugh.CAUS.3SG.PRES

   ‘Rani is making Makhon laugh’

haʃano-to make laugh

darano-to stand; make something lean against

(10) Makhon Rani -ke     diye  janla      -ʈa     kholalo

       Makhon Rani -OBJ  give window -DEF open.CAUS.3SG.PAST

      ‘Makhon made Rani open the window.’

kholano- to make open

(11) Makhon Rani -ke     diye  diʃ   -gulo ʃokalo

       Makhon Rani -OBJ give  dish -PL   clean.CAUS

      ‘Makhon made Rani clean the dishes.’

ʃokano- to make someone clean

(12) o     ar             niramiʃ      roilo  na

       she no longer vegetarian stayed NEG

       ‘She is no longer a vegetarian.’

ar- more; no longer

niramiʃ-vegetarian

(13) Rani -ke     kee   dekhlo?

       Rani -OBJ who  saw.3PL.PAST

       ‘Who saw Rani?’

kee-who

(14) ki      hollo?

       what be.past

      ‘What happened?’

(15) kee  deɽi põcholo?

       who late arrive.PAST

       ‘Who arrived late?’

(16) deɽi põcholo        kee

       late arrive.PAST who

       ‘Who arrived late?’

deɽi-late

(17) aro             kek   kar            chai?

       even more cake who.GEN want

       ‘Who wants more cake?

aro-even more

kek-cake

(18) kee khabar-ʈa kinbe?

       who food-DEF buy.FUT

       ‘who will buy the food?’

(19) brij      -ʈa      -ke    kee   nɔʃto    korlo?

       bridge -DEF -OBJ who damage do.3SG.PAST  

      ‘What damaged the bridge?’

brij-bridge

nɔʃto-damage (v)

(20) kee  ghumie poɽeche?

       who sleep    fall

      ‘Who has fallen asleep?’

ghumie-having slept

(21) a. poriʃkar kortte kee ʃahajjo  korlo na?

           clean     do      who help     do     NEG

          ‘who didn’t help to clean?’

       b. kee  ʃahajjo korlo na     poriʃkar kortte?

           who help    do      NEG clean     do       

          ‘who didn’t help to clean?’

       c. kee   poriʃkar kortte ʃahajjo korlo na?

           who clean      do      help      do     NEG

          ‘who didn’t help to clean?’

poriʃkar kora- to clean

(22) a.  oi       ghã      -ʈa      ki     kore      hollo

           DEM wound -DEF what do.2SG be.PRES

           ‘What caused this wound to happen?’

       b.  oi       ghã      -ʈa     kothar          theke  ello

           DEM wound -DEF where.GEN from   come-from.past

          ‘Where did this wound come from?’

       c. oi       ghã      -ʈa      kæmon hollo

          DEM wound -DEF  how      be.past

‘How did this wound happen?’

        d. oi      ghã       -ʈa      ki      ʃe    theke hollo

            DEM wound -DEF what 3SG from  be.past

            ‘What caused this wound to happen?’

ghã- wound

(23) a. id   -er      jonne Rani ki      pello

          Eid -GEN for     Rani what recieve.3SG.past

          ‘What did Rani get for Eid?’

       b. Rani id   -er       jonne ki      pello

           Rani Eid -GEN for      what recieve.3SG.past

          ‘What did Rani get for Eid?’

       c. ki     pello                    Rani id   -er       jonne?

          what recieve.3SG.past Rani Eid -GEN for      

          ‘What did Rani get for Eid?’

id-Eid (Muslim holiday)

(24) sinimahɔl     -e       kar            ʃatte  dækha hollo

       cinema hall -LOC who.GEN with   see      be.PAST

      ‘Who did you see at the movies?’

sinimahɔl-cinema hall

(25) a. Lundin   -e       ki     dekhle?

           London -LOC what see.2SG.past

           ‘What did you see in London?’

       b. ki      dekhle              Lundin  -e?

           what see.2SG.PAST London -LOC

           ‘What did you see in London?’