An Pab Tummadbal ibzhe.

14.4 Grammar 189 Speaking verbs 1. chog ‗to say‘ 2. chunma ‗to talk‘ 3. ekis ‗to ask‘ 4. kol ‗to call‘ Sentences 1. An machiga chogzha. ‗I told the boy.‘ 2. An peje kolo. ‗I‘ll call you.‘ 3. Machi saglaje ekisne. ‗The boy is going to ask the chief.‘ 4. Ome punzhe kocha. 84 ‗The woman called the girl.‘ 5. Nan ammabak chunmas. ‗Mother talked with auntie.‘

14.4.9.2 Subject matter of speaking verbs

When the subject matter of a speaking verb 85 involves a person or the things a person said, the specific or general instrument suffixes are used. The specific instrument suffix -gin-kin is attached to the pronoun or name of the person being talked about and around whom the conversation revolves. Examples 1. Anmal pegin chunmas. ‗We talked about you.‘ 2. Sagla nangin chunmas. ‗The chief talked about Mother.‘ 3. María Silviagin chunmas. ‗Mary talked about Silvia.‘ The general instrument suffix -bal-pal is used to refer to what a person talked about rather than talking about the person. The suffix is attached to the name or pronominal reference to the person. Example Anmal pebal chunmas. ‗We talked about what you said.‘ Word order dictates that the subject matter of the conversation comes after the person spoken to and before the verb. Examples 1. An saglabak pegin chunmas. ‗I talked to the chief about you.‘ 2. An tummadga pebal chogzha. ‗I told the leader what you had said.‘ Some further examples may help to clarify the use of a person as an indirect object, as the topic of conversation or as the one who said something. Examples The speaker reports the person to the chief, probably for allegedly bad behavior: 1a. An saglaga pe chogzha. ‗I told the chief on you.‘ The speaker tells the chief details about a person or the details about an incident involving a person:

b. An saglaga pegin chogzha. ‗I told the chief about you.‘

The speaker tells the chief what the person said:

c. An saglaga pebal chogzha. ‗I told the chief what you said.‘

2a. An sagla je pe ekichis. ‗I asked the chief your whereabouts. lit.: I asked the chief for you.‘ 84 The completed aspect of the verb kol ‗to call‘ is kocha. 85 See 14.4.7.