Default sequential Predictable sequential

26 Pre-NO Pre-NI S V OC Post-NI Post-NO 6 Yabo baana bombi banakizi sigala bagweti bagashaata Those children both and they continuously remained they are playing 7 Mu yukwo kushaata mwana wa ngaavu anayita mwana wa ndare In that to play child of cow and he killed child of lion ‘Those children were staying there playing. In that playing, the cow’s child killed the lion’s child.’ T6

2.7 Event line marked by sequential tenses

The sequential tenses move the event line of story forward. They both involve forms of the tense prefix ana- ‘and’. The default sequential tense marks one sequence as occurring after another. The second form marks the same, with the added notion of ‘predictability’.

2.7.1 Default sequential

The default sequential tense is probably the most common form in narrative texts. It is marked by the prefix ana- ‘sequential’ and simply marks that one action is following another. In many cases a subject noun phrase is marked on the first verb in the sequence, while only the subject prefix on the verb occurs for following occurrences. In 27 the new event wandare anatondeera ukulwisa wangaavu ‘and the lion began to fight the cow’ is followed by another event, this time with no subject noun phrase, since the same lion is performing the subsequent action: anamúyita ‘and she killed him’. Both of these actions are marked with the sequential tense ana-. 27 Pre-NO Pre-NI S V OC Post-NI Post-NO 42a Lyeryo wandare anatondeera ukulwisa wangaavu Right then lion and she began to fight cow 42b --- anamúyita and she killed it ‘Right then, she began to fight the cow, and she killed it.’ T8 In some cases participants can switch in the middle of a sentence, without the reintroduction of a second noun phrase to establish who is who. In 28 line 7a the sentence begins with the cl. 3 mujoka ‘snake’ and the corresponding cl. 3 subject prefix verb gwanayizongeza ‘and it wrapped itself around’. However, in line 7b the verb has a cl. 7 subject prefix y-, referring to the quail. Even though a switch of subject prefixes occurs, there is no need to reintroduce the quail, as it is clear from the context, and there is no new paragraph. 28 Pre-NO Pre-NI S V OC Post-NI Post-NO 7a Yugwo mujoka gwanayizongeza mwo That snake and it wrapped itself around there 7b --- yanagubalalana and it quail flew with it 7c --- yanatwa ikajabo kolwiji and it landed across of river ‘That snake wrapped itself around the quail. And it quail flew with it and landed across the river.’ T3

2.7.2 Predictable sequential

Especially in more informal registers, but even occasionally in formal ones, the sequential tense marks actions that are predictable. This tense is marked by the verb tense prefix na-, with the subjunctive final vowel -e. The text for 29 is quite informal and includes a ‘predictable sequential form’ in line 4a. In line 3b the rabbit is caught in the trap. It is not surprising that the man tells his son to take the rabbit home, as that is what is commonly done with rabbits that are caught in a trap. This is marked in line 4a by the predictable sequential verb anabwire ‘he told him’. 29 Pre-NO Pre-NI S V OC Post-NI Post-NO 3a Walukwavu ngu ayije Rabbit as soon as he comes 3b --- anagwatwa ku bulya burembo and he was grabbed on that sap 4a Ulya mushosi anabwire mugala wage ti That man and he told son of his quote 4b E mwana wani --- Utwale uyu walukwavu i kaaya O son of mine You take this Rabbit to village ‘Rabbit, as soon as it came, it got stuck on that sap. That man told his son, “O my son, take this rabbit to the village.” ’ T10 In 30 the son had told the mother that she was supposed to kill a rooster and give it to the rabbit as a meal. That is exactly what happened, and lines 10a–c are marked by the predictable sequential verbs anagwate ‘and she seized’, analubaage ‘and she slaughtered it’, and analuzimaane ‘and she served it as guest food’. Even the fact that the rabbit is placed in the guest house is considered predictable in line 11 banamúbiike mu ndaaro ‘and they placed him in the guest house’. 30 Pre-NO Pre-NI S V OC Post-NI Post-NO 10a Nyina anagwate lulya luhazi His mother and she grabbed that rooster 10b --- analubaage and she slaughtered it 10c --- analuzimaane walukwavu and she served it as guest food rabbit 11 Walukwavu --- banamúbiike mu ndaaro The rabbit they placed him in guest house ‘His mother grabbed that rooster, and slaughtered it, and served it as guest food to the rabbit. The rabbit, they placed him on the guest house.’ T10

2.8 Conclusion marked by timeless clause