7 THE CLAUSE 163
3. VO transitive clauses: 107 garaa ne-ghawa-mo se-ghulu kenta
and then he got a fish SURPR 3sR-get-PF one-CLAS fish
108 no-fo-limba bhaku ka-owa-ndo 3sR-CAUS-go.out provisions NOM-bring-their
he took out the provisions they had taken along 109 ane a-[m]angkafi ka-pindalo-ku
if I follow my desire if 1sI-follow NOM-desire-my
110 do-wora-mo me-kabua-no they saw a fisherman
3pR-see-PF -fish-A.PART 111 dae-foni-si ghai
we will climb a coconut tree 1pI-go.up-TR coconut
4. SVO transitive clauses: 112 o katogha ne-mbolaku kenta topa
the crow stole dried fish ART crow 3sR-steal fish dry
113 idi a-[m]ala ghole-no I will take the top
I 1sI-take top-its 114 kabua-bua ini ne-ghondo-hi-mo sau ka-mate
girl this 3sR-look-TR-PF wood NOM-dead the girl looked for dead wood
115 ai-hi-ku miina-ho da-[m]ande-ha-ane hula-no younger.sibling-PLUR-my not.yet 3pI-know-INT-it face-POS
ama-mani father-ourex
my younger siblings still did not know our ex fathers face 116 o kolope no-fetingke anagha
ART wild.cassava 3sR-hear that the wild cassava heard that
7.3.2. Zero objects
There are two situations in which the object of a transitive verb is suppressed. In the first case a full noun which is semantically predictable can
be left out for example with basa read, fumaa eat and gau cook, see 4.7.
This section deals with implicit objects see 4.6.1. Implicit objects occur in a sequence of events when the object is mentioned in the first clause
either as a full noun or as a pronominal suffix and the second clause stands in a very close relationship to the first one. In such a case the normal
state of affairs is that the object is again realized as a pronominal suffix, but it is not unusual to find no suffix at all, the object being suppressed.
With ae-verbs the definiteness shift is triggered and hence it can be argued
164 A GRAMMAR OF THE MUNA LANGUAGE
that the direct object is present at some point. In any case the suffix is always retrievable from the context and can be inserted without any change in
meaning; it only makes the object explicit.
117 ne-ala-mo se-poi kontu maka no-ghompa we 3sR-take-PF one-CLAS stone then 3sR-throw loc
wunta-wunta-no kantawu-no kulitoto RED-middle-POS heap-POS dead.leaves
she took a stone and threw it into the middle of the heap of dead leaves
118 pada kaawu no-rako-e no-buna-ti-mo wulu-no maka finish after 3sR-catch-him 3sR-pull.out-REP-PF feather-his then
no-tei we ghowa-no wata 3sR-put loc bottom-POS log
after he had caught him, he pulled out his feathers and put him under a log
In the following example the verb fumaa is used in exactly the same way; again the suffix -e may replace the implicit object. There is no definiteness shift
involved here, as fumaa is already an a-verb.
119 no-ene-e-mo dahu maka no-fumaa 3sR-pick.up-it-PF dog then 3sR-eat
the dog picked it up and ate it
7.3.3. Object agreement
Object agreement is the combination of a pronominal suffix and a full NP as in the following example:
120 tapi-e wamba-ku remember my words
IMP-remember-it word-my The suffix -e agrees with the full direct object and is therefore more or
less redundant. Object agreement is frequently found with -Cao-verbs although strictly
speaking these verbs require morphologically indirect objects, see 4.8.2:
121 a-pande-ha-ane ka-angka-ha I know the road
1sR-know-INT-it NOM-go-LOC 122 ghondo-fa-anda ai-hi-mu
IMP-look-INT-them younger.sibling-PLUR-your look after your younger brothers and sisters
In most of the cases of object agreement the direct object is a known entity that is supplied for the sake of clarification, almost as an afterthought.
Since there is no break in the intonation pattern, however, it is not likely to be a case of right-dislocation.
In the following examples, the direct object has been mentioned before:
7 THE CLAUSE 165
123 na-h[um]ala-e kae-kabua-ha-no he will pull in his fishing
3sI-pull-it NOM-fish-INS-his line
124 no-kaawu-e ko-se-kasopa-ha-e he finished the whole pan
3sR-finish-it KO-one-food.pan-HA-it 125 no-wora-e kaawu foo amaitu-ini
after he had seen the mango 3sR-see-it after mango that
126 no-pada-e kalei se-konti he finished one bunch of the
3sR-finish-it banana one-bunch bananas
However, in the following examples the object is not a known entity, and hence a functional explanation cannot be given. It is possible that a system of
object agreement is gradually coming into existence, on the analogy of the subject agreement system, in which a full NP either nominal or pronominal
agrees with the subject markers. But this must remain a hypothesis.
127 do-fenamisi-e-mo ka-gharo-no taghi 3pR-feel-it-PF NOM-hungry-POS belly
they felt their hungry bellies 128 o ndoke ne-wei no-puru-si-e roo-no sau
ART monkey 3sR-clear 3sR-take.off-REP-it leaf-POS tree the monkey was clearing his field by peeling off tree leaves
7.3.4. Object focus
