Speakerhearer’s direct sensory observation of the process of a finite verb marked by -kuk

14.2.2 Speakerhearer’s direct sensory observation of the process of a finite verb marked by -kuk

Lhomi has direct sensory observation progressive aspect PROG;VIS, -kuk. The primary meaning of this grammatical marker is direct sensory observation VIS. The secondary meaning is progressive, an activity or motion or internal state which is in process. Sensory observation of a process detaches the observer somewhat because the source of information is only his own visual observation. The information based on speaker’s direct sensory observation may be new to either the speaker or the hearer or both. This is so because the observation is often recent and there is no other source of information available. As to the epistemic value of this evidential, see table 14.22. Interrogative occurs but the verb marked for progressive aspect cannot be negated. The reason is that the process either has started and can be observed or it has not yet started and cannot be observed. It is the negated inchoative which is then used. Speakerhearer’s direct sensory observation of a process in finite agentive verbs 14.2.2.1 Declarative, clause type BT 14 .67 aku tshiriŋ-ki raŋ-ki toto-la ra tɕik tsoŋ-kuk. uncle tshiring-ERG 2SG-GEN brother-DAT goat INDF sell-PROG;VIS ‘Uncle Chiring is in the process of selling a goat to your brother.’ Speaker sees that uncle Chiring is in the process of selling a goat. The hearer is unaware, he has not seen it. The act of selling is in progress. There is no mirative extention here. Speaker just happens to be an eyewitness of the process. Declarative, clause type T1 14.68 u-ki khus liŋ-kuk. that-ERG bribe take-PROG;VIS ‘He takes I have seen bribes.’ Speaker has seen the person taking bribes. Not just once but several times. This is not habitual aspect but its grammatical meaning comes close to it. De clarative, clause type T1 14.69 u-na phøt gat ɕen tɕik phøp-pa gatɕen tɕik dzom-na that-IN Tibetan many INDF Tibetan-HUM1 many INDF gather-NFNT1 u-na phøt ɕapra phak-kuk. TE29 that-IN Tibetan group.dance dance-PROG;VIS ‘Many Tibetans got together there and they were singing and dancing.’ Speaker is telling his dream. Declarative, clause type T1 14.70 ki di-ki khan ʈa dak te-na phaa-na do tɕik dak-kuk. TE25 dog DEF-ERG what lick watch-NFNT1 there-IN stone INDF lick-PROG;VIS ‘He checked what the dog was licking and it was licking a rock nearby.’ The dog of the story licks a piece of rock. The man sees it and does likewise and they both survive. Table 14.15. Summary of the ways direct sensory observation of a process is realized with finite agentive verbs marked by -kuk Declarative 3.person agentsubject and speaker’s direct sensory observation of the process. Interrogative 3.person agentsubject and the assumed hearer’s direct sensory observation of the process. Speakerhearer’s direct sensory observation of a process in I and ambient type finite verbs 14.2.2.2 Declarative, clause type I 14 .71 ŋa na-kuk. 1SG get.sick-PROG;VIS ‘I feel sick.’ Or: ‘I am sick.’ First person speaker implies that he has made his own recent observation that he is sick. He feels sick. This is a verb of internal state see also examples 14.26 and 14.29. Declarative, clause type I 14 .72 ŋ-e naŋtsaŋ na-kuk. 1SG-GEN wife get.sick-PROG;VIS ‘My wife is sick.’ Speaker is the husband but his information about his wife is based on his own eyewitness report which here implies that the person may not be very sick—he has just observed that she is sick. Eyewitness detaches the observer—it is not real intimate knowledge but purely sensory observation. Therefore eyewitness report ranks lower in the epistemic scale than experienceparticipation, na-køt. Declarative, ambient clause type 14.73 t ɕheppa dʑak-kuk. rain VBZR-PROG;VIS ‘It is raining.’ Speaker sees that it is raining but he himself is inside. There is no first hand experience with the raining process. Table 14.16. Summary of the ways direct sensory observation of a process is realized with I and ambient type verbs marked by -kuk Declarative 1.person subject 3.person subject and direct sensory observation of the process. Interrogative 3.person subject and assumed hearer’s direct sensory observation of the process. 3.person subject and assumed hearer’s direct sensory observation of the process. Speakerhearer’s direct sensory observation of the process in T1 and T2 type finite verbs 14.2.2.3 Declarative, clause type T1 14 .74 ŋ-e iki ɖok ɕii-kuk. 1SG-ERG writing read know-PROG;VIS ‘I can read.’ Or: ‘I know how to read.’ It is the beginning, speaker is not all that skilled reader yet. He has just mastered the art of reading and is now in the state of knowing how to read. Interrogative, clause type T1 14.75 khok-ki iki ɖok ɕii-kuk=ka? 2SG-ERG writing read know-PROG;VIS=Q ‘Can you read?’ Or. ‘Do you know how to read?’ Speaker assumes that the hearer may have learned to read. This refers to a state of affairs. Declarative, clause type T1 14.76 gott-e iki ɖok ɕii-kuk. 3SG-ERG writing read know-PROG;VIS ‘He knows how to read.’ Or: ‘He can read.’ The speaker has seen that the third person has just learned to read. Declarative, clause type T1 14 .77 we raŋ-ki phøk-ket ɕii-kuk wa. SCA 2SG-ERG Tibetan-language know-PROG;VIS MIR ‘What a surprise, you know Tibetan language.’ Or: ‘Wow, you can speak Tibetan.’ Speaker is surprised that the hearer can speak Tibetan. He does not know how well the hearer knows the language. This is purely first impression. The final marker in the verbal phrase is the mirativity particle, wa. Declarative, clause type T2 14.78 u-p- e ŋittuwa-la ŋii-kuk. that-PL2-ERG religious.holiday-DAT breach-PROG;VIS ‘They are breaching I see the rules of this religious holiday.’ This is an unvolitional verb. Table 14.17. Summary of the ways direct sensory observation of a process is realized with T1 and T2 type finite verbs marked by -kuk Declarative 1.person subject and speaker’s recent observation of his own progress. 2.person subject and speaker’s recent direct observation of the hearer’s process. 3.person subject and speaker’s recent direct observation of the third person’s process. Interrogative 2.person subject and the assumed hearer’s direct sensory observation of the process. 3.person subject and the assumed hearer’s direct sensory observation of the third person’s process.

14.2.3 Speakerhearers direct sensory observation marked in existential copulas