Temporal usage Anaphoric usage

5 THE NOMINAL PHRASE 91

5.5.3. Temporal usage

One basic demonstrative can have a temporal meaning, namely aitu. Other temporal meanings occur with the complex demonstratives as discussed in 5.5.7. Aitu has two meanings: aitu 1. now, at this moment of speaking; 2. at that moment refers to a point in discourse, located in either the past or the future. These meanings are obviously related, the difference being their deictic anchoring. Aitu refers to a point which has already been established in the previous discourse, and only when no such point is present, does it refer to the present moment, that is, the actual moment when the speaker is talking. Examples: 79 aitu a-k[um]ala-mo now I am about to go now 1sI-go-PF 80 ane nao-maa-kanau, aitu nao-repu when he eats me, he will croak if 3sI-eat-me now 3sI-croak In 80 a moment in the future has already been established, hence aitu means then, at that time; in 79 no such point is present, hence the meaning now. The now of aitu is only a very short moment; for longer stretches of time ampa-aitu now, nowadays is used. In one text aini occurs as a temporal demonstrative with the same meaning as aitu then, at that time. This usage of aini is very rare: 81 aini Wa Maruai no-kala kansuru then Wa Maruai went straight now ART Maruai 3sR-go continually on

5.5.4. Anaphoric usage

Certain demonstrative pronouns are often used to refer back to an entity that has already been introduced in the preceding context. In such cases aini, aitu, amaitu and anagha can be translated either as demonstratives or as definite articles, depending on the context, although they are still glossed as demonstratives. Awatu and atatu do not have this anaphoric function. 82 de-fo-naando kafaka. No-rempo kafaka aini... 3pR-CAUS-be discussion 3sR-finished discussion this they organize a discussion. When this discussion is finished... 83 a-fetingke bhirita amaitu I have heard the news 1sR-hear news that 84 no-fetingke anagha... when she heard that... 3sR-hear that Aitu, which is rarely found as an anaphoric demonstrative, most commonly occurs in temporal phrases where it refers to an activity or a time in the immediate past. A number of frequently found expressions are the following: 92 A GRAMMAR OF THE MUNA LANGUAGE 85 a. no-pada aitu after that 3sR-finished that b. pasino aitu after that after that c. sa-lapasino aitu after that WHEN-after that d. wakutuu aitu at that time time that Notice also the difference between peda aini like this future and peda aitu like thisthat past in the following sentences: 86 amba-no peda aini: ... he said: .... word-his like this 87 sa-no-bisara peda aitu when she had spoken thus WHEN-3sR-speak like that

5.5.5. The referential demonstratives