c. ¡Jiri-can-pu d. ¡Jiri-can-u
eat -Pl -M.VOC eat -Pl -F.VOC
‘You all eat’ ‘You all eat’
97 a. ¡Jiri-hi jo -pu b. ¡Jiri-hi jo- vu
eat -INF come-M.VOC eat -INF come-F.VOC
‘Come to eat’ ‘Come to eat’
c. ¡Jiri-hi vu -can-pu d. ¡Jiri-hi vu -can-u
eat -INF come-Pl -M.VOC eat -INF come-Pl -F.VOC
‘You all come to eat’ ‘You all come to eat’
98 a. ¡Ca-tan -pu-u b. ¡Vo -tan -can-pu-u
go -ahead-M.VOC-F.VOC go.PL-ahead-PL -M.VOC-F.VOC
‘Go ahead’ ‘You all go ahead’
4.3.2 Common commands singular and plural with transitive verbs
99 a. ¡Hiya piya hinan-pu, jochi
me arrow give -M.VOC older.brother
‘Give me the arrow, older brother’ b. ¡Hiya piya hinan-u,
chipi me
arrow give -F.VOC younger.sisterdaughter ‘Give me the arrow, younger sister’
c. ¡Hiya piya hinan-can-pu d. ¡Hiya piya hinan-can
me arrow give -PL -M.VOC
me arrow give -PL
‘Give me the arrow’ ‘Give me the arrow’
100 ¡Quiha Moha-mun-quiha
hupa jo -qui -hnu.
REPORT Now -TH -REPORT father come-23IMM.PAST.PFTV-DECL. ¡Nincaa-can-pu
listen -PL -M.VOC ‘Pay attention to what is said They say that father has come. You all listen’
The above commands are heard frequently among family members and friends of all ages. In 100 the initial evidential marker Quiha ‘reportative’ is an independent word and functions as an attention
getter. This is a very common usage, particularly when the speaker thinks the others present are not aware of what is going on and consequently are not paying attention. The second instance of -quiha
‘reportative’ is the regular usage of the evidential marker which is employed frequently.
4.3.3 Examples of singular and plural familiar commands
Another type of command is the familiar one. It is expressed by adding -xan-xanh ‘imperative’ to the verb root, generally immediately preceding both the plural and the vocative. There is hardly any
difference in meaning between the common command and the familiar one. The familiar command might be slightly less forceful than the direct one. Both are frequently used in similar situations with
similar addressees.
101 a. ¡Jiri-hi jo -xanh-pu b. ¡Jiri-hi vu
-xanh-can-pu eat -INF come-IMP -M.VOC
eat -INF come.PL-IMP -PL -M.VOC ‘Come to eat’
‘You all come to eat’ 102 ¡Maninha ravuu hiya hinan-xan, chipi
banana two
me give- IMP daughteryounger.sister ‘My daughter, give me two bananas’
103 ¡Canon mapoqui vo -xanh-tan -can-pu, roho
ha -xanhni
now down.river go.PL-IMP -ahead-PL-M.VOC howler.monkeys dokill-PURPSSITR
‘You all go ahead now down-river in order to kill the howler monkeys.’
4.3.4 Imperatives expressing encouragement
In order to encourage the addressee, the speaker can begin the command with the ti ‘encouragement’ and finish the command as usual with the male or female vocative. The plural is formed as above, using -can
‘plural’. This command is softer than the first two. As the former ones, it can be used with transitive or intransitive verbs. On occasion -xan-xanh ‘imperative’ is also employed in these constructions.
104 a. ¡Ti jo
b. ¡Ti vu
-can ENCOUR come
ENCOUR come.PL-PL ‘Why don’t you come.’
‘Why don’t you all come.’ 105 a. ¡Ti
ca-tan b. ¡Ti
vo-tan-can -pu ENCOUR go-ahead
ENCOUR go-PL -ahead-M.VOC ‘Why don’t you go ahead.’
‘Why don’t you all go ahead.’ 106 a. ¡Ti
canon co-ho -pu b. ¡Canon ti
vo -can-pu ENCOUR now go-REFL-M.VOC
now ENCOUR go.PL-PL -M.VOC
‘Why don’t you go now.’ ‘Why don’t you all go now.’
107 ¡Ti nonti -n
nanu-xan 108 ¡Ti
hiya yono-xon -xan ENCOUR canoe-LOC enter-IMP
ENCOUR me work-BENEF-IMP ‘Why don’t you enter the canoe.’
‘Why don’t you work for me.’ or ‘Come on enter the canoe’
or ‘Come on work for me
4.3.5 Imperatives using -comun ‘indeed’‘please’
