55 ʑaŋ
33
a
31
naŋ
33
t ɕhi
33
la
31
? ʑaŋ
33
a
33
she
SUBJ
you e-sister
Q
she
SUBJ
‘Is she your elder sister? She is.’ Xu 2001:122
2.5.1.2 Agent and patient
The agent and patient particles may be left out where the semantic roles are obvious, leaving four instances where they are often used:
1. with verbs whose agent and patient are both animate, such as ‘help,’ ‘let,’ ‘allow,’ and ‘hit’
56 a
31
ba
33
no
31
ʑa
31
ki
33
na
33
ʑu
31
pi
31
ne
31
mother
AG
child
PAT
sleep allow existing action ‘The mother allowed the child to sleep.’Xu 2001:117
2. with ditransitive verbs, such as ‘give’ where the indirect object is usually the only marked
NP
57 ʑoŋ
33
naŋ
33
na
33
ts ɣk
55
thi
31
lum
31
they you
PAT
lend one
CLF
‘They’ll lend you one.’ Xu 2001:119. 3. in cases of deletion of the
NP
, 58
thi
31
ba
31
no
31
kha
33
aŋ
33
bja
31
. some
AG
plant many ‘Some households planted a lot.’ Xu 2001:118
4. in fronting or extraposition of the
NP
. 59
ʑa
31
ki
33
na
33
noŋ
33
xa
33
duŋ
31
children
PAT
you
PL
make awake ‘You woke the children up.’ Xu 2001:119
60 noŋ
33
kha
55
ga
33
sa
55
mjaŋ
55
ne
55
la
31
ʑaŋ
33
na
33
you certainly found
question he
PAT
‘Have you finally found him?’ Xu 2001:120 In instances 3 and 4, the semantic role particle is obligatory. Since the direct object should follow
the indirect object, reversal of this order also requires the patient particle to mark the indirect object no data given.
2.5.2 Lahu noun case usage
2.5.2.1 Object and subject
Nouns in the role of direct or indirect object can be marked as an object. When both an indirect and direct object are present, it is the indirect object that is marked as an object, to show that it is not the
subject of the sentence and to avoid ambiguity compare with example, below right Matisoff 1973:307. Note the following contrasting examples Matisoff 1973:307:
61 p
ɔ-khû thàʔ phu tân
p ɔ-khû
phu tân
priest
OBJ
money to make an offering priest
money to make an offering
‘to offer money to the priest’ ‘to offer money to the priest’
OR ‘the priest offers money’
Nouns used as instrumentals, locatives, or semantic specifiers have no special marking and may seem to be either subjects or objects when they are not. Semantic factors control the interpretation in
these cases Matisoff 1973:308–311.
2.5.2.2 Vocative
The vocative is shown by the prefix a- Matisoff 1973:65.
2.5.3 Lalo noun case usage
2.5.3.1 Topic
Lalo has four topicalizers. Three include the two most common má ~ á and bɛ̀ and the somewhat old-
fashioned nà to topicalize subjects, but that may also topicalize objects. The fourth topicalizer, lɛ, usually
topicalizes objects, but also marks subjects. Once a topic is established, the particle is not needed again except to mark a new topic Björverud 1998:132–133, 142–143.
Typical usages: 62
z ɛ̀mɛ̀
ú tj
ə́ má má
ná hà
daughter small this
CLF TOP
sick nonfinished aspect ‘As for this younger daughter she has become sick.’ Björverud 1998:143
63 ʔnə́ bɛ̀ átsá pɪ́ ha thɪ́
à you
TOP
what do nonfinished aspect
EMPH
‘But what are you doing?’ Björverud 1998:144 64
gùph ɪ̀q lɛ ŋá mà jɪ́
há money
TOP
I not want nonfinished aspect ‘As for the money, I don’t even want [it].’ Björverud 1998:133
Variant usages Björverud 1998:143, 133: 65
ʔmìqvẃ tjh
ə̀ má dɪ́ má tjàq mà ìq son-in-law one
CLF OBJ
TOP
feed not abide ‘[They] couldn’t abide feeding the son-in-law.’
66 ŋá lɛ
mà.á s ɪ́ nɛ́ pɪ́ á
pá.n̩ mú
I
TOP
.not be if so do
PERF
clause-final
P
witnessed by speaker ‘If it weren’t for me, [they] would have done it like that.’
2.5.4 Nuosu noun case usage
