28 The way John writes wrote the letter…. J.
pm a|: wJh ykH onf
u
jon
ca re:
tai. pum
sany ka.
[[[[ [John [letter write ] ] Nom Rel ] manner ] Nom A ]
2.5.5 Infinitive
29 To write the letter….
pm a|: |ef
ca re: ran
[ [letter write ] Pur ] 30 Writing the letter…
pm udk a|:
| \cif:
ca kui re:
ra. hkrang:
[[[ [letter Ob ] write ] De ] Nom ]
2.5.6 Agentive Realis
31 Whoever writes wrote… the letter
rnf ol r qdk
a|: onfh pm udkonf
many su ma. hcui
re: sany. ca
kui sany [ [[[[ IIrRl person Ng
say ] write ] Nom Rel ] letter ] Ob Nom ]
Nominalization of the action with explicit mention is typically realized as a relative clause. The role of the agent is in normal clause order. The object follows the verb.
2.5.7 Future Agentive
32 Whoever is going to write the letter…
rnf ol r qdk a|: rnfh pm udkonf
many
su ma. hcui
re: many.
ca kui sany
[[[[ IIrRl person Ng say] write
] Nom Rel letter] ObNom]
Future agentive is no different from realis agentive in that both are best realized as relative clauses. The difference with the future is the use of the irrealis postposition
rnf.
many, marked by creaky tone which phonologically restricts close juncture. One function of open juncture here is to keep the relative clause constituency clear. That is one would not
mistake this clause for a final clause due to this tone change and other intonational characteristics. The grammatical object following the verb also marks the clause structure as
distinctly subordinate.
2.5.8 Professional Nominal
33 A letter-writer
pm a|: q|m
ca re: hcara
[[letter write ] teacher ] 34 A thing used for writing letters….
pm
a|:
onfh tcg okH onf
ca re: sany.
a-hka sum sany
[[[[[ letter write ] NomRel] time ] use ] Nom ]
35 A person used for writing letters….
2.5.9 Agentive Nominal Attributive
36 John, who is writing the letter… attribute of the subject
T pm udk a|: ae aom
John..
i: ca kui
re: ne
sau: John
Dm-p letter Ob write Prs Acc John
37 John, who is writing the letter… proposition – statement
T pm udk a|: ae onf.
John
i: ca kui
re: ne
sany. John
Dm-p letter Ob write Prs NomRel John
2.5.10 Future Attributive Nominal
38 John, who’ll write the letter
T pm udk a|: rnfh
John,
i: ca kui
re: many.
John
Dm-p letter Ob write NomIrRlRel John
2.5.11 Participial Nominal
39 The letter which John wrote… John
a|: chJ onf. pm
John re: hkai. sany.
ca
John write Pr NomRel letter
ol pm a|:
|ef okH onf
su ca re:
ran sum
sany
person letter write ] Pur ] use ] Nom ]
2.5.12 Future Participial Nominal
40 The letter which John will write. John
a|: rnfh pm
John re: many. ca
John write NomIrRlRel letter
This is a simple irrealis relative clause, a very common type of nominalization in Burmese.
2.5.13 Participial Nominal with Genitive
