Table 5.2. Remote spatial demonstratives RDEM with case markings Case
RDEM same level
RDEM lower
RDEM higher
In open country ABS
pho-ko mo-ko
jo-ko within view
IN phaa-na
maa-na jaa-na
within view LOC
phaa-tu maa-tu
jaa-tu within view
GEN,ERG,INS phaa-ki
maa-ki jaa-ki
within view DAT
phal-la mal-la
jal-la within view
ABL phaa-ni
maa-ni jaa-ni
within view The following examples illustrate these remote demonstratives.
5.15 ni møpaa di-ki jaa-na jo-ko bet ŋ-e khim
plougher DEF-ERG up.there-IN that.one-head COP 1SG-GEN house sin-na d
ʑʏ tøm-pa bet. TE67 say-NFNT1 information show-NMLZ;Q AUX
‘The plougher informed him saying, “My house is that, far away one, higher up over there.”’
The house is far away but within view and it is located higher than the place of the speech act. 5.16 mimi maa-ni jal-la
respected.lama down.there-ABL up.there-DAT t
ɕhøn-na juŋ-a ak ɕii-moŋ. TE42 come[HON]-NFNT1 come-NMLZ;Q INCLN know-NEG.PST.EXP
‘I did not even realize the coming of the lama from lower area to higher up here.’ Speaker reports about events of his own life and in this incident the lama had been visiting a lower
area and came to the higher area where the speaker was at the time. Speaker was asleep when the lama came.
5.17 mimi maa-ni mal-la juukaŋ mek-la
resp.lama down.there-ABL down.there-DAT village lower-DAT kurum-la t
ɕhøn-soŋ TE42 kurim.rite-DAT go[HON]-PST.VIS
‘Lama went to the lower village for the kurim ritual.’ The movement of the lama remains at the same level all the time but both his source location and
his goal are lower than the location of the speaker.
5.1.5 Distal remote spatial demonstratives
Lhomi has one more type of demonstratives that signal far away distance from the deictic center. The referent is even more remote than in the case of RDEM. Since I do not have a better term I call them
distal remote demonstratives, DRDEM. These demonstatives indicate both distance and relative altitude in relation to deictic center. In open country the referent may or may not be within view. There is no
absolutive case for this demonstrative. It never occurs as a free pronoun. The reason might be that normally the referent is not within view to be pointed to. Genitive marked distal remote demonstrative is
used as a complement of a NP. Other case markers with these demonstratives produce a locative phrase. Table 5.3 lists them.
Table 5.3. Distal remote spatial demonstratives DRDEM with case markings Case
DRDEM same level
DRDEM lower
DRDEM higher
In open country IN
piki-na miki-na
iki-na barely within view
LOC piki-tu
miki-tu iki-tu
barely within view GEN,ERG,INS
piki-ki miki-ki
iki-ki barely within view
DAT piki-la
miki-la iki-la
barely within view ABL
miki-ni iki-ni
barely within view ALL
miki-nala iki-nala
barely within view The following examples illustrate these distal remote demonstratives.
5.18 kiraa di dit-na phin phin-ni iki-tu game DEF chase-NFNT1 go.come[PST] go.come[PST]-NFNT2 high.up.far-LOC
khaŋ-ki sikka tɕik-tu simtɕen di sep-pa bet. TE25 mountain-GEN cleft INDF-LOC animal DEF kill-NMLZ;Q AUX
‘The hunter went chasing and chasing the game and finally high up far away killed it in a cleft of a mountain.’
The DRDEM iki-tu is indefinite far away place and higher than the village where the speech act takes place.
5.19 mikma ɕuŋmara piki-nala liŋkaŋ-nala kantɕi di
‘mikma shungmara far.same.level-ALL ingkang-ALL second.wife DEF ʈhik-na ʈap-na khur-a bet. TE17
take.along-NFNT1 go.away-NFNT1 carry-NMLZ;Q AUX ‘Mikma Shungmara took along his second wife and went to far away same level area,
around Lingkang village.’
This is from a historical narrative and Lingkang is not that far away a place in reference to the deictic center, which is Chepuwa, where the story was told. It is only slightly higher than Chepuwa,
hence the same-level remote demonstrative piki-. 5.20 jamp-
ʏ dʑaap-ʏ tɕha mat-ɕak-pa-la miki-tu Kathmandu-GEN king-ERG trust NEG-put-NMLZ;Q-DAT down.far.away-LOC
taala hok ɕuk-tu ɕak-ni riŋtak ɖaa-na taŋ-a
bet lo. TE18 AUX DISCL
‘Since the king of Kathmandu did not trust the lama, down there he lodged him at the bottom floor of a house and put him to the test by tying a thin thread around his arm.’
This was a test for a famous lama who was invited by the king of Kathmandu. The lama had gone from his home in Lhomi country down to Kathmandu which is certainly a lower place than Chepuwa, the
place where the story was told.
Table 5.4. Summary of spatial demonstratives with inessive case markings Relative altitude
Proximal Distal
Remote Distal remote
jaa-na iki-na
Deictic center hi-na
u-na phaa-na
piki-na maa-na
miki-na Distance from the deictic center
Demonstratives and movement to and from the deictic center 5.1.5.1
This section discusses demonstratives and movement to and from the deictic center. 5.21 u-ni ni hunto phaa-ni tshul-la
juŋ-e jaŋla ... TE42
that- ABL DM now there-ABL here-DAT come-NMLZ;Q-GEN
‘Then at the time when I came from there to here...’ Speaker reports in Kathmandu about his trip from his home village to Kathmandu. The movement is
towards the deictic center where he tells his life story. The altitude difference is not always taken into account.
5.22 tshul-la mat ɕu tɕel-la ka tɕet-na jaŋ phal-la sur-la
here-DAT flock at-DAT order cut-NFNT1 CONTR2 away.there-DAT astray-DAT ʈap-na khur-ni ni ka tɕøt mit-tshuu-ken. TE30
go.away-NFNT1 carry-NFNT2 DM order cut NEG-be.able-NMLZ;CONJ ‘If the shepherd closes the way for them towards the flock then they run actually far
away from the flock and therefore one cannot stop them.’
Speaker is describing the work of a sheep shepherd. In driving the sheep to high country some stubborn individuals try to come back towards the flock and if prevented from doing so they run away
from the shepherd and flock. It is the shepherd who is the deictic center here. 5.23 pilel-la phal-la tshul-la
ɖo-ja-la mi=raŋ plane-DAT away.there-DAT here-DAT go-NMLZ;Q-DAT man=FOC
rii-la 7000 ɖas-si ʈikeʈ-ki khartsa ɖo-kuk. TE75
each 7000 be.alike-INTNS ticket-GEN expenses go-PROG;VIS ‘A return airplane ticket costs about 7,000 rupees for each person.’ Lit. ‘Going away
and back in an airplane...’
5.1.6 Indefinite spatial demonstratives
