925 Ne emkameni la a’na riy patiata? ‘And what about the widow and orphans?’ rebuke
926 Enwiawna Mnietu edmaka kolliohora, mere etla me? ‘Enwiawna Mnietu is the one who should do the rebuking, but where is it?’ The rebuke of the
Mnietu people of East Luang.
8.4 Direct and indirect quotations
Direct and indirect quotes occur in Luang. Direct quotes are the most common and are especially used at the peak of a discourse for heightened vividness. However, unlike some of the surrounding languages,
Luang does use indirect quotes often, even when they are long quotes. Indirect quotes are often used with words such as call to come, order, and advise where someone is trying to get another to do
something. Indirect quotes are also used to communicate information which is negative such as disagreeing with someone. It is possible within a single quote to have both indirect and direct speech.
This occurs where the speaker begins by disagreeing or trying to change someone’s behavior and then says something positive or less forceful. In this case an indirect quote becomes a direct one once the
content of the quote is more positive.
927 Noka nakotla hawni pa rwenna keke’enku’a rrora, yana ramori-radaria yoma rwaklili-rwakdiori rputra-rpalk olek it wa.
‘Then she said to her husband that they should kill the two children, “Do not let them live, because they have already deceived us.”’ Wife is trying to influence husband’s
behaviornegative quote
928 a Rettiau Ru’ru nakotla, “Hadewa” ‘Rettiau Ru’ru said to him, “This is enough.”’
b Hadi edona. “Itnehna teka Tranna.” ‘This one disagreed. “Let us try and go north.”’ Second is disagreeing with the first’
This use of direct versus indirect speech fits well with the culture in which trying to change someone’s behavior or disagreeing with someone must be dealt with carefully.
8.4.1 Quotation structure
All quote margins in Luang precede the quotation rather than follow it. In an indirect quote the word pa ‘that’ indicates the indirect quotation. Sometimes however there is no pa, and one can tell only by the
pronominal prefixation whether it is direct or indirect speech. Sometimes the pronominal prefixation switches within the quote in order to switch to direct speech. As such it seems like there is a fine line
between the two or perhaps gradients of directness or indirectness.
Note the following examples within one conversation: 929 a Noma aukotla orang kay in-am leta pa rlem horat denla geni.
‘Then I said to the village leaders to leave the letter be and not open it.’ b Rwahla riwra “Ami edonna mrieiniana mi wakwakmi maka miwa mtiel Lelanla repra krei
knilaurnu, yoma la’ leta ralamni de knairia harahu…pa yan miwenna me ami empolla mi horatmi.”
‘So they answered the letter writer saying, “We cannot agree to your request which you want to arrive in Lelang after church tomorrow, because there is a lot of work to do in the
village…so do not be angry that we are returning your letter.”’ c Noma orangkai Lella nor amni-yeini ratian nohora alia MKR re yala’ani.
‘Then the Lella leaders asked me about the ways of the MKR.’ d Noma awuahaur nohora la akuku ma’ta a’u de adienla Kupna…mere rira liawanni sukni atia’la
yoma la’pa na’untu de, hota riy edonna ratlinla Orgahi-Orha’a la lyanti marna.’
‘Then I related to them about how when I was still young and lived in Kupang….but many people did not like them because if they win then people cannot worship the Lord of the
heavens.’ e La’pa awuahaur nohor emkade noma honnona rwak kalwied ma’a’u
‘When I finished relating about all those things then they all thanked me.’ 930 a Aukotla a ma’mu pa alia’ iskola SMA
‘I said to my mother that I wanted to go to high school.’ b Mere ma’mu nahmena yoma nwarora de kupna hada mona.
‘But my mother disagreed because she thought that we did not have any money.’ c Hade pede ama’mu niwra hornama agatu hgorta oleka a na’nu me agatu puaiki olekwa.
‘Therefore my mother said the important thing was that I already knew how to write my
name and read.’ d Mere auhmen eti yoma awuarora de “Amutwua’lu rla’ iskola SMA ne a’ die edonna?”
‘But I really disagreed because I thought that, “My classmates are going to high school and I will not be able to?” rhetorical question’
e Mere ma’mu yeher to’a pa niwra: “Omutwualmu re, de inni-amni kupanni-kaini erla, mere o’de o’a’mu hadamona, me kupna etla me? Ita’ana-temnu nek de ta’enniana ne yah’oma mlia’ iskola
SMA?” ‘But my mother all the more saidinsisted, “Your classmates’ parents have money, but you
yourself have no father, and where is the money? We cannot even get enough to eat and drink and you think you are going to go to high school?”’ rhetorical questions
f Mere auhmen to’owa. ‘But I really disagreed.’
g Ama’mu nano’ a’u niwra: “Mlia’ iskola SMA, mere la’pa kupna hadamonan de, de muai wia Lgona.”
‘My mother advised me saying, “You go to high school, but when the money is gone, then you come to Luang.”’
h Mere ahgoratreria atungu’ru lirni de niwra: “He’ maka ralamni etla iskola, de hota talla etla pa iskolli nhorwua.”
‘But I kept remembering my teacher’s words saying, “Whoever really desires to go to school, there will be a way for them to go to school until their schooling is done.”’
8.4.2 Quote margins
