Preposing a clause subject before the clause conjunction. Preposing a clause object

4.5 Various ways constituents can be dislocated

4.5.1 Preposing a clause subject before the clause conjunction.

Normally, the clause conjunction occurs before the subject. However, at especially high points of thematic development, the subject can be preposed before the conjunction. In 62, after a long discussion about whether to serve the king or his father-in-law, the man finally decides to serve the latter. This occurs at the climax of the story. Incidentally, this climactic fact is also marked by the dependent clause 7a which serves to set off 7b–c more stridently. 62 Pre-NO Pre-NI S V OC Post-NI Post-NO 7a [ Uyo musosi iri akayisaliza] That man when he thought to himself 7b [7a] --- anabona kwo [7c] he say that 7c [--- agendi kolera shevyala] he going serve father-in-law ‘When that man got to thinking, he decided to serve the father-in-law.’ T7 In 63 the thematic problem of the story is introduced. That is, the daughter-in-law is climbing on her father-in-law’s bed which is taboo, in order to eat the grubs which is selfish. Such things should not be done To mark this especially high thematic point in the story, the subject Uyu muhya ‘This new wife’ is preposed before the sentence conjunction ikyanya ‘when’. 63 Pre-NO Pre-NI S V OC Post-NI Post-NO 4a [ Uyu muhya ikyanya âli kizi bona kwo This new wife when she was continuously see that 4b navyala ahinga] mother-in-law was farming 4c [4a-4b] --- anakizi manula ikibya kyamagusha she continuously took down the bowl of worms 4d --- anatondeeze ukugalya and she began to eat them ‘This new wife, at the times when her mother-in-law was farming, she took down the bowl of grubs, and began to eat them.’ T6

4.5.2 Preposing a clause object

The clause object, normally a post-verbal constituent, can be preposed to the front of the clause, to mark points of especially high thematic development. When preposed, the clause object is obligatorily referenced in the verbal object position within the verb. In 64 the young husband is in a predicament, because his new wife will not get off his back, and over a month has passed At that point, both lines 25 Yugwo mwazi ‘That news’ and 26 Yabo bashosi ‘Those men’ contain preposed objects. This marks the highly thematic point when the problem is desperate, just before a solution is to be found. 64 Pre-NO Pre-NI S V OC Post-NI Post-NO 25 Yugwo mwazi --- banaguhisa mu bandi bashosi That news they caused it to arrive among other men 26a [ Yabo bashosi iri bakaguyuvwa] Those men when they heard it 26b [26a] --- banadeta ti [26c] and they said quote 26c [Yehee Muzimu yugwo --- aleeta ] Oh my dear A demon that one he brought ‘That news, they brought it to other men. Those men, when they heard it, that said, “O my dear He has brought a demon” ’ T9 In 65 the hikolo ‘little monkey’ is brought to the village where it is hung from a tree. It is at this point that the young man’s maturity the point of the story is about to be demonstrated. 65 Pre-NO Pre-NI S V OC Post-NI Post-NO 14a [ Yihyo hikolo iri tukahihisa ha kaaya] That small monkey when we cause it to arrive at village 14b [14a] --- twanahimanika ku kiti and we hung it from tree ‘That small monkey, we brought it to the village, and hung it from a tree.’ T13

4.5.3 Preposing a locative phrase