Peak episode 18
19 20a–b
20c 20d–e
21a 21b
22 23
1
SG
1
SG
lion 1
SG
lion lion
lion roar
lion 1
SG
past x3 anterior, present
copula ni, past copula kala ni past
past copula kala ni past copula kala ni
negative copula kana x2 past copula kala ni
past past anterior, present
present x3, past
Denouement 24
25a 25b
26a 26b–c
lion lion
lion God
1
SG
1
SG
consecutive past conditional kala ‘if’+ past
past anterior kala ‘past’ + anterior past continuous kala ‘past’ + cont.
copula ni persisitive chere
conditional, future continuous
Denouement 27
28 29
30 31
32 33
1
SG
1
SG
1
SG
1
SG
1
SG
1
SG
1
SG
consecutive past
past consecutive x4
past dependent condition x2, past
past, negative perfective
Conclusion 34
37 39
1
SG
teachers 1
SG
past, consecutive consecutive x2
past speech thru 36
speech thru 38 present, dependent
5.3.1 Background material in text 7
All sections of this narrative contain some background material, and the orientation section, most of the peak, and the first part of the denouement only contain background material. A large variety of tense
and aspect marking is found in the background material. In the inciting and developmental episodes these include copula constructions, past tense, persistive aspect, negative inceptive aspect, general
negative and dependent aspect to describe information about ongoing situations in the past see 7.11 below. In the peak episode past tense, past anterior, and present tense are used for flashbacks and
repetitions, and in the denouement conditionals are used to express what could have happened.
7.11a Dzuwa ta-ri-dzangbwe-dung-a sawa sawa ta-ri-dzangbwe-tuluk-a
sawa sawa, 5.sun
NEG
-5-
INCEP
-pierce-
FV
completely
NEG
-5-
INCEP
-emerge-
FV
completely 7.11b ku-chere
chimiri-miri. 17-
PERS
half_light ‘The sun was not yet shining through, it had not yet come out fully, it was still only half
light.’ In the inciting episode, there are four past tense markers in a row. Sentence 7.3 presents general
information and 7.4–7.5 fill in the details the events are on the event line, but have been prefigured by
the summary in 7.3 and so are treated as an elaboration of 7.3; the remaining event line verbs in this paragraph use consecutive tense marking see below. In the second developmental episode, there are six
past tense markers and only one consecutive tense marker. This is because this episode describes events that happened repeatedly over a period of time 7.14–7.16, until the narrator emerged from the forest
7.17 with consecutive tense marking which happens only once.
5.3.2 Foreground material in text 7
In contrast to the variety of tenses and aspects found in background material, foreground material contains only past and consecutive tense markers. The first foreground clause in each paragraph uses the
past tense. The consecutive tense in line 27 follows a dependent clause containing a past tense. The norm is for this past tense to be followed by consecutive tense marking when events occur in sequence,
as in 7.10 see also 7.16–7.17, 7.31a, and 7.34.
7.10 Phahi ná-hal-a
vitabu vyangu,
n-chi-andz-a mwendo
pore pore. so
1
SG
.
PS
t-take-
FV
7.books 7.1
SG
.
POS
1
SG
-
CONS
-start-
FV
3.way slowly
‘So I took my books and slowly set out.’ The peak episode only uses the past tense to describe events on the event line. These describe a
number of events that happened in very quick succession, although the description is lengthened by the use of extensive background material and repetition.
7.19a Gafula ná-sikir-a
chitu chi-na-vum-a,
mvumo mkpwulu sana,
suddenly 1
SG
.
PST
-hear-
FV
7.thing 7-
PRES
-roar-
FV
3.roar 3.large
very 7.19b ná-lol-a
mkpwono wangu wa
kushoto 1
SG
.
PST
-look-fv 3.hand
3.1
SG
.
POS
3.
ASS
left 7.19c dza
hivi ná-on-a dzi-nyama
dzi-kulu sana. like
this 1
SG
.
PST
-see-
FV
5-animal 5-large
very ‘Suddenly I heard something roaring, a very great roar, I looked to the left at that moment
I saw a very large animal.’
5.4 Movement expressions