963 Demade de hawni niwra: “Hniakarmi hade mmiati-mmiati” ‘Then his wife said: “That is what you get, you die you die”’
9.2.3 Increased frequency of adverbs and adjectives
Along with the increase in the frequency of TAM markers there is also an increased use of adverbs and adjectives to heighten vividness and tension at peak.
964 Riy honnona
ra-wlari moumou
people all
3p-run all
‘All the people ran away completely.’ 965 Teti Lai
mana na-wlari wali-wa
Teti-Lai also
3s-run also-PERF
‘Even Teti Lai also already ran.’ 966 Wullu
ida-wehrani-id mana edonna
r-della hair
one-more-one even
not 3p-dwell
‘There was not even a single one left in Luang.’
9.2.4 Direct speech at peak
At peak, quotations tend to be direct rather than indirect. This heightens vividness. Note the examples of direct speech at peak.
967 “Eh onu-ma’nu ri rhi’a kdedeh neka ger di wa.” “Eh these birds just keep making this water dirty.”
968 “Eh pletee in mati lekua pa muodi iskuta mai pia rhedua la iskuta.” “Eh quick ee the shark has already died, bring the canoe to come pull him on board.”
9.2.5 Exceptions to rules
Regular rules for markers such as for wa the perfective enclitic or a the direct object enclitic are not followed. Generally –a only occurs where there is not a direct object NP. However, at peak it occurs with
an object NP and seems to indicate emphasis. Generally –wa is used more to indicate perfective action. However at peak it occurs all over in quick succession seeming to heighten vividness. Note the following
examples which follow each other in succession in a text peak.
969 a. Am-ni n-saini-a
a’na-ni r-ora
father-POS 3s-pity-OBJ children-POS 3p-two
‘Their father felt sorry for his two sons.’ b. Mere
am-ni n-saini-a-r
But father-POS
3s-pity-Obj-3p
‘But their father pitied them’ 970 a. Dewade de Teti Lai
na-wali pa
n-mai-wa
Then that Teti Lai 3s-return to
3s-come-PERF
‘Then Teti Lai returned to come.’ b. yoma
ar di
de Miru Lewna r-rehi
ar-wa na-mou-na-wahra
because war this that Miru lewna 3p-win war-PERF 3s-clean-3s-white
‘Because this war Miru Lewna already conquered.’ c. Dewade Teti Lai
n-mai-wa n-mai-wa
noka then
Teti Lao 3s-come-PERF 3s-come-PERF then
‘Then Teti Lai came, he came already then’
d. Miru Lewan n-iwra
na-wenan-wa
Miru Lewan 3s-wanted 3s-kill-PERF
‘Miru Lewan wanted to kill him.’
9.2.6 Change of connector used
