• long utterance made by one person and the response is also long, upon which there is a paragraph split between the two reported speeches
2.1 Text charted by paragraphs
The following Fuliiru story is presented to exemplify where paragraph breaks are naturally placed, based on the criteria just mentioned.
Table 4. Paragraphs in Imbongo na mukaayo ‘The gazelle and his wife’ T2
Text Explanation
a Hâli riiri imbongo, na mukaayo, nomwana wazo
. Iyo
mbongo , yâli tuuziri mu kabanda kaguma kiija, kâli riiri
nekishungu-shungu kyebiti byemimbati. Yibyo biti
byâli hiiti akalaala kiija bweneene.
Iyo mbongo , yanatuula yaho
siku nyingi bweneene.
There was a gazelle, and its wife, and its children. That gazelle lived in one nice plain, which had plants like cassava.
Those trees had very nice leaves. The gazelle lived there many days.
All of paragraph 1 is background. Note the formulaic introduction of the major participant.
Also notice the âli tense used throughout. Thus this entire section is one paragraph.
b Iri hakaba lusiku luguma
, yanabwira mukaayo, kuguma no
yo mwana , “Buli bwija tubunge, tulyoke hano.
Haliko ngagendi laguza, gira umulaguzi ambwire ngiisi kwo ngaagira.”
When it was one day, it told its wife, together with its son, “It’s good for us to move. Let’s leave here. But I will go
consult fortune teller, so that he tells me just what I should do.”
The border between background and inciting moment is marked by the formulaic Iri hakaba
lusiku luguma ‘When it was one day’. Note the P2 ka- prefix on the verb, which helps to define
a new paragraph. The fact that the story is now event line is
marked by the narrative tense prefix ana- on the verb yanabwira ‘and it said’.
c Iyo mbongo
yanagenda imwo ’yo mulaguzi
. Naye anagibwira, “Ukwiriiri ulyoke yaho, mukuba keera ingwi
yahahigira. Ugende, unayami bunga.”
That gazelle went to the fortune teller. And he told it, “You should leave here, because the leopard has already set his
mind on this place. Go, and immediately move.”
The main character mbongo ‘gazelle’ changes location to that of the fortune teller.
d Lyeryo-lyeryo uyo mulaguzi
anabona ingwi yayija, anagibwira,
“Uyibishe duba .
” Imbongo yanayibisha
inyuma lyolwivi.
Right then, that fortune teller saw the leopard coming, and he told him, “Go hide yourself quickly.” The gazelle hid
himself behind the door.
Note the PoD Lyeryo-lyeryo ‘Right then’. Also, there is a movement of a major participant, as
the ingwi ‘leopard’ arrives on the scene.
e Ingwi yanayingira, yanadeta, “Musingo, e mufumu
Nayija, gira undagule. Hali akabanda kaguma
muli imbongo zibiri nomwana wazo. Undagule kuti kwo
ngazigwata .
”
The leopard entered, and said, “Greetings, doctor I have come, so you can tell my fortune. There is a plain where
there are two gazelles and their child. Tell me how to seize them.”
A main participant changes location Ingwi yanayingira ‘leopard entered’. This is the first
part of relatively long dialog yanadeta ‘and it said’.
Text Explanation
f Uyo mulaguzi, ti, “Uhengeere keera hamala isiku zishatu, unagende ho, ugazigwata.
Na mango wazigwata ,
unandeetere amatwiri gaazo.”
The fortune teller, quote, “Wait until it will finish off three days, you go there and seize them. And when you seize them,
bring me their ears.”
This is the second part of relatively long dialog: Uyo mulaguzi, ti: ‘That fortune teller, quote’.
g Iyo ngwi
yanagaluka. Imbongo yanabishuuka, yanadeta,
“E maashi mwira wani, wambaniisa ”
Umulaguzi anagishuvya, “Ugende mu lubako lwa hala
bweneene .
” Iri ikagenda
, yanagendi bunga.
That leopard returned. The gazelle came into the open and it said, “O please my friend” The fortune teller answered, “Go
in the bush that is far away.” When it went, it moved away.
• The places change: Iyo ngwi yanagaluka ‘That leopard returned’. Also change of
place for gazelle: Imbongo yanagendi bunga ‘Gazelle went and moved away’.
• This paragraph also includes a short tight- knit conversation: Yanadeta ‘and it said’.
Umulaguzi anagishuvya ‘The fortune teller answered it’.
h Iri ikaba keera yamala siku sitali niini
, iyo mbongo
yanagaluka, iritanduula iri mu handu haayo ho yâli
tuuziri . Kiziga ingwi,
ukulyokera ho mulaguzi akagilagulira
, ikayama yagenda ho, yanashonera ku kiti, yanabeera haaho.
When not a few days had passed, that gazelle returned, to go check out the place where it used to live. Surprise, the
leopard from the time the fortune teller counseled him, it went right there, and climbed a tree, and remained there.
A significant passage of time: Iri ikaba keera yamala siku sitali niini ‘When it finished off not
a few days’. Note the
P
2 prefix ka- on the verb ikaba, marking a new paragraph.
Main characters are changing location: iyo mbongo yanagaluka ‘the gazelle returned’.
i Imbongo
iri ikayija ,
iri luto-luto igweti igashodoka iri inalaangiiza
, itanabona kindu. Kiziga ingwi iteziri
The gazelle, when it came, it was going silently tip-toeing, looking around, and did not see anything. Surprise the
leopard was waiting for it.
A change of location and participant: Imbongo, iri ikayija ‘the gazelle, when it came’.
j Imbongo yanahika, yanatangira ukulya akalala, yanavujagira, yanavujagira,
iri inayegeera mu kivuuzi .
Imbongo itayiji kiri na kiri. Ingwi yagiyivudika kwo, yanagiyita, yanatola amatwiri gombi, yanagatwala
imwo ’yo mulaguzi
.
The gazelle arrived, and began to eat leaves. And it feasted and feasted, while coming near to bush. The gazelle was not
aware of anything. The leopard jumped on it, and killed it, and took its two ears, and carried them to the fortune teller.
Place change repeated: Imbongo yanahika ‘Gazelle arrived’. This change was previously
alluded to and repeated here. The repetition occurs to slow down the story, as we have
reached the peak.
k Ihano: Iri wangakengulwa, unahunge ubugoma
, utanaki shubi gendi butanduula.
The moral: If you are warned, and you avoid the enemy, don’t again go checking it out.
The conclusion is clearly set apart, by the word Ihano ‘Advice’.
2.2 Rules derived from the text T2