9.2.1.5 Lalo preverbal slots
In the sequence of the predicate phrase, only adverbs may precede the main verb. This includes the negative adverbs Björverud 1998:78, 109–115. No prehead auxiliaries had been found in Lalo as of
1998 when Bjørverud wrote 1998:87. Multiple adverbs may precede the main verb Björverud 1998:113:
167 xakh əqkhəq nú thyq
ki tightly
there bundle up inside ‘bundle up very tightly inside there’
Where it is present, the demonstrative adverb ‘like that’ is almost always next to the main verb Björverud 1998:113:
168 lìqphìq xaphùthàq n ɛ́
ph ỳq tàq xá
tjí arm
swollen like that swell
PERM
away predicate
P
no further gloss ‘The arm has swollen up a lot.’
9.2.1.6 Nuosu preverbal slots
The particle
2
ko precedes the main verb to mark its being in the predicative position as in the example below. When it follows a verb, it introduces “adverbs, second predicates or…other words following the
verb” Fu 1997:121. In the following example, the combination
2
ko + ‘to teach’ indicates the predicate nature of the verb teach. Fu does not consider this example a ‘to write’ +
2
ko combination: 169
2
ts‘ ɨ
2
no
2
su
2
bu
2
ma
2
bu
2
ko
1
m̥a he
Nuosu characters write ko
teach ‘He teaches the writing of LoloNuosu characters.’ Fu 1997:122, §1956
9.3 Mainhead verbs
Several main verbs may follow one another without there being a concatenation compare with section
8.3. This can occur in lexical compounds, in resultative compounds, and when actions are listed or
narrated in series.
9.3.1 Bisu mainhead verbs
Consecutive actions may be expressed by juxtaposed main verbs especially where the second has no object Xu 2001:82, 144.
170 gu
33
maŋ
55
pum
31
tc̗it
33
le
33
s ɣ
31
we maize break off go
P
no gloss—
FUT
? ‘We will go and harvest the maize.’ Xu 2001:82
In juxtaposed
VP
s, which may be considered separate clauses, the object of the second verb may intervene.
171 ʑoŋ
33
nau
33
s ɣ
55
aŋ
33
m ɣŋ
55
le
33
aŋ
33
lai
31
z ɣŋ
33
v ɣ
55
they tomorrow
into town go book
PL
buy ‘They are going into town tomorrow to buy books.’ Xu 2001:144
The verbs ‘makedo’, ‘lend’, ‘obtain’ can form a compound verb to express the result of an action Xu 2001:141.
172 kha
31
lau
33
xa
33
ʑik
31
t ɕi
55
a
31
clothes make
tear
DECL
‘The clothes have been torn.’ Xu 2001:141 This usage of ‘make’ is considered a preverbal slot in verbal concatenations by scholars of Akha and
Lahu section 9.2
. 173 kha
55
ʑum
55
ʑum
55
ʑum
55
aŋ
33
s ɿ
31
ga
33
d ɯŋ
55
every family house new
obtain live ‘Every family is living a new house.’ Xu 2001:141
Certain fixed expressions involve multiple main verbs Xu 2001:83–84: • verb-‘learn-learn’ = ‘to learn to do’ verb
• verb-‘look’-particle= ‘try to do’ verb • verb-‘go down’-verb = ‘do’ verb ‘for a short time’
9.3.2 Lahu mainhead verbs
9.3.2.1 Verbs referring to actions in chronological order, or that occur simultaneously
Matisoff 1973:203–210 states that several main verbs may follow one another when referring to actions that succeed one another in time, or the actions can be simultaneous and the verbs simply listed
one after another.
174 mû-cha lƐ̀
yì ʔ
lƐ… warm oneself suspensive
P
sleep suspensive
P
‘warming themselves in the sun and sleeping…’ In “fortuitous concatenations” representing consecutive or serial actions, the “suspensive” particle
lɛ, which indicates that the preceding clause is not the final clause in a series, may be inserted between the verbs without significantly changing the meaning of the series Matisoff 1973:204.
Multiple main verbs of the sort described in this section 9.3.2.1 may be underlyingly compound sentences from which some or all of the nonfinal particles have been deleted.
9.3.2.2 Lexical compound verbs
Some lexical compound verbs are found only in pairs, fixed in their ordering with each other, fixed in their meaning, considered single lexical items, and never split by the negative adverb‘
mâ’ Matisoff 1973:209.
There is a separate instance of double main verbs that are nonproductive resultative complements such that the second indicates the success or not of the first main verb, such as ‘kindle+catch fire’, or
‘chase+catch’ Matisoff 1973:207.
9.3.2.3 Resultative compound verbs
Resultative compounds are distinguishable from lexical compound verbs by being able to be split by the adverb of negation Matisoff 1973:208.
9.3.2.4 Elaborated verb structures
Elaborated verb structures are discussed under ‘adverbs’, section 8.3
.
9.3.3 Lalo mainhead verbs
