Section Text
Linguistic features
Denouement Yugwo mujoka
gwanamira iyo ngware
, gutanakitona kwo
iyo ngware yo yatuma
gutasingooka na yugwo
muliro.
That snake swallowed that quail, and it did not know that that quail is what saved it from being
burned by that fire.
• Predictable elements: Yugwo mujoka gwanamira iyo ngware
‘That snake swallowed that quail’ • Use of demonstrative marker as
development marker: Yugwo mujoka ‘That snake’, iyo ngware
‘that quail’, and yugwo muliro ‘that fire’
Conclusion IHANO: Utagwate ubwira nendyalya, mukuba
yangakuyita utanamenya.
Advice: Do not be friends with a devious person, because it might eat you, and you aren’t even
aware.
• Proverb summarizing moral: Utagwate ubwira nendyalya ‘Don’t
make friends with a devious person.’
1.2 General conclusions
1.2.1 Story introduction
The introduction can be marked by five linguistic features: •
The major participant MP is often marked by a formulaic presentation. This usually involves locative inversion section 3.1, where the verb agrees with one of the locative noun classes rather
than the noun class of the participant. It can also involve the use of a numeral modifying the main participant.
• In addition, a relative clause section 4.3 that highlights the story theme is also present.
• The background tense employed is usually the P3 remote past, which is marked by âli ‘waswere’.
• The general timeplace of the text is often presented.
• A foreshadowing of the story theme is often presented.
In example 1 the cl. 16 subject marker ha- is prefixed on the verb to form hâli riiri ‘there was’ which includes the background P3 tense prefix âli ‘was’. The main participant mutabana ‘young man’ is
marked by the numeral muguma ‘one’. Following is a relative clause úkalooza ukuyanga umukazi ‘who wanted to marry a woman’. This clause introduces the theme of the story; that is, there was a young man
who wanted to marry a woman who looked just like his mother. However, that is what got him into trouble.
1 Hâli riiri
umutabana muguma úkalooza
ukuyanga umukazi.
There was young man one who wanted to marry
a woman.
‘There was a young man who wanted to marry a woman.’ T9 1a–b In example 2 ha- is again prefixed to the verb hâli riiri. The main character mushosi ‘man’ is again
modified by formulaic muguma ‘one’. The clause that follows immediately, iziina lyage ye bwoba ‘his name is fear’, introduces the theme of the story.
2 Hâli riiri
mushosi muguma, iziina lyage ye bwoba.
Uyo mushosi,
iri bwâli kizi
There was man one
name his is fear.
That man, when it was habitually
yira, atagaki boneka hambuga.
being dark, he will not be seen outside.
‘There was one man, whose name was fear. That man, once it was getting dark, would no longer be seen outside.’
1.2.2 Inciting moment
The inciting moment gets the event line of the story moving. It very commonly begins with a point of departure section 2.3, e.g. lusiku luguma ‘one day’, or iri hakaba lusiku luguma ‘when it was one day’,
etc. The following verbs are typically in the narrative tense marked by ana- ‘and’. In 3 the introduction is marked in the usual way. The inciting moment begins with the point of
departure Iri hakaba lusiku luguma ‘When it was one day’. The following verb anayiji ‘and she is coming’ is marked by the narrative tense ana-. The fact that she saw a man with leprosy coming to court her
marks the beginning of the story conflict.
3 Hâli riiri
munyere muguma. Uyo munyere, abatabana ba ngiisi mulala banakizi
There was girl One.
That girl young men of each tribe
and they habitually
yiji mútiza, anabalahire.
Iri hakaba lusiku luguma,
anayiji bona
came to court her and she refused them. When it was day one
she coming saw
umushosi wo’mubembe, ayiji mútiza.
man of leprosy
he is coming to court her.
‘There once was a girl. That girl was being courted by young men of every tribe. But she refused them. One day, she saw a man with leprosy coming to court her.’
1.2.3 Developmental episodes
