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43 Ngaagawath‐a=yi‐gandi dathin‐ma
mutha yagurli?
do what‐IND=2sgS.3sgO‐TR.FUT that‐STATABS plentyABS fishABS ‘What are you going to do with that lot of fish?’
44 Jinamulu wangal‐ga=yi‐garri
garrngi?
how many boomerang‐ABS=2sgS.3sgO‐TR.PRES haveIND ‘How many boomerangs have you got?’
It is also possible in Ganggalida to ask a question by using a rising melody. When you do that, it’s not necessary to use a question word.
3.9 Negation
Negation is how we express what has not happened, or what isn’t happening or won’t happen. Ganggalida has two main ways to express Negation: one for the Past Tense, and one
for the other Tenses.
In the Past Tense, the word warlirra appears at the start of the sentence and there is
a special form of Part C of the Clitic called the Irrealis Past, which is used instead of the normal Past form. These sentences can be Transitive like 45, Semi‐transitive like 46 or
Intransitive like 47. 45 Warlirra=yi‐gandi
nying‐ga dalijarrma dathin‐a ngi‐da.
NEG=2sgS.3sgO‐TR.IRR.PST 2sg‐DIR bringIND that‐ABS wood‐ABS
‘You didnt bring in that wood.’
46 Warlirra=ba‐ni‐nggi ngumban‐ji gurri.
NEG=2sgG‐3sgS‐NTR.IRR.PST 2sg‐LOC look atIND
‘He wasn’t looking at you.’
47 Warlirra=ni‐nggi warraj‐a.
NEG=3sgS‐NTR.IRR.PST go‐IND ‘He didn’t come.’
In other Tenses, Negation is expressed by Negative forms of verbs, with or without the negative word warlirra at the start of the sentence. These Negative sentences are
Semi‐transitive, so Subjects have Absolutive endings like in 48 or Direct forms if they are pronouns like in 50, and Goals have Dative endings like in 49 and 50.
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48 Warlirra=ga‐di biyaj‐arri.
NEG=1sg‐PRES go‐NEG.IND
‘I can’t swim’
49 Dathin‐a jardi=l‐adi mirralath‐arri miyarl‐inja.
that‐ABS mob=3plS‐NTR.PRES3sgG make‐NEG.IND spear‐DAT ‘That lot aren’t making a spear.’
50 Ngarr‐ma=ngarra gurli‐nada
gurluthu‐ntha.
1exc.du‐STATDIR=1exc.duS wash‐NEG.DES clothes‐DAT ‘We two won’t wash the clothes.’
Negative commands have a Negative ending which appears on the verb that expresses the main action, and often also a Negative Hortative verb wirdigi or a Negative Imperative verb
wirdiga, which the Clitic can attach to, like in 51 and 52. Negative Hortative sentences can be Transitive like 51, but Negative Imperatives will be Semi‐transitive like 52.
51 Bala‐na
wirdi‐gi=yarr‐a dathinkiyarrngka kunawuna.
hit‐NEG.IMP stay‐HORT=3duO‐PRES that‐DAT child‐DAT
‘Don’t hit those two children.’
52 Bala‐na wirdi‐ga=rna
dathin‐inja gunawuna‐ntha.
hit‐NEG.IMP stay‐IMP=3sgGPRES that‐DAT child‐DAT
‘Don’t you two hit that child.’
3.10 Joining two simple sentences
