The preposition we The preposition te

Chapter 6 The prepositional phrase In this chapter I will describe the prepositional phrase, which consists of a preposition and a nominal phrase. The preposition always precedes the NP. There are seven simple prepositions in standard Muna, which can be divided into three local and four non-local prepositions, discussed in 6.1 and 6.2 respectively. This distinction is not merely semantic the non-local ampa can also have a locative usage but primarily morphological: the non-local prepositions can be suffixed by -mo, the local prepositions can not. Complex prepositions are discussed in 6.3.

6.1. Local prepositions

The three local prepositions are we, te and ne. All three can indicate both location and direction. Their distinguishing components are: 1. Relative height. Te is used for locations and directions that are higher than the point of orientation; we and ne are unmarked for height. 2. Specificness. Ne is used for specific locations and directions and with certain verbs denoting specific actions. We and te are unmarked for this meaning. All three local prepositions will be glossed as loc in the interlinear translations, the translation depending on the context. Dialectally the following forms of these prepositions occur: waewee, taetee and naenee. This is especially the case in the southern dialect area.

6.1.1. The preposition we

We is the most unmarked preposition. It can indicate position, direction or source, and can therefore be translated by in, on, at, to, from. The reduced preposition welo in will be treated in 6.3. 1 ne-late we lambu he stays at home 3sR-live loc house 2 a-k[um]ala we sangku I will go to the forest 1sI-go loc forest 138 A GRAMMAR OF THE MUNA LANGUAGE 3 amba-no we lalo he said to himself word-his loc inside 4 o-mai-ghoo we daoa? do you come from the market? 2sR-come-IO loc market 5 ne-ngkora-mo we wunta she sat in the middle 3sR-sit-PF loc middle 6 a-kunsi-da we kamara I locked them in the room 1sR-lock-them loc room

6.1.2. The preposition te

The meaning of te is more specific than we. The following usages can be distinguished: a. It is obligatorily used for a position or a direction that is higher than a previously established point of orientation, or it refers to the upper part of an object: 7 a. na-k[um]ala te molo he will go to the mountains 3sI-go loc mountains b. na-k[um]ala we molo 8 do-mai-ghoo te lani we come from the sky 1pR-come-IO loc sky 9 no-lodo te ghole-no kalei he slept in the top of the 3sR-sleep loc top-POS banana banana tree 10 te wawo-no on the top loc top-its Te is also obligatorily used with verbs that refer to a motion upwards, such as foni go up, ampe bring up: 11 a-[m]oni te Watuputi I will go to Watuputi 1sI-go.up loc Watuputi Relative height plays an important role in Muna, not only in the use of demonstratives such as watu and tatu and the prepositions we and te, but also in the choice of verbs of motion. When a certain location is clearly higher than the point of orientation, the verb kala go is not normally used; rather foni go up is the correct verb, as in 11. Alternatively, sampu go down is the usual expression when the goal of the movement is lower than the point of orientation, as in 12: 12 da-s[um]ampu we Laa Bhala-no we will go down to the Big 1pI-go.down loc river big-A.PART River b. It is used for places that are located to the east of Muna. Sometimes places in the north also take te: 6 THE PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE 139 13 te mata-gholeo in the east loc eye-sun 14 te Ambo in Ambon 15 te Kandari in Kendari c. It is used for places that are located in the front of an object, or in an important position: 16 te wise in front loc front 17 te fotu atto the head loc head 18 te fointo atto the door loc door 19 te Wolio to Buton loc Buton

6.1.3. The preposition ne