**** System in Black Language -- examples

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UP: <[LINK]>

-- Hypertext link <[LINK]> returns to description screen

1. --

2. JC: _no mosi_ <[LINK] -2.>

gloss: "must not"

3. --

4. JC: _im beli big_ <[LINK] -4.>

gloss: "She is pregnant"

5. JC: _fi dem go wa_ -- _Tel im kom ya_ <[LINK] -5.>

gloss: "for them to go away -- "tell here/him to come here"

6. JC: _a waak me waak mek mi kom liet_ <[LINK] -6.>

gloss: "It is because I walked that I am late"

7. JC: _de kekl a bwail, pukapuka_ <[LINK] -7.>

gloss: "the kettle was boiling merrily"

-- PgDn for next page ..................... 1 of 3 text screens

............................................ /\PgUp/\ to return

8. verbs of perception in English take "that" as <[LINK] -8.>

adjoiner -- seems that, believes that, thinks that, ...

JC: _shi nuo se shi gud_

gloss: "she knows that she's good"

9. JC: _mek a tel yu_ <[LINK] -9>

calque: let I tell you

gloss: "let me tell you"

10. JC: _im gaan_ <[LINK] -10.>

gloss: "S/he's gone"

11. JC: _di soun-dem_ -- _Amarjit-dem_ <[LINK] -11.>

gloss: "the sounds" -- "Amarjit and her team"

12. JC: _di bwai feisi_ -- _di breda a bad_ <[LINK] -12.>

gloss: "the boy is feisty" -- "the brothers are becoming bad/worse"

13. BEV: _He went -- when he went he saw this guy_ <[LINK] -13.>

Compare to a topic-comment construction.

-- PgDn for next page ..................... 2 of 3 text screens

............................................ /\PgUp/\ to return

14. US/BEV: _NULL say sssh!, [the stone] went sssh!_ <[LINK] -14.>

May have reduced subjects, the verb refers back to a previous verb.

15. BEV: _right quick do it" <[LINK] -15.>

gloss: "do it quickly, without delay"

BEV: _she steady working"

gloss: "She's continuously, persistently working"

16. JC: _im ron-we_ -- _mek dem hier-we_ <[LINK] -16.>

gloss: "s/he ran away" -- "so that they really (continuously) hear it"

Sutcliffe with Figueroa, _System in Black Language_, 132-33.