Lesson 21

Lesson 21

The Possessive adjective endings for plural nouns are explained in this lesson. This is the conversation in lesson 19 changed to the plural.

1st Person:	Kä̲mni̲ ɤä̲ bie̲e̲̲yni̲ku̲n. Give me your clothes.
2nd Person:	Kä̲ nyi̲nku̲a ni̲? But yours are where?
1st Person:	Kua̲cä̲ gua̲a̲thdiɛn. I do not know their place. i.e. where they are.
2nd Person:	Kä̲ ɤä̲n göörä̲ nyi̲nkä̲. Wër, thie̲c nɛy tɔtɔ, dɔ̲ɔ̲ bike. Ji̲ ka̲m nyi̲nkiɛn. But I want mine. Go, ask those people, maybe they will give you theirs.

So he goes and asks the people and he says:

1st Person:	Ɣä̲n göörä̲ bie̲e̲yni̲ku̲n. I want your clothes.
2nd Person:	Jï̲̩n go̲o̲ri̲ bie̲e̲yni̲kɔ? Kä̲ bi̲ jï̲̩n kɛ luɔ̲c jɔk i̲nɛy? You want our clothes? But you will return them back when?
1st Person:	Bi̲ ɤä̲n kɛ luɔ̲c jɔk cä̲ŋ kɛl. I will return them back one day. i.e. some day.
2nd Person:	Ɣɔ̲ɔ̲, ɛ jɛn, gɔaaɛ. Kä̲ni̲ kɛ. Oh, it is so, it is good. Take them.

PHONETICS

Read the dialogue with the informant. Listen carefully for the differentiations in sound between o, ö, and ɔ.
Continue on drilling.
Notice that j- is always word initial. It is made far front in the mouth as when one would say a dy-. It is not like the English j- in "judge".

SYNTAX

The nouns in this lesson are plural with the corresponding plural possessive adjective endings. [Nyi̲n] is the plural of [du̲ŋ].
[cä̲ŋ kɛl] is an expression meaning "some day". [ni̲ ciaŋ] means "every day."

Words of future time are introduced by the particle of future time [i̲]. e.g. [i̲ru̲u̲n] -- tomorrow; [i̲muɔɔlɛ] -- the day after tomorrow; [i̲thaar] -- next year; [Nɛy] is an interrogative time word meaning "when", but when referring to future time it is preceeded by [ïn].

[Ci̲ bɛ̲n nɛy?] When did you come?
[Bi̲ bɛ̲n ï̲nɛy?] When will you come?

POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVE ENDINGS
Plural Nouns

mine	--	nyi̲nkä̲	nyi̲nkɔn	--	ours (in)
mine	--	nyi̲nkä̲	nyi̲nkɔ	--	ours (ex)
yours	--	nyi̲nku̲	nyi̲ynku̲n	--	yours
his hers its	--	nyi̲nkɛ	nyi̲nkiɛn	--	theirs
my children	--	gaatkä̲	gaatkɔn	--	our children (in)
my children	--	gaatkä̲	gaatkɔ	--	our children (ex)
your children	--	gaatku̲	gaatku̲n	--	your children
his her children its	--	gaatkɛ	gaatkíɛn	--	their children

There is an idiomatic expression in Nuer [du̲ŋdu̲ ɛ ŋu̲?] which means "yours is what" i.e. "What is your situation?" "What is your state or condition of being?" etc. This question may be asked as a general question in a questionable situation. For example, when someone is sitting outside your house and you wonder why he is there it would be fitting to say: [Du̲ŋdu̲ ɛ ŋu̲? Du̲ŋdu̲ ɛ jue̲y?] -- What's your condition, situation. Is your situation an illness i.e. are you ill? [Du̲ŋ] may be followed by a noun, demonstrative pronoun, interrogative pronoun or verbal noun.