A Linguistics Workbook, 4th Edition

Name

Section

4.13 Simple Sentences 5: Dyirbal

The following sentences are from Dyirbal, a language spoken in North Queensland,

Australia. Study the sentences carefully, and answer the questions that follow.

Do not try to account for morphological changes in the verb "hit." Also, do not

try to account for the phonetic differences between the case forrns of nouns and

pronouns.

The unfamiliar symbols in the Dyirbal sentences represent the following sounds:

is a laminopalatal/alveolar stop; p is an alveopalatal nasal; is a semiretroflex,

r-like sound; and g is a velar nasal.

la. balan Qugumbil balgan

b. balgan balan Qugumbil

"Someone is hitting the woman."

2a. gayguna balgan

b. balgan gayguna

"Someone is hitting me."

3a. bayi yaIa yanuli

b. yanuli bayi yaIa

"The man has to go out."

4a. balan Qugumbil baggul ya~aggu balgan

b. balgan balan Qugumbil baggul yataggu

c. baggul yaIaggu balgan balan Qugumbil

d. balan Qugumbil balgan baqgul yaIaggu

e. balgan baggul ya~aggu balan Qugurnbil

f. baggul yaIaggu balan Qugumbil balgan

"The man is hitting the woman."

5. bayi yata baggun Qugumbiru balgan
   "The woman is hitting the man."
   6a. gaQa balgalgapu
   b. balgalgapu gaQa
   "I am hitting someone."
   7a. balan Qugumbil badipu
   b. badipu balan Qugumbil
   "The woman falls down."