Imperative clauses 167
Finally, ayu' and mara are not restricted to use in hortative clauses in
which the speaker will act with the addressee. They are also used to exhort the
addressee(s) to action without the speaker’s involvement (102-103), and at
times emphasizing that the speaker’s action that will impact the addressee(s), as
in (104).
(102) Mara, Bing, aba'eng la cokop ya dibasa!
HORT daughter you already enough yes mature
‘Come on, daughter, you are already old enough!’
(103) Pola me' ta-papak bi' oreng ayu' menta!
maybe perhaps IN-stuck with person HORT AV.ask
‘If you meet the person (who owns it), go ahead and ask!’
(104) Mara engko' a-dungeng-a pole ya!
HORT I AV-story-IRR again yes
‘Come on, I am going to tell a story again!’
In (102), in an attempt to convince his daughter that she should marry, a father
urges her to realize that she has reached a sufficient level of maturity to do so.
In (103), the speaker exhorts the addressee to act should the right circumstances
arise. And in (104), the speaker calls the addressees to attention as he is about to
perform for them.
7. Imperative clauses
Imperatives are formed by using the root form of the verb. Because of the
speech situation in which the speaker commands the addressee to perform some
action, a second person subject is assumed. The subject is generally a null pro-
noun, although an overt second person pronoun is also possible. The sentences
in (105-108) illustrate.
(105) Baca buku-na ba'eng!
read book-DEF you
‘Read your book!’
(106) Totop labang rowa!
close door that
‘Close that door!’