4. SYNTAX
- Aap yah kama kroMgao, kroMgao naa?
a:p yah ka:m karẽgẽ, karẽge na:?
you this work do-fut, do-fut neg-q
You will do this work, won’t you?
95a. haÐ ̧ k$Ðgaa.
hã:, karũ:ga:.
yes do-1s-fut
Yes, I’ll do it.
- Aap yah kama nahIM kroMgao, kroMgao?
a:p yah ka:m nahĩ: karẽge, karẽge?
You won’t do this work, will you?
96a. nahIM (maOM nahIM k$Ðgaa).
nahĩ: (m ́~ nahĩ: karũ:ga).
No (I will not do it).
4.3.5. Imperatives
Imperative sentences are marked for number, gender, person, and
degree of politeness. There are three types of imperative
constructions: (a) unmarked or true imperatives, (b) prohibitive
imperatives and (c) obligative imperatives.
4.3.5.1. Unmarked or True Imperatives
The unmarked imperative takes the second person subjects tU tu:
‘you’ (non honorific intimate singular), tuma tum ‘you’ (non-
honorific/plural), and Aap a:p ‘you’ (honorific plural/singular).
Notice that the honorific plural and the honorific singular forms are
the same. The singular imperative consists of the verbal stem.
Whereas the singular non-honorific form remains unchanged, the
suffix -Aao -o is added to derive the plural non-honorific forms and
the suffix – [e -iye is added to derive the singular/plural honorific
forms. If the verb stems end in the vowels [- /i:/ or e /e/, the suffix – [-
ijae -i:jiye is added to the honorific singular and plural forms. The
stem final vowels [- /i:/ and e /e/ are dropped before the imperative
suffixes or the plural non-honorific -Aao -o and singular/plural
honorific suffix – [-ijae -i:jiye are added.