International Women's Day 2017

Last year, Hedvig wrote a post about the extremely prolific Joan Bresnan, co-founder of the formal grammatical framework Lexical Functional Grammar. Since the 8th of March is over in Hedvig's time zone, I thought I would make a small post with a few grammar goodies about mothers. Just because I happen to be one and being a mother is one of the important roles women take on.

from Bàsáá
híɣìí  m-ùràá      ɲ´ɛn               à-ŋ-gwés              wèè       mán.
every 1-woman 1EMPH.PRO 1.AGR-PRS-love 1.POSS 1-child
'Every woman loves her child.'

Hamlaoui, Fatima, and Emmanuel-Moselly Makasso. (2015). Focus marking and the unavailability of inversion structures in the Bantu language Bàsàá (A43). Lingua 1:35-64. p. 50.

from Tadaksahak
barr-én     i=yyasáf     s(a)        i=tǝ-keen(í)
child-PL  3p=prefer   COMP   3p=FUT-sleep
i=n           nan-én         ǝn       áaṣi-tan           ka. 
3p=GEN  mother-PL  GEN   belly.side-PL   LOC
'children prefer to sleep against the belly of their mothers.'

Christiansen-Bolli, Regula. (2010). A Grammar of Tadaksahak, a Northern Songhay Language of Malip. PhD dissertation, Leiden University. 210

from Siwu
Mmā ɔso ne, la losarɛ.
Because of my mother I am looking well.

Atsu, John. (2006) Siwu language learning course. Hohoe, Ghana: Volta Region Multi-Project. p. 53

from Tuwuli
a-ma                        lɛ-l-aa-do                                                     nɔ   fɔtɔ        o-sĩ
2SG.POSS-mother  NP.SUBJ.FOC-NEG.FUT-FUT-put.inside you message 2SG-refuse
'if your mother gave you an instruction, you wouldn't refuse (to do it)'

Harley, Matthew W. (2005). A descriptive grammar of Tuwuli, a Kwa language of Ghana. PhD dissertation, SOAS, University of London, p. 452.

from Mesqan
ɑj      dɑkko   tə-nə-tʃɛɲɲ               dɑkko-ɛɲɲɑ  ɑn-tə-tʃ’tʃ’ɑwɛt-Ø
CON mother  SUB-1P-come.JUS  mother-my      NEG-2-play.IPV-SM
ɑf-ɑhɛ                   jə-mɛst                    jɛ-bɑr-ɛt-e                 səlɛ-hɛnɛ 
mouth-your.2SM  3-horrible.IPV-SM  DAT-say.PV.3SF-1S  reach.PV.3S-be
ɑn-tətʃ’tʃ’ɑwɛt-Ø       jə-bbən-ɑ
NEG-2-play.IPV.SM  3-say.IPV.SM-3SF
‘He told her about what his mom told him about his rude language and that he was told not to speak.’

Getachew, Alemayehu. (2011). Mesqan folktales: A contribution to the documentation of the Mesqan language. MA thesis, Addis Ababa University. p. 48

from Lele (Chad)
na      me   lee          yé          dí-nì                           ná         me  jè        má          lay
HYP  2F   eat:FUT  mother  GEN:PL-1PL.EXCL  ASSC  2F  IMPF  die:FUT  also
'If you eat our mother, you will also die.'

Frajzyngier, Zygmunt. (2001). A grammar of Lele. Stanford: CSLI Publications. p. 186

See Hedvig's post again on why celebrating International Women's Day is important. Random lessons we can learn from these random grammar goodies: 1) it's OK to co-sleep, you are just listening to your child; 2) thank your mother for being a good person; 3) don't touch our mothers, you will suffer. Love and freedom to all!




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