Chapter 6: Tense, aspect and mood

Form
Prefix Suffix
Realis
Irrealis
NP1/2
Modal meaning
Non-modal meanings (statements of fact); and
Occasionally Deontic, Desiderative-intentional, Imperative
P1/2 Non-modal meanings (statements of fact)
NP1/2
P2
Non-modal future; and
Epistemic, Deontic, Desiderative-intentional, Hortative
Counterfactual; and
Deontic, Desiderative-intentional
+ Negative particle nara:
Negated Past (non-modal, Deontic)
Imperative NP1/2 Positive Imperative (= Deontic 2 nd person)
Hortative NP2
a- / ng- NP3
Intransitive Hortative (e.g. let’s go), Transitive Hortative (e.g. let him
kiss her)
+ Negative particle nara:
Negated Npast (non-modal, Deontic, Epistemic, Desiderativeintentional);
and Negated imperative
Table 6.13: Composite mood marking in Enindhilyakwa
The following examples illustrate some of the modal meanings marked by the different
combinations of prefixes and suffixes.
(i) Realis + NP1: deontic
(35) Ngakurruwa=dhangwa ngarrv-rrvngka-jungwa, ngarrv-mvni-yakuwerribika-jungwa
12a.PRO=EMPH 12a-look-REFL.NP1 12a-BENE-think-REFL.NP1
ngarnvmamalya ngarrv-miyambena.
12a.people 12a-what.kind.of?
‘We’re the ones who should look at ourselves, who should think about what kind of people
we are.’ (‘Mixed marriages’ e221-2)
(ii) Realis + NP2: desiderative-intentional
(36) Nvngv-lhvka-ja-ma nvng-ena? Ngv-nga-lhukwa-mvrrka-ji-na-ma nganyangwa
1-go-NP2-ma 1-this 1-3f-track-?follow-NP2-ma 1.PRO.POSS
dhv-dharrvngka.
3f-woman
‘May I go? I want to track down my wife.’ (‘Search’ z31-2)
(iii) Irrealis + NP2: epistemic
(37) Akwa ebina a-dhv-dhvrrungwarna angwalha, akina a-kw-alyelyvbara,
and NEUT.that.same NEUT-RDP-big NEUT.mud.crab NEUT.that NEUT-NSR-RDP.eat
ak-alyvbarv-na-ma.
IRR.12a-eat-NP2-ma
‘And those big mud crabs, they are edible, we can eat them.’ (‘Crabs’ d9-10)
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