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How do switch-reference forms show whether a subject changes between clauses in Barai?
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Papuan languages
Map of the languages found on the Doberai Peninsula of New Guinea.
In Barai, a language of the Koiarian family, switch-reference forms are used to indicate whether the subject of a dependent clause remains the same or changes in the subsequent independent clause.1
These relationships are marked by specific suffixes attached to the dependent verb:
- Same-subject: The suffix -na is used when the subject of the dependent clause is the same as the subject of the following clause. For example, bu ive i-na vua kuae translates to "they ate and then told stories," where the -na indicates that "they" are the subjects of both actions.1
- Different-subject: A different marker is used when the subject changes. For example, in the sentence bu ire i-mo no vua kuae ("they ate and then we told stories"), the suffix -mo on the dependent verb i- indicates that the subject of the first clause ("they") is different from the subject of the second clause ("we").1