Meryam Mir

Language

Meryam Mir

Family

Eastern Trans-Fly

Ethnologue

ulk

ISO

ulk

glottolog_id

meri1244

Verbs trans animate table

gloss	layer	prs sg > 1 sg	prs sg > 2 sg	prs sg > 3 sg	prs sg > 1 pl	prs sg > 2 pl	prs sg > 3 pl	prs du > 1 sg	prs du > 2 sg	prs du > 3 sg	prs du > 1 pl	prs du > 2 pl	prs du > 3 pl	prs tri > 1 sg	prs tri > 2 sg	prs tri > 3 sg	prs tri > 1 pl	prs tri > 2 pl	prs tri > 3 pl	prs pl > 1 sg	prs pl > 2 sg	prs pl > 3 sg	prs pl > 1 pl	prs pl > 2 pl	prs pl > 3 pl	pst sg > 1 sg	pst sg > 2 sg	pst sg > 3 sg	pst sg > 1 pl	pst sg > 2 pl	pst sg > 3 pl	pst du > 1 sg	pst du > 2 sg	pst du > 3 sg	pst du > 1 pl	pst du > 2 pl	pst du > 3 pl	pst tri > 1 sg	pst tri > 2 sg	pst tri > 3 sg	pst tri > 1 pl	pst tri > 2 pl	pst tri > 3 pl	pst pl > 1 sg	pst pl > 2 sg	pst pl > 3 sg	pst pl > 1 pl	pst pl > 2 pl	pst pl > 3 pl
follow	lexeme	narmili	narmili	irmili	dirmili	dirmili	narmili	narmiriei	narmiriei	irmiriei	dirmiriei	dirmiriei	narmiriei	narmirdare	narmirdare	irmirdare	dirmirdare	dirmirdare	narmirdare	narmireda	narmireda	irmireda	dirmireda	dirmireda	narmireda	narmirer	narmirer	irmirer	dirmirer	dirmirer	narmirer	narmilei	narmilei	irmilei	dirmilei	dirmilei	narmilei	narmile	narmile	irmile	dirmile	dirmile	narmile	narmilare	narmilare	irmilare	dirmilare	dirmilare	narmilare
follow	prefix	na	na	i	di	di	na	na	na	i	di	di	na	na	na	i	di	di	na	na	na	i	di	di	na	na	na	i	di	di	na	na	na	i	di	di	na	na	na	i	di	di	na	na	na	i	di	di	na
follow	suffix	li	li	li	li	li	li	iei	iei	iei	iei	iei	iei	dare	dare	dare	dare	dare	dare	eda	eda	eda	eda	eda	eda	er	er	er	er	er	er	lei	lei	lei	lei	lei	lei	le	le	le	le	le	le	lare	lare	lare	lare	lare	lare
send	lexeme	namarida	namarida	emarida	demarida	demarida	namarida	namaridariei	namaridariei	emaridariei	demaridariei	demaridariei	namaridariei	namarkidare	namarkidare	emarkidare	demarkidare	demarkidare	namarkidare	namarida	namarida	emarida	demarida	demarida	namarida	namariklu	namariklu	emariklu	demariklu	demariklu	namariklu	namariklei	namariklei	emariklei	demariklei	demariklei	namariklei	namarkile	namarkile	emarikile	demarkile	demarkile	namarkile	namarkare	namarkare	emarkare	demarkare	demarkare	namarkare
send	prefix	na	na	e	de	de	na	na	na	e	de	de	na	na	na	e	de	de	na	na	na	e	de	de	na	na	na	e	de	de	na	na	na	e	de	de	na	na	na	e	de	de	na	na	na	e	de	de	na
send	suffix	da	da	da	da	da	da	dariei	dariei	dariei	dariei	dariei	dariei	kidare	kidare	kidare	kidare	kidare	kidare	da	da	da	da	da	da	klu	klu	klu	klu	klu	klu	klei	klei	klei	klei	klei	klei	kile	kile	kile	kile	kile	kile	kare	kare	kare	kare	kare	kare
tell	lexeme	natageri	natageri	detageri	detageri	detageri	daratagri	natagriei	natagriei	detagriei	detagriei	detagriei	daratagriei	natagridare	natagridare	detagridare	detagridare	detagridare	daratagridare	natagereda	natagereda	detagereda	detagereda	detagereda	daratagereda	natagerer	natagerer	detagerer	detagerer	detagerer	daratagrer	natagrilei	natagrilei	detagrilei	detagrilei	detagrilei	daratagrilei	natagrile	natagrile	detagrile	detagrile	detagrile	daratagrile	natagerare	natagerare	detagerare	detagerare	detagerare	daratagerare
tell	prefix	na	na	de	de	de	dara	na	na	de	de	de	dara	na	na	de	de	de	dara	na	na	de	de	de	dara	na	na	de	de	de	dara	na	na	de	de	de	dara	na	na	de	de	de	dara	na	na	de	de	de	dara
tell	suffix	i	i	i	i	i	i	iei	iei	iei	iei	iei	iei	dare	dare	dare	dare	dare	dare	eda	eda	eda	eda	eda	eda	er	er	er	er	er	er	lei	lei	lei	lei	lei	lei	le	le	le	le	le	le	are	are	are	are	are	are

Meryam Mer notes

• The database shows transitive animate verbs, i.e. verbs which have two animate arguments. Ray (1907) gives the most information about this type.
• The paradigms are given in terms of subject number and object person and number, but there are complications which should be pointed out here:
  • What we have represented as object number suffixes (following Ray 1907) actually assess number across both arguments, according to the following scheme:

    		object
    		sg	du	tri	pl
    subject	sg	"singular"
    	du	"dual"
    	tri		"trial"
    	pl			"plural"

  • The number marking suffixes distinguish singular, dual, trial and plural, while object person-number marking (prefixes) distinguish only singular vs. plural. This is reflected in the glossing.
  • Verbs with other types of argument structure take the same number marking suffixes, but differ in the prefixation. Thus transitive inanimates (i.e. verbs with an inamimate object) mark dual objects (with the prefix na-), and leave other objects unmarked. Some intransitives take a prefix marking plural subject.
  • Inflection class distinctions are manifested both in the prefixes and suffixes. Two prefixation patterns are possible, and there appear to be multiple suffixation patterns. The database illustrates those given in full by Ray (1907), but can hardly be exhaustive.

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References

Ray, Sidney H. 1907. A Grammar of the Miriam Language Spoken by the Eastern Islanders of Torres Straits. In Sidney H. Ray (ed.), Reports of the Cambridge Anthropological Expedition to the Torres Straits, Vol III: Linguistics, pp. 49-87. Cambridge: CUP.