Search examples

Examples of sentence-level things in Lwaitel : Discourse particles
Have you stopped beating your wife?
   
Láschi pikúni lem wípi wálsweylchi
[ˈlas.ʧe pi.ˈkʉ.ɲɨ lm̩.ˈmwɨ.pi ˈwɑl.swʎ̩.ʧi]
las-chistop-2 pikúniq lem=wípipart=hit wálsweyl-chispouse-2

A yes/no question is indicated by adding the adverb pikuni.

Examples of sentence-level things in Lwaitel : Discourse particles
No, but I don't have a wife.
 1,   1 
Twak úni, útwek swáku lw'úni wálsweyl.
[ˈtwɑk ˈu.ɲɨ, ˈu.twʊ̜̆k ˈswɑ.ku ˈlʷu.ɲɨ ˈwɑl.swʎ̩]
twakdm úni,neg, útwekbut swa-kube-1 lwe=úniwith=neg wálsweyl.spouse.

Answering "no" to that question might imply that one is still beating one's wife. To signal that that implication is wrong, úni is preceded by twak (indicating that something the sentence might imply is wrong); details are given at the end, after the conjunction útwek "but".

Donkey Beater Story in Lwaitel
The donkey-beater then went into his home and discovered his dinner wasn’t ready, so he beat his wife.
   ,   1 ,   
Pyet naun shi húnelen, se im nginál swaim úni nginátu, wan wálswelyen lan wípi.
[pjɪ̆t ˈnaon ʃɨ.ˈçʉ.nl̩.ln̩, sə̆ ˈlu ˈim ŋi.ˈɲæl ˈswɑem ˈu.ɲɨ ŋi.ˈɲæ.to, ˈwɑn ˈwɑl.swʎ̩.ʎn̩ ˈlan ˈwɨ.pi]
pyetthen naum-engo-prox shi=húnel-en,to=house-prox, seand see imobv nginálevening swa-ibe-obv únineg nginátu,finished, wanso wálsweyl-enspouse-prox lam-endo-prox wípi.hit.
Donkey Beater Story in Lwaitel
”You should not beat your wife so much,” said the neighbor.
(        )
Muswa welpwaik hem an wálsweylchi swáchi lem wípi málites íhemausel.
[mu ˈswɑ wl̩.ˈpwɑek hm̩ ˈan ˈwɑl.swʎ̩.ʧi ˈswɑ.ʧe lm̩.ˈmwɨ.pi ˈma.ʎe.tɪ̆s ˈi.çɪ̆” ˈmao.sl̩]
muquot swa“be welpwaikbad hemthat anprox wálsweyl-chispouse-2 swa-chibe-2 lem=wípipart=hit málitesenough íhepl maus-el.say-med.