Example 30-221

Komu el ka sabeba skrebe, e txoma si fidju pa skrebe-l kel kárta. Djonzinhu tuntunhi, tuntunhi, pamodi el tanbe e ka sabeba náda, nen skrebe si nómi.
Komu
as
el=ka=sabe-ba
3sg=neg=know-ant
skrebe,
write
e=txoma
3sg=call
si=fidju
3sg.poss=son
pa=skrebe=l
for=write=3sg
kel=kárta.
dem.sg=letter
Djon-zinhu
John-little
tuntunhi,
become.uncertain
tuntunhi,
become.uncertain
pamodi
because
el
3sg.indp
tanbe
too
e=ka=sabe-ba
3sg.dep=neg=know-ant
náda,
nothing
nen
not.even
skrebe
write
si=nómi.
3sg.poss=name
Since he couldn't write, he called his son, so that he would write the letter for him. Little John dilly-dallied and dithered because he couldn't do anything either, not even write his name.
German: Da er nicht schreiben konnte, rief er seinen Sohn, damit er ihm den Brief schreibe. Hänschen zauderte und zauderte, denn auch er konnte nichts, nicht einmal seinen Namen schreiben.
Type:
naturalistic spoken
Source:
da Silva 1987: 56