Example 23-21

oli no save se wea mama?
oli
3pl
no
neg
save
know
se
comp
wea
where
mama?
mother
They don't know, where is their mother?
Comment:
This sentence conveys abruptness and startledness, cf. oli no save se mama i stap wea? [3PL NEG know COMP mother AGR stay where] ‘They don’t know where is their mother?’ This construction is pragmatically softer.
Type:
naturalistic spoken
Source:
Meyerhoff nd