avara botuspa saba jaavanantu tiɲa duvɛɛnsa: kɔleraa. avara kulumbuntu teem
avara
now
botus-pa
2.hon-dat
saba
know
[jaavana-ntu
[Jaffna-loc
tiɲa]
pst.be]
duvɛɛnsa:
illness
kɔleraa.
cholera
avara
now
kulumbu-ntu
Colombo-loc
teem
prs.be
Now you know, in Jaffna there was a sickness: cholera. Now it is in Colombo. OR: Now you know, the sickness that was in Jaffna, cholera. Now it is in Colombo.
Comment:
Under the first reading, the first verb is existential. Under both readings the second predicate is locational.
The first reading has two main clauses; in the second reading the first clause is a relative clause.