Datapoint Kriol/Ditransitive constructions with ‘give’

Two ditransitive constructions are found with the 'give' verb in the Victoria River District variety spoken by the older generation and also the younger generation: one a double object construction and one an indirect object construction where the recipient is marked with the locative preposition langa/la. (As examples of two full NPs are rarely found in natural speech, examples with pronominal objects are added; it seems that pronominal objects show the same two patterns.)

Values

Indirect-object construction Frequency: 70.0%

Example 25-23:
Yu nomo washim bla mi kloth.
Yu
2sg
nomo
neg
wash-im
wash-tr
bla
dat/poss
mi
1sg
kloth.
clothes
You never wash my clothes for me. (uttered as a complaint)
Example 25-144:
Ai bin gibitbat la ola kid tu sambala mani blanga plei.
Ai
1sg
bin
pst
gib-it-bat
give-tr-prog
la
loc
ola
pl
kid
child
tu
too
sam-bala
some-adj2
mani
money
blanga
dat/poss
plei.
play
I was also giving the children some money for playing.

Source: Angelo et al. 1998

Example 25-166:
Imin oldei telim mi “givit bek langa im thet taka blanga im, yu bin takat naf, givit bek la thet beibi".
Im=in
3sg=pst
oldei
always
tel-im
tell-tr
mi
1sg
“giv-it
give-tr
bek
back
langa
loc
im
3sg
thet
dem
taka
tucker
blanga
dat/poss
im,
3sg
yu
2sg
bin
pst
takat
eat
naf,
enough
giv-it
give-tr
bek
back
la
loc
thet
dem
beibi".
baby
She used to say to me "give it back to her, that food of hers, you have eaten enough, give it back to the baby".
Example 25-167:
Imin givit thet K. langa mai bratha.
Im=in
3sg=pst
giv-it
give-tr
thet
dem
K.
K.
langa
loc
mai
1sg.poss
bratha.
brother
He gave K. to my brother (in marriage).

Source: nd

Example 25-249:
Ei, olmen, yu weit na! Yu gada gibit la melabat du sambala shuga. Melabat wandi shuga du.
Ei,
ey
olmen,
old.man
yu
2sg
weit
wait
na!
now
Yu
2sg
gada
fut/oblig
gib-it
give-tr
la
loc
melabat
1pl.excl
du
too
sam-bala
some-adj2
shuga.
sugar
Melabat
1pl.excl
wandi
want
shuga
sugar
du.
too
Hey, old man, wait now! You've got to give us some sugar too. We want sugar too.

Source: Angelo et al. 1998

Confidence:
Very certain

Double-object construction Frequency: 30.0%

Example 25-103:
Wen wi bin langa Carlton, en Missis bin oldei givit mibala boksis.
Wen
when
wi
1pl.excl
bin
pst
langa
loc
Carlton,
Carlton
en
and
Missis
Missis
bin
pst
oldei
always
giv-it
give-tr
mibala
1pl.excl
boks-is.
box-pl
When we were [working] on Carlton Station, and the Missus used to give us boxes. (with matches, to burn the grass)
Example 25-228:
Dat gel im gibitbat dat man jumok.
Dat
dem
gel
girl
im
3sg
gib-it-bat
give-tr-prog
dat
dem
man
man
jumok.
smoke/tobacco
That girl is giving the man tobacco.
Example 25-256:
Giv mi thet garndi langa im!
Giv
give
mi
1sg
thet
dem
garndi
stick
langa
loc
im!
3sg
Give me that stick for her! (i.e. to hit her)
Example 25-257:
Wot im skin, wi gata givit im skin na thet men na.
Wot
what
im
3sg
skin,
subsection
wi
1pl
gata
fut/oblig
giv-it
give-tr
im
3sg
skin
subsection
na
now
thet
dem
men
man
na.
now
What's his skin name, we should give that man a skin name.
Confidence:
Very certain