Datapoint Kriol/Expletive subject of existential verb

The verb for 'have', got/got-im/garram, is also used as existential verb, in combination with an expletive subject (see also Feature 78 "Existential verb and transitive possession verb"). (Note that Hudson 1985: 92–93 identifies the form garra(m) with the instrumental/comitative preposition and treats these as verbless clauses).

Values

An expletive subject is used

Example 25-170:
I got wan mo geit tharrei.
I
3sg
got
have
wan
one
mo
more
geit
gate
tharr-ei.
dist-dir
There is one more gate over there.
Example 25-261:
I gotim big gata maitbi theya, thetsaid.
I
3sg
got-im
have-tr
big
big
gata
gutter
maitbi
maybe
theya,
there
thet-said.
dem-side
Maybe there is a big gutter, on that side.
Example 25-262:
Hiya, samwe raun hiya, i gata keib theya.
Hiya,
here
sam-we
some-where
raun
around
hiya,
here
i
3sg
gata
got
keib
cave
theya.
there
Here, somewhere around here, there is a cave.
Example 25-263:
Thei reken i gota ngalanymuwa, bifo thei bin oldei getim.
Thei
3pl
reken
think/say
i
3sg
gota
have
ngalanymuwa,
echidna
bifo
previously
thei
3pl
bin
pst
oldei
always/hab
get-im.
get-tr
[At that place] they think there are echidnas, in the old days they used to catch them.
Confidence:
Certain