Datapoint Kriol/Reciprocal constructions

This is a feature with respect to which there is regional variation in Kriol. In the Western Varieties i.e. the Victoria River variety and the Fitzroy variety, reciprocal and reflexive constructions are marked in the same way in most cases. In the Victoria River variety, both the general reflexive/reciprocal pronoun mijelb and a specific reciprocal pronoun wan anatha can be used in reciprocal contexts; the latter is possibly more acrolectal. The invariable marker mijelb is also attested in combination with ij 'each'. In the Fitzroy variety, the invariable reflexive/reciprocal marker is jelp. In most substrate languages, reflexive and reciprocal are not formally distinguished.

Values

Identical and special reciprocal construction

Example 25-110:
Tubala bait wan anatha.
Tubala
3du
bait
bite
wan
one
anatha.
another.
The two (dogs) bite each other.
Example 25-195:
Imin telim tubala tu graul mijelb la thei pleis!
Im=in
3sg=pst
tel-im
tell-tr
tubala
3du
tu
comp
graul
argue
mijelb
refl
la
loc
thei
3pl
pleis!
place
He told the two to argue at their (own) place.
Example 25-215:
Orla gel en boi bin nakam-bat jelp garra kura, garra burluman kura.
Orla
pl
gel
girl
en
and
boi
boy
bin
pst
nak-am-bat
hit-tr-prog
jelp
refl
garra
com/ins
kura,
dung
garra
com/ins
burluman
cattle
kura.
dung
The girls and boys were hitting each other with dung, with cattle dung.

Source: Hudson 1985: 48

Example 25-238:
Im skrejim mijelb.
Im
3sg
skrej-im
scratch-tr
mijelb.
refl
He scratches himself.
Example 25-308:
Tubala givit mijelb bekbon ij.
Tubala
3du
giv-it
give-tr
mijelb
refl
bekbon
back
ij.
each
The two are turning the back to each other. (In space elicitation)
Example 25-309:
Maiti tubala bin graulim mijelb.
Maiti
maybe
tubala
3du
bin
pst
graul-im
growl-tr
mijelb.
refl
Maybe the two growled at each other.
Confidence:
Intermediate