Datapoint Berbice Dutch/Expletive subject in ‘seem’ constructions

Kɛkɛ 'like, as if' is an adverbial element rather than a verb. This cannot be considered truly equivalent to a 'seem' construction, therefore. Alternatively, a modal which expresses possibility or probability is used.

Values

'There is no 'seem' construction

Example 28-87:
kɛko wa ma mja andri gut sondro kap di mabalen
kɛkɛ
like
o
3sg
wa
pst
ma
irr
mja
do
andri
other
gutu
thing
sondro
without
kapu
cut
di
the
maba
honey
alen
alone
It seems as if he was going to do something else besides just cut the honeycomb.

Source: Kouwenberg 2007: 32

Example 28-107:
so dida masi di boʃ gutap
so
so
dida
that
masi
must
di
the
boʃi
bush
gutu-apu
thing-pl
So that must be the bush things.

Source: Kouwenberg 1994: 79

Confidence:
Very certain