Datapoint Sri Lanka Portuguese/Predicative noun phrases

The unmarked construction does not use a copula. However, very rarely a copula is found and may represent the retention of an archaic construction.

Values

No copula

Example 41-19:
aka muytu viraadu kaavs
aka
that
muytu
very
viraadu
wrong
kaavs
thing
That is a very wrong thing.

Source: Smith 1974-5: 5123

Example 41-24:
botussu enteeru nɔɔmi kii
botus-su
2.hon-gen
enteeru
entire
nɔɔmi
name
kii
what
What is your full name?

Source: Smith 1974-5: 5062

Example 41-78:
osiir mee maay; paay yakamura
osiir
3sg.hon
mee
foc
maay;
mother
paay
father
jaa-kaa-mura
pst-pfv-die
SHE (indicating woman present) is my mother; my father has died.

Source: Smith 1974-5: 5092-4

Example 41-114:
braanku kiontaa, aka mee dreetu palaavra
braanku
whitewash
ki-ontaa,
nmlz-paint
aka
that
mee
foc
dreetu
right
palaavra
word
Whitewash is “ontaa”ed. THAT’s the correct word.

Source: Smith 1974-5: 1629

Example 41-115:
doonu keem? [linguist: doonu?] [speaker, deliberately:] keen teen doonu aka kaazapa?
doonu
owner
keem?
who
[linguist:
[linguist:
doonu?]
owner?]
keen
who
teem
prs.be
doonu
owner
aka
that
kaaza-pa?
house-dat
Who is the owner? [linguist: Owner?]. [speaker, deliberately:] Who is the owner of that house?

Source: Smith 1974-5: 1450-2

Confidence:
Intermediate