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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
k. Order of Sentence.
By this analysis we arrive at the following facts. The purposes of all the sentences is information, and the Andamanese indicate that purpose, which is perhaps the commonest of speech, by the order of the words in the sentence thus: -
(1)
Subject before Predicate:
Pulagala (S.) boika (P.).
(2) Subject, Complement (object), Predicate: Pulugala (S.) chapa (c. in.) enika (P.). (3) Indicator (noun) before explicator (adjective) :
Laratatla (in.) chapa-tapnga (e. phrase) omore (p.). (4) Illustrator of Predicate (adverb) before Subject:
Toll'okotimalen (ill. of P.) Pulugala (in.) mamika (p.). But illustrators can be placed elsewhere,15 thus:
[AUGUST, 1907.
A (r. s. used as in.) ik. (p. of elliptic e. phrase, c. in. unexpressed) chapa lik (ill.) Luratat (c. in.) l'otpugurire (p.).
(5) Referent conjunctor (conjunction) commences sentence :
Jek (r. c.) Luratatla (in.) enika (p.).
(6)
Referent substitutes (pronouns) follow position of the originals: A (r. s. in.) Tarcheke (c. in.) l'otpugurire (p.).
From these examples, which cover the whole of the kinds of words used in the sentence, except the introducers and connectors, the absence of which is remarkable, we get the following as the order of Andamanese speech :
A. (1) Subject, (2) Predicate.
B. (1) Subject, (2) Complement (object), (8) Predicate.
C. (1) Indicator (noun) before its explicator (adjective).
D. Illustrator (adverb) where convenient.
E. Referent conjunctors (conjunctions) before everything in connected sentences.
We have also a fine example of an extremely elliptical form of speech in the wind up of the story by the one word "Tomolola" as its last sentence, in the sense" (the ancestors who did this were the) Tomolola." Jek Luratutla enika is also elliptic, as the complement is unexpressed.
1. Order of Connected Sentences,
Connected sentences are used in the order of principal and then subordinate:
Pulugala chapa enika (principal sentence) and then a ik okapalik Luratut l'otpugurire (subordinate sentence), after which jek Luratutla enika ( connected sentence joined by "jek, at once"), and then a Tarcheker l'otpugurire (subordinate to the previous sentence).
The sentences quoted show that the Andamanese mind works in its speech steadily from point to point in a natural order of precedence in the development of an information (story, tale), and not in an inverted order, as does that of the speakers of many languages.
m.-Interrogative Sentences.
It may also be noted here, though no interrogative phrases occur in the Fire Legend, that the Andamanese convey interrogation by introducers (adverbs) always placed at the commencement of a sentence or connected sentences.
16 We have this in English :-" suddenly John died; John suddenly died; John died suddenly."
