Page 268 - A GRAMMAR OF BHOJPURI _ PhD Dissertation 2020 TU

bɑbu-ji ɑ-ini
father-H come-PST.H

'Father came ....' (09.505)
The unmarked theme structure is presented in (18) for intransitive subject
where object is not essential. It is a single argument structure S. But if the word order

is changed from SV to VS, the structure remains unmarked in Bhojpuri but it denotes
some special meaning, as shown in (19).

(19) अइनी बाबुजी । (VS)

ʌini bɑbuji
ɑ-ini bɑbu-ji

come-PST.H father-H
'Father came.' (09.505)
The change in word order in (19) signalizes the arrival of father unexpectedly. The

A/O construction also accepts the change of constituent worder as shown in (20) and (21a-e).

(20) प"वाहा गाछ पाङेला । (SOV)
pʌŋwɑɦɑ ɡɑcʰ pɑŋelɑ

pʌŋwɑɦɑ ɡɑcʰ pɑŋ-e-lɑ
shortener tree trim-PUR-3SG.PRES

'A trimmer trims a tree.' (09.363)
The SOV word order exemplified in (20) can also be presented in SVO, VSO,
VOS, OSV and OVS patterns as shown in (21a-e).

(21) a. प"वाहा पाङेला गाछ । (SVO)

pʌŋwɑɦɑ pɑŋelɑ ɡɑcʰ
pʌŋwɑɦɑ pɑŋ-e-lɑ ɡɑcʰ
shortener trim-PUR-3SG.PRES tree

'As for a trimmer, he certainly trims a tree.'

b. पाङेला प"वाहा गाछ । (VSO)
pɑŋelɑ pʌŋwɑɦɑ ɡɑcʰ

pɑŋ-e-lɑ pʌŋwɑɦɑ ɡɑcʰ
trim-PUR-3SG.PRES shortener tree

'He is a trimmer, as for trimming a tree, he does it.'
c. पाङेला गाछ प"वाहा । (VOS)

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