Page 441 - A GRAMMAR OF BHOJPURI _ PhD Dissertation 2020 TU

In example (26a) the noun बाभन /bɑb ̤ ʌn/ 'Brahmin' and डोम /ɖom/ 'Hindu

scavenger' suffixed with emphasis marker -ओ /-o/ are in focus. Similarly in (26b), the

adverb किहआ /kʌɦiɑ/ 'when' suffixed suffixed with emphasis marker -ओ /-o/ is in
focus. Likewise, in (26c), conditional तइ /tʌi/ 'then' suffixed with emphasis marker -ओ

/-o/ is in focus.

Besides, the Hindi borrowing भी /b ̤ i/ is also a focus particle in Bhojpuri, as
shown in (27a-b).

(27) a. ... आ ऊ हमर चाहना भी नइखे ।

ɑ u ɦʌmʌr cɑɦnɑ b ̤ i nʌikʰe
ɑ u ɦʌmʌr cɑɦnɑ b ̤ i nʌikʰ-e

and DIST 1SG.GEN will also be.NEG.PRES-3SG
'... and it is not even my choice, too.' (03.049)

b. ... दल के लोग एह से पिहले भी कहत रहल ... ।
dʌl ke loɡ eɦ se pʌɦile b ̤ i kʌɦʌt rʌɦʌl

dʌl ke loɡ eɦ se pʌɦile b ̤ i kʌɦ-ʌt rʌɦ-ʌl
party GEN people PROX source before also say-IMPF live-3.PST

'... politicians were telling this even earlier, too.' (02.082)
In example (27a) the noun चाहना /cɑɦnɑ/ 'will' follwed by the focus marker

particle भी /b ̤ i/ 'also' is in focus. Similarly in (27b), the adverb पिहले /pʌɦile/ 'before'

followed by focus marker particle भी /b ̤ i/ 'also' is in focus.

In some instances except the emphasis marker -ओ /-o/ or particle भी /b ̤ i/ 'also',

some other emphasis markers -नू /-nu/ or -ऊ /-u/ or clitic -ए /-e/ is also used to code a
proposition which is contrary to expectation. Sometimes, it also happens semantically.

Following are the examples:
(28) a. ‘बनौले रहल ह, दूनू एके बेर मर गइल ।’

bʌnɔle rʌɦʌl ɦʌ dunu eke ber mʌr
bʌn-ɑ-wʌl-e rʌɦ-ʌl ɦʌ du-nu ek-e ber mʌr

make-CAUS-PP-SEQ live-PP be two-EMPH one-EMPH time die

ɡʌil
jɑ-il
go-3.PST

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