Lesson 4 — Grammatical Topic — Object  Nouns

Note about the arrow symbol and shortcuts:  If the only sound rule that operates is the change from  s to — then to we'll use the output form with the change to already made. This saves space and avoids cluttering the page with too much detail.
  For instance, the change of  –i–tap –i–tap — "the two of them enter" — is so automatic that we'll just start out with –i–tap as long as it's the only sound change in the example.
  The change from  s to in a word like  –t "his/her name" is also automatic, so we'll write the output form here too.
So far you've seen two kinds of simple sentences: I'm healthy kumaw
a single verb with a person marker  
  k–umaw "I'm healthy" it's we
  p–iy–utanin "you all understand" the two of them enter, go in
itap
  s–oo   "it's wet" so
  –i–tap "the two of them enter, go in"  
or a verb with a noun that spells out the subject — who or what is doing what the verb describes. the two men are running
  s–iwon ha wic "the bird is chirping" your child is crying
  s–i–alpat ha hy "the two men are running"
  –mi ha p–itn "your child is crying"  

Spelling out object nouns

The sentence can also include an object noun — which is called the direct object in traditional grammar.
An object noun spells out who or what the object of the verb is: the person or thing that the action of the verb is directed toward.
Both English and Samala almost always put the object after the verb:
Both English and Samala almost always put the object after the verb: he holds his child
k–itaq ha p–tk "I hear your mother"  
  p–ip ha –t "you say her name"
  p–tiik ha antk "you recognize his/her friend"  
  s–kuti ha p–icis "he/she sees your little sister"    
  s–iy–tap ha k–ap "they go into my house"    
  sitap akap      
  –i–uli ha p–tomol "the two of them take hold of the canoe" she washes her hair he holds an arrow
  s–uxmaniwon ha soqwo’n   "she's washing her hair"
  –uli ha ya "he's holding an arrow"

Practice with object nouns. Mouse over the image to see the translation.
  it drinks water she hears the dog he/she touches the ball
she sees the bear
  s–aqmil ha o s–itaq ha huu
–telmemen ha apap
s–kuti ha xus
  he finds a knife she washes her hands she points to the house he finds an arrow
  –it ha w s–uxmaniwon ha spu s–icumu ha ap š–išt’ ha ya

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