Contents

• Title Page
• Prefacei
• ABREVIATIONS AND CONVENTIONS
• Introduction1
  • How to Use This Book(A)1
  • For Garo Speakers(B)2
  • For Learners(A)3
  • For Linguists(C)6
• ONE:The Language and the People9
• TWO: Segmental Phonology17
  • Introduction (A)17
  • Syllables(A)18
  • Syllable Initial Consonants(A)19
  • Syllable Final Consonants(A)22
  • Vowels(A)26
  • Diphthongs(B)29
  • The Glottal Stop or Raka(C)32
  • V-Raka-V Sequences(C)38
  • Conventional Garo Spelling(B)42
  • Difficult Aspects of Pronunciation(A)43
• THREE: Juncture and Prosody49
  • Syllable Transitions(C)49
  • S-clusters(C)55
  • Word Stress(B)58
  • Sentence Intonation(C)65
• FOUR: Morphophomivs and Variation71
  • Morphophonemics(C)71
  • Dialect Variation(B)77
  • Individual Variation(B)83
  • The Influence of Bengali and English(B)85
• FIVE: Core Grammar: An Overview91
  • Simple Sentences(A)91
  • Verbs(A)92
  • Noun Phrases(A)96
  • Minor Word Classes(A)100
  • What is a Word?(B)102
• SIX: Verbs105
  • Verb Bases, Verb Stems, and Verbs(A)105
  • Parts of Speech: Verbs and Adjectives(B)109
  • Parts of Speech: Nouns and Verbs(B)110
  • Transitive and Intransitive Verbs(B)112
  • Incipient and Continuing Action(C)114
  • Core Verbs(A)114
  • Empty Verbs(B)118
  • Principal Verb Suffixes(A)120
  • Sentence Completing Suffixes(A)121
  • Subordinating Suffixes(B)129
  • Nominalizing Suffixes(B)132
  • Verbs and Postpositions(C)137
• SEVEN: Optional Verb Affixes139
  • Adverbial Affixes(A)139
  • Adverbial Affixes: Inflectional(A)141
  • Adverbial Affixes: General(B)146
  • Adverbial Affixes: Specialized(C)150
  • Adverbial Affixes: Derivational(C)153
  • Terminal Suffixes(A)154
  • -ro and -ai(C)161
• EIGHT: Nouns164
  • Noun Phrases(B)164
  • Category Prefixes(B)168
  • Noninitial Morphemes(C)173
  • Ka-ta Jik-Se: Wife-Husband Words(B)178
  • Plurals etc.(B)179
  • Case Markers(B)181
  • Case Markers and Postpositions(B)201
  • Final Noun Suffixes(B)202
  • Final Noun Suffixes and Terminal Suffixes(C)207
  • Homophony Among Suffixes(C)209
• NINE: Nominals213
  • Introduction(A)213
  • Demonstratives(A)213
  • Pronouns(B)215
  • Question Words(B)219
  • Proper Names(B)227
  • Modifying Verbs(B)229
  • Postpositions(B)230
  • Borrowed Bengali Case Markers and Postpositions(C)240
• TEN : Numerals243
  • Introduction(A)243
  • Numbers(A)244
  • Classifiers(A)247
  • Numeral Suffixes and Reduplication(C)256
  • Conclusions(C)257
• ELEVEN: Minor Parts of Speech261
  • Section261
  • Adverbs(A)261
  • Locative Words(C)266
  • Defective Nouns(B)268
  • Gi-type Adjectives(B)273
  • Indefinite -ba words(C)274
  • Courtesy Expressions(B)276
  • Interjections(B)278
  • Conjunctions and Relatives(B)281
  • Reduplication(C)285
  • Echoes and Anticipations(C)288
• TWELVE: Complex Noun Phrases293
  • Section293
  • Nominalized Verbs as Clause Constituents(C)293
  • Relative Clauses(C)297
  • Locative Nominalizers(C)301
• THIRTEEN :Subordination305
  • Word Order(B)305
  • Clause Coherence: Final Noun Suffixes(C)309
  • Conjoined and Subordinate Clauses(C)313
  • Homophony of -de, -ba and -sa/-ha(C)328
  • Equational Sentences(B)329
• FOURTEEN: Restructuring333
  • The Relative-Correlative Construction: je and ba(C)333
  • Balanced Questions(B)338
  • da'- Construction(C)339
  • Passive(C)340
  • Comparative with -kal-, -bat-(B)342
  • Postposed Noun Phrases(C)343
  • Postposed Subordinate Clauses(C)344
  • Subject Fronting(C)346
• APPENDIX A : Texts347
• APPENDIX B: Questions for Study367
  • Section367
  • General Questions368
  • Two: Segmental Phonology368
  • Three: Juncture and Prosody372
  • Four: Morphophonemics and Variation374
  • Five: Core Grammar374
  • Six: Verbs376
  • Seven: Optional Verb Affixes377
  • Eight: Nouns378
  • Nine: Nominals380
  • Ten: Numerals381
  • Eleven: Minor Parts of Speech381
  • Twelve: Complex Noun Phrases382
  • Thirteen: Subordination383
  • Fourteen: Restructuring383
• APPENDIX C: Glossary of Linguistic Terminology385
• References395

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