A Grammar of Sawu

Abstract

A description is given of the Sawu language spoken on Sawu Island, Indonesia. Detailed discussions are provided of phonology & word classes. Syntactic components discussed include noun phrase constituents, verbs, excess adverbs, & particles. Several other syntactic components are described: interrogative, imperative, & reflexive clauses; negation; coordination; comparison; complementation; & word order. Comparisons are made with the Ndao language spoken on an island approximately 90 kilometers from Sawu. Examination of the data indicates that these are two distinct languages, rather than dialects of one language. 17 Tables, 2 Maps, 68 References. B. Annesser Murray