A NEW LOOK AT CANTONESE EXPLETIVES
123
Serial Analysis SOAS
34 BEM SU SAE-MRHSAE-ZROU
35 B FJQ U MREI-ZROU-DO0
36 B FJQ U ZROU-DOO-MREI
37 B FJ SU ZRAULRAY-ZROU
38 B FJ S U ZRAULRAY-MRHZROU
39 BFMR V MRHJIU-ZROU
40 B G JP U ZROUZOR-MREI
41 B G JP U ZROU-LOK
42 B G J PU ZROU-XOO
43 B G JP U ZROU-XOO-MREI
44 BG JPU MREI-ZROU-XOO
45 BG JS U ZRAULRAY-ZROU-X00
46 BGL OU ZROU-ZOR
Approximate English equivalent
need I do, need this be done? action has not achieved its result but is still possible. has result been, or may it still be, achieved? will do (be done) at once. will stop doing (being done) at once. I do not intend (if you, etc. do not intend) to do. (Contrast serial 32). have you done, did you do, has it been done? (See serial 46). did, has done, has been done. successfully done, finished. finished? not finished but may still be. just on finished. (Imp.) do it! (Indic) done it. Note It may seem surprising to mark this as "tense unspecified, mood anything but subjunctive" but the common use as an imperative with monosyllabic verbs makes this necessary: e.g. MTIE! Open it!47 CEIQ V ZROU-MRHZROU
48 CEJ PU JHAT-ZROU-ZRAU
49 CE JPU JHAT-MRHZROU-ZRAU
50 CE JQ V MRH-ZROU
51 CEJS U ZHEONQGRAN-ZROU
52 CEJ S U ZHEONQGRAN-MRHZROU
53 CEJS U ZHEONQLROY-ZROU
54 CEJ SU ZHEONQLROY-MRHZROU
55 CEJS W MREILROY-ZROU
will you do? Shall I do? Is he doing? as soon as it has (had) been done as soon as it stops being done. I am not doing, will not do. will soon do or be done. will soon stop doing or being done. will do or be done (but not soon). will stop doing or being done (but not soon). will be done.