RAS-1970 — Page 128

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.