Page:An introduction to Indonesian linguistics, being four essays.djvu/212

 200 121. Use of the short forms. In this paragraph we always mean the use of the short form as subject; its function as object will be discussed later.

I. The full forms are employed when the emphasis is on the subject; when that is not the case, the short forms are used. In the Bug. letter from the Princess Weyanu (i.e., Princess X) to Matthes, which is about Bug. manuscripts, occurs the passage: “I myself will give orders to convey them there” = I self order, convey them = iyaq pa maqsuro panoq i. Here the word pa, “self”, shows that the emphasis is on the subject. In the same letter there is mention of some fragrant oils, but there we find : “I have not handed them over to him” = Not I have + handed + over him = deq u pati wiriw i. Here the important point is the predicate, and hence the short form u is used for the subject.

II. When the emphasis is on the subject it very often happens that both forms, the full and the short, are used together. So in the Mak. Jayalangkara we find the sentence : “(Jayalangkara was without fear, but his brothers cried:) 'We are exceedingly afraid!” = Fear exceedingly we we = mallaq duduw aq inakke. Here the emphasis is on the subject “we”, because of its antithesis to Jayalangkara, and it is expressed twice, by the short form aq and the full form inakke III. In the case of the third person, when that is expressed by a substantive, the short form of the pronoun is often added as well. But this does not involve any emphasis or any other special effect. If we find in the above-mentioned letter about manuscripts: na ala i karaeṅ riy anu = “He has taken them, the Prince of X”, this means no more than: “The Prince of X has taken them”.

IV. There are also certain limitations in the use of the short forms, which vary from one language to another. Usually they only accompany the active and causative forms of the verb. Mal. employs the short forms only with transitive verbs. In Mak. this limitations does not hold good; illustration, from the dialogue of the cats in the Jayalangkara: “Come on, let us go” = unibamo kiq lampa.