Reduplication

Abstract

Reduplication consists of the repetition of a beginning consonant and its vowel and affects only the stem-word, e.g., padjodjorgok (65), harorobo (122). By this means, the meaning of a word is modified in the same way as with repetition. It is therefore probable that reduplication is only an abbreviated form of repetition; hence mamboboru — to present oneself as a young girl, said of a palm tree that has not borne fruit; matsisijali — in one way or another, e.g., by the use of certain words, to bring bad luck to the hunt; mamangani or mamanganikkon — to eat something that is either large, or present in great quantities, to eat of something, said of many people, e.g., sobu ma nasida mamangani dekke i — they were busy eating of that large fish (cf. p. 200, 1. 19; RB. p. 54, 1. 5; p. 55, 1. 11; p. 52, 1. 5); tatangisan — that about which or for which one cries (hatatangisan ni dakdanak hasijolan ni na godang — for which children usually cry, and, which adults desire, said of a woman’s breasts); tumatangis (unang be ho sadi tumatangis — don’t keep on crying); manggagairi, manggagaruti (Dict. under bela); masigagarutan — to tear at each other, said of madmen fighting); marhohondo, mandodowiti, makkaharati, makkuhuwangi, marhahaele, marhahaebo, martatahuwak (52 5), si-tataingan, si-raraisan, sosombopon (134 I), makkehelai (29 II Obs. 1), etc.