Browsing results for Mbula

(1989) Mangap-Mbula – Modality

Published on May 10, 2017. Last updated on September 10, 2018.

Bugenhagen, Robert D. (1989). Modality in Mangap-Mbula: An exploration of its syntax and semantics. Language and Linguistics in Melanesia, 20(1/2), 9-39.

In this paper I describe the encoding of modality in the Austronesian language Mangap-Mbula. Rather than relying upon the somewhat vague notion of “irrealis”, I propose an analysis in terms of three independent parameters – presupposition versus assertion, epistemic certainty/commitment, and factuality – and characterize these parameters using a more controlled semantic metalanguage. The latter parameter is somewhat deictic in nature, encoding a proposition which has been true at a specific time prior to the time of utterance or some other deictic center.

(1990) Mangap-Mbula – Experiential constructions

Published on May 10, 2017. Last updated on September 10, 2018.

Bugenhagen, Robert D. (1990). Experiential constructions in Mangap-Mbula. Australian Journal of Linguistics, 10(2), 183-215. DOI: 10.1080/07268609008599441

A variety of constructions used to express experiential notions in the Austronesian language Mangap-Mbula are examined and their meanings explicated. By an “experiential situation” is meant a situation in which something “happens” to an animate entity – someone or something who is able to know that something is happening. Furthermore, the animate entity does not affect or produce any other entity, including himself/herself. Experiential situations are encoded in Mangap-Mbula by six overall construction types:

  1. uninflected experiential verbs with coreferential Experiencer Subjects and Objects
    This subclass contains just five items, two of which are explicated: menmeen ‘happy (about)’ and kaipa ‘selfishly rejoice (over)’.
    Since there are only a few verbs in the language which encode experiential notions, a number of other constructions are employed as well. They include:
  2. inflected experiential verbs with experiencer subjects
    This subclass includes verbs of knowledge; verbs of perception, including –re ‘see, look’ and –leŋ ‘hear, listen’; verbs encoding semi-controllable physical states; the verb –mbot ‘stay, be at, be alive’; verbs encoding emotional responses, including –morsop ‘be startled’, –murur ‘be surprised’, and –twer ‘worried about, longing for’); verbs encoding uncontrolled physical states; the verb –moto ‘fear’; the verb –mbel ‘be in trouble’
  3. inflected experiential verbs with experiencer objects
  4. a construction involving the verb –kam, a polysemous form which can be variously glossed as ‘do, cause, receive, get’
  5. a construction in which the forms le– and ka– are added immediately following the verb
  6. body image expressions
    More important than all of the above, however, are body image constructions, in which a body part plus a verb function together as a kind of composite predicate.

The final section of the paper is a study of the different encodings of the notion of ‘fear’.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

(1994) Mbula – NSM primes

Published on May 10, 2017. Last updated on September 10, 2018.

Bugenhagen, Robert D. (1994). The exponents of semantic primitives in Mangap-Mbula. In Cliff Goddard, & Anna Wierzbicka (Eds.), Semantic and lexical Universals: Theory and empirical findings (pp. 87-108). Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI: 10.1075/slcs.25.08bug

This paper examines the applicability of the proposed set of lexical and semantic universals to Mangap-Mbula, an Austronesian language spoken in the Morobe Province of Papua New Guinea.


Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners

(2001) Mbula – Emotions, personhood

Published on May 10, 2017. Last updated on August 28, 2018.

Bugenhagen, Robert D. (2001). Emotions and the nature of persons in Mbula. In Jean Harkins, & Anna Wierzbicka (Eds.), Emotions in crosslinguistic perspective (pp. 73-118). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. DOI: 10.1515/9783110880168.69

The present paper seeks to precisely specify the meanings of a number of emotion expressions in the Mbula language of Papua New Guinea, focussing on those involving body part images. In doing so, use is made of the Natural Semantic Metalanguage.

Explications are proposed for a number of mata- phrases, many of which relate to seeing (mata = ‘eye’) and to emotions triggered by seeing (e.g. jealousy). Lele- phrases (lele = ‘insides’), kete- phrases (kete = ‘chest/liver’), ni- phrases (ni = ‘being’), kuli- phrases (kuli = ‘skin’), and kopo- phrases (kopo = ‘stomach’) are surveyed as well, each with their related emotions. Body parts less frequently used in body image
expressions are included towards the end of the paper


Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

(2002) Mangaaba-Mbula – NSM primes, NSM syntax

Published on May 10, 2017. Last updated on September 10, 2018.

Bugenhagen, Robert D. (2002). The syntax of semantic primes in Mangaaba-Mbula. In Cliff Goddard, & Anna Wierzbicka (Eds.), Meaning and universal grammar: Theory and empirical findings. Vol. II (pp. 1-64). Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI: 10.1075/slcs.61.06bug

The present chapter describes the syntax of the proposed NSM semantic primes in Mangaaba-Mbula, an Austronesian language spoken on Umboi Island in the Morobe Province of Papua New Guinea by around 3500 people.