The particle [la] is introduced in this lesson. It occurs with the verb in all aspects both negative and positive,
with transitive and intransitive verbs and in active and passive voice. It gives the action of the verb a habitual meaning.
||Gati̲, ŋak cɛ wä̲ ni̲?
Fellows, so-and-so where did he go?
||Kui̲c nɛy gua̲a̲dɛ.
We don't where he is. (his place)
||Wä̲, kä̲ wu̲t ɛmɔ laa bëë wanɛmɛ ni̲ ciaŋ.
Wä̲ (exclamation), but that man always comes here every day.
||Ɣɔ̲ɔ̲n, ŋa̲c nɛy nɔmɔ kä̲ cɛ tɛh wanamɛ ni̲ni̲ ti̲ti̲.
Yes, we know that but he hasn't been here these days.
||Ɣä̲n la ɤä̲n wu̲t ɤmɔ a go̲r ciaŋ ciaŋ. Laa tëë wïnïth?
I that man I keep hunting day after day. Where does he always stay?
||En wu̲t ɛmɔ u̲? Ɣɔ̲ɔ̲, wu̲t ɤmɔ la jɛn tɛ̲ rɛy cëŋ.
That man (question sound)? Oh, that man he stays in the village.
||Gɔaaɛ. Kä̲ gati̲, mi̲ bi̲ yɛn ɛ nɛn jiöke jɛ i̲ ɤä̲n göörä̲ jɛ,
It is good. But fellows, if you see him tell him that I want him,
||i̲ laa bëë kä̲ ɤä̲ ni̲ ciɛŋ. /Ci̲ ɛ jɛn inɔ?
that he (must) come to me every day. It it not like that?
||Ɣɔ̲ɔ̲n, ɛ jɛn gɔaaɛ. Bi̲ nɛy ɛ la̲r ɛ inɔ.
Yes, it is, it is good. We will tell him it like that.
- Work on drills.
- Put new words into their various vowel groupings and drill on them.
- Pay attention to the tone patterns accompanying [laa] and [la...a].
- [la] is a habitualizing agent for the verb. it appears in various forms in all 3 aspects, the imperatives, both
negative and positive and active and passive voice.
- In a couplet [la...a] in the 1st Aspect only as follows:
With Transitive Verbs:
- When the subject initiates the sentence or is omitted altogether (and the verb is conjugated).
- [Laa wu̲t ɛmɔ a nhɔakä̲.] -- I like that man (habitually).
- When the subject follows [la].
Note: In W. Nuer the [la] occurs directly before the verb.
- [La ɤä̲n wu̲t ɛmɔ a nhɔk.] -- I like that man (habitually).
With Intransitive Verbs:
- When the subject or any word follows [la].
Note: When the subject precede [la] or is included only in the verb, [la] is lengthened
to [laa] in what perhaps may be called an assimilated form with the personal pronoun.
It has a hi-lo tone.
- [La ɤä̲n a wä̲ ni̲ ciaŋ.] I go every day (habitually).
- In a singular form as [la] or [a] (the verb not conjugated) in the 2nd and 3rd Aspects only. [La]
generally give place to [a].
Note: [bɛ̲n] changes to [bä̲] in this irregular verb.
- [Bi̲ jɛnla bä̲ ni̲ ciaŋ.] -- He will come (habitually) every day.
- [Bi̲ jɛn a bä̲ ni̲ ciaŋ.] -- same translation.
- [Ci̲ gat a ku̲ mi̲th.] -- The child began and continues to eat.
- As the word [lap] in 1st Aspect and imperatives. [Lap] is the conjugatable form of [la].
It is always conjugated in an independent clause.
1st Asp. Imp. [Jï̲n, lapi̲ a bi̲i̲ ni̲ ciaŋ.] -- You come always every day!
- [Kuoth lapɛ kɔ a luä̲kɛ.] -- God always helps us.
3rd Asp. Imp. [Jï̲n, lapi̲ bi̲ a bi̲i̲ ni̲ ciaŋ.] -- you, come always every day. i.e. keep on coming.
When [lap] occurs as the verb it stands alone and takes a noun following it as a predicate
Note: The same rules prevail for [lap] as for [la] with regard to word order and conjugation of
- [Lapi̲ Kuoth kɛl.] -- You are one God. Again the idea is habitual, that is, it covers the past, present and
- [Wu̲t ɛmɔ lapɛ ram mi̲ gɔaa.] -- That man is a good man
- The meaning of [la]:
- 1st Aspect: When used with a verb in the 1st Aspect [la]
indicates that the action is habitual and is translated "always" or "keep on" depending on the context.
When used with a verb in past time steeing, it indicated that the action was habitual
and is translated "used to always."
- Laa thïlɛ jɛ. -- There always isn't any.
- Laa lo̲kɛ ni̲ ja̲l. -- He always dislikes traveling.
- Laa wëë may, ɛn Jɔk. -- He always goes fishing. Jɔk does.
- La kɛn ro̲ a mooc. -- They always help themselves.
- Ciaŋ ciaŋ la kɛn a kɛ̲t. -- Every day they always swim.
- La nyiɛ̲r a wä̲ pu̲u̲r. -- The girls always went to hoe.
- Di̲w laa dɛ̲tkiɛn a yiɛnɛ. -- Di̲w always herds their sheep.
- Ɣä̲n laa kuä̲n a thaalä̲. -- I always cook the porridge.
- Lapɛ thok ran a guookɛ. -- He always silences a person's speech.
- [Mëëdan la kɛn a lä̲t wanɛmɛ.] -- Some time ago they used to work here.
- [Mëëdan dho̲o̲l ɛmɔ lapɛ dho̲o̲l mi̲ gɔaa.] -- Some time ago that boy used to be a
- 2nd Aspect: When used with a verb in the 2nd Aspect [la] indicates that the action
has begun and is going on and will continue. It is translated "has begun and will continue to ..."
Instead of stopping the action as completed, it causes completed action to remain as that
which has been established and will continue.
Note: The particle [ku̲] is commonly used in this particular construction to move the action out
of the completed idea into the completed but continuing.
- Gat ci̲ jɛn ku̲ a mi̲th. -- The child has begun and continues to eat.
- Wu̲t ɛmɔ ci̲ jɛn ku̲ a lä̲t tä̲ä̲mɛ. -- That man has begun and continues to work now.
- Ci̲ Jidhɛth ɤä̲ ku̲ a tɛɛk. -- Jesus has begun and continues to give me life.
- Ci̲ kɛn ro̲ ku̲ a mooc tä̲ä̲mɛ. -- They have begun and continue to help themselves.
- Ci̲ kɛn ŋɔaani̲kiɛn ku̲ a tho̲p. -- They have begun and continue to give their possessions.
- Ci̲ kɔn lä̲tkɔ ku̲ pay a laar. -- We have just begun and continue to speak our ideas.
- 3rd Aspect: When used with a verb in the 3rd Aspect [la] indicates that the action
anticipated to be begun will be habitual and is translated "always" or "keep on".
- Bi̲ jɛn la bä̲ ni̲ ciaŋ. -- He will always come every day.
- Bi̲ jɛn la ŋar ni̲ ciaŋ. -- He will always play every day.
- Bi̲ ciɛ̲k ɛmɔ la thä̲t. -- That woman will always cook.
- The Verb Formations in the 3 aspects with [la]:
Note: Material given here applies particularly to E. Nuer. Western
usage is different, notably in that [la] normally occurs only directly before the verb.
- The Habitual stem which is often distinct from the other stems occurs in the negative and
positive active voice when the subject follows [la].
e.g. -- La wu̲t ɛmɔ rɔɔdɛ a mooc. -- That man always helps himself. [mooc] is the habitual 1st Aspect stem.
La nyaam ɛmɔ a bä̲ ni̲ ciaŋ. -- That girl always comes every day. [bä̲] is the habitual 1st and 3rd Aspect stem.
- The conjugated 1st Aspect stem occurs in negative and positive active voice verbs
when the subject precedes [la] or is included in the verb.
e.g. Ɣä̲n laa ram ɛmɔ a luä̲kä̲. -- I always help that person.
Jɛn laa wëë rɛy c̈ŋ. -- He always goes to the village.
- The Habitual stem occurs in negative and positive active voice when the subject follows
the verb aspect particle.
e.g. -- Ci̲ ɤä̲n ku̲ a mi̲th. -- I began and continue (habitually) to eat.
- The conjugated 1st Aspect stem occurs in negative and positive active voice when the
assimilated verb aspect particle is used.
e.g. Cä̲ ku̲ a miɛ̲thä̲. -- I began and continue to eat.
- The 3rd Aspect follows the same pattern as the 2nd Aspect.
e.g. Bi̲ ɤä̲n a mi̲th. -- I will always eat or keep on eating (in anticipation).
Bä̲ a miɛ̲thä̲. -- same.