ROTOKAS TEXT

2.0 Background of Materiale

The texts used in this paper were collected in the village of Togarao, Bougainville in 1966 by the author. Text A is a story told by Raupeto, a man in his late thirties who has had some education and is fluent in Neo-Melanesian. Text B was collected from a man in his fifties, Vavioviri, who has had little education and who speaks little Neo-Melanesian. The texts were recorded on tape and then transeribed with the assistance of David Akoitai, the author`s assistant. Both story tellers and assistant are from the Rotokas Proper dialect. Both texts hereafter will be referred to as "the text."

In the phonemic representation the phoneme /v/ is the voiced bilabial fricative and /r/ is the flapped alveolar vibrant. The period /./ represents "full pause," and the comma /,/ "tentative pause."

2.1. Text Proper

TEXT A

1. Ovokivuia avaveiepa ora iravu vaisiaro Luke Arimiori rupusia avakavaia.
2. Rupupaveva.
3. Opuruvaia avaveiepa.
4. Oira kotoveva iroiroia.
5. Uva voa toupaeva gaegaerepaoro voa osia rupupaveva.
6. Ovoiei rupupaveva.
7. Atari ritapaveiepa.
8. Uva voturu purapaveva.
9. Puraveva.
10. Puraveva.
11. Ovoiei ovoiepa voturu.
12. Uva viapau taraiveiepa osia avakava toruoro viripato tokoeva ro iraia opuruva kotoveva.
13. Avaopa.
14. Avaopa.
15. Gaegaereoro, avaopa.
16. Avaopa osia viapau taraiveiepa.
17. Avaopa.
18. Uva kukueva kaepieava.
19. Opuruvare rororagaraepa.
20. Uva oirare rororagaraepa.
21. Ro taviava vegoa rupupaveva,
22. E opuruva kaevoi.
23. Avakava opuruva kaeevou rovua.
24. Avaopa.
25. Avaopa.
26. Avaopa.
27. Uva oisio puraraepa, Vi avau.
28. Oira tariopaoro utuu.
29. Oire viapau uvuipaveiepa uvuipaveiepa.
30. Uva ragai orapireraepa vouririo raga purapaoro oisio,
31. Ovu vegeivi kareveare vosia okarevu avuvai vegei aiopai.vorara opuruva vavo oisio avao?
32. Uturaepa.
33. Uturaepa.
34. Uva rikurovu rutuia avaopa.
35. Avaopa.
36. Uva oire raka iava aataava.
37. Aataava.
38. Uva oiraia pituava.
39. Oiraia pituava oa iava oiraia orakotoraepa.
40. Oire oira ivaraiare kaeraviro.
41. Kaeraviro.
42. Kaeraviro.
43. Uva vorevira vorera goteperoia gotepaoro.
44. Voreraepa.
45. Voreraepa.
46. Uva voreraiva voviri veraraviro.
47. Uva ro ira taporo avaraepa rirovira roruiraoreva oisio,
48. Ae vegeivipa vearovira rutu opuruva varovarori.
49. Oa iava rorupaavou.
50. Oira tovoveva.
51. Uva orareopaveiepa oisio,
52. Eake rutu vi vovouaroia oratovoi oa iava opuruvare rorosia kaeuviro?
53. Ovoiei ragai tavipareva Ari.
54. Oisio puraroepa,
55. Vosia viapau aeri Pautoare ra vegeivi opesive.
56. Ari Pauto vi tavirevo oa iava kukueva kaepierivo.
57. Ovoiei oisio orareoveiepa oa iava.
58. Ragai tavireva oisio,
59. Irau ra kareve.
60. Oire kareveiepa opuruvaia.
61. Kareveiepa.
62. Kareveiepa.
63. Uva verauviroveiepa vo rogaraaro.
64. Verauvirooro oira tovoveva opuruva.
65. Oire oira tovooro oisio ragai tavipareva oisio,
66. Irau ra opitaravai atosia aueve.
67. Oire rokoveva vegoa sioparoia.
68. Uva opitara atoveva.
69. Koru atosia iparoepa.
70. Iparoepa.
71. Uva varava voreveiepa opuruva iare erakopaara taporo.
72. A uere arua rovisia kareveiepa vore atoia.
73. Kareveiepa.
74. Kareveiepa.
75. Uva kareuviroveiepa.
76. Opuruva verapieveva.
77. Oira verapieveva osra tovosia vo vovio rogaraaro avakava vatuaroia. Ovoiei oira tovooro atari siarepaveiepa.
78. ???
79. Aitereivu kakaetoarei aruveva,
80. Atari, kare siaresi.
81. Uva aruparoepa ro Ari oisio,
82. Aioavaiva- ra oai aiove.
83. Aio kokooro puraeva vatuava vegeipa,.
84. Aioveva.
85. Aiooro oratoupiepaveiepa osia voea atariroviro puraiva.
86. Uva vokiepa.
87. Uva lotusia avaiepa vokiarovi.
88. Uva lotu opesioro vorevira voreiepa
89. Uva aioiova atari kare voeao oea rupupaoro vuria ouragaveva.
90. Uva rirovira rutu siraopaveiepa vo orarugorugopiepaoro oisio,
91. Viapau uvuipaveiei ra oisio tootoove osia tootoopaveiei uvare opuruva vegei kavuragaevo uva vuria ouragavevo.
92. Uva eisi vegei vaaro siraoa oa puravevo.
93. Uva ovokirovuia oraaivaropiepaveaira orarugopiepave ra siraove ita oravegeipa.
94. Uva oisivio raga, osia opesiei ragai votavitaviaro oa puraavoi vovokioia aueia naintin sikisti sikis ragai Raupeto.

TEXT B

 95. Oavivu garea 
 96. Uva oisioa ito tavurupaave tuariri. 
 97. Uva oirato ruiva itovaia ora vururuva taporo. 
 98. Rera tavuruiva. 
 99. Uva Isio votavuru kaereva. 
100. Uva aueia sikatoaia votavuruva rearearoepa. 
101. Uva vaova toparoviropa. 
102. Oire uva koataroepa. 
103. Vava eriaia koataroepa. 
104. Uva iravu ovito votavuru votoreva. 
105. Votavuru votoreva. 
106. Uva orarururoepa. 
107. Oravurevureroepa. 
108. Oravurevureroepa. 
109. Uva oira karukaruiva. 
110. Oira karukaruiva. 
110. Oira karukaruiva. 
111. Uva voea uporeva. 
112. Uva aigeiva taporo uporeva otopisivuia. 
113. Uva kareroepa voea upooro. 
114. Kareroepa. 
115. Eisivi raga ragai vaaro ra opesipe, ragai, Vavioviri.

2.2 Translation of Text

Unless otherwise indicated the past tense used in the translation is specifically the remote past, "years ago," and the first person plural, "we" is dual "we both".

 1. On another day we both (and I) with. another man whose name is Luke Arimiori went to swim for something in (the) ocean. 
 2. We were swimming for something. 
 3. We went by canoe. 
 4. We hung her by (a) rope. 
 5. So she was there drifting as we were swimming for something. 
 6. Finally, we were swimming for something. 
 7. We were spearing fish. 
 8. So we were making this line. 
 9. We did. 
10. We did. 
11. Finally, this line was finished. 
12. So we didn't know as (the) ocean undulating broke (the) rope, this one by which we had hung (anchored) (the) canoe. 
13. She went. 
14. She went. 
15. Drifting she went.
16. She went while we didn't know. 
17. She went. 
18. So I lifted (my) head. 
19. I searched in vain for (the) canoe. 
20. So I searched in vain for her. 
21. I told this man, we who were swimming for something, 
22. "Is she carrying (the) canoe?"
23. (The) ocean carries (the) canoe (to the) deep water. 
24. She went. 
25. She went. 
26. She went. 
27. Then I said this, "You go. 
28. You follow while chasing her." 
29. Okay we were not able, we were (not) able. 
30. So I disregarded this fear only saying this, 
31. "Where will 'poor' we return if some other animals are eating us while (the) canoe is going way?" 
32. 1 followed. 
33. 1 followed. 
34. So she went to (the) truly deep water (beyond the reef). 
35. She went. 
36. So then I swam from (the) reef. 
37. I swam. 
38. Then I held onto her. 
39. I held onto her after which I tied myself to her. 
40. Okay I raised up completely to her top. 
41. I raised up completely. 
42. I raised up completely. 
43. So I returned back while paddling with (the) paddle. 
44. I went back. 
45. I went back.
46. Then I returned and beaehed completely back there. 
47. This man, with whom I went, was very happy (saying) this, 
48. "Ah! You truly retrieved (the) canoe well for Spoor" us. 
49. I am happy, about it." 
50. We put her (on the beach). 
51. Then we were conversing like this, 
52. "Truly what put itself in your thoughts after which you raised up to search for (the) canoe?" 
53. Finally, Ari was telling me. 
54. He said this, 
55. "If you had not cried to God, then 'poor' we would be finished. But God told you recently after which you lifted (your) head." 
57. Finally, we conversed about it like this. 
58. He told me this, 
59. "You go first and we will return." 
60. Okay we returned by means of (the) canoe. 
61. We returned.
62, We returned. 
63. Then we beached completely on (the) sand. 
64. Beaching completely we put her, the canoe. 
65. Okay putting her, like this he told me like this, 
66. "You go first and we will consider getting down coconuts." 
67. Okay we penetrated inside (the) jungle. 
68. Then we got coconuts down; 
69. He went up to,get down green coconuts. 
70. He went up. 
71. So we returned tó (the) canoe with them, with firewood also. 
72. We returned home to "grease" (the) greens. 
73. We returned. 
74. We returned. 
75. So we returned completely. 
76. We beached (the) canoe. 
77. We beached her to put her here on (the) beach at (the) ocean"s side. 
78. Finally, putting her we disemboweled (the) fish. 
79. We summoned.two others, two boys, 
80. "You two disembowel (the) fishes." 
81. So this man, Ari, was summoning like this, 
82. "(Come) with food and we will it." 
83. (The) wife did, pouring (the) food for us. 
84. We both ate. 
85. We both were together eating as they made these fish soups. 
86. So day ended. 
87. Then they went to worship (in the) evening. 
88. So finishing church we (exclusive) ate (the) fishes, these, which while swimming for we inadvertently got (into) trouble. 
89. ???
90. So truly greatly we sorrowed while remembering it like this. 
91. We would not be able to live as we are living now because (the) canoe just left us recently, when we inadvertently got (finto) trouble. 
92. So we recently made it, our sorrow, like that. 
93. So on these other days we will always meet together, we will be remembering back, and we will be sorry again for ourselves. 
94. So eat it is just (a) little like this as my story is finished which I am making on this day in nineteen sixty six, I, Raupeto.

TEXT B

 95. Another little one. 
 96. So all (the) time they would bundle bananas long ago. 
 97. So they enveloped (a) man in with (the) banana and his war club also. 
 98. They wrapped him. 
 99. Then Isio carried this bundle. 
100. So by (the) wild fig tree he rested with this bundle. 
101. Then he continued on with it. 
102. Okay then he went inside. 
103. With it he entered into (the) cave. 
104. Then another male, (the) son, pressed this bundle. 
105. He pressed this bundle. 
106. Then he moved around. 
107. He shook himself. 
108. He shook himself. 
109. So they opened her.
110 The opened her (the bundle). 
111. Then he fought them. 
112. Then he. fought (the) mother-in-law also in another room. 
113. So he returned fighting.them. 
114. He. returned. 
115. Mine (is) just (a) little like that, now it would be finished, I, Vavioviri.