The word “syntax” is given a Kalabari form, “sintakisi” and defined below.
Sịntakịsị anịẹ ẹkwẹn bịbị
dukoye bu s’me n’ibi anga kẹ Wa tolumar’ dawoye.
▓
Verbs & Auxiliary Verbs.
As a general rule, Kalabari sentences always end in a verb or auxiliary verb
as the case may be.
▓ Articles
As a general rule, in a Kalabari sentence the definite article "the" always comes after the noun subject;
the idefinite articles such as "a" and "an" come before. Examples:
*articles in klabari
are in brackets
The
-
The boy has come = owibọ tụbọ (be) O bo tẹẹ
-
Kill the goat = obori (be) baa
-
Did you see the bag? = akpa (mẹ) I ẹrị?
-
The women are here = ereme (ma) In bo tẹẹ.
A and An
-
Give me a bag
= (gbọrụ) akpa kẹ I p'rị
-
Did you see a bag? = I (gbọrụ) akpa ẹrị?
-
An egg a day is o.k = (gbọrụ) anyị
gbọrụ ene ibi w'rar'
▓ Adverbs
In English, verbs always come before adverbs. Examples:
run quickly;
eat gently;
do it carefully
come tommorow
see me six o'clock
In Kalabari, verbs come after adverbs. Examples:
run quickly = fọnya mangịị
eat gently = kẹlẹkẹlẹ fịị
do it carefully = dein deinma mịyẹẹ
come tommorow = baa boo
see me six o'clock = sonia so bụ I ẹrị
more to come
