• Morphology and Syntax

    Marshallese is a synthetic language, and words can be broken down into stems, prefixes, and suffixes. It is possible for a stem to take multiple prefixes and suffixes. Marshallese also makes use of reduplication.

    1) Suffixes
    Marshallese attaches suffixes to pronouns in order to mark tense.

    Past tense marker:  -ar

    I-ar
    1SG-PST
    mona
    eat
    ek.
    fish.
    ‘I ate fish.’

    Present tense marker:  -j

    I-j
    1SG-PRST
    mona
    eat
    ek.
    fish.
    ‘I eat fish.’

    Future tense marker:  -naaj

    I-naaj
    1SG-FUT
    mona
    eat
    ek.
    fish.
    ‘I will eat fish.’

    2) Noun Phrase

    ruo
    two
    ni
    coconut
    kilep
    big
    ‘Two big coconuts’

    In Marshallese, adjectives come after nouns.

    3) Verb Phrase

    E-ar
    SG-PST
    letok
    give
    juon
    one
    ni.
    coconut
    ‘S(he) gave me one coconut.’

    Direct objects come after the verb.

    4) Prepositional Phrase

    E-j
    3SG-PRST
    bed
    LOC
    iumin
    under
    ujoj
    bush
    eo.
    DET
    ‘She is under the bush.’

    5) Questions

    Jebro
    Jebro
    e-ar
    3SG-PST
    ke
    AUX
    mane
    hit
    Etao?
    Etao?
    Did Jebro hit Etao?

    6) Word Order
    Transitive predicational sentences have SVO word order.

    For songs:

    Mour
    Life
    eo
    det
    ao
    1sg.poss
    ion
    on-in
    aelon
    nation-island
    eo
    det
    ao
    1st.poss
    En
    It 
    emman
    good→
    lok
    more 
    jen
    than/from
    mokta
    before
    Jen
    Let
    jimor
    us/We
    jutak
    should 
    im
    together 
    ben
    stand
    likatotot
    and
    Jutak
    Stand
    im
    and
    wanman-lok
    move-forward-more

     

     

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