The Nonverbal Clause in Lamaholot Language of Lamalera Dialect

Abstract

A nonverbal clause is a simple syntactic construction consisting of a subject and a prediction (complement). If it is observed, a nonverbal clause is an intransitive clause. The intransitive clause, however, is a predefined verb clause that does not require an object, whereas the nonverbal clause is a predefined categorical clause (nouns, adverbs and adjectives). Agglutinative languages call nonverbal clauses as copula clauses. The copula clause has syntactic functions such as the subject of the copula clause and the predictor of the copula clause (complement of the copula clause). The predicted marker of the copula clause is the copula verb (auxiliary verb). The copula verb becomes the only characteristic of the copula clause. Non-agglutinative languages such as Lamaholot Language of Lamalera Dialect (hereinafter abbreviated and referred to as LLLD) refer to the construction of a copula clause as a nonverbal clause. Nonverbal clauses are similar to copula clauses in terms of syntactic functions such as clause subject functions, predictions and complement clauses. The verbal predictor (auxiliary verb) clause is the only marker in agglutinative language. If so then LLLD is not an agglutinative language group using a syintactical strategy as the syntactic function of non-verbal syntax. Lamaholot Language of Lamalera Dialect utilizes supra segmental elements such as pauses and intonations as the functional markers in nonverbal clauses.