1. 20. July. 2002
FLC
‘Come’ and ‘Go’ in Moder n Uyghur
Izumi Nishioka
Kyushu Univer sity
0. Intr oduction
The factors for selecting between verbs meaning come and go vary among languages. This
article shows what is the crucial factor for selecting between kä l- (corresponding to come in
English) and bar- (corresponding to go in English) in Modern Uyghur.1
(1) bu yär-gä kel-iŋ
this place–DAT come-IMPRT.2.SG
“Come here.”
(2) u yär-gä ber-iŋ
that place–DAT go-IMPRT.2.SG
“Go there.”
(3) käl-: Goal-Oriented verb
bar-: Not-Goal-Oriented verb
1. Selection between käl- and bar-
1.1. When the Speaker is at the Goal at Utter ance Time
When the Speaker is at the Goal at Utterance Time, kä l- is always used. (Whether the
Goal contains the Speaker at Arrival Time is not concerned.)
(4) [5] (The Speaker and the Hearer are at the Hearer’s home.)
ätä bu yär-dä men-i saqla-p tur-uŋ.
tomorrow this place-LOC I-ACC wait-CONV stay-IMPRT.2.SG
män iš-tin čüš-üp kel-äy.
I work-ABL leave-CONV come-IMPRT.1.SG
“Wait for me here tomorrow. I will come after finishing job.”
(5) [9] (The Speaker and the Hearer are at the zoo.)
ätä män bu yär-gä kel-mäy-män.
tomorrow I this place-DAT come-NEG-PRES.1.SG.
1
My linguistic consultant was born and grew in Gulja (Yining), which is in the northwestern part of Xinjiang
Uyghur Autonomous Region of China.
1

2. siz kel-äm-siz?
you come-Q-PRES.2.SG
“I won’t come here tomorrow. Will you come?”
1.2. When the Speaker is not at the Goal at Utter ance Time
When the Goal does not contain the Speaker at Utterance Time, the selection between kä l- and
bar- is determined according to the place which contains the Speaker at Arrival Time.
1.2.1. In the cases that the Speaker is at the Goal at Ar r ival time
When the Speaker is at the Goal at Arrival Time, kä l- is used even if the Speaker is
not at the Goal at Utterance Time.
(6) [33] (The Hearer is at the zoo. On the telephone.)
ätä män siz-ni u yär-dä saqla-p tur-imän.
tomorrow I you-ACC that place-LOC wait-CONV stay-PRES.1.SG
siz sa’ät qanči-da kel-isiz?
you clock how many come-PRES.2.SG.
“I will be waiting for you there tomorrow. What time will you come?”
(7) [48] (Both the Speaker and the Hearer are at a book shop.)
ätä män siz-ni haywanat bağči-si-da saqla-p tur-imän.
tomorrow I you-ACC zoo-POS.3.SG-LOC wait-CONV stay-PRES.1.SG
siz sa’ät qanči-da kel-isiz? / ?bar-isiz?
you clock how many-LOC come-PRES.2.SG / go-PRES.2.SG
“I will wait for you at your house tomorrow. What time will you come /go back home?”
1.2.2. In the cases that the Speaker is not at the Goal at Ar r ival Time
Though ba r- is preferred in the case that the Speaker is not at the Goal at any
time, kä l- is chosen in the case that the Goal is the Speaker’s home base, that is, a
place which the Speaker usually belongs to and should return to.
1.2.2.1. In the cases that the Goal is the Speaker ’s home base
käl- > bar-
(8) [34] (The Hearer is at the Speaker’s home. The Speaker is outside. On the
telephone.)
(bügün čoŋ iš-im bar.
today much work-POS.1.SG. existent
öy-gä qayt-ip kel-äl-mäy-män. / ?bar-al-may-män.
house-DAT return-CONV come-ABIL-NEG-PRES.1.SG / go-ABIL-NEG-PRES.1.SG)
ätä yänä biz-niŋ öy-dä men-i saqla-p tur-uŋ.
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3. tomorrow again we-GEN house-LOC I-ACC wait-CONV stay-IMPRT.2.SG
män iš-tin čüš-üp öy-gä qayt-ip kel-imän / ?bar-imän.
I work-ABL leave-CONV house-DAT return-CONV come-PRES.1.SG/go- PRES.1.SG.
“I have so much work today. I can’t come / go home. Wait for me at our house again
tomorrow. I will come / go home after leaving work.”
(9) [37] (The Hearer is at the Speaker’s home. The Speaker is outside. On the
telephone.)
ätä-mu män öy-dä yoq.
tomorrow-also I house-LOC absent
siz öy-gä kel-ip aka-m bilän sözliš-iŋ.
you house-DAT come-CONV elder brother-POS.1.SG with talk-IMPRT.2.SG
“I am not at home tomorrow, too. But come to our house and talk with my brother.”
(10) [43] (The Hearer is at the Speaker’s home. The Speaker is outside. On the
telephone.)
ätä iš-tin čüš-üp billä öy-gä (u yär-gä) .
tomorrow work-ABL leave-CONV together house-DAT (that place-DAT)
kel-äyli.
come-IMPRT.1.PL
“Let’s come to my house (come there) after leaving work tomorrow.”
(11) [52] (Both the Speaker and the Hearer are at a book shop.)
ätä biz-niŋ öy-gä kel-iŋ. / ?ber-iŋ
tomorrow we-GEN house-DAT come-IMPRT.2.SG / go-IMPRT.2.SG
(män öy-dä yoq.) aka-m siz-ni saqla-p
(I house-LOC absent) elder brother-POS.1.SG you-ACC wait-CONV
tur-idu.
stay-PRES.3.SG
“Come to our house tomorrow. I’m not at home, but my brother will be waiting for you.”
The judgments, however, are not stable in the following situations.
(12) [40] (The Hearer is at the Speaker’s home. The Speaker is outside. On the
telephone.)
?
(bügün män öy-gä qayt-ip kel-mäy-män. / bar-may-män.)
today I house-DAT return-CONV come-NEG-PRE.1.SG / go-NEG-PRE.1.SG
ätä iš-tin čüš-üp öy-gä qayt-ip kel-ip siz-gä
tomorrow work-ABL leave-CONV house-DAT return-CONV come-CONV you-DAT
telefon ber-äy.
telephone give-IMPRT.1.SG
“I will not come / go home today. I will call you after I leave work and come home
tomorrow.”
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4. (13) [55] (Both the Speaker and the Hearer are at a book shop.)
ätä män öy-gä qayt-ip kel-ip / ber-ip
tomorrow I house-DAT return-CONV come-CONV / go-CONV
siz-gä telefon ber-imän.
you-DAT telephone give-PRES.1.SG
“I will call you after I come / go home tomorrow.”
(14) [58] (Both the Speaker and the Hearer are at a book shop.)
ätä iš-tin čüš-üp billä (biz-niŋ) öy-gä
tomorrow work-ABL leave-CONV together (we-GEN.) house-DAT
?
kel-äyli / bar-ayli.
come-IMPRT.1.PL / go-IMPRT.1.PL
“Let’s come / go (to our) home after leaving work tomorrow.”
1.2.2.2. In the cases that the Goal is not the Speaker ’s home base
bar- > käl-
(15) [35] (The Hearer is at his/her own home. On the telephone.)
ätä män iš-tin čüš-üp öy-iŋiz-gä bar-imän.
tomorrow I work-ABL leave-CONV house-POS.2.SG.-DAT go-PRES.1.SG
“I will go to your house after leaving work tomorrow.”
(16) [36] (The Hearer is at the zoo. On the telephone.)
ätä yänä haywanat bağči-si-da men-i saqla-p tur-uŋ.
tomorrow again zoo-POS.3.SG-LOC I-ACC wait-CONV stay-IMPRT.2.SG
män iš-tin čüš-üp haywanat bağči-si-ğa bar-imän
I work-ABL leave-CONV zoo-POS.3.SG-DAT go-PRE/FUT.1.SG.
“Wait for me again at the zoo tomorrow. I will go to the zoo after leaving the office.”
(17) [44] (The Hearer is at his/her own home. On the telephone.)
ätä iš-tin čüš-üp billä öy-iŋiz-gä (u yär-gä)
tomorrow work-ABL leave-CONV together house-POS.2.SG-DAT (that place-DAT)
bar-ayli.
go-IMPRT.1.PL.
“Let’s go to your house (go there) after leaving work tomorrow.”
(18) [59] (Both the Speaker and the Hearer are at a book shop.)
ätä iš-tin čüš-üp billä öy-iŋiz-gä bar-ayli.
tomorrow work-ABL leave-CONV together house-POS.2.SG-DAT go-IMPRT.1.PL
“Let’s go to your house after leaving work tomorrow.”
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5. (19) [51] (Both the Speaker and the Hearer are at a book shop.)
ätä män sa’ät 4-tä haywanat bağči-si-ğa ?kel-imän / bar-imän
tomorrow I clock 4-LOC zoo-POS.3.SG-DAT come-PRES.SG/go-PRES.1.SG
haywanat bağči-si-da men-i saqla-p tur-uŋ.
zoo-POS.3.SG-LOC I-ACC. wait-CONV stay-IMPR.2.SG
“I will come / go to the zoo at 4 o’clock. Wait for me at the zoo.”
(20) [56] (Both the Speaker and the Hearer are at a book shop.)
ätä män öy-iŋiz-gä ber-ip dadi-ŋiz bilän
tomorrow I house-POS.2.SG.-DAT go-CONV father-POS.2.SG with
körüš-imän.
met-PRES.1.SG
“I will go to your house and meet your father.”
käl- > bar-
(21) [38] (The Hearer is at his/her own home.)
ätä sa’ät qanči-da öy-iŋiz-gä qayt-ip
tomorrow o’clock how many-LOC house-POS.2.SG.-DAT return-CONV
kel-isiz?
come-PRES.2.SG
“What time will you come back home tomorrow?”
(22) [53] (Both the Speaker and the Hearer are at a book shop.)
ätä iš-tin čüš-kän-din keyin öy-gä qayt-ip
tomorrow work-ABL leave-PART-ABL. after house-DAT return-CONV
kel-ip / ber-ip maŋ-a telefon ber-iŋ.
come-CONV. / go-CONV I-DAT telephone give-IMPR.2.SG
“Call me after you leave work and come home tomorrow.”
1.3. Summar y
(23) Constraints on viewpoint shift in Uyghur
a. If the Goal contains Speaker at either Utterance Time or Arrival Time, the Speaker’s
viewpoint is at the Goal.
b. In the case that the Goal does not contain the Speaker at any time, the Speaker’s
viewpoint can be shifted if the Goal is a place which the Speaker usually belongs to
(e.g. home, office, school and etc.).
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6. 2. Easiness of viewpoint shift concer ning to selection bet ween Goa l-Or ient ed ver b a nd
Not-Goal-Or iented ver b
2.1. Factor s for selection between Goal-Or iented ver b and Not-Goal-Or iented ver b
(24) Principle for selection between Goal-Oriented verb and Not-Goal-Oriented verb
i) a. If the Speaker’s viewpoint is at the Goal, Goal-Oriented verb (meaning ‘come’) is
selected.
b. If the Speaker’s viewpoint is not at the Goal, Not-Goal-Oriented verb (meaning
‘go’ is selected.
ii) The speaker’s viewpoint can be shifted to the Goal from a place that is not the Goal
according to constraints on viewpoint shift in each language.
(25) Factors concerning to constraint on viewpoint shift
Utterance place: Goal, or not?
Goal: Speaker’s home base, Hearer’s home base or not?
Agent of motion: Speaker, Hearer or Other person?
Utterance Time / Arrival Time
2.2. Selection between Goal-Or iented ver b and Not-Goal-Or iented ver b in each language
English
(26) John will come / go there at 6 this evening. (Oe, 1975; (25))
(27) Fred came to my apartment twice last week while I was gone.
(Fillmore 1972: (28))
(28) I will come / go there tomorrow. (Oe, 1975; (23))
(29) John will come to the department tomorrow. (Fillmore 1972: (18))
(30) I came over to your house last night, but you weren’t home. (Fillmore 1972: (27))
2
2
Principles for selection between come and go (Fillmore 1972)
(A) For GO, it is assumed that the Sender is not located at the Goal at coding time.
(B) For COME, it is assumed
(i) that the Sender is at the Goal at coding time;
(ii) that the Sender is at the Goal at arrival time;
(iii) that the Addressee is at the Goal at coding time;
(iv) that the Addressee is at the Goal at arrival time.
(C) For COME, it may also be assumed
(i) that the Goal is a ‘proper location’ for Sender at arrival time; or
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7. Kyushu Japanese
(31) (not at home)
Kinoo titi-wa osoku kaet-te ki-masita
(32) Taroo-wa mainiti koko-kara arui-te gakko-ni kuru-rasii. (Kuno 1978: (4))
(33) Taroo-ga uti-ni ki-ta toki watasi-wa i-nakat-ta.
(34) (on the telephone)
(Watashi-wa) asu soko-ni ki-masu.
(35) (on the telephone)
Taroo-ga asu soko-ni ki-masu.
(36) *(Watasi-wa) kinoo kimi-no ie-ni ki-ta-kedo kimi-wa i-nakat-ta.
(ii) that the Goal is a ‘proper location’ for Addressee at arrival time.
(D) For COME, it may also be assumed
(i) that the Sender is making the same Journey; or
(ii) that the Addressee is making the same journey.
(E) COME is appropriate if the conditions (B) through (D) are assumed satisfied by the
Sender or the Addressee of a reported communication act and the 'coding time' is
taken to be the time of the reported communication act.
(F) COME is appropriate under conditions that can be stated by replacing ‘Sender’ and
‘Addressee’ in the formulation of conditions (B) through (D) by ‘Experiencer of a
subjective-experience verb’ and by replacing ‘coding time’ by ‘the time of the
subjective experience.’
(G) In pure third-person discourse (i.e., in discourse in which the identity and location
of the Sender and the Addressee plays no role), the narrator is free to choose a point of view, such
that movement toward the place or person whose point of view is assumed can be expressed with
the verb COME.
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8. Standard Japanese3
(37) (not at home)
Kinoo titi-wa osoku kaet-te ki-masita
(38) Taroo-wa mainiti koko-kara arui-te gakko-ni kuru-rasii. (Kuno 1978: (4))
(39) Taroo-ga ki-ta toki watasi-wa ie-ni i-nakat-ta.
(40) (on the telephone)
*(Watasi-wa) asu soko-ni ki-masu.
(41) (on the telephone)
*Taroo-ga asu soko-ni ki-masu.
(42) *(Watasi-wa) kinoo kimi-no ie-ni ki-ta-kedo kimi-wa i-nakat-ta.
Sive Manchu
(43) Principle (revised): When the Speaker is at the Goal at Utterance time, ji- is
used. Otherwise, gene- is used. (Kubo 1997: (18))
(44) (not at home)
cixse mon-i haheji xene sita-me
yesterday we(EXCL)-GEN son very [be late]-CONV(IMP)
bo-ci bedere-me gene-xei.
house-DIR return-CONV(IMP) go-FIN(PF)
“Yesterday our son came home very late.” (Kubo 1997: (13))
(45) (not at home)
si cimare mo-i bo-de gene-me-na ?
you tomorrow we(EXCL)-GEN house-DAT go-FIN(IMP)-YNQ
“Are you coming to our house tomorrow.” (Kubo 1997: (14))
3
Viewpoint constraints on ‘kuru / iku’ (Kuno 1978: translated by the author)
a. in the case that the Speaker is the agent of motion
If the coding place is the Goal, ‘kuru’ is used and if the source, ‘iku’ is used.
b. in the case that the Speaker is not the agent of motion
‘kuru’: is used when the viewpoint of the Speaker is close to the other person than the
agent of the motion who is (was) at the Goal at Utterance time or of motion
E (the person at the Goal) > E (the agent of the motion, the person at the source)
‘iku’: is used in other cases than the ones that are stated above.
E (the agent of the motion, the person at the source) > E (the person at the Goal)
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9. (46) Easiness of viewpoint shift
English > Kyushu Japanese > Non-kyushu Japanese, Modern Uyghur > Sive Manchu
1) S is S is not at G at U.T.
at G at 2) S is at S is not at G at A.T.
U.T. G at A.T. 3) G is G is not S’s home base.
S's home 4) H is at H is not at G at U.T.
base. G at U.T 5) H is at H is not at G at A.T.
G at A.T. 6) G is 7) G is not
H's home H's home
base base.
English Come come come come / go come / go come / go go
Kyushu Kuru kuru kuru / iku kuru / iku kuru / iku iku iku
Japanese
Standard Kuru kuru kuru / iku Iku iku iku? iku
Japanese
Modern käl- käl- käl-/bar- bar- bar- bar- bar-
Uyghur
Sive ji- gene- gene- gene- gene- gene- gene-
Manchu
3. Remaining issues
✯order of conditions
✯usages as aspect forms
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10. Appendix: List of judgement for selection between käl- and bar- in Moder n Uyghur
At Utterance S and H are at S is at Goal. H is at Goal. Neither is at
Time Goal Goal.
At Arrival Time
S is at S’s home (1) käl- (16) käl- (31) käl- (46) käl- / bar-
Goal.
H’s home (2) käl- (17) käl- (32) käl- (47) käl- / ?bar-
H is
Agent Zoo (3) käl- (18) käl- (33) käl- (48) käl- / ?bar-
H is at S’s home (4) käl- (19) käl- (34) käl- / ?bar- (49) käl- / ?bar-
Goal.
H’s home (5) käl- (20) käl- (35) bar- (50) bar-
S is Agent
Zoo (6) käl- (21) käl- (36) ?* käl- / bar- (51) ?käl- / bar-
Neither S’s home (7) käl- (22) käl- (37) käl- (52) käl- / ?bar-
is at Goal.
H’s home (8) käl- (23) käl- (38) käl- (53) käl- / ?bar-
H is
Agent Zoo (9) käl- (24) käl- (39) bar- (54) ?käl- / bar-
Neither S’s home (10) käl- (25) käl- (40) käl- (55) käl- / bar-
is at
Goal. H’s home (11) käl- (26) käl- (41) bar- (56) bar-
S is Zoo (12) käl- (27) käl- (42) bar- (57) bar-
Agent
Neither S’s home (13) käl- (28) käl- (43) käl- (58) ?käl- / bar-
is at
Goal. H’s home (14) käl- (29) käl- (44) bar- (59) ?käl- / bar-
S and H Zoo (15) käl- (30) käl- (45) bar- (60) bar-
are
Agents
S: Speaker, H: Hearer
Refer ence
Fillmore, Charles J. 1972. How to Know Whether You’re Coming or Going. Studies in
Descriptive and Applied Linguistics 5: 3-17.
Hahn, Reinhard F. 1991. Spoken Uyghur. University of Washington Press.
Kubo, Tomoyuki. 1997. “Come” and “Go” in Sive Manchu. Saksaha: A Review of Manchu
Studies. No.2: 19-24.
Kuno, Susumu. 1978. Danwa no bunpo. Taisyukansyoten: 253-266.
Oe, Saburoo. 1975. Nitieigo no hikakukenkyu –syukakusei o megutte-. Nagumodo: 13-28.
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