82. The mere naming of an idea, as in counting or giving 10the title of a story: Isà, dalawà, tatlò, ápat, limà.... One, two, three, four, five....
83. (2) Of the impersonal-anaphoric type are many answers to questions or continuations of dialogue: Kahápon. Yesterday. Akò. I, It’s I, It was I. (Never “Itò y akò,” or the like).
1584. Certain occurrences, especially meteoric phenomena, are not analyzed into subject and predicate: Umúulàn. It’s raining. Kabilúgan naŋ bwàn. Roundness of-the moon, i. e. There is a full moon. Bumábahàʾ. There is a flood. Naàáreʾ. It is possible, allowable. Hindí nalaúnan. It did not take long, It was not long. 20Taginit nà. It is summer already.
85. Very common in impersonal construction are expressions of indefinite quantity (§ [69]). In this use they express existence or forthcomingness (or the opposite) of indefinite objects: Mày maŋa babáye. There are women. Máy-roo ŋ aswàŋ sa báyan. 25There was a vampire in the town. Walà ŋ papèl. There is no paper. Walà ŋ anu màn! There is nothing. Also: Not at all! You’re welcome! Malaki ŋ twàʾ naŋ iba ŋ táo. There was great rejoicing by the other people. Sa dalága ŋ itò y marámi ŋ maŋlilígaw. For this young woman there were many suitors.
3086. Less common in impersonal construction are expressions of occurrences involving indefinite or indifferent persons or things: Humúkay. One should dig. Nagumpisa nà naŋ pagsábuy. “They” have already begun to throw.
87. There is great freedom as to presence or absence of anaphorically 35determined elements (i. e., such as have been recently mentioned or, less commonly, are about to be mentioned), including the subject; when this is wanting, the subject-and-predicate structure is, of course, lost: Hiníla nya sa pasígan. Was-dragged by-him to-the shore, i. e. He dragged it or the tree (sc. itò, or: 40aŋ púnoʾ, from the preceding sentence) to the shore. Hindí makabùbúti sa kanilà. (It, the scheme mentioned) will do them no good.
Many constructions later to be noticed depend on this habit of omitting anaphorically determined elements, cf. e. g.: Aŋ púnoʾ ay tumúbo haŋgàŋ sa magbúŋa. The tree grew until (sc. it) bore fruit. Pagdatìŋ niya ay sabíhin mo ŋ maghintày. At-the-coming 5of-him be-said (impersonal) by-you that (sc. he) should-wait, i. e. When he comes, tell him to wait.
b. The subject.
88. The subject of a sentence is always an object expression. The only exceptions are complex sentences with entire predications 10(§ [115]) or quotations (§ [329]) as subject.
89. The subject may have two positions: