This paper investigates the syntax and semantics of the verb si "say" in Avatime, which occurs both as a main verb and as an introducer of complement clauses. We argue that it is always a (light) verb (cf. Grimshaw, 2015), which forms a complex event with the verb it combines with as a serial verb construction. The main consequence of our analysis is that there is no direct selectional relationship between speech/attitude verbs and clauses headed by "say"; instead, acceptability is determined by whether the two clauses form a satisfiable event description.