Re: Spanish-related question ((q)SVO ?)

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Rodlox 
  To: 
  Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2004 2:55 AM
  Subject: Re: Re: Spanish-related question ((q)SVO ?)



    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: David Peterson 
    To: CONLANG@LISTSERV.BROWN.EDU 
    Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2004 1:06 AM
    Subject: Re: Spanish-related question ((q)SVO ?)


    Rodlox wrote:

    << ie "Que wot be thee."
    ("what are you?" loose translation - please take no offense...that example
    was atop my notes today).>>

    This is another place where an interlinear translation was absolutely
    necessary.  Why?  Because you talk about "the question word", but to my
    eyes, there appear to be two: "que" and "wot".  So when you said "the question
    word", which one did you mean?
     
     "que"
     
     in Orinoco English, words like "wot" seem to be statements rather than queries.
     
     I'll *try* an interlinear...
    "Que wot be thee."
    " ? / what is / state-of-being / you "
    "What are you?"
     
     how was that?
     
    << so...would that make Orinoco English a qSVO language?  *curious*>>

    The answer is "no", but I'll wait to see your interlinear to explain why.  One
    thing might help out quite a bit: How would you say "You are a teacher",
    or "Thou art a teacher",

 that would probably have an interlinear more like "state-of-being / teacher /
you"...though I may be wrong.

     "be" and "art" seem to be pretty much interchangable, as far as I've seen of Orinoco English.

    > or "Thou art" anything?  (Oh, and note: The word
    order of the sentence you listed appears to be subject final.)
     
     oh...sorry.  still climbing the tower of comprehension, and my stomach doesn't like heights.
     :)