Re: Lurker surfaces and requests critique.

Steven Williams sikyal:

> Firstly, I have a really unique way to indicate
> relationships. For example, 'the cat ate the mouse'
> would be -
>
> "Mavs kat jenkui."
> mouse cat eat.(actor marker [ku]).(perfect marker [i])
It was only after carefully rereading your examples that I peiced together
that the subject must *immediately* precede the verb.  Otherwise it's
unclear whether "mavs kat jenkui" means "mouse ate cat" or "cat ate
mouse."

> Other relationships can be expressed as well, like
> instrumentivity and location. So, 'the cat ate for the
> mouse' would read -
>
> 'Mavs kat jenrui.'
> mouse cat eat.(benefactive marker [ru]).(perfect
> marker [i])
This contradicts what you said earlier.  In the previous examples the role
of the subject is given by the verb marker, and this example should work
the same way, making the cat the benefacted--meaning "For the cat ate
[mouse]".  It doesn't make much sense. Or, if the cat is the benefactor,
what is the relationship to the mouse?

This also brings up another point.  How is the role of the non-subject
expressed? Are there markers that will specify how it relates to the verb?
And how about ditransitives?

You've got the beginnings of a good system, but it needs a good deal more
thought to be completely usable.


Jesse S. Bangs jaspax@u.washington.edu
http://students.washington.edu/jaspax/

"If you look at a thing nine hundred and ninety-nine times, you are
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