Re: Typologic survey, part II

taliesin the storyteller sikayal:

> Please cut away the unnecessary cruft, stick to the point and be concise.
>
> ---- PART II Conlang Typlogic Survey 2001 ----
>
> House-keeping data
>
> Name of the participating conlang:
1) Yivríndil
2) Praçí
3) Tzingrizhîl

All created and submitted by Jesse Bangs
Spoken on the western parts of the largest continent of Aratasa

> 2: Order of genitive (G), and noun (N)
> That is: Possessor/owner and possession/owned thing
1-3) N then G

> How is it shown?
Yiv: Prefix on the G
Pr: Freestanding preposition between N and G
Tz: Suffix on the G

> 3: Order of adjective (A) and noun (N)
All: N then A

> Does the language have a closed class of adjectives?
All: No.  Virtually all adjectives are derived from nouns (these three
related languages are All-Noun languages.)  There are a few adjectives
which do not have nominal roots, although they still have the adjectival
suffix.  The classic example is Yivríndil *atil* "good" (Pr. atí,
Tz. atzîl), which ends with the adjectival ending -il but has no noun *at-
from which it is derived.

> How are they similar, how do they differ from verbs and nouns?
All: Adjectives are distinguished a set of unique adjectival
endings.  The denominative adjectival ending is a reflex of proto-Yivril
*-il, and the deverbative adjectival endings are reflexes of proto-Yivril
*-en (active participle) and *-os (passive participle).

Language specifics:
Yiv: The all adjectives may be modified and made more specific with
various affixes, but the adjectival termination must always be -il, -en,
or -es.
Pr: A few of the adjectival modifiers (cognate to the ones that Yivríndil
uses) have become independent and so can occur without the adjectival
termination, but those modifiers still serve to identify adjectives
Tz: Essentially the same as Yivríndil

> Can they take a copula (that is: need/don't need equivalent of "to be")?
Yiv: No.  Copular sentences are indicated by attaching a verbal
suffix to the nouns which the adjectives derive from.  Ex: Noun
'hara'='beauty', Adj 'haril'='beautiful', Verb 'haraya'='to be beautiful.'
Pr: Yes
Tz: No.  Situation similar to that of Yivríndil.


Jesse S. Bangs jaspax@u.washington.edu
"It is of the new things that men tire--of fashions and proposals and
improvements and change.  It is the old things that startle and
intoxicate.  It is the old things that are young."
-G.K. Chesterton _The Napoleon of Notting Hill_