Re: All-noun langs, was: Syntaxy-Turvy

On Fri, 30 Jun 2000 10:29:20 -0400 Vasiliy Chernov <bc_@...> writes:
> I also toyed some time ago with other possible meanings of zero
> copula
> besides 'to be', including 'to do/make', 'to have', 'to belong to',
> 'to be made/done by', etc. But I didn't have patience enough to
> build
> any big project.
>
>
> Basilius
-

Rokbeigalmki verb conjugation works by attaching a "subject-tense
complex" to the front of a verb-noun root.

KHAZ = sight
AZ = i
A = (present-immediate tense)

AZA-KHAZ = i am seeing

But by itself, a subject-tense complex can mean "to be" (like the basic
zero-copula construction), "to do" (in the English 'empty verb' sense)
"to be at", or even "to go" depending on the context.

_"ta'wajhwa azá"_ = "i (am) (at this moment) at home"
_"ha'eza-khaz?"  "azá!"_ = "are you seeing?"  "i am!"
_"fawa ezoi'nyih-ktis?"  "azoi-tíh!"_ = "why don't you (present-routine
tense) work?"  "i do! (with an positive marker)"
_"wa'risp-a izú"_ = "she (went) to the classroom"

The rootless complex must come at the end of the sentence, similarly to
the "this=that" zero-copula construction:

_mald az_ = "i (am) a human"


-Stephen (Steg)
 "survival is insufficient."