Re: Translation pattern of `to have'?

ániyë: Jeff Watson

Attic Greek, in which the copula is optional in the
present tense (as in
russian, I gather), puts the possesee in the nominative case and the possesor
in the dative, i.e.:
Emoi    bios ti (esti)
me(dat) life  a  (is).
"I have a life"

Strangely enough, Greek also has a normal verb "to have" (Exô), which is
equivalent in meaning to using the dative but has a greater emphasis
pragmatically:
Bion      ti   exô.
life(acc) a  have-1s
"I have a life"

Irish Gaelic (VSO) uses a copula and preceeds the possessor by the
preposition "at" (which is inflected for person):
Ta an sciann agam
Is  the knife   at-me
"I have the knife"

One of my languages, Laspraxo, uses the Greek-type construction, but puts the
possessee in the accusative even when the dative is used:
Pipron mjou      =     Cjenes mir pipron
Pepper to-me           Have     I    pepper
               "I have pepper"

Overall it seems using either the dative or a preposition of movement-towards
for the possessor is a very, very common alternative in languages without a
verb for have, (and even in languages with such a verb).

Meeh!! I keep trying to post to the list and everytime the mail never gets
sent...i'll try this one tho.
In Silindion, the pattern is basically the same. The Thing possessed is in the
Copulative case, and the possessor is in the dative or locative (locative is
more archaic)

Thus:
  Eoscir   sinti  OR   Eoscir sivi
  eosci-r  sit-ni      eosci-r sit-vi
  knife-is me-to       knife-is me-at

           "I have a knife"

Elliott