taliesin the storyteller wrote:
>
> I'm currently struggling with understanding the rel. cl. of my lang
> correctly, and thought I'd look at how it works in other langs.
> Unfortunately, it seems that relative clauses is part of the grammar
> that is 'not yet online' :) Does it change too often?
>
Not in my case :) . I explain how to make relative clauses in all my
grammars that are online.
> Anyways, how -do- you do relative clauses in your conlangs? Here's
> something for y'all to translate... (substitute words when necessary...)
>
I'm going to use the grammar skeletons of some of my conlangs instead
of the words themselves, because I have currently no access to my
lexicon files and notes.
> rel. subject:
> "The dog that saw the cat was large."
>
Azak-like:
large-aorist dog-abs. see-REL. cat-the-abs.
Reman-like:
the dog the that saw the cat large
Moten-like:
cat-the-acc. see be-past-REL. dog-the-nom. large be-past
Chasma"o"cho-like:
large dog-const. see-cat-the RES. END
> rel. object:
> "The dog saw the cat that killed the mouse."
>
Azak-like:
see-aorist dog-the-erg. cat-abs. kill-REL. mouse-the-abs.
Reman-like:
the dog saw the cat the that killed the mouse
Moten-like:
inst.-dog-the mouse-the-acc. kill be-past-REL. cat-the-acc. see be-past
Chasma"o"cho-like:
see dog-the cat-const. kill-mouse-the RES. END
> nested:
> "The dog that saw the cat that killed the mouse that was large drank
> from the river that John put the poison in."
>
Azak-like:
drink-aorist dog-erg. see-REL. cat-abs. kill-REL. mouse-abs. large-REL.
river-from put-REL. John-erg. poison-the-abs. it-ill.
Reman-like:
the dog the that saw the cat the that killed the mouse large drank from
the river in the that John put the poison
Moten-like:
large be-past-REL. mouse-the-acc. kill be-past-REL. cat-the-acc. see
be-past-REL. dog-the-nom. John-nom. poison-the-acc. place-inside-acc.
put be-past-REL. place-river-the-gen.
Chasma"o"cho-like:
drink dog-const. see RES. cat-const. kill RES. mouse large END END
from-it river-const. put-poison-the John in-RES. END
> rel. indirect object:
> "The dog that John gave the ball to."
>
Azak-like:
dog give-aorist-REL. John-erg. ball-the-abs.
Reman-like:
the dog to the that John gave the ball
Moten-like:
John-nom. ball-the-acc. give be-past-REL. dog-the
Chasma"o"cho-like:
dog-const. give-ball-the John to-RES. END
> rel. oblique:
> "The mouse that the cat chewed on." or,
> "The cat that the dog was bigger than."
>
Azak-like:
cat big-aorist-REL. more dog-the-abs.
Reman-like:
the cat than the that the dog bigger
Moten-like:
dog-the-nom. bigger be-past-REL. cat-the
Chasma"o"cho-like:
cat-const. bigger dog-the be-RES. END
> rel. posessor:
> "The dog saw the cat whose teeth were huge."
>
Azak-like:
see-aorist dog-the-erg. cat huge-REL. teeth-abs.
Reman-like:
the dog saw the cat of the that the teeth huge
Moten-like:
inst.-dog-the teeth-the-nom. huge be-past-REL. cat-the-acc. see be-past
Chasma"o"cho-like:
see dog-the cat-const. huge teeth-const. RES. END
Wow! I hope you'll understand something about it. As you see, I use
many different ways of making relative clauses. Just choose :) .
>
> tal.
> --
> "Better living through conlanging"
--
Christophe Grandsire
Philips Research Laboratories -- Building WB 145
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The Netherlands
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E-mail: grandsir@natlab.research.philips.com