Re: Yivrian Lexicon Online!

Thomas R. Wier sikyal:

> Quoting JS Bangs <jaspax@...>:
>
> > Conlangers:
> >
> > After teaching myself Perl and CGI basics, I was able to get a preliminary
> > version of the Yivrian lexicon online. Rejoice! The lexicon may be found
> > at: http://students.washington.edu/jaspax/scripts/lex.cgi
>
> Interesting.  But while perusing your site, I noticed that Yivrindil
> has a case called "contradative".  Could you explain its use(s)?
Sure. The contradative is a variation on the dative that is used for
arguments that are harmed by the action. Usually it is only used in cases
where the dative could also occur:

Al peroanyaa élos.
Al peroanya-a    él -os.
I  witness -PROG 3sg-DAT.
"I testify for him."

Al peroanyaa ruélos.
Al peroanya-a    ru -él -os.
I  witness -PROG CON-3sg-DAT
"I testify against him."

However, there are a handful of verbs that may take the contradative but
not the dative:

Al luskyaa ruélos.
Al luskya-a    ru -él -os.
I  injure-PROG CON-3sg-DAT
"I injure him."

In general, any argument in the dative may be replaced with the
contradative if you wish to imply that the person is harmed. Since all
emotive verbs may optionally take their object in the dative, you can
switch this to the contradative for some interesting effects:

Al anyaa ruéosé.
Al anya-a    ru -é  -os -é.
I  love-PROG CON-2sg-DAT-FEM
"I love you (but this is bad for you)."

Does that answer your question? I haven't gotten the section on nominal
syntax up yet, so explanations of the uses of the cases isn't yet online.

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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frightful danger of seeing it for the first time."
--G.K. Chesterton