Re: Some isolating verb patterns

--- Rene Uittenbogaard <ruittenb@...> wrote:

> Gary Shannon wrote:
>
<snip>

> On the other hand, since
> even
> > the most complex grammars in the world were
> "designed"
> > through daily use by people who had no knowledge
> of
> > grammar whatsoever, perhaps I am just ignorant
> enough
> > to make design choices that are more "natural."
> ;-)
>
> It sounds natural indeed. And as long as you're not
> aiming
> for a 100% isolating language, keeping a few
> irregularities
> here and there can only make your language more
> charming :)
>
> (Yes, I like irregularities - just look at the table
> of
> personal pronouns in Calénnawn :P )
>
> Éylo,
> René
>
I've already "discovered" a couple of other
irregularities in my embryonic conlang that make it
less than 100% isolating.  If I'm not careful it might
evolve into an semi-inflecting language. I can see
case marking particles might glue themselves to the
articles (and pronouns like some, many, few, ...) and
eventually become a whole set of declined articles and
pronouns.  It would be interesting to have pronouns
and articles be the only things that are inflected
while verbs, nouns, adjectives, etc. were not
inflected.

Maybe the personal pronoun could even carry the tense
of the verb. How strange is that?

<I+past> give <some+accusative> apple <the+dative>
teacher.

"Mepa give somac apple theda teacher."

Plural would be marked by using a plural article (some
vs. a or these vs the) rather than inflecting the
noun. And the case of the noun would be marked by the
case ending on the article (or pronoun).

--gary