Re: Vjatjackwa (the result of all those sound changes!)

Quoting Amanda Babcock <ababcock@...>:

> And I'm going to do animacy the Cree way (as seen in _Describing
> Morphosyntax_), with 2p > 1p > 3p:proximate > 3p:obviate
I just had wonderfully bizarre idea; a language which uses different animacy
hierarchies depending on politeness level! Basically, I imagine 2nd>1st>3rd
when talking to superiors and 1st>2nd>3rd to inferiors (the relevant
conculture would be too hierarchical to know of the concept of equals, I
guess!).

Now, before I devote any actual work to this, I'd like to hear the
anadewism ... altho I'm slightly dishearted to note no-one sent one in for
the "split evil" system!

The project this could go into is a Dwarven language, belonging to the same
coniverse as Meghean and Yargish, for which I'm currently collecting ideas. I
was thinking to do it clairvoyant with obligatory theme and rheme marking, but
this may turn out to be even more nifty (read 'bizarre').

                                                            Andreas

PS On the subject of Dwarves, here's a li'l translation excerise:

Nang ibh seomim oete; sunea!

"All dwarves were created equal; short!"

Vocab and gram. notes; _nang_, pl of _nagh_ "dwarf", _ibh_ "all", _seomim_,
imperfect passive of _seom_ "to create", _oete_ "equal(ly), the same",
_sunea_ "short, low".

PPS The language, of course, is Meghean; this Dwarven language, should it get
ever get off the ground, is going to have a markedly harsher sound!

PPPS _Nang_ should theoretically be spelt _nañg_, but I can't be bothered to
follow my own romanization rules today.

PPPPS No, I'm not addicted to postscripta.

                                                            Andreas

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