Re: Question on Géarthnuns grammar (sorta long)

From: "Matt Pearson"

> Let's see:  "Höi" is used in the following contexts:
> -- Precedes the direct object (or other dependent) of a participial verb.
> -- Precedes the direct object (or other dependent) of an eventive noun.
> -- Precedes the direct object (or other dependent) of a lexical verb in a
>      causative construction.
> Diagnosis:  "Höi" is a particle which marks the following constituent as
> being the complement of a non-finite (i.e. untensed) predicate.
Gosh, it really *is* a particle?!!

> This analysis relies on the assumption that the lexical verb in a
> causative construction is non-finite.  I must admit that causative
> constructions in Géarthnuns look a little strange to me.  If I understand
> your glosses, it seems as though causativity is marked by using a
> special class of auxiliaries.  In most SOV natlangs that I know of,
> causativity is marked either by adding a suffix to the lexical verb,
> or by using a causative verb which takes a participial/infinitival
> clause complement.  I would thus have expected one of these
> constructions in Géarthnuns (for "John made me write the letter"):
>
>    John  AUX  me  HÖI  the  letter  write-CAUS
>    John  AUX  me  HÖI  the  letter  write-GERUND  cause
>
> Perhaps if you explain how causative constructions in Géarthnuns
> work...
You had it right the first time. The shléts, the *auxiliary*, marks tense,
but it also marks voice, of which the causative is considered a member in
Géarthnuns.

la    present active

Sí la cha pfesensat fuzh.      I write the letter
I-nom pres the letter-acc write

lat   present passive

Cha pfesens lat sín fuzh.   The letter is written by me.
the letter-nom pres-pass I-instr write

lak  present dative passive

Sí lak cha pfesensat fuzh.  I was written the letter.
I-nom pres-d.pass the letter-acc write

lan   present causative

Sí lan Íöhansat höi cha pfesensat fuzh.  I  made John write the letter.
I-nom pres-caus höi the letter-acc write

lab   present causative passive

Íöhans lab sín höi cha pfesensat fuzh.   John was made by me to write the
letter.
John-nom pres-p.caus I-instr höi the letter-acc write

las    present reflexive

Sí zhö Íöhans las sak pfesensach fuzh.  John and I write letters to each
other.
I-nom and John-nom pres-ref indef.art/pl letter-acc/pl write

lav   present impersonal  (usage similar to French "on")

Seth lav chak pfesensach fuzh.  One writes letters. They write letters. We
write letters. You write
he-nom pres-imp the letter-acc/pl letter-acc/pl write         letters.

lé  past active

Sí lé cha pfesensat fuzh.  I wrote the letter.
I-nom past the letter-acc write

lét  past passive

Cha pfesens lét sín fuzh.  The letter was written by me.
the letter-nom past-pass I-instr write

lít  future passive

Cha pfesens lít sín fuzh.  The letter will be written by me.
the letter-nom fut-pass I-instr write

and so on...

thus "John made me write the letter."

Íöhans lén sít höi cha pfesensat fuzh.
John-nom past-caus I-acc höi the letter-acc write

If I understand the term "non-finite", then the lexical verb is typically
"non-finite" since tense (present, past, future, present perfect, past
perfect, future perfect, and transcendent) and voice (active, passive,
dative passive, causative, causative passive, reflexive, and impersonal) are
marked by the auxiliary, while mood (indicative, interrogative, imperative,
speculative, conclusive, discoursive, and hortative) and lexical meaning are
indicated by the verb. Of all things, I didn't expect this to be the strange
or exotic feature, since it seems that most of the features that have
evolved thus far in Géarthnuns are, yawn, natlangish.

Kou