Re: Noun/Verb distinction (was Re: Keeping Track of Ambiguity in your Conlang?)

Tim May  <butsuri@...> 2002.09.01. 13:29:55 +1h-kor írta:

>  > >         Do you mean that verbs and nouns are different things in
>  > > english? Really? :-? };-)
>  > >
>  > >         It's always fun to me that you can "cd into a directory",
>  > > "bulldozer a house" and "cash in" :-) The whole concept makes
>  > > for a good
>  > > conlang without nouns, having only verbs :-m :-)
>  >
>  > Um, I may be wrong here, but what I've learned is that this is called
>  > conversion and is essentially derivation by means of phonologically
>  > empty suffixes.
>  >
> I agree with you.  There're certainly a large number of nouns which
> can be used as verbs and and vice-versa without any change in form,
> but it's not predictable unless you're familiar with the underlying
> semantic classes of the words, of which English speakers are generally
> only implicitly aware.  Consider comb - break - kick - dust.
>
> It's generally agreed that all languages make some distinction between
> noun and verb roots, although some make more than others.  I've been
> trying to read a paper which claims that Philippine languages actually
> have "precategorial" roots.  It's an interesting argument, but too
> much goes over my head for me to say whether I agree with it.
This's a feature of my not-so-detailed conlang Meyadhew. They don't have distinct
nouns and verbs, even you can say 'I'm walling' and so.

-- mau
--
Ábrahám Zsóia alias Mau Rauszer
  | http://www.hiaqimau.tk |

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