Re: Relative clauses

Hi Charlie,

On Wed, 2 Aug 2006 caeruleancentaur wrote:
>
> The verb in Senjecas is marked only for mood:
> -a = indicative,
> -o = subjuncive,
> -e = imperative.
>
> I want to indicate a relative clause by a marked verb; there are no
> relative pronouns or adverbs in Senjecas.  I want to indicate this
> with a -u ending on the verb.  Can I call this the relative mood?
>
> Since there is no definite or indefinite article in Senjecas, I
> thought a generic form of the verb would be helpful.
>
> nibêes óósvi µêrsa = "cheetahs run swiftly" or "the cheetahs run
> swiftly."
>
> I want to use the preposed particle _im_ to do this.  Thus:
> nibêes óósvi im µêrsa could only mean "cheetahs run swiftly."
>
> My question is whether this is a generic mood or generic aspect or
> what.

I think perhaps we need a little more information before we can answer that.
A fuller gloss would be helpful.  From what you wrote, the verb in your
sentences must be "µêrsa", in the indicative, since no other word ends
in -a, -o or -e.  Which leaves me still to guess whether "cheetahs" is
"nibêes" or "óósvi", and "swiftly" is "óósvi" or "nibêes".  Nor can I tell
whether the noun for "cheetahs" incorporates a plural marker.

In effect, you want to inflect the verb with a prefix im- that indicates
generality?  Is that an abstract, philosophical generality, expressible as
"all cheetahs", or just indefiniteness, expressible as "some cheetahs"?  Do
you mark definiteness at all?

May I suggest that your translations are a little imprecise?  You see, you
have two sentences (one with "im"), both of which you translate as "cheetahs
run swiftly".  In English, that sentence is ambiguous unless we qualify
"cheetahs".  Does "nibêes óósvi im µêrsa" mean "all cheetahs run swiftly",
or instead "some cheetahs run swiftly"?

One more question in this barrage. ;-)  How is this construction a relative
clause?  Presumably, you're after something like "cheetahs, which run
swiftly, ...".

Regards,
Yahya