Re : new webpage

Dans un courrier dat=E9 du 14/07/99 15:38:10  , Jennifer a =E9crit :

>=20
>  I uploaded the still slightly incomplete web page for Asiteya. Still need=
s
>  the large section on word order, sketches of the other dialects, phrases,
>  numerals, vocabulary list, and texts. Other than that...It's pretty well
>  functional. I love to know what y'all think.
> =20
>  http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/7853/asiteya.htm
> =20
>  Thanks,
>  Jennifer
> =20

----------------------- "quote"
example: ta rusak@mi siu sa na akanyase ko kanyanal inya kah

with brother-pl-my two AGT that the-prize TOP.past won-middle they.resumptiv=
e=20
AGT-INS

with my two brothers who won the prize (lit., with my two brothers that the=20
prize was won by them)

-------------------------------------"
i have trouble here :

1. i'd thought that "with"
in "with my brothers" stood for a specific case or voice
like T. "under" is used to show passive voice. obviously not so.

2. do you use "topic" in the sense of an argument role
like preposition "regarding/about" or as a PoS "topic vs. comment"
(french "theme vs. rheme") ?
reading the following, i think of the first :

-----------------------------"
Particle Meaning=20
wa / ko topic (present / past)=20
sa agent / experiencer=20
hu direct object (accusative)=20
yo indirect object (dative)=20
nao instrument (usually inanimate)=20
kah benefactor / instrumental agent=20
b@n reason / justification=20

Only a topic or agent can be the subject of a sentence.
A topic is always fronted.
--------------------------"

so for instance would you say :
=20
cat-TOP NOM-he speak.
he speaks of the cat.

prize-TOP BEN-he win.
he wins "regarding" the prize.

if not so : sorry for my misunderstanding !

anyway i like it then because it combines ergative
and nominative and active/patientive systems.
(i think you have the full range needed cases for that)
maybe a step towards another allnoun conlang ? ;-)=20

------------------------- "
A topic tag can be put after any other argument tag to topicalize that=20
argument.
-------------------------"

oops. so "topic" was "topic-PoS", not "topic-role".
and "was won" was a passive. or rather :

------------------------"
Two voices are distinguished in verbs: the active, which has no marking for=20
voice, and the mediopassive, which is marked by the suffix "-al" after the=20
verb stem, not the personal ending. Mediopassive is reflexive if its subject=20
is an agent, reciprocal if its subject is an agent and its direct object is=20
the pronoun "eled@" and passive if its subject is a topic. Reflexive verbs=20
may or may not take a personal ending. Both ending and pronoun are included=20
in writing for clarity; usually only the ending is used in speaking.

Examples

Abyanatas@ ko pohlunal. - The building was painted.=20
Akanyase wa kanyanal akisaho kah. - The prize is won by the boy.=20
Constituents may be marked for argument even if they are not the main=20
arguments of the sentence.
=20
Wa/ko at the beginning of a sentence functions as the existential expletive=20
(There is/are / was/were)
---------------------------"

makes sense.

-------------------------"
The dative tag is often used after prepositions to mean "movement toward."=20
For example, "Wa fyu pun o deibat nep@h ta aho yo..." - You can lead a horse=20
to water... (lit., There's CORP be.able.to o lead horse at water DAT...)
A topic or justification tag may also be attached to a verb phrase. For=20
example: "Unen in hu b@n wa, a sa xan." - Lit., For to see him, I am going.
---------------------------"
so notional dative is also used as spacial and temporal dative (towards).

---------------------------"
Resumptive pronouns

singular plural=20
aya onya=20
siya seya=20
inya ineya=20
eya ineya=20

Resumptive endings

singular plural=20
-aya -ona=20
-asa -esa=20
-ina -ena=20
-eya =20
 ------------------"
cool. resumptives are very handy.

--------------------"
Voice

Akia wa p@ medanal. - The soup is cooking (being cooked).=20
Deibanalin isa in sa wayi. - It appeared here. (Lit., Find-med MET it AGT=20
here. - It found itself here, so to speak.)=20
Tapyanine eled@ hu. - They searched for each other. (Searched-they each.othe=
r=20
ACC.)=20
---------------------"

so how do you say :
the pot leaks
the soup leaks
?

mathias