Name Prefixes
From: | Nik Taylor <fortytwo@...> |
Date: | Monday, September 18, 2000, 22:21 |
In Watakassí, names must be preceded by an element called a Name Prefix,
which is used to indicate that the following word is a name, they are
used for both proper names, and names of kinds. Cases go on both the
prefix and the name. The prefixes are (the numbers in parenthesis are
gender numbers):
Bú - Place (7)
Fál - Book (6)
Fú - Sword (7)
Gái - Plant (6)
Kíl - River (6)
Kyá - Animal (4)
Lá - Animal (5)
Lá - Star (6)
Lá - World (6)
Lás - Moon, month (6)
Lí - Ritual (6)
Ná - Village (6)
Nán - Male "Angel" (2) - angel is the closes equivalent to suDikaukán
Náu - God (2, obsolete)
Náz - Male Elder (2)
Ní - Boy (2)
Ní - Place (6, unproductive)
Nís - Clan (6)
Nís - People, race (6)
Nús - Man (2)
Pá - Woman (1)
Sá - Girl (1)
Sá - Language (6)
Sún - Young boy (2)
Tíz - Female Elder (1)
Tyán - Female "Angel" (1)
Tyáu - Goddess (1, obsolete)
Tyún - Young girl (1)
Wí - Sun (6)
Zá - Day (6)
Zá - Period of time (6)
Zí - Tree (6)
Zís - Family (6)
The homophones listed above are historically distinct forms, and are
still considered to be distinct, altho sometimes homophones of the same
gender are combined (e.g., the two Zá are often considered as one
morpheme)
Some examples of the name-prefixes:
Sá Watakassí (Watakassí)
Nís Sukkassíi (The Kassí)
Nús Níku-Taila (Nik Taylor)
Pá Tinlastá (The Prophetess) - Tinlastá = prophetess
This one is a good example of the significance of the prefix.
Tinlastá by itself would just be "a prophetess"
Flupyasítas tiDikáu *pál Tinlastál*
Caused-to-know The.Goddess-abs NP-erg Prophetess-erg
The Prophetess taught about the Goddess (literally, "caused to know the
Goddess")
Note that tiDikáu does not take a Name-Prefix. Tyáu and Náu were used
in polytheistic times. Occasionally, in early writings, one will find
_tyáu tiDikáu_, but that usage was abandoned by around 35 YF (Year of
the Faith).
--
Dievas dave dantis; Dievas duos duonos
God gave teeth; God will give bread - Lithuanian proverb
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