Re: Lisanek

En réponse à wayne chevrier <wachevrier@...>:

> Lisanek is the first language I have made that is more than a sketch,
> and I
> think it is time for it to make its first public appearance.
> At the moment it is mostly grammar and not vocabulary, so I will mostly
> use
> English words.
Kind of like my Itakian :) (though Itakian grammar is a little too complex to
show without examples in the language itself :( ).

> Grammar:
> Cases: 2 ergative and absolutive;only for pronouns(nouns have no
> cases)
> Ergative:
> 1)subject of transitive verb
> 2)object of following preposition
Ergative's used for object of prepositions? Though I think it makes sense (I've
heard of a universal that says that unmarked cases are never used with
prepositions, hence nominative-accusative languages never use nominative with
prepositions - Esperanto being an exception, but since it's an artificial
language it doesn't count -), I don't know if it's usual. Anybody knows of an
ergative language with prepositions which could be an example?

> 3)before non-construct nouns: demonstrative
> 4)before construct nouns: possessive
Nice idea. It's the form of the completed noun that gives the function of the
completing adjective. I like those kinds of transfers (that's why I love
trigger languages :) ).

> Absolutive:
> 1)object of transitive verb
> 2)subject of intransitive verb
> 3)in nominal sentences
> 4)any other situation
> States:
> Construct:-ha after V, -a after C
> Used to indicate possession
> Sam honok-a: Sam's book
> Non-construct: otherwise
> Articles:
> vowels:
> e: feminine singular
> i: f. plural
> o: masculine sg.
> u: m. pl.
> consonants:
> k: definite
> n: indefinite
> s: indeterminate/generic
> after C:-vc
> after V:-cv
> if the c in the article=C at the end of the root, they merge: Cv
> similarily if v=V :Vc
Interesting. Is it meant to be naturalistic? If so, I'd like to know where it
comes from.

> Gender:
> Feminine: female humans and animals, default for non-human animate,
> abstract, personifications, concepts, spiritual entities, etc.
> Masculine: male humans and animals, default for humans, inanimate
> objects,
> gerunds
Very interesting. The two genders seem to have quite different use, but none
seems more important or "better" than the other. A very egalitarian society? :))

> Adjectives:
> None, either nouns in apposition or verb in conjunct form(used for
> relative
> clauses)
Why not possession? There are languages (African I believe) that
translate "beautiful woman" as "woman of beauty" or "beauty of woman". Couldn't
it be an idea for nouns, rather than simple apposition?

> Nominal sentences:
> No verb, just a predicate marker
> e.g. She is a doctor.: 3f.ABS PRED doctor.a
> There are butterflies.: PRED butterflies
> PRED: a Zen sentence:)
> The man who left the room is a lawyer:
> man.the leave.CONJUNCT room.the PRED lawyer.a
>
> This is just a start, and I would appreciate comments.
> -Wayne Chevrier
>
Well, so far I find it interesting. I long to see how it turns out.

Christophe.

http://rainbow.conlang.free.fr