Re: Lisanek
| From: | wayne chevrier <wachevrier@...> |
|---|
| Date: | Tuesday, October 23, 2001, 16:51 |
|---|
Christophe Grandsire nevesht:
>
>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?
Ergative isn't unmarked, that's absolutive. and pronouns _precede_
prepositions, nouns follow (inspired by German e.g. herauf)
>
> > 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 :) ).
Not an Adjective an Pronoun, the possessive use from Mayan
>
> > 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.
Long vowels in plural, sound shifts and metathesis
>
> > 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? :))
Actually, from use of genders in some dialects of English
(cf. ships and whales = her, rocks and trees = him)
>
> > 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?
Could be, but generally isn't :)
Predicate adjectives are always verbs.
>
> > 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
>
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