Re: motion verbs in Tokana

On Thu, 9 Mar 2000 22:30:19 -0000, And Rosta <a.rosta@...> wrote:

>As Basileus said, it seems odd that it is the manner that is prefixed
>rather than the trajectory, since one would expect a finite number
>of prefixes and a nonfinite number of bases and one would expect a
>finite number of trajectories and a nonfinite number of manners.
I am not sure about 'finite number of trajectories'. I think
that a language can use *hundreds* of trajectory verbs - at least
I can imagine such a system.

Unusual from the Indo-European (or SE Asian) perspective, but not
improbable.

From Matt's examples I had the feeling that Tokana can derive
'trajectory verbs' from (semantically) nominal/adverbial roots.

As for infinite number of 'manners', they can be added on another
structural level (e. g. as explained in Matt's latest post).

In fact, there may be some problem only with various concepts
that incorporate causation of movement as their semantic component.
At a glance, it seems that they'll prove more cumbersome in Tokana
than in 'average IE', but I suspect Matt will invent some trick
for them ;)

I find the Tokana case extremely interesting, rather than just oddish.


Basilius