Phaleran Update: Language game; Alienable and inalienablepossession

"Thomas R. Wier" wrote:
>   (4) eluo      kwâl
>       city.ABS  ward-3Sg
>       'the city's ward'
>   (6) hwânto   titlîna
>       1Sg.INST PL.bear.ABS
>       'my blackbears'
So, the verb would agree with the possessor in inalienable constructs,
but the possessed in alienable ones?

> Ritual animals are inalienably possessed when alive, but
> alienably possessed when dead (i.e., after sacrifice):
Interesting.  Is sacrifice an important part of their religion?

Uatakassi marks alienable and inalienable possession only with pronouns,
there wouldn't be any way of marking it with, for example, "The man's
X".

Both alienable and inalienable possession is marked with clitics, which
are identical for both.  They are:

    Singular Dual     Paucal   Plural
1st -kua     -sua     -ma, -n  -pa
2nd -iua     -dliua            -in
G1  -pa      -tiu              -tin
G2  -ma, -n  -nau              -nan
G3  -sua     -suu              -sun
G4  -kua     -kiu              -kin
G5  -lua     -lau              -lan
G6  -ua      -uau              -uan
G7  -pa      -piu              -pin

(Note that there are a number of homophones, free pronouns in the
genetive can be used instead of clitics if necessary)

For alienable possession, the clitic is attached to the end of the noun
phrase, for example:
Of my old house
Uasanif uatikafkua
Ua-sani -f   ua-tika-f  -kua
G6-house-gen G6-old -gen-my

For inalienable possession, it is attached to the end of the noun itself
Of my old mother
Tinanikuaf titikaf
Ti-nani  -kua-f   ti-tika-f
G1-mother-my -gen G1-old -gen

Informally, it is often added to adjectives as well, as a kind of
agreement:
Tinanikuaf titikakuaf
Ti-nani  -kua-f   ti-tika-kua-f
G1-mother-my -gen G1-old -my -gen

However, this distinction does not exist with nouns or free pronouns:
Of the woman's old house
Uasanif uatikaf tipitafaf
Ua-sani -f   ua-tika-f   ti-pita -f  -f
G6-house-gen G6-old -gen G2-woman-gen-gen

Of the woman's old mother
Tinanif titikaf tipitafaf
Ti-nani  -f   ti-tika-f   ti-pita -f  -f
G1-mother-gen G1-old -gen G1-woman-gen-gen

--
"There's no such thing as 'cool'.  Everyone's just a big dork or nerd,
you just have to find people who are dorky the same way you are." -
overheard
ICQ: 18656696
AIM Screen-Name: NikTaylor42

Reply