> From: J. Barefoot
>
> Nouns
>
> nominal stems
> final vowel > 0
> final l > r
> final k > h
> final t > s
> final n > no change
> greater than 3 syllbles, drop final syllable
I'm not sure that I follow this? This seems to be some kind of table of
mutations, but in what environments do they occur?
> cases
>
> sing. plural
>
> nom. ---- -i
> acc. -an -in
> relative -ua -i
> (gen/erg)
> dat. -eta -eti
> part. -ia -i
> loc. -aa -ali
What is the "relative" case used for? I foresee some kind of mixed ergative
system here since you have nom/acc and erg, but no absolutive, curious! It
is also unusual to see the ergative unmarked.
> One of the few sentences in this language thus far:
> ani al puyan musinaan ni'i al tisuuyaa
> I.rel the woman-acc see.durative-past at the doorway-loc
> I used to see the woman in the doorway.
Curious! Why is the A-function argument in relative case? I would have
expected nominative or ergative.
> Suggestions? Comments? It's meant to feel sort of Native
> American,at least
> at first glance, so what else can I do it to this end? Does
> anyone actually
> read these all the way through?
I read through them. I guess that's why I am still answering posts from
last month. I do however read rapidly past the phonology as I find that
less interesting, but a read the syntax quite thoroughly.
David