Re: Word orders in comparative constructions

Omina has a long list of adjective comparisons, including some that simply
translate adjectives such as, using alari "beautiful" and the mysteriously
beautiful Tuilu throughout:

Comparative: -ta with genitive
Tuilu alarita nean de "Tuilu is more beautiful than I am" (wouldn't be
difficult!) ;-)

Equative: -ina with essive
Tuilu alarina nena de "Tuilu is as beautiful as I am" (don't you believe
it!)

Superlative: -esta with genitive
Tuilu alariesta balen de "Tuilu is the most beautiful woman"

Hyperlative: -esto with inversion+genitive
Tuilu balen alariesto "Tuilu is the most beautiful woman ever"

Sufficive: -sse with dative
Tuilu alarisse muilde geda "Tuilu is beautiful enough to eat!"
(geda, 4th person subject with 3rd person object indicates that 'one would
want to eat her' as opposed to 'she would want to eat (something))

Intensive: -eta
Tuilt alarieta "Tuilu is very beautiful"

Excessive: -nto with dative
Tuilu alarinto beretelde "Tuilu is too beautiful to look at"

She's one hell of a gal, that Tuilu...

Mike





----- Original Message -----
From: "Carsten Becker" <carbeck@...>
To: <CONLANG@...>
Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2008 7:55 AM
Subject: Re: Word orders in comparative constructions


Jim Henry <jimhenry1973@...> schrieb am 08.12.2008 19:09 +0100:

> 3. How does your conlang form explicit comparatives?
Ayeri:

(1) Ang engiya Akan tado sa Pakay.
       ang eng-iya Akan tado sa Pakay
       AGTFOC exceed-3s.m Akan old PAT Pakay
       'Akan is older than Pakay.'

(2) Ang kondasaya-eng Akan yas.
       ang kond-asa-ya=eng Akan yas
       AGTFOC eat-HAB-3s.m=COMP Akan 1s.PAT
       'Akan usually eats more than me.'

(3) Ang Akan kondayās baneng (ku-)yang/yas.
       ang Akan kondaya-as ban-eng (ku=)yang/yas.
       AGT Akan eater-PAT good-COMP (like=)1s.AGT/1s.PAT
       'Akan is a better eater than me.'

Ayeri has VAP order by standard. I could never get used to the
construction in (1) actually, I use (2) more commonly. In (3) I am not
sure how to construct the comparison, I need to think about it.

Regards
Carsten

--
Tenena, 2' Limbuy 2318 ya 26:22:19 pd
Tuesday, December 9, 2008 at 08:51:32 am


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