Re: Silindion Relative Clauses

Hey!

On Monday 03 January 2005 22:15, Jörg Rhiemeier wrote:

 > Nice!
 >
 > The Old Albic relative clause is opened by a particle
 > that is inflected for the animacy/gender, number and case
 > of the head noun. Note that the case is not according to
 > the function within the relative clause, but according to
 > the function within the outer clause.  If the head noun
 > is a core argument (agentive or objective) in the
 > relative clause, no pronoun is necessary as it is
 > cross-referenced on the verb.  Otherwise, a resumptive
 > pronoun is used.
 >
 > Example:
 >
 > (1) O ndero o matara am mbas melara im hinim.
 >     o           ndero     o           am    mbas
 >     the:M(-AGT) man(-AGT) REL:M(-AGT) the:I bread
 >     mel-a-sa        i-m        hin-i-m
 >     love-PRES-3SG:A the:PL-OBJ child-PL-OBJ
 >
 >     `The man who eats the bread loves the children.'
 >
 > The relative clause can be moved away from the head noun
 > as it is marked with the head noun's case:
 >
 > (2) O ndero melara im hinim o matara am mbas.
 >
 > This sentence means the same as (1).  To say `The man
 > loves the children who eat the bread', the sentence would
 > be:

It's nearly like I did it, hehe:

  Ayonin ang tyaiyà ganiearis sang condiyà le vadisanón.
  (The man who eats the bread loves the children.)

  Ayon-in      ang        tya-iyà    gan-ie-aris si-ang
  man.TRG(ani) TRG:A(ani) love.3sg^a child.pl.P  REL.A

  le          cond-iyà  vadisano-on.
  TRG:P(inan) eat.3sg^a bread.TRG(inan)

Just like the arguments of verbs, the relative clause can
theoretically be put where the speaker likes because the
realtive pronoun is marked for the case of the argument it
refers to.

 > > Example: Esi ssirilë nan më yo nir lanko?
 > >         "Do you see the man who approaches by horse?"
 > >
 > >         Esi tir-i-lë   na-n    më
 > >         QST see-PRS-2s man-ACC that
 > >
 > >         yo   ni-r        lanka-u?
 > >         REL  approach-3s horse-INST.
 > >
 > > (corresponding L.S. sentence:
 > >     tirilë nan më, të yohwilín nië limma lanko?
 >
 > Also well done.

Seconded. The similarity between Silindon and Ayeri are
striking here :-P -- good to know that I'm not on the wrong
way because others did it so as well!

 > > A Alárië anti yendán nénië
 > > "Oh Alarie who gives us joy"
 > > A   Alárië an-ti  yendá-n né-n-ië
 > > VOC Alarie us-DAT joy-ACC give-3s-REL
 >
 > Now that is an interesting construction!

Seconded as well. That's a nice possiblity.

 > Ah, headless relative clauses.  I am not sure yet how to
 > do them in Old Albic.  Have to think about that.

I'd do it with _edanya_ and _adanya_, the near and remote
demonstrative pronouns ("this (one)" and "that (one)"). In
Ayeri, all pronouns can be marked for case. "That who ..."
would be boringly like in English "Adanyáng sang ...".

 > Thanks again for sharing a facet of your beautiful
 > conlang with us.

Yes, it's cool.

Cheers,
Carsten

--

Eri silveváng aibannama padangin.
Nivaie evaenain eri ming silvoieváng caparei.
  -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Le Petit Prince

http://www.beckerscarsten.de/?conlang=ayeri