Re: Help with case names

Daniell writes:

>Maija Åstrand skrev:
>
>>  - not X (negative?)
>
>This is a neat case. If X were a verb, I'd call it a mood,
>but if X were -- say 'bear' -- then it might be called a
>case, wouldn't it? Like:
>
>- What's that?
>- Well, I know it's a bear:NEG!
If I understand correctly, though I lost some earlier posts from this
thread, Géarthnuns has this, but it's not considered case. All nouns
are marked for declension, number, case, and polarity:

declension: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, or 7th
number: singular, dual, or plural
case: nominative, accusative, dative, instrumental, postpositional,
genitive, or locative
polarity: affirmative or negative

Adjectives agree with nouns in all four; articles agree in
declension, number, and polarity, but not case. Moreover, negative
polarity does not negate the noun it's on; it's a negative marker
that negates the clause it's in. If a clause is negative, all nouns
in that clause and their modifiers are negative polarity.

I know he's not coming.
Sí la, gü sökh lí höithauth sho, sferül.

sí - I (nom., aff.)
la - present
gü - that
sökh - he (nom., neg.)
lí - future
höithauth - come (discoursive mood)
sho - marks end of a subordinate clause
sferül - know

vs.

I don't know if he's coming.
Fí la, gü söb lí höithauth sho, sferül.

fí - I (nom., neg.)
la - present
gü - that
söb - he (nom., aff.)
lí - future
höithauth - come (discoursive mood)
sho - marks end of a subordinate clause
sferül - know

----------------------------------

sí víls zharíöl  a big bed (aff.)

vs.

fí vífs zharíöf  a big bed (neg.)

I know the bed is not big.
Sí la, gü ví vífs la zharíöf höinöi sho, sferül.

sí - I (nom., aff.)
la - present
gü - that
ví - the (sing., neg.)
vífs - bed (nom., sing., neg.)
zharíöf - big  (nom., sing., neg.)
höinöi - be (discoursive mood)
sho - marks end of a subordinate clause
sferül - know

vs.

I don't know if the bed is big.
Fí la, gü chí víls la zharíöl höinöi sho, sferül.

fí - I (nom., neg.)
la - present
gü - that
chí - the (sing., aff.)
víls - bed (nom., sing., aff.)
zharíöl - big  (nom., sing., aff.)
höinöi - be (discoursive mood)
sho - marks end of a subordinate clause
sferül - know

etc.

Kou