Re: The...the...

caeruleancentaur wrote:

> How do you express the concept "the...the..." as in "the more, the
> merrier" in your conlangs.  Senjecas does not have the definite
> article, so I'm looking for some suggestions.
Shaquelingua has no real definite article either but I wouldn't use any
of the demonstrative or resumptive that replace it. The best solution is
  either an unquantitative article ("some" sg.) Then I would use a
simple causal construction (if/then).

xa dö baoti ; xa bao jö zedje.
[Za: dO ba"oti] ; [Za: ba"o jO ze.dje]

xa   dö        bao-ti
UNQ  COND+FUT  more-SUBST

xa   bao   jö        zedje
UNQ  more  IMPL+FUT  happiness

= (if there will be) some (applied) increase, (then there will be) some
more happiness.

It also works with longer sentences.

xe bao lule jötar tsiyö'çaki ; be kyö flu ra bao jiyö juça.

[Ze: ba"o 4u4e jOtaX tsiWO:'Caki] ; [be: kWO f4u Xa: ba"o jiWO juCa]

xe   bao   lule  jötar  tsiyö   'çaki
UNQ  more  ACQU  help   OBL+ATMP=1PE

be   kyö   flu     ra        bao   jiyö       juça
QLT  EQUA  toward  INDEF.PL  more  IMPL+ATMP  person

= (when) we need more help, (then) more people come.
= The more help shall we need, the more people will come.

----------
ACQU = ACQUisitive (alien particle)
ATMP = ATeMPoral tense (universal facts)
COND = CONDitional mode (if)
EQUA = EQUAtive (alien particle)
FUT = FUTure tense
IMPL = IMPLicative mode (then)
OBL = OBLigative (must/need)
PE = Plural Exclusive
QLT = QuaLiTative quantifier
SUBST = Substantivator
UNQ = UNQuantitative quantifier ("some" sg.)
----------

I haven't ever thought about such expressions. Thanks for the reminder.

tul'xeje zatö'çka, [tu4(u)'Zeje zatO:'Cka]
(= The 2 of us shall express ourselves again)

--
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Remi Villatel
maxilys_@_tele2.fr
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