Re: An Introduction to C'ali: Morphosyntax

Thomas Wier wrote :

I tried to draw a graph with your explanations but I don't manage to see the 4
regions. Could you please tell me where I am wrong?


>The interesting thing about C'ali is that whether case shows up on any given NP
>>depends on its placement both in the nominal hierarchy and on its
>definiteness.
>One can imagine two axes. On the x-axis we find points for first person, second
>>person, third person, proper names, humans, nonhuman animates and
>inanimates, >respectively (starting at the far right of the coordinates and
>proceding >leftwards) On the y-axis, we can imagine three coordinates:
>definite and >referential, indefinite and referential, and indefinite but
>nonreferential >(where definites are placed highest). Then this space is
>divided up into four >regions defined by parallel lines with negative slopes
>by which there is a >region A consisting mostly of definites and nominals
>high on the hierarchy, a >region B with less definite nominals and lower
>hierarchically, etc.
Here is what I get :
1,2,3p : 1°, 2°, 3° persons
Npr : proper names
hum : human
def : definite
ref : referential

I assume that the most definite and referential must be the 1p, that's why I
drew it that way : it is the centre of the deixis, so it would be logical it be
the centre of the repair.
Then, could you place the region (if it's correct)

              -hum    +hum     Npr      3p      2p     1p
x   ____________|_______|_______|_______|_______|_______|_ [+def ; +ref]
                |       |       |       |       |       |
                |       |       |       |       |       |
        --------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------|- [-def ; +ref]
                |       |       |       |       |       |
                |       |       |       |       |       |
                |       |       |       |       |       |
        --------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------|- [-def ; -ref]
                |       |       |       |       |       |
                |       |       |       |       |       |
                |       |       |       |       |       |





-----QUESTIONS-----
1) are there 6 or 7 points on the x-axis : are "non-human animates and
inanimates" just one point on two distinct points?
2) Should the y-axis be placed on the right or on the left (because for x-axis we go leftwards)?
3) Should the x-axis be placed at the top or at the bottom?


It would be helpful if you could give an example in each region.

The idea sounds really nice (and it gives me an idea, which has nothing to do with
cases) but I need to "see" the regions before I can comment on them.


Julien.