Theiling Online    Sitemap    Conlang Mailing List HQ   

Re: My latest language: Yracnaji

From:Stephen Mulraney <ataltanie@...>
Date:Wednesday, February 6, 2002, 15:28
On Tue, 5 Feb 2002 16:53:05 -0000
Joe Hill <joe@...> wrote:

> > > Nehon uuryjo tanoni > > > kill.IND 3s.ERG.DEA kill.PST.AO.RFL
> There are two verbs in each sentence, which cannot function without each > other. Ehon-tan are the verbs "to kill" The first takes the mood, the > second takes the Tense, Aspect, and defines whether or not the verb is
Snap! I have something similar - Evolving from a semitic-like triconsonental root, verbs typically developed a strong stress on the second or third syllable (wordshape CvCvC or CvCvCv) causing the first to become dissassociated (sometimes it was the last syl that came off though, for various reasons). So for example, [q][k_h][p_h] gives the archaic verb [qok_hAp_hA] which after soundchanges and splitting (and orthography...) gives the verb (kau)gháv [q.au GA:v]. I call the part in brackets the 'atavistic prefix', and it occurs in past-tense form (causing <úhaushgéd> "removal of obstruction" aka seimhiú or (sometimes) aspiration) of the main verb) giving e.g. <kau háva> aorist past. (The verbs means "reach through great achievement or effort", BTW) The fun part is how these atavisms gain a bit of semantics, and you begin to associate them with particular verbs. Naturally you should, since they (from etymology) partake of the meaning as much as the main verb. I have a feeling that they might evolve into a restricted set of e.g. 10 forms to be used with different semantic classes of verbs, replacing some of those endless agglutinations at the end of main verbs. The atavisms can also be used to stand for their verb in certain compound words, or to form paralled forms with somewhat different meanings, or (non-derivationally) to be used in certain other constructs, such as 'aúr+<úhaushgéd+atavism>' to emphasise the action of the verb - so in the Babel text "let us burn them thoroughly" has no word for "thoroughly" but rather says "ituíchènardhmej ... aúr-húth" where the first word means "let us burn them" and the verb is '(úth)tóch' meaning "burn". As usual, explaining this stuff maks me think of new ideas, or solidify old ones... must go and scribble them down. Stephen