Re: Case and conjugation names (for YACL)

Carlos Thompson wrote:

> The language is chiefly SVO, but sentences can also be easily SOV or VSO.
>
> Nouns might have several cases, whose names are somehow arbitrary here:
>
> 1. a nominative/absolute case, which is how the word appears as subject in
> SVO and SOV constructions.
>
> 2. an accusative case, used for the object when they are affected by the
> verb.
>
> 3. an ergative case, used by the object when they are performing the verb.
>
> 4. a dative case, used when they object is the focus of the action of the
> verb.
>
> 5. an ablative case, used when the object causes the action of the verb,
but
> does not acts it.
>
> Verbs are conjugated, not to the person of the subject but to how they are
> related to the subject:
This sounds somewhat like a Philippine-type focus system, but with more
overt case marking....Usually the verb is first, with the appropriate
marker, then the subject/focus with a special marker (or "trigger"), then
the ancillary arguments, usually with "oblique" markers of some sort..
>
> conjugation 1. Means that the subject does the verb.
Agent focus, sometimes called "active"
>
> conjugation 2. Means that the subject is affected by the verb.
Patient/object focus, sometimes called "(direct) passive"
>
> conjugation 3. Means that the subject is beneficed by the verb.
Benefactive focus; or "benefactive passive"
>
> conjugation 4. Means that the subject is provoking (but not causing) the
verb.
Would this be instrumental?  You don't give any exs....
Following on the Philippine model, you could also include locative and
instrumentals.  Maybe even, as you suggest, a genitive focus-- not sure how
that would work, but it sounds interesting---

"We visited John's house" > something like "John's was the house we visited"
(awkward in Engl.)--
John-G(focus/subj)  visit-G house-?? we-??
>
> conjugation 0. Means that the verb is not clarifying the relationship with
the subject: used mainly in VSO constructions.
I don't quite understand this.
>
> Example:
>
> The house burns:
> 1) house-abs burn-2
> 2) burn-0 house-acc
Would these correspond roughly to:
1. the house burnt down
2. (someone) burnt down the house
>
(snips)
> John gives Mary a book:
> 1) John-abs give-1 Mary-dat book-acc (etc.)
> 2) Mary-abs give-3 book-acc John-erg (etc.)
> 3) book-abs give-2 Mary-dat John-erg (etc.)
> 4) give-0 Mary-dat book-acc John-erg (etc.)
>
1,2,3 are clear; what would 4 correspond to in Engl. or Spanish??

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