Re: Ishtalo grammar sketch

Marcus wrote:

> This could pass as an Indian language. But then again, you get as
> much difference between Indian languages as you do between European
> and Indian languages, so that doesn't really say all that much. Case
> in point, to me, Japanese looks more like Chickasaw than Zapotec
> does.
This is something I didn't consider.  Thanks for pointing out!

> Portions of it remind me of Mohawk, like the "articles" that can attach
> to verbs or nouns. Then theirs the Aleut and Salishan style antipassives.
> The Algonquian style inverse morphology. And Papago/Pima reduplication
> for plurality.
That's amazing!  I indeed took inverse morphology from an Algonquian
language (called "montagnese" in Italian;  I think it could be
"Montagnais" in English), but the other elements you cite are from
non-Indian sources.  The idea of "articles" came from Bantu
classifiers (and, at first, I even planned to have many gender classes
as there are in Bantu languages).  I was also influenced by two examples
in Avar (a Daghestan language) I found in B.J. Blake's _Case._  The
antipassive is from Autralian languages, where I also took inspiration
for the semantic value of this voice (the actual language was, IIRC,
Kalkatungku).  Reduplication for plurality is just an idea I happened
to have on my own...

>> That's all with it.  Many details are still missing -- for
>> example, modality and embedded clauses --, but I think I've
>> layed out the foundations of the language.  I'll keep
>> working on Ishtalo! :-)
>
> Very nice beginning. Keep up the work. Share more, but try to give
> it in smaller chunks. I could only get away with reading the whole
> thing because I don't happen to have any coursework or lectures to
> prepare this weekend.
Thanks!  I'll keep it up, and will share any interesting finding.
As to the length of my message, I'm really sorry.  I kept writing
and writing while it was still fresh in my head (and also made a
few details while writing) -- I only realized how big it grew when
it returned to my inbox from the list!

> ===============================
> Marcus Smith
> AIM:  Anaakoot
> "When you lose a language, it's like
> dropping a bomb on a museum."
>    -- Kenneth Hale
> ===============================
Nice quote.  I've added it to my collection of "fortunes."

Cheers,

Tommaso.