Re: Merian H-4: Grammar and Phonology.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Talpas Tim" <tim@...>
To: <CONLANG@...>
Sent: Wednesday, December 26, 2001 3:42 AM
Subject: Re: Merian H-4: Grammar and Phonology.


> #
> #
> # Cases
> #
> # Ergative - The Ergative case is the subject in Present tense transitive
> # sentences.
> # Absolutive - The Absolutive is the object in Present tense transitive
> # sentences, and the subject in intransitive present tense ones.
> # Pretergative - The Ergative, but in Past Tense
> # Pretabsolutive - The Absoloutive but in past tense
> # Postergative - The Ergative, but in Future Tense
> # Postabsolutive - The absoloutive in the Future Tense
> # Facergative - The Ergative, in the Uncertain Future Tense
> # Facabsolutive - The Absolutive, in the Uncertain Future Tense
> # Dative - Indirect object of any Present Tense Sentence
> # Predative - Indirect object in the past tense
> # Postdative - indirect object in the future tense
> # Facudative - Indirect object in the uncertain future tense
> #
> # As you see, there is a different case for each tense, so I shall merely
list
> # the Present cases.
>
> Interesting... I'm trying to come up with a similar system of offsetting
tense
> to nouns in my most recent project, though not nearly as complex.. (using
> just 3 time deictics that modify the noun)
>
> Is tense marked the same in all case (or case the same in all tenses?)  Or
> are all the possible combinations completely different from one another?
>
> Is there any mood/aspect system? And if so, is it based on combination
> of tenses? Such as making conditional in transitive contexts
> pretergative + postabsolutive.
Indeed this is where my languages get complicated...case and tense are
mixed. A different case for each tense. and Unsually, to take some load off
a noun,