Re: New Language Sketch (was Re: Conlang Gender)

Nik Taylor wrote:

> nicole perrin wrote:
> > abstract concepts, men, women, children, animals, other living things=
,
> > fantasy-type creatures/things, inanimate objects
>
> This is a really odd hierarchy.  Abstract concepts should probably be
> just before inanimate objects.  Human is usually the first item in a
> hierarchy.
I would think that abstract concepts should be last on the list, and that
if you're going to have a separate category for them, you'd have them
placed after inanimate objects.

> Very interesting that there's a distinction between adult and child, an=
d
> between fantasy and "real" animals.
>
> > SVOA  where A is the auxiliary.
> >
> > Comments?  Especially about the case marking stuff, I really want to
> > know what I was trying to do so I can clarify it in my own mind - the=
se
> > notes are pretty old and illegible.
>
> Why have a strict word-order with case-marking?
I dunno... why does Icelandic have one?  Because historically
it wasn't so strict, that's why.

Speaking of case marking, does anyone use quirky case like
Icelandic does?  Some Icelandic verbs require really odd cases
not just for objects (anyone who's learned Latin or Greek is
used to those), but for subjects too.  For example,

(1) Hana       vantar mat.
     she:ACC lacks   food:ACC
     "She lacks food."

(2) Barninu           batna=F0i             veikin
     the.child:DAT  recovered.from the.disease:NOM
     "The child recovered from the disease."

(3) Verkjanna         g=E6tir            ekki
      the.pains:GEN  is.noticeable not
      "The pains aren't noticeable."

In all of these examples, the first word is the subject -- and yet
each verb requires a certain case marking as a lexically determined
feature of the verb.  Fun!

I'm thinking of adding some of these features to Phaleran soon.
But before that, ergative will probably be given double duty as
an an agentive case distinct from the instrumental (meaning "by"
instead of "with").

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Tom Wier <artabanos@...>
ICQ#: 4315704   AIM: Deuterotom
Website: <http://www.angelfire.com/tx/eclectorium/>
"Cogito ergo sum, sed credo ergo ero."
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