Re: CHAT: relative tense

On Tue, 23 Mar 1999 07:38:30 +0000 "Raymond A. Brown"
<raybrown@...> writes:
>The Bantu languages regularly do this - it comes after the subject and
>tense-sign prefixes and before the word stem.  However, the object
>affix is
>not required if the object is a noun but is used if it desired to
>emphasize
>the noun.  For example, in Swahili
>
>Nilikisoma = I read /rEd/ it (i.e. the book) <-- ni [I] + li[past] +
>ki [it]
>
>Umeleta kitabu?  Have you brought a book?
>Umekileta kitabu?  Have you brought _the_ book [I wanted]?
>
>Ray.
>
Weird....this is very similar to Rokbeigalmki, although Rokbeigalmki
inserts between the 'subject-tense complex' and the root only
positivity/negativity/possibility particles.

azu-daelyeb = i brought <<< az (i) + u (past) + the root.

In Rokbeigalmki the subject-tense complexes can be detached, like this:

ha'ezu-daelyeb sha'thes-a?
(did you bring the book?)
azu:.
(i did.)


Does Swahili do this?


-Stephen (Steg)
 "anxiety is the dizziness of freedom"

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