Re: a grammar sketch...

On Fri, 29 Sep 2000, The Gray Wizard wrote:

> > From: H. S. Teoh
> >
> > On Fri, Sep 29, 2000 at 02:11:46PM -0400, Yoon Ha Lee wrote:
> > [snip]
> > > 4 cases:
> > > actor: that which is responsible for what happens
> > > actee: that which is affected by what happens
> > > accomplice: that which helps accomplish what happens
> > > action: that which happens
> > >
> > > I suspect there are more standard names I should be using, because this
> > > is looking like another active case system.  These are shown by
> > inflection.
> >
> > That sounds like an active system, all right. But my knowledge of active
> > languages comes only from cursory discussions of it in some of the recent
> > threads on my conlang, so don't take my word for it :-)
>
> Seems like active systems are favorites among the current crop of new
> conlangs.  I remember not so long ago that ergative systems were the
> preferred conlang alternative to typical IE nom/acc.  I wonder what will be
> our next darling.  Maybe we'll have so many active and ergative conlangs
> that nom/acc will become a welcome change of pace? ;-)
<rueful look>  Well, nom/acc is pretty familiar from German, and I'd read
about ergative systems...active was the last system I learned about,
therefore most exotic.  :-p  Also, the active system makes the most, hmm,
philosophical sense to me.  I think next on my eventual list of things to
try is a way more analytical conlang, so I can figure out how analytical
languages work and get used to them.

YHL