Re: Interesting discoveries

 --- Costentin Cornomorus wrote:
> --- Estel Telcontar wrote:
>
> > There are actually 4 different grades, which
> > are most conveniently
> > called "personal", "animate", "living" and
> > "non-living".  However, only
> > "higher animals" (roughly vertebrates) are
> > included in the "animate"
> > category, while lower animals (such as insects)
> > are considered along
> > with plants in the "living" category".  And
> > then there are the
> > irregularities, which I've only partly figured
> > out, but include things
> > like stories being considered personal.
>
> Interesting. Knowing that the language was
> created by children, I think it would be
> interesting to see some examples of ordinary
> words and how they fit in the categories.
It was largely created by children between the ages of 10 and 12, so
they weren't very young children, and they had interest in languages,
so they weren't totally linguistically naive, but they didn't have an
advanced linguistic education either.  (My 11-year-old brother has a
greater linguistic awareness than many adults, largely (I like to
think) through talikng to me.)

Well, if you want more info on the ins and outs of the pronouns, here's
something compiled from a few emails I posted to the list a few months
back, with some additions:

"The 4 categories are approximately personal, animate,
living, and nonliving, but it's actually more complex
than that.

'Personal' |eki| is used mainly for humans, as well as
any other personal being (God, angels, intelligent
aliens, fairies etc.)  However, it is also used of
languages, books and other works of literature.
I think musical instruments are also referred to with |eki|.
[Stars are also considered personal.]

'Animate' |aku| is actually restricted to higher
animals, essentially vertebrates.  You would use it of
a dog, a bird, a fish, a lizard, but not of a spider,
mosquito or jellyfish.  It is also used for body
parts, the sun, the moon, wind and water (at least
out-in-nature water, like rivers, rain, the sea.  I'm
not sure about tap water or the water in your glass.)

(The logic behind the Ikanirae Seru classification [of body parts] is
that body parts in themselves are not really personal;
your arm can't speak or think or have emotions (I
almost said "feel", but that would sound like it lacked
the sense of touch) etc.)

'Living' |sera| is used for lower animals and plants.
It is also used for food, whether plant or animal
derived, as well as for obviously plant/animal derived
things such as wood and probably wool or leather.

'nonliving' |roha| is used for other nonliving and
abstract things."

At one point you mentioned stuffed animals.  That's kind of an
interesting one.  I suspect that it would depend on whether the child
who's in charge of it treats it a being personal ( i.e. has it talk) or
merely animate (i.e. has a stuffed cat meow and purr.)

Estel

______________________________________________________________________
Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca