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Re: Equatives?

From:Sally Caves <scaves@...>
Date:Monday, March 10, 2003, 19:50
----- Original Message -----
From: "Pavel Iosad" <edricson@...>


> Hello, > > > While dabbling with comparatives, I > > came up with > > the idea of an "equative" -- a preposition for indicating equality or > > "just the right amount of", _osa'o_ [?o"sa?o]. > > [...] > > > Anybody else's conlang has this neat feature? :-)
I didn't see the message when it first came out, so I'll answer this one. As Pavel writes, below, yes indeed: Welsh has an equative ending along with a comparative and superlative: "Ac ual y llathrei WYNNET y cwn, y llathrei COCHET y clusteu." "And as the hounds shown so white, just as red shone the ears." It was from the Welsh, of course, that I got the notion way back when to make an equative in Teonaht, but I also, recently, have an alterative. So: Absolute: nemta laz (cloud white, i.e., a "white cloud.") Equative: ta nemta hdo laz (like a cloud as white.) Comparative: ta nemta maka laz (than a cloud more white) Superlative: ta nemtan hse laz (of clouds most white) Alterative: ta nemta uor laz (from cloud a different kind of white, a different kind of white from that of a cloud.) Teonaht also has a "just the right amount" of something in the adverb _no~_: no~ mohsa, "just big enough," no~ aista, "work enough." While it suggests equitability, it is not quite the equative. It's something that's good enough for the task at hand. Sally Caves scaves@frontiernet.net Eskkoat ol ai sendran, rohsan nuehra celyil takrem bomai nakuo. "My shadow follows me, putting strange, new roses into the world." Pavel uarlo krespr:
> In full accordance with ALF, Middle Welsh has an equative degree (but I > don't think it's used for 'just the right amount of'). Skuodian also has > it (borrowed from MW, of course, but then Skuodian is a posteriori ;-)). > And Manoeg, as well.

Replies

Aidan Grey <grey@...>
BP Jonsson <bpj@...>