semantic roles (long)

Dans un courrier dat=E9 du 19/06/99 23:36:36  ,  Nik Taylor a =E9crit :

> Cool, how'd you solve it?
> =20
quite long to explain but i indulge myself in describing tunu semantic roles=20
below in case Jennifer is interested because i think it's also quite=20
different. no conceit implied in this : i find myself the system very=20
cumbersome and unsophisticated and i would rather opt for Charles' 3-role=20
system. but tunu role mapping tightly fits the way i analyse things in depth=20
like W. obviously does for you and Danov=EBn does for Joshua. i also discove=
red=20
recently that some new-guinean languages have features close to tunu except=20
for indirect prospective role (see end of post). i apologize for the boring=20
length hereof. it's because i "feel" that role system rather than i "think"=20
it so it's difficult to explain it logically.

>  Also, those aren't the only case-roles in existence, a number of verbs
>  have idiomatic assignments.  For instance, lasta' (to prophecy) uses
>  circumlocative for what is being prophesied, as in "He prophesied the
>  end of the world", end would be in circumlocative (normally for "near"),
>  "he" being in absolutive (and most likely not actually stated as a word,
>  just by agreement)
do you mean that space and time roles in W. are also used to describe=20
notional roles such as topic or message ?

-------------------------------------------
tunu semantic role mappings :

there are 2 categories of roles : direct (retrospective) and indirect=20
(prospective) roles (see end of post) designed on the japanese cleft pattern=20
"miseru/misaseru". below are only the direct roles presented in VSO order=20
(SVO is also possible).

A. Direct role mapping :

1. Role mapping of action performed without a tool :

-ta =3D role of performing an action or a state with part of oneself or thro=
ugh=20
a medium  :
paka ota kana : i (kana) strike/beat (paka)
-na =3D role of performing an action or a state with the whole of oneself :
paka ona puni : the stone (puni) hits (paka)
-ne =3D role of suffering the action
paka one kopu : the tree (kopu) is beaten/hit (paka)

full example :
paka ota kana ona puni one kopu : i beat the tree with the stone.

2. Role mapping with transforming :

-ka =3D role of making or causing to be :
mumo oka kana : i make dough (mumo)
-mu =3D role of be the substance transformed :
mumo omu kori : the dough is made of cereals (kori)

full example :
mumo oka kana omu kori : i (kana) make dough (mumo) from cereals (kori).

3. Role mapping with active tool and patient :

-to =3D role of the tool
ruri oto puni : the stone (puni) works as a mill (ruri)
-pe =3D role of applying the tool
ruri ope kana : i (kana) operate the mill (ruri)
-tu =3D role of the substance consumed :
ruri otu kori : the cereal (kori) is ground by the mill (ruri)
-ni =3D role of resulting from the process :
ruri oni mupe : the mill (ruri) grinds into flour (mupe)

full example :
ruri ope kana otu kori oni mupe oto puni : i grind cereals into flour with=20
the mill stone.

4. Role mapping with passive tool and patient :

-to =3D role of the tool
pamo oto topa : the medicine (topa) protects (as a shield - pamo)
-pe =3D role of applying a passive tool
pamo ope kana : i (kana) protect (as with a shield - pamo)
-no =3D role of benefiting of a passive tool
pamo ono pimo : the child (pimo) is protected (as with a shield - pamo)
-ne =3D role of being applied by the tool
pamo one saki : the illness (saki) is thwarted (as with a shield)

full example :
pamo ope kana ono pimo one saki oto topa : i protect the child from disease=20
with medicine.

5. Role mapping with active or passive tool and actor :

-ko =3D role of using the tool for oneself
kapa oko kana : i sail (as on a boat - kapa)
-ke =3D role of applying the tool on oneself
nasi oke kana : i cut myself (as with a knife - nasi)

6. Role mapping when transfering :

-to =3D role of transferred item
tuke oto miki : the house (miki) is given (as a present - tuke)
-sa =3D role of transferring
tuke osa kana : i (kana) give as a present (tuke)
-ma =3D role of tranferee
tuke ooma pimo : the child (pimo) is given a house (miki) as a present (tuke=
)
-se =3D role of releasing the transerred item
tuke ose tupi : a present (tuke) is taken from the tribe (tupi)

full example :
tuke osa kana oto miki ooma pimo ose tupi : i take and give a house to the=20
child from the tribe as a present.

7. Role mapping when sensing outside :

-te =3D role of featuring the sensed item
pomi ote piri : the flower (piri) smells (pomi)
-ki =3D role of sensing
pomi oki kana : i (kana) smell (the smell - pomi)

full example :
pomi ote piri oki kana : i can smell the flower.

8. Role mapping when feeling inside :

-te =3D role of feeling the feeling
tate ote kana : i (kana) fear (tate)
-me =3D role of prompting the feeling
tate ome kunu : the animal (kunu) is feared (tate)
-ka =3D role of making feel
tate oka kare : he (kare) frightens (tate)

full example :
tate ote kana ome kunu oka kare : he frightens me regarding the animal

9. Role mapping of relation :

-me =3D role of topic
tunu ome kare : the speech (tunu) regards him (kare)
-te =3D role of feature
para ote kana : i (kana) have a brother (para)

10. Role mapping of space and time :

-na =3D role of performing a move
timu ona kana : i (kana) go (timu)
-so =3D role of ab-base
timu oso mamiki : to go (timu) from the town (mamiki)
-mo =3D role of ad-base
timu omo kakopu : to go (timu) to the wood (kakopu)
-ru =3D role of per-base
timu oru kure : to wend (timu) the country (kure)
-ra =3D role of the moving pattern
timu ora raro : to go (timu) in circle (raro)
-ri =3D role of the locative base
timu ori kano : to wend (timu) in the world (kano)

full example :
timu ona kana oso mamiki omo kakopu oru kuru ora raro ori kano : i go round=20
from the town to the wood throught the country in the world.

11. Role mapping of comparison :

-re : role of being the base of comparison
mara ore kana : big (mara) compared to me (kana)

+ other role mappings you wouldn't care anyway.


B. Indirect role mapping :

Addressing an item to someone may aim at having that item being the actor of=20
a further role : "i feed you" implies "i expect you to eat that food", and "=
i=20
offer you" implies "i expect you to keep it as a present", "i talk to you"=20
implies "i expect you to sense what i say", etc. It means that address=20
implies an indirect (prospective) role.

Direct (retrospective) roles begin with o- in VSO order and e- in SVO order.=20
Indirect (prospective) roles begin with oo- in VSO order and ee- in SVO orde=
r.

Prospective role is translated as "temptative" when the the process doesn't=20
imply another actor's role :
paka one kopu : the tree (kopu) is beaten (paka)
paka oone kopu : the tree is beaten at

Prospective role is translated as "expectative" when the process implies=20
another actor's role :
kite oki pimo : the child (pimo) can see (an image - kite)
kite ooki pimo : the child (pimo) is expected to see (an image - kite)
kite oka kana oki pimo : i (kana) make the child (pimo) see (an image - kite=
)
kite oka kana ooki pimo : i (kana) show to the child (pimo) (an image - kite=
)