Re: New language Thisbo

Terrence Donnelly wrote:
>
> What I'd like to do is convert Thisbo to an inflected
> ergative/absolute language, which I'm finding very
> hard to wrap my head around. Below is what I've got so
> far.
> Can anyone see any obvious flaws in this plan?  Am I
> painting myself in a corner here?
>
> The Thisbo verb focuses on states and events, and has
> as the
> subject of the verb the entity in the sentence that
> experiences the verb. There is no distinction between
> transitive and intransitive verbs, since all verbs
> have
> only a subject.
>
> Noun cases
>
> Absolutive - for the subject of the verb; uses the
> simple
> verbal stem, except in the plural.
>
> Ergative - for the agent of the verb, what we would
> call
> the "subject" of a transitive verb; can only be used
> with
> animates.
>
> Genitive
> Dative
> Locative
> Instrumental
>
>
> Verb forms
>
> The only forms I've got so far are the Active and
> Inchoative
> aspects. Thisbo will have at least present, future and
> past
> versions of each.  The verb also inflects for number
> and
> person.
> (snip ex.sentences)
> Verbs of state always describe the completed state.
> When the Inchoative is used with verbs of quality or
> state, it means "to become X".  When used with verbs
> of action, it means "to begin to X".
>
> Does this plan seem sustainable for a whole language?
Since it's similar to my Kash (nom/acc I think), I'll say yes :-)) Only
difference-- where you use Ergative, Kash would have the causative.
(Actually, most causatives imply cause+inchoative-- John opened the door =
John caused [the door to become open].)

It's useful, also, that your Erg. sentences can be construed as passive
voice; Kash has no passive per se.

You might want to distinguish somehow between plain Inchoative states(object
becomes XX), the door opened) vs. accidental/unwanted/sudden events (the
door flew/burst open; my shirt got torn); that's another derivative form in
Kash, the "accidental"-- it usually corresponds to the Engl. get-verbed
("paranoid passive"), but some of them have metaphoric changes in meaning,
almost always pejorative. If interested, <toot own horn> check out some of
the dictionary listings-- http://cinduworld.tripod.com/anakrangota.htm as
well as the morphology and syntax pages.