Re: Possession (was: Re: Ergative)

Matt Pearson wrote:
>
> Use of BE + a dative or locative expression to denote "have" is quite
> common.  Both Russian and Hindi express "I have a book" as "a book is
> beside me".  I think the Celtic languages do this as well.  So do
> Hungarian, Finnish, and Turkish.
>
So, in their own ways, do Hebrew
yesh            li      sefer
there-is        to me   book    = I have a book

and spoken Arabic
3andi    ktaab
by-me    book                   = I have a book


- - - though the effective absence of a present tense of the verb in
both languages gives the construction a slightly different feel.

        Conlanglikeg coluiereiin
        (In Conlangish friendship)


        Shaul Vardi