Re: Conlang Typology Survey

On Tue, May 20, 2003 at 06:30:20PM -0400, Matt Trinsic wrote:
> a. What is an auxilary verb? Cant seem to find that one anywhere.
An auxiliary verb is a "helping" verb, like "can" in "I can do it".
In many languages, this is translated with an infinitive as the
object of a main verb with the meaning of the English auxiliary -
for instance, Spanish "Puedo hacerlo.".  Several English tense
forms also use helping verbs: "will" in "He will go", "have" in
"She had done it", etc.

> >9. compounding type
> >a. head-last compounding
> >b. head-first compounding
>
> c? Compounding is done through use of adjectives.
The question regards the order, though.  If some words
are built up by gluing other words together, no matter
what parts of speech are involved, which word
comes first - the main concept ("head-first"), or the
modifying concept ("head-last")?

> >10. case type
> >a. nominative/accusative
> >b. ergative/absolutive
> >c. split ergative
> >d. other
>
> d. nominative/accusative except that the verb supplies the case.
Whoa, you lost me there.  The verb supplies the case?  Please
explain; this sounds interesting. :)

> Two: nominative, accusative. Although being part of the verb rather than
> the noun, I usually term them 'active' (Bob punches) and 'passive' (Bob
> is being punched)
Hm.  If "Bob" is in two different cases in the two sentences
"Bob punches" and "Bob is being punched", then it sounds like you
have an ergative/absolutive case system rather than nominative/accusative.

-Mark

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