Re: Conlang Typology Survey

Mark J. Reed wrote:
> 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.
>
Thanks. In that case, the auxiliary verbs would be. once again,
adjectives. (Yes, adjectives get a lot of use in this language, if it
helps any, they are inflected in a way to leave no vagueness as to what
they are modifying. )

>
>>>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")?
Ahh, now I understand. In that case, it is head-last. Reverse of how all
the adjectives work.

>
>>>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.
>
Well, it might be, im just making my best guess from reading the
"language construction kit" websites. The case is within the verb,
though, which might make a difference. For example, "liest foest
saaliez" means "i see you", while "liest foeft saaliez" mean "I am seen
by you".

> -Mark
>

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