----- Original Message -----
From: "Herman Miller" <hmiller@...>
To: <CONLANG@...>
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2003 7:54 PM
Subject: Verb-initial languages
> I'd like to look at some verb-initial languages to give me some ideas to
> help out with some aspects of Lindiga grammar. The only ones that I'm
> vaguely familiar with are Welsh and Irish. I'd especially like to look at
> some that don't have articles, especially ergative ones. What would be
some
> good languages to look at?
>
> In particular, right now I'm trying to figure out what to do with "to be".
> Currently I have a copula that goes between the nouns, as in "kichrsa
lérru
> linet" [kiXs`A leru lin@t]
>
> kichrsa -Ø lé-rr-u lind-Ø
> goldfinch-ABS 3s-is-PF bird-ABS
> Een putter is een vogel.
>
> But I'm thinking that the copula should go first, like other verbs: "lérru
> kichrsa linet".
>
> Zharranh, on the other hand, uses a pair of particles "mi" ... "ka".
>
> mi nythi ka mirra [mi neTi kA mirA]
> (the closest Zharranh equivalent to "a goldfinch is a bird")
>
> And Jarda uses a transitive verb, "yoe" [j2].
>
> "yoe cirr'ra tir" [j2 cirr\a tir\]
> yoe cirr -ra tir -Ø
> is finch-ERG bird-ABS
>
In Irish, |tá| is the copula, and it goes first.