Re: Verb-initial languages

Joe wrote:

 > >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.

Well, |is| is the copula (connecting typically noun phrases to NPs);
|tá| is the usual (NP-adjective coupling) verb.
But they both go first anyway.

s.
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