Re: Functions of Classifiers (in a conlang)

Hi Chris,

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Chris Bates
> Sent: Wednesday 17 May 2006 1:15 am
> To: yahya
> Subject: Re: Functions of Classifiers (in a conlang)
>
> >or perhaps even:
> > CLS.MAN fail repeat attempt enter take leave = "Beagle Boys"
> >?
> >
> I'll have to remember that one. :D :D In case you're wondering, the
> reason I need serial verb constructions (and classifiers both) is
> because I'm trying to make a language that's very attention to motion,
> etc. The classifiers come in because most classifier systems classify
> inanimates for shape and/or purpose, which seems to me to add a certain
> amount of vividness to descriptions,
I agree; it certainly works that way for me in Malay,
which uses perhaps a wider variety of shape classifiers
than, say, Mandarin.


> ... and the serial verbs because I
> tried directional morphology and/or closed classes of particles (as in
> English), and both struck me as somewhat inelegant solutions to the
> problem. I decided that, since verbs were an open class, it'd make more
> sense to have serial verb like constructions because it would make the
> result more flexible. It's not really feasible to have, say, 100
> directional particles, but it's certainly possible to have large numbers
> of verbs in an open class dealing with manner and path of motion, which
> can then be chained together without too many restrictions on
> co-occurence.
I'm sure you're right.  Rather than learning
a largeish number of specialised particles,
some rarely used, a learner need only learn
the serial verb pattern.  Also, in a situation
where the closed particle system would need
a speaker to invent a new particle, the serial
verb user need merely construct a novel
sequence of verbs to express an entirely
new meaning.  For both these reasons, the
additional flexibility makes the language,
I think, more useful.

In one of my current conlangs, Uiama, about
whose genesis I wrote briefly onlist late last
year, I'm moving in the direction of serial
particles!  But since I have very few particles
in total (/a e i o u @/), each with several
related meanings, this may lead to some rather
long sequences of particles, and thus materially
alter the phonology.  For example, the name
"Uiama" itself comprises the particles /u i a/
fused together with a morpheme /ma/ = "many".
And there are already longer vowel sequences
than this.

Regards,
Yahya

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