Syntax in an Ebisedic language
From: | Christopher Wright <faceloran@...> |
Date: | Saturday, April 5, 2003, 14:58 |
Bama.
I've yet another project, but the only reason I approach now is to gain
the advice and pilfer the experience of many far wiser than me.
The cases I have are originative, essive (I think that's the right word;
used as "to"), beneficient, genitive, and locative. I hope that they do
not mirror too greatly your cases, H.S. Teoh. I'll try to keep them
different (read: more rational ;))), but I won't discuss Wirt'an much
anyway. It isn't my love...yet.
My question was one of word order. How would I arrange sentences? Based on
what? The cases used can change based on the relationship emphasized[1],
so the cases themselves would likely be useless for this. Perhaps it is
accusative or ergative in word order but totally alien in cases?
~Wright
[1] Such as "I give a plate to the boy." It could be 'I-ORIG give plate-
GEN boy-ESS' or 'I-ORIG give plate-ESS boy-BEN'. Or in "I got the ball
from Jim": it doesn't entirely matter whether I switch cases on myself and
Jim, but if it's 'I-ORIG', then it seems like I'm stealing it from him,
whereas if he's in the originative case, he's giving it to me. Then I'd be
in the essive or beneficient, and the ball would be in the essive or
genitive, unless....
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