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Re: Marking and Imperatives

From:Matt Pearson <jmpearson@...>
Date:Friday, October 15, 1999, 16:54
Taliesin wrote:

>> Still, that introduces an interesting question: *are* there languages >> where 1st person singular is unmarked in performative verbs? > >AFMCL, the verb isn't marked for person, unless it is in a relative >clause. Furthermore, the 1st person pronoun is only used for emphasis >and when the 1st p. is not the agent, but needs to be marked for case. >Funny, I don't have a verb 'to thank' yet...
In Tokana, I frequently leave off the first person subject with verbs of thinking and saying: When a sentence expresses a point of view, and it's not made explicit whose point of view it is, it's assumed to be the speaker's point of view: For example, "I think that John has left" would be rendered "Opa nelhukanne Tsion", literally "Think that-he-has- left John". BTW, the Tokana expression meaning "thank you" is "niokteh telanko", which means "may your kindness return (to you)". The conventional reply is "aleima niokteh", which means "it has already returned" - in other words, your kindness in thanking me amply repays my kindness in helping you. Matt.