Re: Changing worldviews with language (LONG)

 --- "H. S. Teoh" <hsteoh@...> wrote: > On
Mon, Nov 04, 2002 at 06:39:33AM -0500, John Cowan
> wrote:
> [snip]
> > An argument is the semantic version of a NP: thus
> in "John ate the banana",
> > the arguments are John and the banana.
>
> Ahhh. Thanks for the clarification. I could never
> figure out the
> difference before.
>
> >  An argument is a core argument if the predicate
> insists on having it.
>
> Interesting. I suppose in light of this, Ebisedian
> has no core arguments,
> since everything is optional, and things clear from
> context are usually
> freely elided.
>
> > Valency is the property of a predicate that says
> which core arguments it
> > has.
>
> Interesting. So then Ebisedian verbs have 0 valency?
>
and bac . . . well, bac verbs have multiple valency
(all the spaces are filled by topics . . . that is
quasi-subjects).

the meaning of a verb depends on what valency it's
used with :

from |gaj| 'eye' you get |Gaj| (valency 0) 'it is
evident', |Gaj| (1) 'see'/'look' |Gaj| (2) look at one
another

from |car| 'function' you get |Car| (1)
'do'/'try'/'use' (depending on context and coverbs)
|Car| (2) cooperate

a complication is that topics can be understood but
still alter the meaning of the verb :

|sot lic Bawc. Cawr Bawc Char| 's/he and i saw each
other. we agreed to cooperate'

verbs can also be depleted. that is, they take the
meaning of a higher valency form, but themselves have
a lower valency. this is marked by leniting the final
consonant :

|sot Banch wer| 'i'm talking to you (and you should be
responding but you're not)'

( the final form has a nasalised final consonant, and
is a passive causative |sot Rawpn toghot| 'i was made
to go/taken home' )

bn

=====
bnathyuw | landan | arR
stamp the sunshine out | angelfish
your tears came like anaesthesia | phèdre

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