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Re: Changing worldviews with language (LONG)

From:bnathyuw <bnathyuw@...>
Date:Tuesday, November 5, 2002, 19:01
 --- "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 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Everything you'll ever need on one web page from News and Sport to Email and Music Charts http://uk.my.yahoo.com