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Re: verbs?

From:Andreas Johansson <andjo@...>
Date:Thursday, July 17, 2003, 22:22
Quoting "Thomas R. Wier" <trwier@...>:

> Quoting Andreas Johansson <andjo@...>: > > > Quoting JS Bangs <jaspax@...>: > > > > > [1] Except for some Languages Of Unusual Structure (LOUS's [2]) which > are > > > reported to exist by a thread here a few days ago. Personally, I don't > > > beleive they exist. > > > > > > [2] I'm full of whimsical coinages today, but I especially like this one > > > as a term for a nat-freaklang, like those OSV weirdos, and Georgian. Can > > I > > > keep it? Please, please? > > > > As long as you have it include monster raving loony languages ... > > PS A "monster raving loony language" is one that marks intransitive > subject > > different from both transitive subject and transitive object, but the > later > > two the same. My faith in humanity's collective mental health was severely > > dented when I learned of their existence. > > Do you have a citation on that? I'd love to know more about it.
Below's an old post from Tim May. The link at the bottom's where the term "monster raving loony" comes from. Andreas Apollo Hogan writes: > > Howdy all! > > I'm a lurking newbie to the list, but I have been following the discussions > with interest. I am currently reading Bernard Comrie's "Languages of the > Soviet Union" and came upon the following: > In particular, Rushan shows the rare double-oblique system, in which > the direct object takes the same oblique case as the transitive subject > whilst the intransitive subject takes the absolute case: > > mu dum kitoob xeejt > I-OBL this-OBL book read-PAST > 'I read this book' > > jaa pa XaraR sut > he-ABS to Khorog go-PAST-MASC-SG > 'he went to Khorog' > > Rushan is an Indo-Iranian language spoken along the river Pyandzh in the > former Soviet Union (according to Comrie). Ah, this must be what Justin Rye is referring to when he mentions "some Iranian sightings" of "the monster raving loony candidate". http://www.xibalba.demon.co.uk/jbr/ranto/r.html

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Tim May <butsuri@...>Monster Raving Loony (was Re: verbs?)