Theiling Online    Sitemap    Conlang Mailing List HQ   

Different types of roots; temporary/permanent stative verbs?

From:Eric Christopherson <rakko@...>
Date:Friday, May 4, 2001, 1:20
After only a few years <g>, I think I'm getting close to working out a
framework for roots and derivations in Dhak. But I'm wondering what kinds of
constraints natlangs have for roots (by which I mean the fundamental
morphemes that actual usable words are made of, but which do not necessarily
form usable words by themselves). I've decided there should be 3 or 4 kinds
of roots: noun, stative, eventive, and maybe pronoun. So, the question is:
Are there any natlangs in which different types of roots have different
phonotactic constraints? For example, noun roots would be CVCVC, and verb
roots CVCCV? Or do all roots generally have the same phonotactics?

Also, I was wondering how different natlangs handle the distinction in
stative verbs or adjectives between conditions that are permanent and those
that are temporary? I know of <ser> and <estar> in Spanish, but what other
ways of dealing with them are there? (Conlang examples would be welcome
too.)

I'm also wondering about different ways of actually *defining* the
difference -- how fleeting does something have to be to be "temporary," and
how long-lived to be "permanent"? Of course, there can be some flexibility
and irregularity -- in Spanish you say <estar muerto> as if the dead are
only temporarily dead :)

--
Eric Christopherson / *Aiworegs Ghristobhorosyo

Replies

J Matthew Pearson <pearson@...>
Muke Tever <alrivera@...>
Rik Roots <rikroots@...>
Nik Taylor <fortytwo@...>