rhi/lang
1
0
Fork 0
Code Issues 2 Pull requests Releases Wiki Activity
lang/pages/laantas/verbs.md

6.7 KiB
Raw Blame History

title backname backlink conlang
Lántas verbs Lántas ../laantas lántas
  • Ƶasim kalńḿt jaƶísi.
  • ƶasim kalńḿt jaƶí-si
  • the:dog the:cat love-RPST
  • The dog loved the cat.
  • Ƶasim kalńḿt jaƶísai.
  • ƶasim kalńḿt jaƶí-sai
  • the:dog the:cat love-DPST
  • The dog had loved the cat (until …).
  • Ƶasim kalńḿt jaƶímá.
  • ƶasim kalńḿt jaƶí-má
  • the:dog the:cat love-FUT
  • The dog will love the cat. :::

Person

These suffixes are used instead of pronouns (but not nouns) in the subject and object positions. The subject suffix comes before the object. For the plural, the vowel is lengthened and {–š} is added (e.g. {–na} to {–náš}).

Just like with the pronouns, the first person plurals {–náš} and {–dúš} can only be used with an inclusive meaning. The exclusive sense is expressed by using conjunctions of pronouns instead of suffixes.

:::figure

               `!1!`    `!2!`    `!3!`

Subject !(SBJ)! {–na} {–ha} {–fa} Object !(OBJ)! {–du} {–gu} {–bu}

:::

:::glosses

  • Bairunagu.
  • bairu-na-gu
  • see-1SG;SBJ-2SG;OBJ
  • I see you.
  • Ƶasim bairunáš.
  • ƶasi-m bairu-náš
  • dog-DEF see-1PL;SBJ
  • We see the dog.
  • Ƶasim bairudúš.
  • ƶasi-m bairu-dúš
  • dog-DEF see-1PL;OBJ
  • The dog sees us. :::

Voice

There is a four way voice distinction. The voice markers are placed between the tense and person markers.

  • The active voice is the default form of the verb and does not modify the roles of the arguments.
  • The passive voice promotes the direct object of the verb to subject position, leaving the former subject role unspecified. There is no way to specify the agent (i.e., no equivalent to by); to merely emphasise the object but keep the subject specified, the object can be moved to the beginning of the clause.
  • The reflexive voice indicates that the subject(s) act on themselves.
  • The reciprocal voice indicates that the subjects act on each other.

:::figure

 Active `!(ACT)!` `{–}`
Passive `!(PSV)!` `{–lú}`

Reflexive !(RFL)! {–sidu} Reciprocal !(RCP)! {–lƶi}

:::

:::glosses

  • Ƶasimat tassána.
  • ƶasimat tassá-na
  • the:dog wash-1SG
  • I wash the dog.
  • Ƶasim tassálú.
  • ƶasim tassá-lú
  • the:dog wash-PSV
  • The dog is washed.
  • Tassásiduna.
  • tassá-sidu-na
  • wash-RFL-1SG
  • I wash myself.
  • Tassálƶináš.
  • tassá-lƶi-náš
  • wash-RCP-1PL
  • We wash each other. :::

Negative

TODO

{--tul}

Nominal forms

A verb stem can also be used as a noun: for example, {šikkú} both means 'to go' and 'an act of going'. The definite plural is also used to mean the act in a general sense. The definite form is also used for the verb of content clauses, for example indirect quotations, and with auxiliary verbs such as modals.

:::glosses

  • hipsamł
  • hipsa-m-ł
  • solve_problem-DEF-PL
  • logic (the general act of problem solving)
  • Fíra fuham suasifa.
  • fíra fuha-m sua-si-fa
  • air blow-DEF say-RPST-3SG
  • He said it was windy.
  • Šikkúnamat ušminatul.
  • šikkú-na-m-at ušmi-na-tul
  • go-1SG-DEF-GEN want-1SG-NEG
  • I don't want to go. :::

Modifier forms

A verb form can be suffixed with {–ja} to turn it into a noun modifier. This is used to make relative clauses.

:::glosses

  • ƶasim bairuja ausut kášńḿ
  • ƶasi-m bairu-ja ausu-t kášń-ḿ
  • dog-DEF see-REL size-GEN lizard-DEF
  • the big lizard that the dog sees
  • ƶasimat bairuja ausut kášńḿ
  • ƶasim-at bairu-ja ausut kášńḿ
  • the:dog-GEN see-REL big the:lizard
  • the lizard that sees the dog :::

A relative clause can be made into a noun phrase of its own with {–ƶ}, meaning 'the one who ____'.

:::glosses

  • kášńł bairujaƶ
  • kášń-ł bairu-ja-ƶ
  • lizard-PL see-REL-NOM
  • the one who sees lizards :::

Pro-verbs

Pro-verbs are placeholders standing in for verb phrases; they are the verb equivalent of pronouns.

The word for 'to do this' is {mai}, related to the pronoun {mua}. There are also {lai} and {ƶai}, which are used only when contrasting between two options.

:::glosses

  • Naranášḿ iš lut saunusam gibanášḿ fulla.
  • nara-náš-ḿ iš lut_saunu-sa-m giba-náš-ḿ fulla
  • walk-1PL-DEF or bus-AD-DEF ride-1PL-DEF can
  • We can walk or take the bus.
  • Laim iš ƶaim ušmiha?
  • lai-m iš ƶai-m ušmi-ha
  • do_this-DEF or do_that-DEF want-2SG
  • Which do you want to do?
  • Ƶaim ušmina.
  • ƶai-m ušmi-na
  • do_this-DEF want-1SG
  • I want to take the bus. :::

There is also a negative pro-verb {tulla}, 'to not do this/that'.

Polar questions

Polar (yes/no) questions add a {–ǧi} clitic on the word or phrase being questioned. The word being questioned receives the primary stress. If there is no particular focus for the question, it is attached to the final word of the sentence.

:::glosses

  • Inlantimsasǧi šikkúmáha?
  • inlanti-m-sa-s-ǧi šikkú-má-ha
  • england-DEF-AD-LAT-QU go-FUT-2SG
  • Are you going to england (vs going somewhere else)?
  • Surǧi inlantimsas šikkúmá?
  • sur-ǧi inlantimsas šikkúmá
  • 2SG-QU to:england will:go
  • Is it you (vs someone else) who is going to england?
  • Inlantimsas šikkúmáhaǧi?
  • inlantimsas šikkúmáha-ǧi
  • to:england you:will:go-QU
  • Are you going to england (vs coming from it)? :::

To answer a yes/no question, the verbs {mai} or {tulla}, respectively, are conjugated for person (but not tense, etc). Their literal meaning are as pro-verbs, 'to (not) do this'.

:::figure

  • {Inlantimsasǧi šikkúmáha?}
    Are you going to england?
  • {Maina/Tullana.}
    Yes, I am/No, I'm not. :::