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Kämpya: Difference between revisions

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Kämpya (view source)

Revision as of 04:11, 3 December 2013

556 bytes removed ,  3 December 2013
Changed pronoun alignment to tripartite, but fused ergative and genitive
(Prohibitives done)
(Changed pronoun alignment to tripartite, but fused ergative and genitive)
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==Brief Description==
==Brief Description==


Kämpya has topic comment syntax with isolating morphology. The syntactic alignment is split ergative, with pronouns having nominative accusative alignment, and the rest of the language being ergative. Possessors are marked for alienability [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alienable_possession] using tone, and come before the nouns they modify. Kämpya (at least in the standard dialect) uses postpositions rather than prepositions, and adjectives can come either before or after the nouns they modify if they are restrictive or non-restrictive respectively [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restrictiveness].
Kämpya has topic comment syntax with isolating morphology. The syntactic alignment is basically ergative, except that there is a tripartite system on pronouns. However, genitive (alienable) and ergative pronouns are identical. Possessors are marked for alienability [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alienable_possession] using tone, and come before the nouns they modify. Kämpya (at least in the standard dialect) uses postpositions rather than prepositions, and adjectives can come either before or after the nouns they modify if they are restrictive or non-restrictive respectively [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restrictiveness].


In terms of phonology, the most notable thing is a 3-way vowel phonation contrast on stressed syllables (which is not present on unstressed syllables). Kämpya distinguishes words with harsh voice (marked with a tilde e.g. /a̰/), from breathy voice (marked with a pair of dots either above or below the vowel e.g. /a̤/ or /ä/), from glottalisation (marked with a glottal stop after the vowel e.g. /aʔ/.
In terms of phonology, the most notable thing is a 3-way vowel phonation contrast on stressed syllables (which is not present on unstressed syllables). Kämpya distinguishes words with harsh voice (marked with a tilde e.g. /a̰/), from breathy voice (marked with a pair of dots either above or below the vowel e.g. /a̤/ or /ä/), from glottalisation (marked with a glottal stop after the vowel e.g. /aʔ/.
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===Nominative Pronouns===
===Intransitive Pronouns===


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
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===Possessive Pronouns===
===Genitive / Ergative Pronouns===


These inflect for alienable vs. inalienable possession, however, in the emphatic form, these are not distinguished. There is also a proximate vs. obviative distinction on 3rd person possessive pronouns. The proximate pronouns are used when the possessor was the last noun that was in the absolutive case (i.e. unmarked). The obviative pronouns are used in other cases.
Kämpya's genitive pronouns inflect for alienable vs. inalienable possession, however, in the emphatic form, these are not distinguished. The alienable (and emphatic) forms of the genitive pronouns are also used as ergative pronouns (i.e. the subjects of transitive verbs).
 
There is also a proximate vs. obviative distinction on 3rd person genitive pronouns. The proximate pronouns are used when the possessor was the last noun that was in the absolutive case (i.e. unmarked). The obviative pronouns are used in other cases. To mark a 3rd person subject of a transitive verb, only the obviative form is used, never the proximate.


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
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|-
|-
| Alienable || môṵ || ˈḛ̂wà || jô̰ || dḛ̂- || ðjíʔ
| Alienable || môṵ || ˈḛ̂wà || jô̰ || dḛ̂- || ðjíʔ
|-
| Ergative || môṵ || ˈḛ̂wà || jô̰ || N/A || ðjíʔ
|-
|-
| Emphatic || mòṵ || ˈḛ̀wá || bwò̤ || swḭ̀ || sḛ̀
| Emphatic || mòṵ || ˈḛ̀wá || bwò̤ || swḭ̀ || sḛ̀
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/jéi ˈsíʔtà/ phonetically [jéiˈsíʔtà]
/jéi ˈsíʔtà/ phonetically [jéiˈsíʔtà]


2PS guardian
2PS.INTR guardian


You are / were / will be the guardian(s).
You are / were / will be the guardian(s).
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/jéw ˈḛ̂nèmì/ phonetically [jéˈwḛ̂nèmì]
/jéw ˈḛ̂nèmì/ phonetically [jéˈwḛ̂nèmì]


2PS enemy
2PS.INTR enemy


You are / were / will be the enemy.
You are / were / will be the enemy.
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/jèḭ ˈḛ̂nèmì/ phonetically [jèḭ ˈḛ̂nèmì]
/jèḭ ˈḛ̂nèmì/ phonetically [jèḭ ˈḛ̂nèmì]


2PS.NOM.EMP enemy
2PS.INT.EMP enemy


'''You''' are the enemy.
'''You''' are the enemy.
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====With Pronouns====
====With Pronouns====


The nominative pronouns discussed earlier can also be the subject of transitive verbs. However, after the verb, there needs to be a particle that marks whether or not the object of the transitive verb belongs to the subject, and, if so, whether the possession is alienable or inalienable. These are:
The (alienable) genitive pronouns discussed earlier can also be the subject of transitive verbs e.g.


{| class="wikitable"
/jô̰ káiʔk gáʔɾ/
|-
| Subject Possesses Object Inalienably || sè
|-
| Subject Possesses Object Alienably || sḛ́
|-
| Subject does not Possess Object || ðì
|}


/sè/ and /ðì/ are both clitics that attach phonologically to the preceding word.
2PS.ERG bite lizard


 
You are biting the lizard.
Here are some examples:
 
/jéi=káiʔk=ðì gáʔɾ/
 
2PS.NOM=bite=TRANS lizard
 
You are biting the lizard (which doesn't belong to you).
 
 
/jéi=káiʔk sḛ́ gáʔɾ/
 
2PS.NOM=bite own.ALIENABLE lizard
 
You are biting your lizard.
 
 
/jéi=káiʔk sḛ́ áˈjòṳ̤/
 
2PS.NOM=bite own.ALIENABLE bone
 
You are biting your bone (as in a dish on the table, not in your own body).
 
 
/jéi=káiʔk=sè áˈjòṳ/
 
2PS.NOM=bite=own.INALIENABLE bone
 
You are biting your bone (in your body).




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As before, the object can be fronted as a topic e.g.
As before, the object can be fronted as a topic e.g.


/gáʔɾ jéi=káiʔk=ðì/
/gáʔɾ jô̰ káiʔk/


lizard 2PS.NOM=bite=TRANS
lizard 2PS.ERG bite


You are biting the lizard.
You are biting the lizard.




However, the subject pronoun still come immediately before the verb, so sentences like */jéi gáʔɾ káiʔk ðì/ are ungrammatical.
However, the subject pronoun still come immediately before the verb, so sentences like */jô̰ gáʔɾ káiʔk/ are ungrammatical.




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When both the subject and the object of a verb are pronouns, the subject comes first, and there is no particle that indicates whether or not the subject possesses the object e.g.
When both the subject and the object of a verb are pronouns, the subject comes first and is in the intransitive case e.g.


jéi=swí=káiʔk
jéi=swí=káiʔk


2PS.NOM=3PS.ACC=bite
2PS.INTR=3PS.ACC=bite


You are biting him.
You are biting him.
It would be ungrammatical to say */jô̰ swí=káiʔk/.




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/jéi=áˈlòṵn nâ̰/
/jéi=áˈlòṵn nâ̰/


2PS.NOM=alone.CMPD PROH
2PS.INTR=alone.CMPD PROH


Don't be alone.
Don't be alone.
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This pattern can also be used for transitive verbs
This pattern can also be used for transitive verbs


/jéi=kàiʔk nâ̰ kʰwèi̤/
/jô̰ kàiʔk nâ̰ kʰwèi̤/


2PS.NOM=bite.CMPD PROH dog
2PS.ERG bite.CMPD PROH dog


Don't bite the dog.
Don't bite the dog.
 
o


It is also perfectly possible to front the argument of /nâ̰/ e.g.
It is also perfectly possible to front the argument of /nâ̰/ e.g.


/kʰwèi̤ jéi=kàiʔk nâ̰/
/kʰwèi̤ jô̰ kàiʔk nâ̰/


dog 2PS.NOM=bite.CMPD PROH
dog 2PS.ERG bite.CMPD PROH


The dog must not be bitten.
The dog must not be bitten.




If someone other than the listener is being forbidden from performing the action, it takes the ergative case e.g.
Other nouns can be used apart from the 2nd person pronouns e.g.


/ˈsíʔtà=zù kàiʔk nâ̰ kʰwèi̤/
/ˈsíʔtà=zù kàiʔk nâ̰ kʰwèi̤/
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