North-East Antarctican: Difference between revisions

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Compounds are head final. Stress, phonation and gemination are lost on all but the first member of the compound e.g. /ˈkə̰tə/ [ˈkə̰ːtə̰] - "short", and /ˈkʷə̰sa/ [ˈkʷo̰ːsa] - "throwing spear" combine to make /ˈkə̰təkʷəsa/ [ˈkə̰ːto̰kʷo̰sa] - "dart" (literally "short spear").
Compounds are head final. Stress, phonation and gemination are lost on all but the first member of the compound e.g. /ˈkə̰tə/ [ˈkə̰ːtə̰] - "short", and /ˈkʷə̰sa/ [ˈkʷo̰ːsa] - "throwing spear" combine to make /ˈkə̰təkʷəsa/ [ˈkə̰ːto̰kʷo̰sa] - "dart" (literally "short spear").


The restriction against more than one strong consonant in a word applies to compound words e.g. when /bɨˈhə̤kɨ/ [bɨˈhə̤ːkɨ] - "bake" is combined with /ˈkʷɨ̤sːɨ/ [ˈkʷṳsːa] - "ocean fish", the result is /bɨˈʔə̤kɨkʷɨsɨ/ [bɨˈʔə̤ːkukʷusɨ] - "baked (ocean) fish". Because the /kʷ/ in the word for "fish" is strong, it causes the /h/ in the word for "bake" to shift to a glottal stop.
The restriction against more than one strong consonant in a word applies to compound words e.g. when /bɨˈhə̤kɨ/ [bɨˈhə̤ːkɨ] - "bake" is combined with /ˈkʷɨ̤sːɨ/ [ˈkʷṳsːɨ] - "ocean fish", the result is /bɨˈʔə̤kɨkʷɨsɨ/ [bɨˈʔə̤ːkukʷusɨ] - "baked (ocean) fish". Because the /kʷ/ in the word for "fish" is strong, it causes the /h/ in the word for "bake" to shift to a glottal stop.


There is a very strong preference to make endocentric compounds from words that have identical voicing on the stressed syllable. For example, the word /ˈxa̰ɾʲɨ/ [ˈxæ̰ːɾʲḭ] - "freshwater fish", could, in theory, be compounded with /bɨˈhə̤kɨ/ [bɨˈhə̤ːkɨ] - "bake", to form /bɨˈʔə̤kɨxaɾʲɨ/ [bɨˈʔə̤ːkɨxæɾʲi] - "baked freshwater fish". However, since /bɨˈhə̤kɨ/ has breathy voice, and /ˈxa̰ɾʲɨ/ has tense voice, the resulting compound would strike native speakers as inelegant and clumsy.
There is a very strong preference to make endocentric compounds from words that have identical voicing on the stressed syllable. For example, the word /ˈxa̰ɾʲɨ/ [ˈxæ̰ːɾʲḭ] - "freshwater fish", could, in theory, be compounded with /bɨˈhə̤kɨ/ [bɨˈhə̤ːkɨ] - "bake", to form /bɨˈʔə̤kɨxaɾʲɨ/ [bɨˈʔə̤ːkɨxæɾʲi] - "baked freshwater fish". However, since /bɨˈhə̤kɨ/ has breathy voice, and /ˈxa̰ɾʲɨ/ has tense voice, the resulting compound would strike native speakers as inelegant and clumsy.
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/ˈnə̰tʷɨ/ [ˈno̰ːtʷṵ] - "North", /gʷɨˈʔə̤/ [gʷuˈʔə̤ː] - "remain", /ˈnə̰tɨgʷɨʔə/ [ˈnə̰ːtṵgʷuʔə] - "person who did not migrate south to Antarctica, but rather stayed to take their chances on the northern continents" (literally "North remain").
/ˈnə̰tʷɨ/ [ˈno̰ːtʷṵ] - "North", /gʷɨˈʔə̤/ [gʷuˈʔə̤ː] - "remain", /ˈnə̰tɨgʷɨʔə/ [ˈnə̰ːtṵgʷuʔə] - "person who did not migrate south to Antarctica, but rather stayed to take their chances on the northern continents" (literally "North remain").


===Nominalisation===
===Nominalisation===
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The word order is quite strict, but is not connected with subjects and objects. The word order is as follows: [Topicalised / Proximate Noun] [Wh-Phrase] [Verb] [Obviate Nouns] [Adverbs].
The word order is quite strict, but is not connected with subjects and objects. The word order is as follows: [Topicalised / Proximate Noun] [Wh-Phrase] [Verb] [Obviate Nouns] [Adverbs].
==Copula==
In North-East Antarctican, the copula is the particle /haˈʔɨ̤sːɨ/. This can be used for nominal predication e.g.
dʷaˈʔɨ̤ːɻɨ haˈʔɨ̤sːɨ ɾʲɨmʲ=ɨˈɲɨ̰
these COP animal.PL.INDEF=dog
These are dogs.
It can also be used for locational predication (with a locative noun class marker) e.g.
mɨhaj=ɨˈɲɨ̰ haˈʔɨ̤sːɨ kɨwaˈn=ɨ̰mːʲɨ
1PS.SG.POSS=dog COP LOC.SG.INDEF=fjord
My dog is at a fjord.
Finally, it can also be used for adjectival predication e.g.
mɨhaj=ɨˈɲɨ̰ haˈʔɨ̤sːɨ ˈka̤ɫːaʔɨdʷɨʔa
1PS.SG.POSS=dog COP warm
My dog is warm.
However, it is important to note that, unlike English, the copula /haˈʔɨ̤sːɨ/ is a particle and not a verb, and does not take TAM or other inflections.
==Predicative Possession==
Like English, there is a transitive verb meaning "to have", /ˈka̤gːʷɨ/ e.g.
dʷəɻɨ=ˈma̤ɴ ja-ˈka̤gːʷɨ ɾʲɨmʲ=ɨˈɲɨ̰
those=man PRES.ATEL-have animal.PL.INDEF=dog
Those men have dogs.
Normally, /ˈka̤gːʷɨ/ is used with atelic prefixes. With telic prefixes, it means "get" or "obtain" e.g.
dʷəɻɨ=ˈma̤ɴ bɨʔa-ˈka̤gːʷɨ ɾʲɨmʲ=ɨˈɲɨ̰
those=man PRES.TEL-have animal.PL.INDEF=dog
Those men got dogs.
==Comparative Constructions==
North-East Antarctican has different comparative constructions depending on what the two things are being compared in terms of.
===Adjectives/Nouns===
To say "A is more X than B", where X is an adjective or noun, North-East Antarctican replaces the particle /haˈʔɨ̤sːɨ/ with the particle /ma̤sːɨ/. For example, from the following sentence:
mɨhaj=ɨˈɲɨ̰ haˈʔɨ̤sːɨ ˈka̤ɫːaʔɨdʷɨʔa
1PS.SG.POSS=dog COP warm
My dog is warm.
we can derive a comparative sentence:
mɨhaj=ɨˈɲɨ̰ ma̤sːɨ ˈka̤ɫːaʔɨdʷɨʔa jɨw=ɨˈɲɨ̰
1PS.SG.POSS=dog CMPR warm 2PS.POSS=dog
My dog is warmer than your dog.
===Verbs===
To say "A does X more than B", B takes the preposition /dʷa̤ɴ/ e.g.
mɨhaj=ɨˈɲɨ̰ ja-bə~ˈbə̤tɨ dʷa̤ɴ jɨw=ɨˈɲɨ̰
1PS.SG.POSS=dog PRES.ATEL-RECP-bite more.than 2PS.POSS=dog
My dogs bite each other more than your dogs.
[[Category:Languages]]
[[Category:North-East Antarctican]]