138,726
edits
Suwáá: Difference between revisions
m
→Obviation
m (→Obviation) |
m (→Obviation) |
||
| Line 47: | Line 47: | ||
Like Navajo, Suwáá shows various levels of animacy in its grammar, with certain nouns taking specific verb forms according to their rank in this animacy hierarchy. For instance, Navajo nouns can be ranked by animacy on a continuum from most animate (a human or lightning) to least animate (an abstraction): | Like Navajo, Suwáá shows various levels of animacy in its grammar, with certain nouns taking specific verb forms according to their rank in this animacy hierarchy. For instance, Navajo nouns can be ranked by animacy on a continuum from most animate (a human or lightning) to least animate (an abstraction): | ||
humans | humans > infants/big animals > midsize animals > small animals > insects > natural forces > inanimate objects/plants > abstractions | ||
Generally, the most animate noun in a sentence must occur first while the noun with lesser animacy occurs second. If both nouns are equal in animacy, then either noun can occur in the first position. So, both example sentences (1) and (2) are correct. The n- prefix on the verb indicates that the 1st noun is the subject and i- indicates that the 2nd noun is the subject. | Generally, the most animate noun in a sentence must occur first while the noun with lesser animacy occurs second. If both nouns are equal in animacy, then either noun can occur in the first position. So, both example sentences (1) and (2) are correct. The n- prefix on the verb indicates that the 1st noun is the subject and i- indicates that the 2nd noun is the subject. | ||