Dundulanyä: Difference between revisions

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==Syntax==

===Word order===

The Dundulanyä word order is usually described as topic-comment; the topic (''tatsampra'' or ''caṃhūmuṭa''), whether explicit or "unmarked" (as per native terminology) is always the first element of a sentence and everything else - the comment or ''padnīse'' - comes afterwards. The most commonly used terminology in native sources distinguishes two different kinds of topics as ''iḍiṭa tatsampra'' vs. ''idviḍiṭa tatsampra'' (the latter also ''tadgarḫē iḍiṭa tatsampra'' or ''darūmmē iḍiṭa tatsampra''), translated here as "explicit topic" and "unmarked topic" (or "voice-marked topic" or "verb-marked topic") respectively. Explicit topic (''iḍiṭa tatsampra'') is understood as a topic marked by the particle ''ba''.

The comment's structure could be described as OSV, but the definition of subject and object does not apply fully to Dundulanyä. '''S''' is whatever agrees with the verb, i.e. the triggered argument, called ''hūmmikṣe'' in Dundulanyä. '''O''', in this broad scheme, stands for any other argument ("object" and oblique ones). Anyway, OSV is a rough but good approximation for that as (see the third, fourth and fifth example sentences below) the closest argument to the verb is the agent when non-triggered in a sentence with unmarked topic, or the direct argument in a sentence with explicit topic. The verb complex always comes in last position in a sentence, except for some particles.

{{Gloss

| phrase = śiloma epenē yama.

| morphemes = śiloma epen-ē yam-∅-∅-a

| gloss = papaya.DIR.SG. child-ERG.SG. eat-EXP-PAT-PRES.3SG.IND.

| translation = The papaya is being eaten by a child.

}}

{{Gloss

| phrase = epena śilomat yamū.

| morphemes = epena śiloma-t yam-∅-ū-(a)

| gloss = child.DIR.SG. papaya-ACC.SG. eat-EXP-AG-PRES.3SG.IND.

| translation = The child is eating a papaya.

}}

{{Gloss

| phrase = udra śilomat epenē yamīsa.

| morphemes = udra śiloma-t epen-ē yam-∅-īs-a

| gloss = treetrunk.DIR.SG. papaya-ACC.SG. child-ERG.SG. eat-EXP-LOC-PRES.3SG.IND.

| translation = A child is eating a papaya [sitting] on the treetrunk. ''(or: *the treetrunk is being eaten a papaya on by a child.)'

}}

{{Gloss

| phrase = ṭuṇṭiccha śilomat epenē yammi.

| morphemes = ṭuṇṭiccha śiloma-t epen-ē yam-∅-mi-(a)

| gloss = pair_of_chopsticks.DIR.SG. papaya-ACC.SG. child-ERG.SG. eat-EXP-CIRC-PRES.3SG.IND.

| translation = A child is eating [pieces of] papaya with chopsticks. ''(or: *the chopsticks are being eaten [pieces of] papaya with by a child.)'

}}

{{Gloss

| phrase = ñältahbu ba ṣṭhīṭaṅ lunaichir̃ā lilāḍu tadyemigī va.

| morphemes = ñältaɂ-bu ba ṣṭhīṭaṅ lunaichir̃-ā lilāḍu ta-di-emi-g-∅-ī=va

| gloss = male's_sister.DIR.SG-POSS.1SG. TOPIC. yesterday. tea_house-LOC.SG. friend.DIR.SG. PLACE-stand.HUMAN-REP1-IRR-PAT-PAST.3SG=NEG.

| translation = [I was told that] My sister didn't meet her friend at the tea house yesterday.

}}

Non-verb-final word orders are possible, but are practically only ever used in poetry in order to fit into particular metres.

===Verb phrase===

====Positional-classificatory verbs====

Dundulanyä: Difference between revisions

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