Habyela: Difference between revisions
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==Adjectives== | ==Adjectives== | ||
Adjectives always precede the noun. They are marked for[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restrictiveness Restrictiveness]. Restrictive adjectives end in /-(w)aw/, and descriptive adjectives end in /(t)aɴ/. | Adjectives always precede the noun. They are marked for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restrictiveness Restrictiveness]. Restrictive adjectives end in /-(w)aw/, and descriptive adjectives end in /(t)aɴ/. | ||
For example, the restrictive form of the adjective meaning "black" is /qanʷə̀-waw/, while the descriptive form is /qanʷə̀-taɴ/. To say "the black dog" (selecting one out of a group of dogs containing ones with other colours), a Habyela speaker would say /qanʷə̀waw qənə̀bə/. However, in other cases, they would say /qanʷə̀taɴ qənə̀bə/. When an adjective is used predicatively (e.g. to say "the dog is black"), the suffix /çà/ is used for singular subjects, and /çàɴ/ for plural subjects e.g. /qənə̀bə qanʷə̀-çà/ - "the dog is black", or /qənə̀bəɴ qanʷə̀-çàɴ/ - "the dogs are black". | For example, the restrictive form of the adjective meaning "black" is /qanʷə̀-waw/, while the descriptive form is /qanʷə̀-taɴ/. To say "the black dog" (selecting one out of a group of dogs containing ones with other colours), a Habyela speaker would say /qanʷə̀waw qənə̀bə/. However, in other cases, they would say /qanʷə̀taɴ qənə̀bə/. When an adjective is used predicatively (e.g. to say "the dog is black"), the suffix /çà/ is used for singular subjects, and /çàɴ/ for plural subjects e.g. /qənə̀bə qanʷə̀-çà/ - "the dog is black", or /qənə̀bəɴ qanʷə̀-çàɴ/ - "the dogs are black". | ||
In some cases, it does not make sense to use a restrictive adjective, e.g. to use the adjective /qanʷə̀/ - "black" to describe the noun /ʔàtə/ - "night", the descriptive form is used i.e. /qanʷə̀-taɴ ʔàtə/ - "the black night". Using the restrictive form ?/qanʷə̀-waw ʔàtə/ - "the black night" would imply that the speaker is selecting a black night out of a set of other nights that are not black. While English has the expression "white night" to refer to periods of midnight sun (which occur in Antarctica where Habyela is spoken), Habyela speakers would not consider such a period to be "night". | |||
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Adjectives are normally negated with the prefix /ʔanə-/ (or /ʔanə̀-/ to be emphatic). For example /ʔanə-qanʷə̀-waw/ - "not black" (restrictive). However, if the adjective root begins with a glottal stop, it is deleted, and the negative prefix is /ʔan-/ e.g. /ʔaɴcà-waw/ - "good" (restrictive) -> /ʔan-aɴcà-waw/ -"not good" (restrictive). | Adjectives are normally negated with the prefix /ʔanə-/ (or /ʔanə̀-/ to be emphatic). For example /ʔanə-qanʷə̀-waw/ - "not black" (restrictive). However, if the adjective root begins with a glottal stop, it is deleted, and the negative prefix is /ʔan-/ e.g. /ʔaɴcà-waw/ - "good" (restrictive) -> /ʔan-aɴcà-waw/ -"not good" (restrictive). | ||
==Verbs== | ==Verbs== | ||