User:Waahlis/Sketches

On the Syntax and Topic of Tsan

1. Dynamic and Stative verbals

Árá gáari.					Árá ágáari.						Árá ságáari.
/áɣa cáːɣɪ/					/áɣa acáːɣɪ/						/áɣa sacáːɣɪ/
á-	rá	gáar	-i		á-	rá	á-	gáar	-i		á-	rá	sá-	gáar	-i
dyn.pres.perf.1.m.sg.	like	read	.stat.rel.3.n.sg		dyn.pres.perf.1.m.sg.	like	dyn.pres.perf.1.m.sg.	read	.rel		dyn.pres.perf.1.m.sg.	like	dyn.pres.perf.2.m.sg.	read	.rel
I like the book.					I like when I read. (I like to read)						I like when you read.

2. The Topic

Árás gáari.						Árá gáaris.						Árátsa gáaris
/áɣa cáːɣɪs/						/áɣas cáːɣɪ/						/áɣatsa cáːɣɪs/
á-	rá	-s	gáar	-i		á-	rá	gáar	-i-	-s		á-	rá	tsa	gáar	-i	-s
pres.perf.1.m.sg.	like	topic	read	.stat.rel.3.n.sg		pres.perf.1.m.sg.	like	read	.stat.rel.3.n.sg	topic		pres.perf.1.m.sg.	like	neg.	read	.stat.rel.3.n.sg	topic
As for me, I like the book.						I like the BOOK.1						I DON'T like the book.

1. In English, one would stress the subject in the second sentence, I, but the book would still be the topic: "I don't like the book, but you do".