Wistanian: Difference between revisions

6,651 bytes removed ,  19 October 2018
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→‎Aspect: deleted the parts about telicity, as I'm reconsidering them rn
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=====Telic=====
The Telic Aspect (<code>TEL</code>) is a dynamic, punctual aspect which describes an action with an endpoint. More specifically, it refers to any action that has been completed as intended. In most situations, it strongly implies the past or future tense.
'''yigai yau luv.'''
yiga '''-i'''  yau    luv.
speak'''-TEL''' 1S.NOM 2S.ACC
"I told you."
In this sentence, the same word for "speak" is used, but its lexical analysis has changed, at least in an obvious way for English speakers. The English verb "tell" has an intended goal and an endpoint. Whereas, in Wistanian, all that is required is the telic conjugation on the word for "speak".
Unlike the durative aspect, the Telic is used on verbs that have been completed, rather than verbs that are in the process of being completed. This is why Telic verbs are rarely in the present tense since things occurring in the present are usually still unfinished. Returning to our example of '''ja''', the telic conjugation defines the desire as fulfilled and satisfied ("to accomplish"), while the durative describes a desire that is unsatisfied and still growing ("falling in love"). As for '''bima''', which describes the action of going from a high place to a low place, both can technically be translated as "fall" or "descend", however the telic '''bima''' demands that the subject has actually hit the floor and finished its fall, while the durative demands that the subject is still in that process.
Telic verbs are conjugated as such (apostophes indicate stress):
{| class="wikitable"
! style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | REGULAR
! style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | TELIC
! style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | DEFINTION
|-
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | 'viga
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | vi'gai
| to eat
|-
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | 'zani
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | 'zanyi
| to shout (esp. insult)
|-
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | 'hadu
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | 'hadwi
| to figure out, discover
|}
=====Atelic=====
The Atelic Aspect (<code>ATEL</code>) is a dynamic, punctual aspect that describes an action that does not have an intended endpoint. Like the telic, this aspect strongly implies the past or future tense.
'''yiga yau luv.'''
yiga '''-a'''  yau    luv.
speak'''-TEL''' 1S.NOM 2S.ACC.
"I talked to you."
For English speakers, this sentence will get very fuzzy. In the atelic conjugation, '''yiga''', which refers to the act of letting words come out of your mouth, has no intended endpoint. This points to a conversation, in which case the subject is conversing with the object. However, unlike in English, the preposition "to" or "with" is unnecessary because of the atelic conjugation. Whereas "tell" is more directive, implying an exact message for an exact person or group, "talk" is more open, implying that any subject is being spoken about to any number people.
This is very clearly seen with the word '''bima''', which is defined as "fall" in the telic, but "precipitate" in the atelic. The reason for this very specific translation is that falling rain does not have an intended endpoint — it just rains for the sake of raining. A single drop of rain, however, does have an endpoint — landing on the ground. As a result, the atelic '''bima''' only applies to weather, mass nouns, and ideas such as hope or peace when they are "coming down" upon a person or group of people.
Sometimes, the telic and atelic verbs can have identical translations into English, as is the case for '''buda''', which translates to "to walk" in both the telic and atelic aspects. The difference between these two verbs is that telic walking has an intended endpoint — "I walked to the store" — whereas atelic walking does not — "I walked in circles."
Atelic verbs are conjugated as such (apostophes indicate stress):
{| class="wikitable"
! style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | REGULAR
! style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | ATELIC
! style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | DEFINITION
|-
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | 'viga
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | 'viga
| to chew, destroy
|-
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | 'zani
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | 'zanya
| to shout, insult
|-
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | 'hadu
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | 'hadwa
| to remember/recall
|}
NOTE: Durative and Atelic ⟨-a⟩ verbs have identical conjugations. However, context can easily make clear the two aspects. In almost every case, atelic verbs apply to a past or future action, while durative verbs apply to a present action.
=====Restrictions of Lexical Aspect=====
Before we dismiss the discussion about Wistanian lexical aspect, it's important to note a few things:
# Not every verb can undergo every conjugation. For example "to run" is never conjugated as stative, and "to laugh" is inherently atelic and would not fit as a telic, durative, or stative verb. Although most verbs will be able to make a lexical switch comfortably, there are many that don't.
# Not every lexical shift makes sense on the surface. The different shifts for '''ja''' do make sense because each situation describes a desire. Some verbs, such as '''buda''', which translates as "to walk" in the telic, atelic, and durative, make a drastic change in the stative: "to be given a gift." This oddity arose historically; when messengers, who would spend entire days or week walking all over the country, would arrive at home. It was customary to be given a reward for their travels from their family (in most cases, that gift was flowers).
# Not every noun can be the object of every verb in every conjugation. For example, in the above example sentences, '''yiga''' in the stative and durative used the object of "Wistanian" while the telic and atelic examples used the object "you." This is because it is conceptually impossible for one to ''speak to'' Wistanian or to ''tell'' Wistanian something. Since there is a lexical shift, the nouns that are allowed as subjects and objects will not always remain the same. An interesting case is with the word '''bima'''. In the atelic conjugation, it is translated as "precipitate", which means that it can only be used with mass nouns such as "rain" and "wheat" (or emotions, figuratively) as the subject. Therefore, neither people nor clay pots can '''bima''' in the atelic.


====Mood====
====Mood====
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