Wistanian: Difference between revisions

163 bytes added ,  31 October 2018
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→‎Syntax: fixed example sentences.
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==Syntax==
==Syntax==
''needs expansion''


Wistanian follows a fairly rigid syntax and tight grammar for a number of historical reasons. Firstly, due to its pidginization with the Nati language, Taliv lost most of its irregularities and exceptions. Secondly, as the Katapu began to teach Wistanian, they had spread false information to "make more sense" of the language, which resulted in further simplification that was later adopted as standard. In Wistanian's infancy, it was almost engineered to be as efficient as possible. However, learners were still able to incorporate features from their native language into Wistanian, providing it with several of its current syntactical quirks (e.g., imperative word order was introduced by the Taliv learners).  
Wistanian follows a fairly rigid syntax and tight grammar for a number of historical reasons. Firstly, due to its pidginization with the Nati language, Taliv lost most of its irregularities and exceptions. Secondly, as the Katapu began to teach Wistanian, they had spread false information to "make more sense" of the language, which resulted in further simplification that was later adopted as standard. In Wistanian's infancy, it was almost engineered to be as efficient as possible. However, learners were still able to incorporate features from their native language into Wistanian, providing it with several of its current syntactical quirks (e.g., imperative word order was introduced by the Taliv learners).  
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  '''alalyi dari va din.'''
  '''alalyi dari va din.'''
  alali-i  dari '''va din'''.
  alali-i  dari '''va din'''.
  run  -TEL boy  '''COP.REL three'''.
  run  -PFV boy  '''COP.REL three'''.
  "The three boys ran (to something)."
  "The three boys ran."


===Word Order===
===Word Order===
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  '''yigai auzi aa a?'''
  '''yigai auzi aa a?'''
  yiga -i  auzi    '''aa  a'''?
  yiga -i  auzi    '''aa  a'''?
  speak-TEL 3Sa.NOM '''ACC Q'''.
  speak-PFV 3Sa.NOM '''ACC Q'''.
  "What did he say?" (Lit. "He said...?")
  "What did he say?" (Lit. "He said...?")


  '''ddaij yaun auv a?'''
  '''ddaj yaun auv a?'''
  dda-i -j  yaun  '''auv  a'''?
  dda-a -j  yaun  '''auv  a'''?
  go -TEL-IRR 1P.NOM '''when Q'''?
  go -DUR-IRR 1P.NOM '''when Q'''?
  "When will we go?" (Lit. "We will go when/during...?)
  "When will we go?" (Lit. "We will go when/during...?)


  '''yi luj ddal a?'''
  '''luj va yi ddal a?'''
  yi      luj  '''ddal a?'''
luj  va yi      '''ddal a?'''
  1S.POSS boat '''LOC  Q'''?
  boat COP 1s.POSS '''LOC  Q'''?
  "Where is my boat?" (Lit. "My boat is located in...?)
  "Where is my boat?" (Lit. "My boat is located in...?)


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  '''vigaj aa garauda baul.'''
  '''vigaj aa garauda baul.'''
  viga-a   '''-j'''  aa  garauda '''baul'''.
  viga-a   '''-j'''  aa  garauda '''baul'''.
  eat -ATEL '''-IRR''' ACC food    '''HON'''.
  eat -DUR '''-IRR''' ACC food    '''HON'''.
  "Please, eat the food, sir."
  "Please, eat the food, sir."


  '''viga aa garauda.'''
  '''viga aa garauda.'''
  viga-a   '''-∅''' aa  garauda '''∅'''
  viga-a   '''-∅''' aa  garauda '''∅'''
  eat -ATEL   ACC food  
  eat -DUR   ACC food  
  "Eat the food (as a rude demand)."
  "Eat the food (as a rude demand)."


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  '''mala yaun gaun vizaniya aa ujadi.'''
  '''mala yaun gaun vizaniya aa ujadi.'''
  mala -a   yaun  gaun '''vizana-iya''' aa  ujadi.
  mala -a   yaun  gaun '''vizana-iya''' aa  ujadi.
  fight-ATEL 1P.NOM ACT  '''come  -STA''' ACC house.
  fight-DUR 1P.NOM ACT  '''come  -STA''' ACC house.
  "We fight inside the house."  
  "We fight inside the house."  
  * "fight we who have come into the house"
  * "fight we who have come into the house"
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  '''yaun vizaniya aa ujadi.'''
  '''yaun vizaniya aa ujadi.'''
  yaun  '''vizana-iya''' aa  ujadi.
  yaun  '''vizana-iya''' aa  ujadi.
  1P.NOM '''come -STA''' ACC house.
  1P.NOM '''come -STA''' ACC house.
  "We are in the house."
  "We are in the house."
  * "We have come into the house."
  * "We have come into the house."


Locative clauses do not modify verbs directly, but rather modify the subject. This includes sentences that use verbs like "go."
Many verbs do not need a directional adposition or modifier, since direction is already encoded in many verbs when they are transitive. For example, '''dda''' means "to go to", and '''buda''' means "to walk to".


  '''ddai yau ujadi wi.'''
  '''dda yau aa luj.'''
  dda-i   yau    ujadi wi.
  dda -a   yau    aa  luj.
  go -TEL 1S.NOM house ADE.
  go.to-DUR 1S.NOM ACC boat
  "I go to the house."
  "I am going to the boat."
* "go I house near."


  '''nada lu luj igza.'''
  '''nada yau aa luj wi.'''
  nada-a lu luj igza.
  nada-a     yau    aa  luj wi.
  walk-ATEL 2S.NOM boat DSTV.
  walk.to-DUR 1S.NOM ACC boat ADE.
  "You walk away from the boat."
  "I am walking near the boat."
  * "walk you boat away."
 
'''nada yau aa luj igza.'''
nada  -a  yau    aa  luj  igza.
  walk.to-DUR 1S.NOM ACC boat DSTV.
"I am walking away from the boat."


==Morphology==
==Morphology==
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