Proto-Rathmosian: Difference between revisions

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=Morphology=
=Morphology=
==Verbs==
==Verbs==
Verb forms in Rathmosian are largely agglutinative and the verbal system could be described as active-stative, in which verbs are marked differently according to the degree of agency the subject has. Verbal stems are divided into five classes, according to agency, transitivity and activity. Verb roots may change internally to indicate certain aspects, and derivational prefixes and suffixes may be added to the root to alter its basic meaning. However, the conjugation of the verb is largely carried out with suffixes to indicate aspect, voice, subject and object. The order of elements is fixed in the following ways:
Verb forms in Rathmosian are largely agglutinative and the verbal system could be described as active-stative, in which verbs are marked differently according to the degree of agency the subject has. There is no clear-cut distinction made between conjugation and derivation with, for example, verbal aspect belonging to both categories.
 
Verbal stems are divided into five classes based on their level of agency, transitivity and activeness. Verb roots may change internally to indicate certain aspects, and derivational prefixes and suffixes may be added to the root to alter its basic meaning. However, the conjugation of the verb is largely carried out with suffixes to indicate aspect, voice, subject and object. The order of elements is fixed in the following ways:


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ '''Elements of the Verb'''
|+ '''Elements of the Verb'''
|-
|-
| style="width: 100px;" | Derivational <br /> Prefixes || style="width: 100px;" | '''ROOT''' ||style="width: 100px;" | Derivational <br /> Suffixes ||style="width: 100px;" | Aspect <br /> Marker ||style="width: 100px;" | Voice <br /> Marker ||style="width: 100px;" | Absolutive <br /> Marker ||style="width: 100px;" | Ergative <br /> Marker  
|style="width: 100px;" | Negative <br /> Prefix  || style="width: 100px;" | Directional <br /> Prefixes || style="width: 100px;" | '''ROOT''' ||style="width: 100px;" | Aspect <br /> Marker ||style="width: 100px;" | Causative <br /> ''-əm-'' ||style="width: 100px;" | Voice <br /> Marker || style="width: 100px;" | Mood <br /> Marker ||style="width: 100px;" | Absolutive <br /> Marker ||style="width: 100px;" | Ergative <br /> Marker  
|}
|}


===Verbal Classes===
===Verbal Classes===
Rathmosian verb roots are divided into five classes (I-V) according to whether they are active or stative, and how much agency the subject has. These classes affect the way in which the aspect and voice markers are used.
Rathmosian verb stems are divided into five classes (I-V) according to whether they are active or stative, and how much agency the subject has. These classes affect the way in which the aspect and voice markers are used.


* '''Class I''' verbs are intransitives in which the subject of the verb is not the agent, and which describe fixed or ongoing states, usually translated into English with 'be' and an adjective, e.g. ''dreh-'' "be red", ''rin-'' "be alive, live".
* '''Class I''' verbs are intransitives in which the subject of the verb is not the agent, and which describe fixed or ongoing states, usually translated into English with 'be' and an adjective, e.g. ''dreh-'' "be red", ''rin-'' "be alive, live".
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* '''Class V''' verbs are transitives.
* '''Class V''' verbs are transitives.


Some roots may belong to more than one class with a change of meaning, e.g. ''yur-'' "run" may be Class IV when the subject is an animate noun and the sense is "propel oneself quickly" but is Class III when the subject is inanimate and the sense is "flow, move quickly".
Some roots may belong to more than one class with a change of meaning, e.g. ''yur-'' "run" may be Class IV when the subject is an animate noun and the sense is "propel oneself quickly" but is Class III when the subject is inanimate and the sense is "flow, move quickly". The distinction, in practice, between the two senses is shown by the suffixes added to the root.  


===Aspect===
===Aspect===
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===Mood===
===Mood===
There are four moods, indicated by affixes that follow the voice markers:
There are five moods, indicated by affixes that follow the voice markers:


* The '''indicative''' or '''realis''' mood, which denotes events deemed by the speaker to be real, is indicated by the absence of a mood marker, e.g. ''keeykatsu'' "I saw you".  
* The '''indicative''' or '''realis''' mood, which denotes events deemed by the speaker to be real, is indicated by the absence of a mood marker, e.g. ''keeykatsu'' "I saw you".  
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* The '''possible''' mood, which indicates that an event may have taken place, is marked by '''''-ker-''''', e.g. ''keeykakertsu'' "I may have seen you".
* The '''possible''' mood, which indicates that an event may have taken place, is marked by '''''-ker-''''', e.g. ''keeykakertsu'' "I may have seen you".
* The '''irrealis''' or '''hypothetical''' mood, which denotes events known not to be true, is indicated by '''''-wal-''''', e.g. ''keeykawaltsu''
* The '''irrealis''' or '''hypothetical''' mood, which denotes events known not to be true, is indicated by '''''-wal-''''', e.g. ''keeykawaltsu''
* The '''hortative''' mood, which denotes a request or encouragement, and the '''imperative''', which denotes a command, are marked with '''''-p-'''''. The hortative is used in the first and third persons, e.g. ''keykupu'' "let me see", ''falapəd'' "let him/her sleep". The imperative is used only in the second person, e.g. ''kukupisk!'' "eat".
===Negation===
Negation of the verbal string is indicated with the negative prefix '''''ga-''''' added to the beginning, e.g. ''gakuukibu'' "I did not eat it".


===Subject and Object Markers===
===Subject and Object Markers===
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|}
|}


Where the previous element ends in a consonant, the epenthetic vowel ''ə'' may be inserted, e.g. ''mumubnaməd'' "he was saddened", ''
Where the previous element ends in a consonant, the epenthetic vowel ''ə'' may be inserted, e.g. ''mubnaməd'' "he was saddened", ''


The ergative markers agree with the subject of a transitive verb. Since inanimate nouns cannot be the agent of a verb, by definintion, there are no inanimate ergative markers.
The ergative markers agree with the subject of a transitive verb. Since inanimate nouns cannot be the agent of a verb, by definintion, there are no inanimate ergative markers.
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Examples:
Examples:
* ''reeykinu'' "I love you"
* ''reykitsu'' "I love you"
* ''kekeykiran'' "we saw them"
* ''keeykiwan'' "we saw them"
* ''faalad'' "they are sleeping"
* ''falaw'' "they are sleeping"
* ''yuyurut'' "he/she ran"
* ''yuurut'' "he/she ran"


===Verbals Nouns and Participles===
===Verbals Nouns and Participles===
Each verb has a verbal noun and most have one or two participles, one agent-focussed (active) and another patient-focussed (passive).  
Each verb has a verbal noun and most have two or three participles.


Verbal nouns are created from the root of the verb + either ''-a'' or ''-u'':
Verbal nouns are created from the root of the verb + either ''-a'' or ''-u'':
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Verbal nouns can be formed from extended stems, e.g. ''mlagna'' "dying", ''metsatu'' "speaking quickly, babbling".
Verbal nouns can be formed from extended stems, e.g. ''mlagna'' "dying", ''metsatu'' "speaking quickly, babbling".


Participles are formed by adding ''-t'' to the verbal noun.  
Two forms of participles exist, one ending in ''-t'' and one ending in ''-s''.
 
Participles are formed in a similar way to verb nouns, with an additional ''-t'' after the voice marker. The primary root is used to form the equivalent of a present participle, e.g. ''yurut'' "running", ''falat'' "sleeping". The lengthened root forms a past participle, e.g. ''kuukat'' "eaten", ''tuumat'' "fallen".


==Nouns==
==Nouns==
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