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Dilba: Difference between revisions
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=== Consonant Mutation === | === Consonant Mutation === | ||
There is a group of consonants, so-called root consonants, that have two mutation grades. In Dilba hieroglyphs, these mutations have not been distinguished but sometimes the consonants which are allowed to be mutated are marked. When it is necessary to label mutated consonants in this article, this will be done by subscript numbers: ''t<sub>1</sub>'' and ''t<sub>2</sub>'' are the possible mutations of the unmutated ''t<sub>0<sub>''. That a consonant is allowed to be mutated, will be announced by a subsript hash: t<sub>#<sub>. | There is a group of consonants, so-called root consonants, that have two mutation grades. In Dilba hieroglyphs, these mutations have not been distinguished but sometimes the consonants which are allowed to be mutated are marked. When it is necessary to label mutated consonants in this article, this will be done by subscript numbers: ''t<sub>1</sub>'' and ''t<sub>2</sub>'' are the possible mutations of the unmutated ''t<sub>0<sub>''. That a consonant is allowed to be mutated, will be announced by a subsript hash: t<sub><small>#</small><sub>. | ||
By now, we can understand the informations included in the lexical form of a root word: The consonant root, the vocalic positions and the consonants which are allowed to be mutated. For example, the complete lexical form of 'bird' is ''k<sub><small>#</small></sub>_z_k<sub><small>#</small></sub>''. Note that the vocalic positions are important properties of a root word as there is in general no relation between roots that differ only in vocalic positions. E.g. the word ''_k<sub><small>#</small></sub>z_k<sub><small>#</small></sub>'' means 'mountain' and is not related to 'bird' at all. | By now, we can understand the informations included in the lexical form of a root word: The consonant root, the vocalic positions and the consonants which are allowed to be mutated. For example, the complete lexical form of 'bird' is ''k<sub><small>#</small></sub>_z_k<sub><small>#</small></sub>''. Note that the vocalic positions are important properties of a root word as there is in general no relation between roots that differ only in vocalic positions. E.g. the word ''_k<sub><small>#</small></sub>z_k<sub><small>#</small></sub>'' means 'mountain' and is not related to 'bird' at all. | ||
Root words can have either two, one or none mutable consonants. Especially those with two show very often a predictable pattern, which is sketched in the following table. One ought to consider that these patterns are just often occurring and not universal. ''gt'' = 'man' is one of the few words that have every possible mutation. | |||
{|class="wikitable" style="central" | |||
|- | |||
!Mutation pattern | |||
!Translation | |||
!Example: _g<sub><small>#</small></sub>_t<sub><small>#</small></sub> | |||
|- | |||
|style="text-align:center"|0 0 | |||
| basic form, concrete noun | |||
| man | |||
|- | |||
|style="text-align:center"|0 1 | |||
| attribute | |||
| maleness | |||
|- | |||
|style="text-align:center"|0 2 | |||
| transitive verb | |||
| make a man | |||
|- | |||
|style="text-align:center"|1 0 | |||
| intensification, durative | |||
| fight (to become a man) | |||
|- | |||
|style="text-align:center"|1 1 | |||
| abstract noun | |||
| humanity | |||
|- | |||
|style="text-align:center"|1 2 | |||
| intransitive verb, reflexive | |||
| become a man (actively, by doings) | |||
|- | |||
|style="text-align:center"|2 0 | |||
| initiator, profession | |||
| god (the 'man-maker') | |||
|- | |||
|style="text-align:center"|2 1 | |||
| implement, attribute, means | |||
| penis | |||
|- | |||
|style="text-align:center"|2 2 | |||
| causative verb, passive | |||
| become a man (inactively, by age) | |||
|} | |||
Some regular words that have only one mutable consonant can form the first three patterns, some may also expand their consonantal root by ''t<sub><small>#</small></sub>'' to the left to gain access to more patterns. Again, note that in Dilba hieroglyphs e.g. 'man' and 'god' are indistinguishable in this script. However, the term ''g<sub><small>2</small></sub>at<sub><small>0</small></sub>'' is an often used epithet for gods. | |||