Kandi/Sandbox
Noun class specifers
There are 9 noun classes in Kandi. They are distinguished by the specifier they use, which is one of few grammatical number dependent elements in the language.
| Class | Singular | Dual | Plural | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | -ma | -im | -nna | -ūnna | -yme | -imme | people, professions |
| II | -n | -i | animals, pets, cattle | ||||
| III | -uš | -waš | predators, pejoratives | ||||
| IV | wa- | w- | plants, nature | ||||
| V | ki- | kin- | -ūnna | -yunna | meat, edibles, bodyparts | ||
| VI | -š | -iš | -sse | -issa | small/round/short/curved objects | ||
| VII | -teh | -teh | -yittah | -īttah | long/straight/thing objects | ||
| VIII | -kka | -ākka | unclear, abstractions | ||||
| IX | -ye | -ya | -yeh | -yeh | vast objects, divinity, honorifics | ||
Simple stuff
Predicative expressions
The Kāndi language lacks a clear distinction between nouns and verbs, and exhibits a flexibility between the predicate and argument in a clause. Any Kāndi content word is equivalent to a predicative expression, by default to be + noun. That means that a word like šay would mean (it is a) girl.
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In a similar fashion there is wī, yīn (PL), sir; content words for me, you, this, et c., equivalent to English pronouns. In order to create a predicative expression of the type I am + noun/adj, these are fixed to the end of the word. In most circumstances these pronominal predicatives are clitical.
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This is all fine and dandy, but you may ask yourself, what about predicative expressions with adjectives? How do I describe things? Kāndi does not only lack a verb and noun distinction, it does not have adjectives in their own right either. Rather, some content words are more like adjectives than others, confer kirim, something red:
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Specifier
Predicative expressions over more complicated subjects than pronouns and the default are created by means of the specifier (spec). Similarly to Salishan languages, the specifier determines the subject of a clause, amongst other things. The specifier is dependent upon the noun class of the subject, however:
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The specifier is difficult to understand, but confer the Salish languages of North America. The specifier is approximated relatively well by the expression that which, which means that tšanun wušunna could be interpreted as That which is a horse, it is sad.
Compound predicative expressions
In a similar manner to the enclitical pronomials previously, the predicate may be incorporated into the subject of the clause, and produce a compound of sorts. The compounds are normally accompanied with a suffix -y- for phonological reasons:
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These compounds are no longer very common, and they are sometimes used attributively, confer the pretty girl, instead of the girl is pretty. Most of them have become fixed phrases, šayyū is a common way to call for a girl, for example. The word okkamik on the other hand is used for especially unempathetic people. Other examples include omōkkānay, God is great, and wānawakāyuma, the sky is endless.
Intransitive clauses
- See also: Kandi/Predicative expressions
Intransitive clauses in Kandi are formed in a very similar manner to predicative expressions. In fact, there is no difference at all. Which... Can be tricky. In essence, there is no grammatical difference between I am biking and I am a bike.
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Do note that the specifier is afficed to the predicate-like part of the clause, in the last case kānnam-i. An apt translation would thus be That which is know(-ing), is a goat. Remember that definiteness and tense are not distinguished in the language.
What's actually inside
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