2,334
edits
Kirtumur nouns: Difference between revisions
m
→Ergative
m (→Ergative) |
|||
| (3 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) | |||
| Line 39: | Line 39: | ||
| [[w:Locative case|locative]] || ''ŋir'''inei''''' || ''khiŋ'''enei''''' || ''kōw<span style="color: blue">ō</span>'''nei''''' | | [[w:Locative case|locative]] || ''ŋir'''inei''''' || ''khiŋ'''enei''''' || ''kōw<span style="color: blue">ō</span>'''nei''''' | ||
|- | |- | ||
! Translation !! | ! Translation !! person !! day !! back | ||
|} | |} | ||
Rarely the case clitic ''-zur'', called [[w:Terminative case|terminative]], is used to indicate an end of action or a limit in time, though not every noun can be used with it, it is mostly restricted to a temporal meaning. Unlike in Kērsalur and other old languages, Kirtumur nouns do not have short forms which appear in more complex noun clauses in other Eastern languages, however noun case markers are clitics and are attached to the last word in a noun clause nevertheless. If a noun clause contains more than one noun, all case markers are stacked onto the last word in the order of those nouns, for example: | Rarely the case clitic ''-zur'', called [[w:Terminative case|terminative]], is used to indicate an end of action or a limit in time, though not every noun can be used with it, it is mostly restricted to a temporal meaning. Unlike in Kērsalur and other old languages, Kirtumur nouns do not have short forms which appear in more complex noun clauses in other Eastern languages, however noun case markers are clitics and are attached to the last word in a noun clause nevertheless. If a noun clause contains more than one noun, all case markers are stacked onto the last word in the order of those nouns, for example: | ||
| Line 58: | Line 58: | ||
|} | |} | ||
The dual of or plural markers are used with the noun they modify, although this particular example is from an old text. In modern colloquial language the word "gods" would be ''entirik'' instead, the second animate dative marker would be dropped too. | The dual of or plural markers are used with the noun they modify, although this particular example is from an old text. In modern colloquial language the word "gods" would be ''entirik'' instead, the second animate dative marker would be dropped too. | ||
====Ergative==== | |||
The ergative case is expressed with the enclitic case marker ''-es'' (animate) or ''-em'' (inanimate). A noun phrase in the ergative case expresses the agent of a transitive clause and in some cases the intransitive subject, when a clause is [[w:Volition (linguistics)|volitional]]. Here is an example of such a volitional contrast in an intranstive sentence: ''nō izilzil'' "a stone (absolutive case) rolls by itself" vs ''imem nimizile muitrau'' "a cloud (ergative case) rolls itself into a spiral shape". Volition is always expressed in Erepursal, but in Umunesal absolutive case would be preferred in both cases even though both options are acceptable. For semantic reasons, the ergative case is primarily found with human noun phrases, but it can be used with inanimate noun phrases as well. The example below demonstrates the usage of the ergative case. The word ''Ŋaškiles'' is a proper noun (name) and displays the ergative case marker: | |||
:{| | |||
|Ŋaškiles | |||
|kōlnu | |||
|neikartei | |||
|- | |||
|Ŋaškil-es | |||
|kōl-nu | |||
|na-i-kar-tei | |||
|- | |||
|Ngashkil-ERG | |||
|name-3SG.POSS | |||
|3SG.IO-3SG.S-call-NFIN.PRF | |||
|- | |||
| colspan="2" | "when Ngashkil had called his name". | |||
|} | |||
====Absolutive==== | |||
The absolutive case is marked by ''-i'' (animate, not possessed) or by the absence of any case marker (inanimate). A noun phrase which lacks a case marker will be said to be in the absolutive case. In transitive clauses such a phrase usually expresses the direct object and in intransitive clauses the subject; it can also denote indirect objects with the meaning of motion, manner or purpose. Finally, in Umunesal the absolutive case is the form used when addressing somebody, while Erepursal has a special vocative clitic for this purpose. | |||
The absolutive case marker ''-i'' derived from a certain kind of a definite article or a demonstrative, and in ancient inscriptions it could appear with inanimate nouns too. In Kirtumur it became fused with its modifying noun, but just as other clitics it did not participate in vowel harmony, which was still productive in early Kirtumur. A noun phrase in the absolutive case can have several different functions. In a transitive clause, it expresses the direct object. E.g.: | |||
:{| | |||
|Heim | |||
|eritikta | |||
|- | |||
|heim-Ø | |||
|e-rit-i-k-ta | |||
|- | |||
|house-ABS | |||
|PST-build-1AG.3PAT-DU-COM | |||
|- | |||
| colspan="2" | "we built a house together". | |||
|} | |||
In an intransitive clause, a noun phrase in the absolutive case expresses the subject. Thus Kirtumur follows an ergative pattern: the intransitive subject is treated in the same way as the direct object, and differently from the transitive subject. | |||
====Dative==== | |||
A noun phrase in the dative case expresses an indirect or oblique object. It is expressed with the clitics ''-ara'' (animate) and ''-ex'' (inanimate): | |||
:{| | |||
|Kaulaŋara | |||
|Anturkuri | |||
|enayitumē | |||
|- | |||
|Kaulaŋ-ara | |||
|Anturkur-i | |||
|e-na-yi-tum-ē | |||
|- | |||
|Kaulang-DAT | |||
|Anturkur-ABS | |||
|PST-3SG.IO-this-say-3AG.3PAT | |||
|- | |||
| colspan="2" | "Anturkur said this to Kaulang". | |||
|} | |||
A noun phrase in the dative case can also express the oblique object: ''pešeil'''ex''' neimirauwite heim'' a house was hit by a volcanic bomb, where ''pešeil'' ("volcanic bomb") is in the dative case. It can also express direction or position on something: ''nayilateya pakethōs'''ex''''' "put it on the wall shelf (a niche)". | |||
====Locative==== | |||
The locative case is used only in Umunesal and is marked by a clitic ''-nei''. Erepursal usually denotes location on the main verb only, except for some fixed idioms. The locative is almost exclusively found with placenames but may also occur with other nouns: ''Erepur'''enei''' eaŋale'' "I used to live in Erepur" (in Erepursal this phrase would be: ''Erepur iniaŋil''). in Umunesal this case marker is optional if the locative meaning is already expressed on the verb. The locative can also have the same uses as the local prefix ''ur-'' "on": ''Heimax mauz'''enē''' curitēni'' "There is a house, built on the mountain". | |||
====Other cases==== | |||
Erepursal has two additional cases which are not used in Umunesal and in most other Kirtumur dialects. The first case is the [[w:Vocative case|vocative]], which is used for a noun that identifies a person (animal, object, etc.) being addressed. This case is marked with the clitic ''-ē'' and is still used by the Umu nobility occasionally: ''Ŋaškil'''ē''', kurōmet'' (Ngashkin, stay please"). The second is the terminative case, which is expressed with the enclitic case marker ''-(z)ur''. A noun phrase in the terminative case expresses a destination. This destination can be one in place or time (as a temporal limit), but it can also be more metaphorically a purpose. Even in Erepursal its usage is quite limited: ''par iyata hi Iškillu'''zur''''' "the road goes all the way to Iškillu"; ''nichyr yiranu khiŋ neinar ešne hōcutyn'''zur''''' (Erepursal: "at this time of the year a day lasts from four to eight o’clock"). Some fixed expressions can also be found in Umunesal, but the marker became fused to the stem: ''razur'' "forever" (lit: "until time"), šezur "for the third time". In Kērsalur the terminative case marker had a meaning of "changing into something", which was borrowed into Erepursal: ''yilōm ikhat khilōmzur'' "he/she made this sand into glass" (in Umunesal: ''yirixex eŋaram naxikhaē''). The terminative case can express a purpose or function. It can then be translated as "for" or | |||
"as": ''namkultuminzur niyilapeyan'' "put it here as an offering" (in Umunesal: ''nalapeya yim yinamaula''). | |||
===Reduplication=== | ===Reduplication=== | ||