Proto-Almaic/Test Sentences: Difference between revisions

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:; The sun shines.
:; The sun shines.
:: sun[FOC] shines
:: sun(FOC) shines
:: shines sun
:: shines sun
Both sentences are valid depending on the pragmatic intentions of the speaker. If the speaker is changing subjects, introducing new or unexpected information, or if they simply wish to draw attention to the subject, then it would be fronted before the verb. A more neutral construction is likely to place all actors after the verb. Also note that "sun" is not marked for definiteness.
Both sentences are valid depending on the pragmatic intentions of the speaker. If the speaker is changing subjects, introducing new or unexpected information, or if they simply wish to draw attention to the subject, then it would be fronted before the verb. A more neutral construction is likely to place all actors after the verb. Also note that "sun" is not marked for definiteness.
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:: shine stands sun
:: shine stands sun
:: *shine stands stands.PST sun
:: *shine stands stands.PST sun
Proto-Almaic has no dedicated construction to express the present perfect progressive. A dialectal and idiomatic alternative is presented in the second sentence.
Proto-Almaic has no dedicated construction to express the present perfect progressive. A dialectal, non-standard alternative is presented in the second sentence.
:; The sun is shining again.
:; The sun is shining again.
:: shine again stands sun
:: shine again stands sun
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Unlike English, there is only one possible location for adverbs of frequency, as such the nuance of the chosen word order is lost. The second sentence is an altenative, more faithful but direct translation, it uses a serial verb construction to preserve the subject.
Unlike English, there is only one possible location for adverbs of frequency, as such the nuance of the chosen word order is lost. The second sentence is an altenative, more faithful but direct translation, it uses a serial verb construction to preserve the subject.
:; The kitten jumped up.
:; The kitten jumped up.
:: to jump-PST kitten above
:; The kitten jumped onto the table.
:; The kitten jumped onto the table.
:: to jump-PST kitten on table
Preverbal adpositions are a common valency increasing strategy, normally used to promote the oblique object of an intransitive verb.
:; My little kitten walked away.
:; My little kitten walked away.
:: from go kitten little mine from
A particular construction result of such strategies is the repetition of the adposition as the object of the sentence, to indicate reflexivity. In this case, the sentence can be understood as "my little kitten wlaked away (from itself/where it was)"
:; It's working.
:: work stands
:; It's raining.
:; It's raining.
:: *rain stands
:: from rain stands from
Proto-Almaic allows the use of avalent verbs. However, weather expressions in particular tend to be rendered through preverbal adpositions and self-reference.
:; The rain came down.
:; The rain came down.
:: from come rain above
An non-idiomatic translation using principles previously explained.
:; The kitten is playing in the rain.
:; The kitten is playing in the rain.
:: play stands kitten under rain
Since the verb for play is a transitive verb taking a subject and a game, it cannot make use of preverbal adpositions to take a location, instead, a prepositional phrase must be used.
:; The rain has stopped.
:; The rain has stopped.
:: stop-PST rain
As previously stated, Proto-Almaic has no dedicated constructions for perfect aspects. In their place, the simple past is used.
:; Soon the rain will stop.
:; Soon the rain will stop.
:: stop soon needs rain.
No new insights gained from this expression
:; I hope the rain stops soon.
:; I hope the rain stops soon.
:: hope I stops soon rain
Verbs can easily be chained to form complex expressions.
:; Once wild animals lived here.
:; Once wild animals lived here.
:: live-PST once here animals wild
:; Slowly she looked around.
:; Slowly she looked around.
 
:: *look slowly around she
{{ref/note|Topic fronting|1}}
:: to look she surroundings hers
Consecutive adverbs follow an order of time - manner - place. In the second example, the sentence is translated that way to illustrate the proper order, the proper translation for the sentence is shown afterwards.


== 26-50 ==
== 26-50 ==
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