138,726
edits
Suwáá: Difference between revisions
m
no edit summary
m (→Obviation) |
mNo edit summary Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit |
||
| (25 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
'''Suwáá''' is a language isolate of Hmøøh, spoken on the island country and archipelago of | '''Suwáá''' (''Suwáá tahyeq'') is a language isolate of Hmøøh, spoken on the island country and archipelago of [[Verse:Hmøøh/Suwáábyíq|Suwáábyíq]]. It is mainly inspired aesthetically by Burmese, Japanese, Navajo, and Ancient Greek, and its grammar is meant to be "Navajo-lite" (agglutinative, strongly prefixing, strongly head-final, and head-marking, though not fully polysynthetic; noun incorporation is limited to certain formal styles). | ||
The Suwáá dialect continuum is not known to be related to any other Hmøøhian language, but some have proposed a relation to the [[Quame languages]] based on lexical coincidences. | The Suwáá dialect continuum is not known to be related to any other Hmøøhian language, but some have proposed a relation to the [[Quame languages]] based on lexical coincidences. | ||
== Lexicon == | == Lexicon == | ||
* su- = | * Nyu-Mɛ Kɛ{{acute}}q: inventor of Kite guitar-type guitars | ||
* su- = ''frozen derivation'' | |||
* wáá = person | * wáá = person | ||
* | * khywen = house | ||
* weé = name | * weé = name | ||
* maa = tree | * maa = tree | ||
* yań = water | * yań = water | ||
* lwɛ = to do, to make | * lwɛ = to do, to make | ||
* | * mɔ́ = blood | ||
* zoo = to look | * zoo = to look | ||
* mé = to be (copula) | |||
** ''Upwe namé.'' 'I am a boy.' | |||
** ''Suwáá imé.'' 'He is a Suwáá.' | |||
* ze = to eat | |||
* zé = to stack | |||
== Phonology == | == Phonology == | ||
=== Initials === | === Initials === | ||
Suwáá has a large number of initials | Suwáá has a large number of initials; however, prefixes do not allow aspirated or voiced initials. | ||
* Historical velar stops: k kh g | * Historical velar stops: k kh g ŋ ky khy gy ŋy kw khw gw ŋw kyw khyw gyw ŋyw /k kʰ g ŋ tɕ tɕʰ dʑ ɲ kw kʰw ŋw tɕɥ tɕʰɥ dʑɥ ɲɥ/ | ||
* Historical alveolar stops: t th d n s sh z ny tw thw dw nw sw shw zw nyw /t tʰ d n s sʰ z ɲ tw tʰw dw nw sw sʰw zw ɲɥ/ | * Historical alveolar stops: t th d n s sh z ny tw thw dw nw sw shw zw nyw /t tʰ d n s sʰ z ɲ tw tʰw dw nw sw sʰw zw ɲɥ/ | ||
* Historical labial stops: p ph b m py phy by my pw phw bw mw /p pʰ b m pj pʰj bj mj pw pʰw bw mw/ | * Historical labial stops: p ph b m py phy by my pw phw bw mw /p pʰ b m pj pʰj bj mj pw pʰw bw mw/ | ||
| Line 34: | Line 40: | ||
== Morphology == | == Morphology == | ||
=== Nouns === | === Nouns === | ||
Suwáá nouns are often monosyllabic, like '' | Suwáá nouns are often, though not always, monosyllabic, like ''mɔ́'' 'blood'. Here is an example of a noun inflected for possession: | ||
* '' | * ''namɔ́'' = my blood | ||
* '' | * ''himɔ́'' = thy blood | ||
* '' | * ''tamɔ́'' = his/her/their blood (proximate, like Navajo bi-) | ||
* '' | * ''wamɔ́'' = his/her/their blood (obviative‚ like Navajo yi-) | ||
* '' | * ''amɔ́'' = one's blood | ||
* '' | * ''kyamɔ́'' = our (exc.) blood | ||
* '' | * ''yemɔ́'' = our (inc.) blood | ||
* '' | * ''erimɔ́'' = your (pl.) blood | ||
Possession is indicated by using the appropriate possessive form after the possessor: ''Eqsiq | Possession is indicated by using the appropriate possessive form after the possessor: ''Eqsiq tamɔ́'' (E. 3-blood) 'Eqsiq's blood'. | ||
=== Verbs === | |||
Suwáá verb roots are always monosyllabic. | |||
== Syntax == | |||
=== Obviation === | === Obviation === | ||
Like Navajo, Suwáá shows various levels of animacy in its grammar, with certain nouns taking specific verb forms according to their rank in this animacy hierarchy. For instance, Suwáá nouns can be ranked by animacy on a continuum from most animate (a human or lightning) to least animate (an abstraction): | Like Navajo, Suwáá shows various levels of animacy in its grammar, with certain nouns taking specific verb forms according to their rank in this animacy hierarchy. For instance, Suwáá nouns can be ranked by animacy on a continuum from most animate (a human or lightning) to least animate (an abstraction): | ||
| Line 50: | Line 60: | ||
humans > infants/big animals > midsize animals > small animals > insects > natural forces > inanimate objects/plants > abstractions | humans > infants/big animals > midsize animals > small animals > insects > natural forces > inanimate objects/plants > abstractions | ||
Generally, the most animate noun in a sentence must occur first while the noun with lesser animacy occurs second. If both nouns are equal in animacy, then either noun can occur in the first position. So, both example sentences (1) and (2) are correct. The n- prefix on the verb indicates that the 1st noun is the subject and i- indicates that the 2nd noun is the subject. | Generally, the most animate noun in a sentence must occur first while the noun with lesser animacy occurs second. If both nouns are equal in animacy, then either noun can occur in the first position. So, both example sentences (1) and (2) are correct. The ''n-'' prefix on the verb indicates that the 1st noun is the subject and ''i-'' indicates that the 2nd noun is the subject. | ||
: ''Upwe unɛń nzoo.'' (1) | : ''Upwe unɛń nzoo.'' (1) | ||
| Line 61: | Line 71: | ||
But example sentence (3) sounds wrong to most Suwáá speakers because the less animate noun occurs before the more animate noun: | But example sentence (3) sounds wrong to most Suwáá speakers because the less animate noun occurs before the more animate noun: | ||
: ''*Hipyii unɛń | : ''*Hipyii unɛń hyenkywáq.'' | ||
: bird girl PST-OBV-peck | : bird girl PST-OBV-peck | ||
: 'The bird pecked the girl.' | : 'The bird pecked the girl.' | ||
To express this idea requires that the more animate noun occur first, as in sentence (4): | To express this idea requires that the more animate noun occur first, as in sentence (4): | ||
: ''Unɛń hipyii | : ''Unɛń hipyii hyeekywáq.'' | ||
: girl bird PST-PROX-peck | : girl bird PST-PROX-peck | ||
: 'The girl was pecked by the bird.' | : 'The girl was pecked by the bird.' | ||