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Valmoric morphology: Difference between revisions
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=== Cases === | === Cases === | ||
:''See also [[Valmoric semiotics]] for more information on morphosyntactic alignment.'' | |||
Valmoric has 10 cases, detailed below. | |||
The '''nominative''' case is principially unmarked. It is used to denote: | |||
* The subject of an accusative-aligned intransitive clause: <u>The woman</u> read. | |||
* The subject of an accusative-aligned transitive clause: <u>The woman</u> read a book. | |||
* In ergative-aligned clauses, it functions as the '''genitive''' case (see below). | |||
The '''accusative''' case is used to denote: | |||
* The object of an accusative-aligned monotransitive clause: The woman read <u>a book</u>. | |||
* The theme of an accusative-aligned ditransitive clause: The woman read the child <u>a book</u>. | |||
* Prepositional objects of motion: He went into <u>the house</u>. | |||
* In ergative-aligned clauses, it also functions as the '''instrumental''' case (see below). | |||
The '''dative''' case is used to denote: | |||
* The recipient of a ditransitive clause: The woman read <u>the child</u> a book. | |||
* A generic indirect object: The woman read <u>(to) the child</u>. | |||
* Static prepositional objects: He was inside <u>the house</u>. | |||
* A compulsory autobenefactive: I will lay <u>me</u> down. (Modern English: I will lie down. / I will lay myself down.) | |||
The '''genitive''' case is used to denote: | |||
* A possessor in an accusative-aligned clause: That is <u>someone's</u> house. | |||
* In ergative-aligned clauses, the genitive case acts as the '''ergative''' case, which is then used to denote: | |||
** The subject of an intransitive clause: <u>The woman</u> read. | |||
** The object of a transitive clause: The woman read <u>a book</u>. | |||
The '''instrumental case''' is used to denote: | |||
* An instrument using which something was done in an accusative-aligned clause: I diced the onions <u>with a knife</u>. | |||
* An object or person with which something was done in an accusative-aligned clause: I diced the onions <u>with my friend</u>. | |||
* A manner in which something was done in an accusative-aligned clause: I diced the onions <u>with haste</u>. | |||
* In ergative-aligned clauses, the instrumental case acts as the '''absolutive''' case, which is used to denote the subject of a transitive clause: <u>The woman</u> read a book. | |||
The '''ablative case''' indicates: | |||
* Motion from a place: I came <u>from work</u>. | |||
* A cause: I lost my job <u>because of laziness</u>. | |||
* The agent of a passive clause: He was dearly loved <u>by his brothers</u>. | |||
The '''allative case''' indicates: | |||
* Motion to a place: I am going <u>to work</u>. | |||
* A goal: I applied <u>for a job</u>. | |||
* A benefactive: I would do anything <u>for him</u>. | |||
The '''partitive case''' is used for: | |||
* A subset: I met some <u>of them</u>. | |||
* A distinction: I am different <u>from them</u>. | |||
* A superlative comparison: I am the best <u>in my class</u>. | |||
* Certain objects of intransitive verbs: I drank <u>of the water</u>. (Also used in Valmoric with such verbs as "forget", "know" and "remember". | |||
The '''comparative case''' is used for: | |||
* Equative comparisons: I am as good <u>as them</u>. | |||
* Differentiating comparisons: I am better <u>than them</u>. | |||
The '''essive case''' is used for: | |||
* A state of being: <u>Being a composer</u> I know a lot about music. | |||
* A period of time: I often went swimming <u>as a child</u>. | |||
The '''vocative case''' expresses direct address: Hello, <u>world<u>! | |||
=== Number === | === Number === | ||
: ''See also: [[#Attributive numerals]]'' | : ''See also: [[#Attributive numerals]]'' | ||