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Nankôre: Difference between revisions
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Nankôre canonical word order is SOV<sub>1</sub>V<sub>2</sub>, but under certain circumstances, the O-argument may occur between V<sub>1</sub> and V<sub>2</sub>, i.e. SV<sub>1</sub>OV<sub>2</sub>. The O-argument becomes backgrounded, thereby assuming a peripheral role; as a result, the clause is effectively detransitivized. As a result, the Inverse marker ''ta-'' cannot occur in these derived intransitive clauses; it must be omitted for the clause to remain grammatical. This operation is called ''quasi-incorporation'', and occurs cross-linguistically in unrelated languages, e.g. Dutch and Hungarian. A feature of Nankôre quasi-incorporation is that adjuncts, which typically can occur in most positions of a clause, including clause-finally, cannot occur between V<sub>1</sub> and the relocated O-argument. | Nankôre canonical word order is SOV<sub>1</sub>V<sub>2</sub>, but under certain circumstances, the O-argument may occur between V<sub>1</sub> and V<sub>2</sub>, i.e. SV<sub>1</sub>OV<sub>2</sub>. The O-argument becomes backgrounded, thereby assuming a peripheral role; as a result, the clause is effectively detransitivized. As a result, the Inverse marker ''ta-'' cannot occur in these derived intransitive clauses; it must be omitted for the clause to remain grammatical. This operation is called ''quasi-incorporation'', and occurs cross-linguistically in unrelated languages, e.g. Dutch and Hungarian. A feature of Nankôre quasi-incorporation is that adjuncts, which typically can occur in most positions of a clause, including clause-finally, cannot occur between V<sub>1</sub> and the relocated O-argument. | ||
Quasi-incorporation may eventually evolve into full noun incorporation, as in the case of Nankôre's distant relatives, Minhast and Nahónda. Both exhibit full noun incorporation. Like Nankôre, both languages add the incorporated noun after the verb root, e.g. Minhast '' | Quasi-incorporation may eventually evolve into full noun incorporation, as in the case of Nankôre's distant relatives, Minhast and Nahónda. Both exhibit full noun incorporation. Like Nankôre, both languages add the incorporated noun after the verb root, e.g. Minhast ''Ušnirumpakekaru'' << ''ušn-ruppumak-ek-ar-u'' (hit-face-3S.ABS+1S.ERG-PST.PFCT-TRANS) "I hit him in the face, I face-hit him", Nahónda ''klomenatsoyetolayo''<< ''kloma-natsoye-Ø-t-ola-yo'' (speak-wisdom-3S.PT-1S.AGT-PST-AGT) "I gave him counsel, I wisdom-speak to him. Most languages that exhibit noun incorporation attach the incorporated noun ''before'' the verb root; placement of the incorporated noun after the root is rare among incorporating languages. The process by which Nankôre performs quasi-incorporation, namely by placing the O-argument ''between'' the primary verb and auxiliary verbs, may explain why Minhast and Nahónda place their incorporated nouns after the verb. Proto-Nahenic may have also placed a quasi-incorporated noun after the primary verb but before the auxiliary verb, an order which the descendant languages preserved. | ||
====Comparatives and Superlatives==== | ====Comparatives and Superlatives==== | ||