Nankôre: Difference between revisions

Degrees of comparison are formed by placing the auxiliary verb ''soyka'' (to be big, i.e. to be more) or ''hatka'' (to be small, i.e. to be less) before a stative verb.  Since two arguments are involved, namely the comparer NP and the compared NP, the phrase is structurally equivalent to a transitive clause, requiring an Agent and a Patient, and follows the rules governing the nominal animacy hierarchy.  In the sentence ''Joe Sara soyka inupe tā itá'' (Joe is stronger than Sarah; lit. "Joe bigs strongs Sara"), ''soyka'' precedes the stative verb ''inupe'' (to be strong).  Joe, being male, is higher in the animacy scale and so is assigned Agent status.  If Sara were stronger, the Inverse affix ''tā-/tāh-'' surfaces, as in ''Joe Sara '''tā'''-soyka inupe  tā itá'' (Sara is stronger than Joe).  Other examples:

2) ''Joe Sara tā-hatka nahamosh tā itá'' (Sara is less tan than Joe).

3) ''Joe Sara hatka hatka tā itá'' (Joe is smaller than Sara; lit. "Joe small smalls Sara").