Wistanian: Difference between revisions

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Wistanian (view source)

Revision as of 19:26, 8 October 2018

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→‎Aspect: added some needed expansion.
m (Updated a little about the lang's typology. Basically changed, like, three words.)
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For example, the verb '''bima''' means to "fall" in the telic, "precipitate" in the atelic, "descend" in the durative, and "to be fallen (i.e., lying on the ground after a fall)" in the stative. '''bima''' still expresses the same basic meaning — "the subject goes downward" — but its implications change based on its conjugations. This is also true of the verb '''ja''', which means "like" in the stative, "fall in love" in the durative, "achieve or accomplish" in the telic, and "want" in the atelic. Again, the basic meaning remains — "the subject has a desire" — but the differing conjugations further explain what ''kind'' of desire is being had: an unchanging desire (stative), a growing desire (durative), a satisfied desire (telic), or an unsatisfied desire (atelic).
For example, the verb '''bima''' means to "fall" in the telic, "precipitate" in the atelic, "descend" in the durative, and "to be fallen (i.e., lying on the ground after a fall)" in the stative. '''bima''' still expresses the same basic meaning — "the subject goes downward" — but its implications change based on its conjugations. This is also true of the verb '''ja''', which means "like" in the stative, "fall in love" in the durative, "achieve or accomplish" in the telic, and "want" in the atelic. Again, the basic meaning remains — "the subject has a desire" — but the differing conjugations further explain what ''kind'' of desire is being had: an unchanging desire (stative), a growing desire (durative), a satisfied desire (telic), or an unsatisfied desire (atelic).


These aspects also imply certain grammatical features. Indeed, these aspects originally did refer to grammatical aspects a thousand years within Wistanian's history. The stative was once the [[w: Gnomic_aspect|gnomic aspect]], the durative was once the [[w: Continuous_and_progressive_aspects|continuous aspect]], and the telic and atelic were once the [[w: Perfective_aspect|perfective]] and [[w: Imperfective_aspect|imperfective aspects]], respectively. This shift was slow, however, but it picked up mightily during the pidginization with the Nati, since lexical aspect could allow them to communicate using fewer verb roots, so words such to "to put on" were replaced with the durative conjugation for the stative "to wear".  
These aspects also imply certain grammatical features. Indeed, these aspects originally did refer to grammatical aspects a thousand years within Wistanian's history. The stative was once the [[w: Gnomic_aspect|gnomic aspect]], the durative was once the [[w: Continuous_and_progressive_aspects|continuous aspect]], and the telic and atelic were once the [[w: Perfective_aspect|perfective]] and [[w: Imperfective_aspect|imperfective aspects]], respectively. This shift was slow, however, but it picked up mightily during the pidginization with the Nati, since lexical aspect could allow them to communicate using fewer verb roots, so words such to "to put on" were replaced with the durative conjugation for the stative "to wear".
 
=====Stative=====
 
Stative verbs (<code>STA</code>) describe a situation or action that is unchanging over a long period of time. Stative verbs do not describe temporary actions, but rather the result of a temporary action or a series of temporary actions that identify the subject. For example, consider the following sentence:
 
'''yigiya yau anigalilaun.'''
yiga '''-iya''' yau    ani    -galilaun
speak'''-STA''' 1S.NOM language-peace.
"I speak Wistanian." / "I am a speaker of Wistanian"
 
The verb in the above sentence informs the listener (or reader) that the subject, the speaker, speaks Wistanian, and does so homogenously and for a long period of time. It is a series of temporary action that identifies the subject; i.e., it can easily be translated into "''I am a speaker'' of Wistanian." A more dynamic conjugation would likely infer that the speaker is only speaking temporarily.
 
This can also refer to something called the ''resultative'', which applies to verbs that do not inherently express a stative act. For example, '''bima''' (discussed in the section above) describes the motion from a high place to a low place. This involves movement and change, which the stative conjugation does not mess with. Instead, '''bima''' in the stative means "to be fallen (i.e., lying on the ground after a fall)". Lying on the ground is a stative action, which is also a result of a previous non-stative action. Another example for this is the verb '''dula''', "to put on, clothe", which, in the stative, translates as "to wear" (or in a more roundabout way: "to have put on").
 
Stative verbs are conjugated as such (apostophes indicate stress):
 
{| class="wikitable"
! style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | REGULAR
! style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | STATIVE
! style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | DEFINITION
|-
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | 'viga
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | vi'giya
| to be eaten, destroyed completely
|-
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | 'zani
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | za'niya
| to be loud, rude
|-
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | 'hadu
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | ha'diya
| to know
|}
 
=====Durative=====
 
The durative aspect (<code>DUR</code>) is a dynamic aspect which indicates that an action is in progress from one state to another. Consider the following sentence:
 
'''yiga yau anigalilaun.'''
yiga '''-a'''  yau    ani    -galilaun.
speak'''-DUR''' 1S.NOM language-peace.
"I am speaking Wistanian."
 
This sentence informs the listener that the speaker is in the process of speaking Wistanian. Unlike in the stative example, which simply indicated that the speaker knows and has the ability to speak Wistanian, the durative is indicating that the speaker is actually speaking it at the present moment. This aspect strongly implies the verb is present and imperfect, grammatically, although context could give more precise details.
 
Durative verbs specifically describe the process of going from one state to the other, usually opposite, state. For example, '''yiga''' in the durative describe the process from the beginning of a statement to the end of a statement. The word '''ja''', which means "falling in love" in the durative, describes the process from a state of apathy to a state of obsession. This is especially notable in the following example of '''hadu'''. In the stative, it means "to know", but in the durative, it describes the process from being ignorant to being informed: "to learn."
 
Durative verbs are conjugated as such (apostophes indicate stress):
 
{| class="wikitable"
! style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | REGULAR
! style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | DURATIVE
! style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | DEFINITION
|-
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | 'viga
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | 'viga
| to be eating
|-
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | 'zani
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | 'zana
| to be shouting, rude
|-
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | 'hadu
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | 'hada
| to be learning
|}
 
=====Telic=====
 
The Telic Aspect (<code>TEL</code>) is a dynamic, punctual aspect which describes an action with an endpoint. More specifically, it refers to any action that has been completed as intended. In most situations, it strongly implies the past or future tense.
 
'''yigai yau luv.'''
yiga '''-i'''  yau    luv.
speak'''-TEL''' 1S.NOM 2S.ACC
"I told you."
 
In this sentence, the same word for "speak" is used, but its lexical analysis has changed, at least in an obvious way for English speakers. The English verb "tell" has an intended goal and an endpoint. Whereas, in Wistanian, all that is required is the telic conjugation on the word for "speak".
 
Unlike the durative aspect, the Telic is used on verbs that have been completed, rather than verbs that are in the process of being completed. This is why Telic verbs are rarely in the present tense since things occurring in the present are usually still unfinished. Returning to our example of '''ja''', the telic conjugation defines the desire as fulfilled and satisfied ("to accomplish"), while the durative describes a desire that is unsatisfied and still growing ("falling in love"). As for '''bima''', which describes the action of going from a high place to a low place, both can technically be translated as "fall" or "descend", however the telic '''bima''' demands that the subject has actually hit the floor and finished its fall, while the durative demands that the subject is still in that process.
 
Telic verbs are conjugated as such (apostophes indicate stress):
 
{| class="wikitable"
! style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | REGULAR
! style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | TELIC
! style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | DEFINTION
|-
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | 'viga
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | vi'gai
| to eat
|-
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | 'zani
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | 'zanyi
| to shout (esp. insult)
|-
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | 'hadu
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | 'hadwi
| to figure out, discover
|}
 
=====Atelic=====
 
The Atelic Aspect (<code>ATEL</code>) is a dynamic, punctual aspect that describes an action that does not have an intended endpoint. Like the telic, this aspect strongly implies the past or future tense.
 
'''yiga yau luv.'''
yiga '''-a'''  yau    luv.
speak'''-TEL''' 1S.NOM 2S.ACC.
"I talked to you."
 
For English speakers, this sentence will get very fuzzy. In the atelic conjugation, '''yiga''', which refers to the act of letting words come out of your mouth, has no intended endpoint. This points to a conversation, in which case the subject is conversing with the object. However, unlike in English, the preposition "to" or "with" is unnecessary because of the atelic conjugation. Whereas "tell" is more directive, implying an exact message for an exact person or group, "talk" is more open, implying that any subject is being spoken about to any number people.
 
This is very clearly seen with the word '''bima''', which is defined as "fall" in the telic, but "precipitate" in the atelic. The reason for this very specific translation is that falling rain does not have an intended endpoint — it just rains for the sake of raining. A single drop of rain, however, does have an endpoint — landing on the ground. As a result, the atelic '''bima''' only applies to weather, mass nouns, and ideas such as hope or peace when they are "coming down" upon a person or group of people.
 
Sometimes, the telic and atelic verbs can have identical translations into English, as is the case for '''buda''', which translates to "to walk" in both the telic and atelic aspects. The difference between these two verbs is that telic walking has an intended endpoint — "I walked to the store" — whereas atelic walking does not — "I walked in circles."
 
Atelic verbs are conjugated as such (apostophes indicate stress):
 
{| class="wikitable"
! style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | REGULAR
! style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | ATELIC
! style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | DEFINITION
|-
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | 'viga
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | 'viga
| to chew, destroy
|-
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | 'zani
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | 'zanya
| to shout, insult
|-
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | 'hadu
| style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | 'hadwa
| to remember/recall
|}
 
NOTE: Durative and Atelic ⟨-a⟩ verbs have identical conjugations. However, context can easily make clear the two aspects. In almost every case, atelic verbs apply to a past or future action, while durative verbs apply to a present action.
 
=====Restrictions of Lexical Aspect=====
 
Before we dismiss the discussion about Wistanian lexical aspect, it's important to note a few things:
 
# Not every verb can undergo every conjugation. For example "to run" is never conjugated as stative, and "to laugh" is inherently atelic and would not fit as a telic, durative, or stative verb. Although most verbs will be able to make a lexical switch comfortably, there are many that don't.
# Not every lexical shift makes sense on the surface. The different shifts for '''ja''' do make sense because each situation describes a desire. Some verbs, such as '''buda''', which translates as "to walk" in the telic, atelic, and durative, make a drastic change in the stative: "to be given a gift." This oddity arose historically; when messengers, who would spend entire days or week walking all over the country, would arrive at home. It was customary to be given a reward for their travels from their family (in most cases, that gift was flowers).
# Not every noun can be the object of every verb in every conjugation. For example, in the above example sentences, '''yiga''' in the stative and durative used the object of "Wistanian" while the telic and atelic examples used the object "you." This is because it is conceptually impossible for one to ''speak to'' Wistanian or to ''tell'' Wistanian something. Since there is a lexical shift, the nouns that are allowed as subjects and objects will not always remain the same. An interesting case is with the word '''bima'''. In the atelic conjugation, it is translated as "precipitate", which means that it can only be used with mass nouns such as "rain" and "wheat" (or emotions, figuratively) as the subject. Therefore, neither people nor clay pots can '''bima''' in the atelic.


====Mood====
====Mood====
Upalldayallen
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