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Chlouvānem/Syntax: Difference between revisions
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Some verbs are also semantically habitual and therefore don't need to be marked as such. Multidirectional motion verbs (in the present) are a common example (they do have frequentative verb forms, but with an iterative meaning); others include ''tṛlake'' "to know", ''lilke'' "to live", ''nīkeikake'' "to be dating", ''mulke'' (√mun-) "to be able to".<br/> | Some verbs are also semantically habitual and therefore don't need to be marked as such. Multidirectional motion verbs (in the present) are a common example (they do have frequentative verb forms, but with an iterative meaning); others include ''tṛlake'' "to know", ''lilke'' "to live", ''nīkeikake'' "to be dating", ''mulke'' (√mun-) "to be able to".<br/> | ||
Note that the verb ''nairīveke'' "to learn" (and derivatives) is frequentative in form but not semantically (the underlying root *irī- is not attested elsewhere); it can't, however, form a frequentative verb so another way must be used for it to be marked as habitual. | Note that the verb ''nairīveke'' "to learn" (and derivatives) is frequentative in form but not semantically (the underlying root *irī- is not attested elsewhere); it can't, however, form a frequentative verb so another way must be used for it to be marked as habitual. | ||
===Evidentials=== | |||
The use of evidentials is fairly straightforward, though the main difference from English is that in Chlouvānem not using an evidential morpheme means that the zero morpheme is present and therefore the speaker certifies the fact through their own experience. Of course, not all possibilities are meaningful - after all, a sentence like ''nęlte bunā lilyā vāhai'' "apparently, I have four fathers" doesn't make much sense, even though it is grammatically correct. | |||
The experiential (''-∅-'') is implied by default, and marks the direct knowledge by the speaker that an event happened: | |||
{{Gloss | |||
| phrase = lilyā glūkam yaivu chlemyenu uyųlate. | |||
| gloss = <small>1SG.GEN-DIR</small>. brother.<small>DIR.SG</small>. all. stew-<small>ACC.SG</small>. eat.<small>IND.PERF-EXP-3.EXTERIOR-AGENT</small>. | |||
| translation = My brother has eaten all the stew [I've seen/heard him eating it]. | |||
}} | |||
Conventionally, it is also used for presenting undisputed historical and scientific facts: | |||
{{Gloss | |||
| phrase = chlǣvānumi murkadhānāvīyi babhrām 3783-e nalmālik. | |||
| gloss = Chlouvānem-<small>GEN.PL</small>. Inquisition-<small>GEN.SG</small>. land.<small>DIR.SG</small>. 3783<sub>12</sub>rd-<small>LOC.SG.</small>. consolidate.<small>IND.PAST-EXP-3S.PATIENT.EXTERIOR</small>. | |||
| translation = The Lands of the Chlouvānem Inquisition were consolidated in 6291. | |||
}} | |||
{{Gloss | |||
| phrase = chlærim mindų nanū nuppire. | |||
| gloss = light.<small>DIR.SG</small>. sound-<small>ABL.SG</small>. more. be_fast.<small>IND.PRES-EXP-3S.COMMON.INTERIOR</small>. | |||
| translation = Light is faster than sound. | |||
}} | |||
An experiential may be used pragmatically in a sentence like "someone did this" when the speaker did not actually see the action being carried out, but there's no other reasonable possibility: | |||
{{Gloss | |||
| phrase = soraita jålkhuṃrų chlemyenu uyųlate. | |||
| gloss = someone.<small>DIR</small>. fridge-<small>ABL.SG</small>. stew-<small>ACC.SG</small>. eat.<small>IND.PERF-EXP-3.EXTERIOR-AGENT</small>. | |||
| translation = Someone has eaten the stew [that was] in the fridge [I did not see anyone eat it, but for sure it has been eaten by someone]. | |||
}} | |||
Adding more context further clarifies this: | |||
{{Gloss | |||
| phrase = soraita jålkhuṃrų chlemyenu uyųlate. mē sāmi uyųleste dām, glūkam mbu dām? | |||
| gloss = someone.<small>DIR</small>. fridge-<small>ABL.SG</small>. stew-<small>ACC.SG</small>. eat.<small>IND.PERF-EXP-3.EXTERIOR-AGENT</small>. . mother.<small>VOC.SG</small>. <small>2SG.INFORMAL.DIR</small>. eat.<small>IND.PERF-EXP-2S.EXTERIOR-AGENT</small>. <small>INTERR</small>. brother.<small>DIR.SG</small>. or. <small>INTERR</small>. | |||
| translation = Someone has eaten the stew [that was] in the fridge [I did not see anyone eat it, but for sure it has been eaten by someone]. Mum, have *you* eaten it, or was it [my] brother? | |||
}} | |||
The first inferential (''-u(ɂ)-'') implies that the speaker formulates the sentence based on evidence they judge as trustworthy: | |||
{{Gloss | |||
| phrase = glūkam jålkhuṃrų chlemyenu uyųluɂate. | |||
| gloss = someone.<small>DIR</small>. fridge-<small>ABL.SG</small>. stew-<small>ACC.SG</small>. eat.<small>IND.PERF-INF1-3.EXTERIOR-AGENT</small>. | |||
| translation = My brother has eaten the stew [that was] in the fridge [I did not see or hear him eating it, but it's most likely that it is no longer there because of him - i.e. he told me he was hungry, or he just likes that kind of stew, etc.] | |||
}} | |||
When presenting a new stance that can change the general consensus, even if based on observation, it is customary to use the first inferential: | |||
{{Gloss | |||
| phrase = lališire pūnāmis nanū našajelduɂire. | |||
| gloss = be_new.<small>IND.PRES-EXP-3S.COMMON.INTERIOR</small>. product.<small>DIR.SG</small>. more. be_effective.<small>IND.PRES-INF1-3S.COMMON.INTERIOR</small>. | |||
| translation = The new product is, apparently, more effective. | |||
}} | |||
The second inferential (''-eb(i)-'') is, as far as evidentiality is concerned, the same as the first inferential, but with a difference in epistemic modality: it implies that the evidence for the sentence is doubted on: | |||
{{Gloss | |||
| phrase = kalineh maimęliṃlaukaih šutedadraibya, taili nuppire ni. | |||
| gloss = female's_younger_sister.<small>DIR.SG</small>. exercise-<small>ACC.PL</small>. finish.<small>IND.PERF-INF2-3S.EXTERIOR-AGENT</small>. much. be_fast.<small>IND.PRES-EXP-3S.COMMON.INTERIOR</small>. but. | |||
| translation = Looks like my younger sister has done her homework [e.g. she was sitting at the table doing them and now she left], but [I don't think so:] it's so early. | |||
}} | |||
The assumptive evidential (''-ukin(a)-''), on the other hand, differs from the inferentials and the experiential as the speaker did not witness the event they report, they did not have evidence for it, and they did not hear about from someone else. It may be translated into English as "I suppose" or "probably": | |||
{{Gloss | |||
| phrase = kalineh maimęliṃlaukaih šutedadraukina. | |||
| gloss = female's_younger_sister.<small>DIR.SG</small>. exercise-<small>ACC.PL</small>. finish.<small>IND.PERF-ASS-3S.EXTERIOR-AGENT</small>. | |||
| translation = My younger sister has probably done her homework. [e.g. I'm not home, but at this time of the day she has usually already finished them]. | |||
}} | |||
The first reportative (''-emi-'') states that the speaker learned about the event they report from somebody else, and (like the first inferential), this hearsay knowledge is judged as trustworthy: | |||
{{Gloss | |||
| phrase = jāṇa taili nānyemīre. | |||
| gloss = field.<small>DIR.SG</small>. much. be_fertile.<small>IND.PRES-REP1-3S.COMMON.INTERIOR</small>. | |||
| translation = [They say] this field is very fertile. | |||
}} | |||
{{Gloss | |||
| phrase = egiljiṃhai prodlemīrek. | |||
| gloss = Egiljiṃhai.<small>DIR</small>. be_ill.<small>IND.PAST-REP1-3S.COMMON.INTERIOR</small>. | |||
| translation = [I've been told that] Egiljiṃhai was ill. | |||
}} | |||
The second reportative (''-enab(u)-'') has the same difference from the first reportative as the second inferential has from the first inferential, namely, that the source of information is doubted on: | |||
{{Gloss | |||
| phrase = egiljiṃhai prodlenabirek. | |||
| gloss = Egiljiṃhai.<small>DIR</small>. be_ill.<small>IND.PAST-REP2-3S.COMMON.INTERIOR</small>. | |||
| translation = [I've been told] Egiljiṃhai was ill [, but I don't think it's true]. | |||
}} | |||
{{Gloss | |||
| phrase = lili dadrainabukǣ. | |||
| gloss = <small>1SG.DIR</small>. do.<small>IND.PERF-REP2-1S.EXTERIOR-BENEF</small>. | |||
| translation = They say this has been done to help me, but I don't trust them. | |||
}} | |||
===The optative=== | ===The optative=== | ||