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Proto-Rathmosian: Difference between revisions
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===Voice=== | ===Voice=== | ||
Voice markers function in different ways for different verbs. They are distinguished primarily for the ways in which they focus the subject or object of the verb. | Voice markers function in different ways for different verbs. They are distinguished primarily for the ways in which they focus the subject or object of the verb. The four primary voice categories are: | ||
* '''Patient focus''' is marked with '''''-a-''''' and is mainly used with intransitive verbs in which the subject is the patient of the verb (i.e. Classes I-III), e.g. ''dreha-'' "be red", ''tuma-'' "fall". Used with semantically transitive verbs of Class V, it is effectively a passive marker e.g. ''keyka-'' "is seen". The subject of patient focus verb is in the Abs. case and there can be no direct object. | * '''Patient focus''' is marked with '''''-a-''''' and is mainly used with intransitive verbs in which the subject is the patient of the verb (i.e. Classes I-III), e.g. ''dreha-'' "be red", ''tuma-'' "fall". Used with semantically transitive verbs of Class V, it is effectively a passive marker e.g. ''keyka-'' "is seen". The subject of patient focus verb is in the Abs. case and there can be no direct object. | ||
* '''Dual focus''' is marked with '''''-i-''''' and is used only with Class V (transitive) verbs in which both the subject and direct object are stated, e.g. ''keri-'' "rule". The subject of the verb is in the ergative case and the direct object in the absolutive. | * '''Dual focus''' is marked with '''''-i-''''' and is used only with Class V (transitive) verbs in which both the subject and direct object are stated, e.g. ''keri-'' "rule". The subject of the verb is in the ergative case and the direct object in the absolutive. | ||
* '''Agent focus''' verbs are marked with '''''-u-''''' and are used with Class IV and V verbs, where the subject is the agent of the verb, but where no direct object is stated e.g. ''kuku-'' "eat", ''yuru-'' "run". The subject is in the ergative case for both transitive and intransitive verbs. | * '''Agent focus''' verbs are marked with '''''-u-''''' and are used with Class IV and V verbs, where the subject is the agent of the verb, but where no direct object is stated e.g. ''kuku-'' "eat", ''yuru-'' "run". The subject is in the ergative case for both transitive and intransitive verbs. | ||
* '''Medial''' verbs are marked with '''''-e-''''' and are used with Class V transitive verbs when the agent and the patient refer to the same entity, creating a reciprocal or reflexive meaning, e.g. ''sape-'' "wash oneself". The subject here is in the ergative case. | * '''Medial''' verbs are marked with '''''-e-''''' and are used with Class V transitive verbs when the agent and the patient refer to the same entity, creating a reciprocal or reflexive meaning, e.g. ''sape-'' "wash oneself". The subject here is in the ergative case. | ||
* ''' | In addition, there is a '''Causative''' infix '''''-əm-''''', which may be used preceding the voice markers in the following ways: | ||
* ''' | |||
* '''''-əmi-''''' and '''''-əmu-''''' form the basic causatives and are added to intransitive verbs (Class I-IV) to create a transitive, or to transitive (Class V) verbs to make a ditransitive, e.g. ''mlak-'' "be dead" (intrans.) > ''mlakəmi-'' "kill" (trans.), ''keyk-'' "see" (trans.) > ''keykəmu-'' "show, explain" (ditrans.). In the first case (''əmi''), both the subject and direct object of the causative verb are stated; in the second (''əmu''), the direct object is omitted. The subject ('causer') of the causative verb is always in the ergative. The subject of the original verb, whether transitive or intransitive, takes the absolutive case. The direct object of an originally transitive verb is demoted to the dative. | |||
* '''''-əma-''''' creates the '''Patient Causative''', used to describe an action or state which is assumed to be caused, but without reference to the 'causer', e.g. ''keyk-'' "see" > ''keykəma-'' "is made to see, understands", ''mlak-'' "be dead" > ''mlakəma-'' "is killed". | |||
* '''''-əme-''''' creates an '''Autocausative''', in which the agent causes the action to itself, e.g. ''mlakəme-'' "kill oneself". | |||
===Mood=== | |||
There are four moods, indicated by affixes that follow the voice markers: | |||
* The '''indicative''' or '''realis''' mood, which denotes events deemed by the speaker to be real, is indicated by the absence of a mood marker, e.g. ''keeykatsu'' "I saw you". | |||
* The '''potential''' mood, which indicates that an event is likely, is marked by '''''-bel-''''', e.g. ''keeykabeltsu'' "I probably saw you". | |||
* The '''possible''' mood, which indicates that an event may have taken place, is marked by '''''-ker-''''', e.g. ''keeykakertsu'' "I may have seen you". | |||
* The '''irrealis''' or '''hypothetical''' mood, which denotes events known not to be true, is indicated by '''''-wal-''''', e.g. ''keeykawaltsu'' | |||
===Subject and Object Markers=== | ===Subject and Object Markers=== | ||