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Lifashian: Difference between revisions
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==Syntax== | ==Syntax== | ||
===Word order=== | |||
The unmarked word order in Lifashian is SOV: | |||
{{Gloss | |||
| phrase = So syorón tom músom éft. | |||
| gloss = <small>DEF.MASC.SG.NOM</small>. cat.<small>NOM.SG</small>. <small>DEF.MASC.SG.ACC</small>. mouse-<small>ACC.SG.</small> eat.<small>PAST-IND.3SG</small>. | |||
| translation = The cat ate the mouse. | |||
}} | |||
Marked word orders are possible, usually for emphasis. For example, the particle ''le'' (< PIE *de), always in second position in a VS(O) construction, shifts focus to the subject: | |||
{{Gloss | |||
| phrase = Esyim le mék. | |||
| gloss = be.<small>PRES.IND.1SG</small>. <small>EMPH_PARTICLE</small>. <small>1SG.NOM</small>. | |||
| translation = It's me. | |||
}} | |||
===Split ergativity=== | ===Split ergativity=== | ||
Lifashian has an animacy-based split ergativity, traced back to an areal feature of ancient Anatolia, possibly to the Hurro-Urartian languages. In Lifashian, all neuter nouns unless explicitely referring to people and all non-neuters not referring to people, animals, or certain personified concepts<ref>For example, seasons are considered animate, as are some feelings and happenings (e.g. "peace", "war"), as well as entities constituted by people (e.g. "the State", "government", other similar metonymies)</ref>, exhibit this feature when agents of transitive verbs. In those sentences, the patient is still in the nominative and agrees with the verb, while the agent is preceded by the particle ''lá'' (which requires accusative case). For example, with the verb ''kúrhíyámi'' (I assault, attack, haunt, critique): | Lifashian has an animacy-based split ergativity, traced back to an areal feature of ancient Anatolia, possibly to the Hurro-Urartian languages. In Lifashian, all neuter nouns unless explicitely referring to people and all non-neuters not referring to people, animals, or certain personified concepts<ref>For example, seasons are considered animate, as are some feelings and happenings (e.g. "peace", "war"), as well as entities constituted by people (e.g. "the State", "government", other similar metonymies)</ref>, exhibit this feature when agents of transitive verbs. In those sentences, the patient is still in the nominative and agrees with the verb, while the agent is preceded by the particle ''lá'' (which requires accusative case). For example, with the verb ''kúrhíyámi'' (I assault, attack, haunt, critique): | ||