VOS: Alternate Explanation
2006-Jul-20, Thursday 18:14![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Last Edited: 2006.Aug.04 Fri
There may also be distinct subject paradigms for Impersonal and Modal words.
* If 3H- appears, a corresponding argument phrase must appear.
* -3D always coreferences an argument of the matrix.
* 3A- and 3I- will always act like 3. in the same situation.
* 3. always coreferences an argument of the matrix.
* There are corresponding argument phrases for -3A and -3I.
(1) 3.(sleep) is a main usage while 3.(dog) and 3.(brown) are phrasal usages. These latter two form a phrase serving as the argument required by the former.
CC- introduces a complement clause; thus in
(5) 3.(sing) is conjunctive usage and its subject is the same as for the auxiliary
(6) 3H-(sing) is also conjunctive usage and its required subject is 3.John
(7) -3D, in addition to 3. on (see), refers to John
(8) -3D refers to John here (3. on (see) is effectively 1S-)
Word Classification
Lexical nouns can function as syntactical verbs as well as syntactical nouns and lexical verbs and adjectives can function both as syntactical verbs and as syntactical adjectives. The word's valence is probably more important.Monovalent Words
The monovalent words have a single argument, A1, specifying the word's subject. The actants for A1 are the prefixes. Monovalent words include intransitive lexical verbs, lexical adjectives, and most lexical nouns.Divalent Words
Divalent words have an additional argument, A2, specifying either the words's object or its possessor. The actants for A1 are the suffixes. The divalent words include transitive lexical verbs and lexical nouns denoting relationships, such as kinship terms and words for body parts.Trivalent Words
Trivalent words have a third argument, A3, specifying the direct object, with A2 now specifying the indirect object. A3 is normally inanimate and A2 here is normally animate; thus for each there are certain suffixes that rarely occur. The trivalent words include the ditransitive lexical verbs.Argument Structure Classes
This will show which roles are matched with which arguments for each word class.A1 | A2 | A3 | |
---|---|---|---|
Trivalent | Donor | Recipient | Object |
Divalent | Agent | Patient | |
Perceiver | Image | ||
Mobile | Stabile | ||
Possessum | Possessor | ||
Monovalent | Actor | ||
Subject |
Actant Affixes
The following table shows the actants. Subjects are marked using prefixes and objects using suffixes. There are two subject paradigms, depending on whether the word has imperative mood or not. Entries such as m(u)- indicate that the vowel is dropped under certain phonological conditions. Note the multiple 3rd person actants. Their exact use depends on how the word functions in the sentence.Person | Prefixes | Suffixes | Description | Number | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Other | Imperative | |||||||
1st | 1S- | m(u)- | 1S- | m(u)- | -1S | -m(u) | singular | |
1P- | me- | 1P- | me- | -1P | -me | exclusive plural | ||
1N- | he- | 1N- | he- | -1N | -he | inclusive plural | ||
2nd | 2S- | k(u)- | 2. | (none) | -2S | -k(u) | singular | |
2P- | ke- | -2P | -ke | plural | ||||
3rd | 3. | (none) | 3A- | c(i)- | -3A | -c(i) | Animate | any number |
3I- | l(u)- | -3I | -l(u) | Inanimate | ||||
3H- | to- | 3H- | to- | Head | ||||
-3D | -n(u) | Dependent | ||||||
any | U- | so- | U- | so- | .U | (none) | Unspecified | |
-Rfx | -ri | Reflexive | ||||||
-Rel | -ro | Relative |
There may also be distinct subject paradigms for Impersonal and Modal words.
3rd Person Actants
For each 3rd person actant (i.e. 3., 3A-, 3I-, 3H-, -3D, -3A, -3I), either an argument phrase appears or the actant coreferences an argument of the matrix or the argument is nullified. Which of these occurs depends on the actant, the other actants present, and the word form's syntactical usage.* If 3H- appears, a corresponding argument phrase must appear.
* -3D always coreferences an argument of the matrix.
* 3A- and 3I- will always act like 3. in the same situation.
Main Usage
This applies to the syntactical verb of a main clause or a relative clause. There are no forms with 3H- or -3D and argument phrases always appear.Conjunctive Usage
This applies to the syntactical verb of complement clauses and adverbial clauses and after conjunctive particles.* 3. always coreferences an argument of the matrix.
* There are corresponding argument phrases for -3A and -3I.
Phrasal Usage
This applies to syntactical nouns and adjectives. One argument must be nullified. If 3. appears, A1 is nullified; in this case, if -3A or -3I appears, a corresponding argument phrases must appear. Otherwise, either -3A or -3I must appear with that argument nullified. If both appear, the one whose argument is nullified is the one whose gender is required by the situation; the other will have a corresponding argument phrase.Examples
3.(sleep) 3.(dog) 3.(brown) | "A brown dog is sleeping." | (1) |
run perro tus |
(1) 3.(sleep) is a main usage while 3.(dog) and 3.(brown) are phrasal usages. These latter two form a phrase serving as the argument required by the former.
1S-(heard).U | "I heard." | (2) |
mu-hox. | ||
U-(saw)-3I 3.(tree) | "A tree was seen." | (3) |
so-naf-lu tokpa. | ||
3.(heard)-3A Def-3.(dog) 3.John | "John heard the dog." | (4) |
hox-ci ne-berro Hwaani. | ||
1S-(want) CC-3.(sing) | "I want to sing." | (5) |
m-pes la-sal. | ||
1S-(want) CC-3H-(sing) | "I want John to sing." | (6) |
m-pes la-do-sal Hwaani. | ||
3.(see)-3A 3.(mother)-3D 3.John | "John saw his mother." | (7) |
naf-ci madre-n Hwaani. | ||
1S-3.(heard)-3A 3.John AND 3.(see)-3D | "I heard John and saw him." | (8) |
mu-hox-ci Hwaani oh naf-nu. |
CC- introduces a complement clause; thus in
(5) 3.(sing) is conjunctive usage and its subject is the same as for the auxiliary
(6) 3H-(sing) is also conjunctive usage and its required subject is 3.John
(7) -3D, in addition to 3. on (see), refers to John
(8) -3D refers to John here (3. on (see) is effectively 1S-)
3.(gave)-3A-3I 3.(book) Def-3.(boy) 3.John | "John gave the boy a book." | (9) |
mex-ci-l libro ne-jikko Hwaani. | ||
1S-(heard)-3A Def-3.(boy) 3H-(gave)-3A-3I 3.(book) 3.John | "I heard the boy John gave a book to." | (10) |
mu-hox-ci ne-jikko to-mex-ci-l libro Hwaani. | ||
1S-(saw)-3I Def-3.(book) 3H-(gave)-3A-3I 3.(boy) 3.John | "I saw the book John gave to a boy." | (11) |
mu-naf-lu ne-libro to-mex-ci-l cikko Hwaani. | ||
2S-Ipf-(know)-3A Def-3.(man) 3.(gave)-3A-3I 3.(book) Def-3.(boy) | "You know the man who gave the boy a book." | (12) |
k-pa-lah-ci ne-(man) mex-ci-l libro ne-jikko. |
"VOS: Alternate Explanation" (Conlang-L's "Whatever Updated")
Date: 2006-07-21 16:45 (UTC)The first part, at least, of this "alternate explanation", makes it easier IMO to understand the rest of this, as well as to understand the original explanation.
While it's still not perfect, it's way the heck better than anything I've done.
(Look in Frathwiki and/or Conlang.Wikia and/or Conworld.Wikia for Adpihi and/or for Reptigan and/or for "eldin raigmore".)
I admire it.