Difference between revisions of "Noun cases"

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(full citations with links might be useful, or perhaps a section for each ending with fuller analysis)
 
(self-defense save)
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|-
 
|-
 
| Agentive
 
| Agentive
| '''-l'''
+
| '''-l''', '''-ìl'''
| '''oel'''
+
| '''oel''', '''tìngayìl'''
 
| subject of transitive verb; called ''ergative'' in many languages
 
| subject of transitive verb; called ''ergative'' in many languages
 
|-
 
|-
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| '''oeri''', '''fìskxawngìri'''
 
| '''oeri''', '''fìskxawngìri'''
 
|}
 
|}
 +
 +
== Discussion ==
 +
 +
Unlike several of the verb infixes, for which Frommer has identified some forms and meanings, the noun case markers have been determined entirely by analysis of the existing [[corpus]] with some help from the word list from the {{Corpus ASG}} and our knowledge from the Language Log post ({{Corpus LL}}) about what the cases are.
 +
 +
We do know that the case markers may have several forms.  We do not know the rules for determining which sorts of words get which case marker variants, though anyone with some college-level linguistics study in phonology and morphology should be able to make some intelligent guesses.  Hopefully a full grammar will be published sooner rather than later.
 +
 +
=== Agentive ===
 +
As of 2009 December 26, we have two attested forms for this case, '''-l''', as in '''oe-l nga-ti kam<ei>i''' ''I see you'' ({{Corpus UGO}}), and '''oe-ri tìngay-ìl txe'lan-it t<iv>akuk''' ''let the truth strike my heart'' ({{Corpus ASG}}, Hunt Song).
 +
 +
=== Patientive ===
 +
As of 2009 December 26, we have three attested forms for this case.  The first discovered is '''-ti''', which came out in {{Corpus UGO}}, the very important greeting, '''oe-l nga-ti kam<ei>e'''.  This form, however, is currently only seen in '''ngati'''.
 +
 +
More frequently seen in the corpus is '''-t''', as in '''kato-t täftxu oe-l''' ''I weave the rhythm'' ({{Corpus ASG}}, Weaving Song) and '''awpo-t set ftxey ayngal''' ''now (you) choose one'' ({{Corpus ASG}}, Hunt Song).
 +
 +
Finally, the form '''-it''' is attested once, in '''oe-ri tìngay-ìl txe'lan-it t<iv>akuk''' ''let the truth strike my heart'' ({{Corpus ASG}}, Hunt Song).
  
 
[[Category:Morphology]]
 
[[Category:Morphology]]

Revision as of 20:00, 26 December 2009

From Frommer's Language Log guest post we know that there are six noun cases, and that most of them have several forms. This is the list of known forms the cases can take, based on the existing text Corpus.

Case Known Endings Examples Notes
Subjective (no suffix) subject of intransitive verb
Agentive -l, -ìl oel, tìngayìl subject of transitive verb; called ergative in many languages
Patientive -t, -it, -ti katot, txe'lanit, ngati direct object of transitive verb; called accusative in many languages
Genitive , -yä txonä, oeyä may cause modifications of the noun stem
Dative -ru ngaru indirect object
Topic -ri, -ìri oeri, fìskxawngìri

Discussion

Unlike several of the verb infixes, for which Frommer has identified some forms and meanings, the noun case markers have been determined entirely by analysis of the existing corpus with some help from the word list from the ASG and our knowledge from the Language Log post (LL) about what the cases are.

We do know that the case markers may have several forms. We do not know the rules for determining which sorts of words get which case marker variants, though anyone with some college-level linguistics study in phonology and morphology should be able to make some intelligent guesses. Hopefully a full grammar will be published sooner rather than later.

Agentive

As of 2009 December 26, we have two attested forms for this case, -l, as in oe-l nga-ti kam<ei>i I see you (UGO), and oe-ri tìngay-ìl txe'lan-it t<iv>akuk let the truth strike my heart (ASG, Hunt Song).

Patientive

As of 2009 December 26, we have three attested forms for this case. The first discovered is -ti, which came out in UGO, the very important greeting, oe-l nga-ti kam<ei>e. This form, however, is currently only seen in ngati.

More frequently seen in the corpus is -t, as in kato-t täftxu oe-l I weave the rhythm (ASG, Weaving Song) and awpo-t set ftxey ayngal now (you) choose one (ASG, Hunt Song).

Finally, the form -it is attested once, in oe-ri tìngay-ìl txe'lan-it t<iv>akuk let the truth strike my heart (ASG, Hunt Song).