Difference between revisions of "Word Order Restrictions"
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
(Created page with 'While Na'vi is usually described as having [http://forum.learnnavi.org/syntax-grammar/navi-linguistics-free-word-order/ free word order], there are nonetheless some restrictions …') |
|||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
While Na'vi is usually described as having [http://forum.learnnavi.org/syntax-grammar/navi-linguistics-free-word-order/ free word order], there are nonetheless some restrictions to know about. | While Na'vi is usually described as having [http://forum.learnnavi.org/syntax-grammar/navi-linguistics-free-word-order/ free word order], there are nonetheless some restrictions to know about. | ||
− | * '''Ke''' must always go directly before the verb, kea must go before its noun. | + | * '''Ke''' must always go directly before the verb, '''kea''' must go before its noun. |
+ | * A '''si''' verb will always have the word order '''X si''' or, negated, '''X ke si''' or '''X rä'ä si''' (where '''X''' is the noun or adjective element) | ||
+ | ** The sole exception is '''irayo si''', which can have the order disrupted somewhat. | ||
* Attributive/non-predicative adjectives must either go directly before or directly after the noun they describe. You can use both '''kawnga tute''' and '''tute akawng'''. | * Attributive/non-predicative adjectives must either go directly before or directly after the noun they describe. You can use both '''kawnga tute''' and '''tute akawng'''. | ||
* Possessives/genitives must either go before directly before or directly after their possessed noun, except that an adjective describing the noun may come in between if necessary: | * Possessives/genitives must either go before directly before or directly after their possessed noun, except that an adjective describing the noun may come in between if necessary: |
Revision as of 15:28, 8 September 2011
While Na'vi is usually described as having free word order, there are nonetheless some restrictions to know about.
- Ke must always go directly before the verb, kea must go before its noun.
- A si verb will always have the word order X si or, negated, X ke si or X rä'ä si (where X is the noun or adjective element)
- The sole exception is irayo si, which can have the order disrupted somewhat.
- Attributive/non-predicative adjectives must either go directly before or directly after the noun they describe. You can use both kawnga tute and tute akawng.
- Possessives/genitives must either go before directly before or directly after their possessed noun, except that an adjective describing the noun may come in between if necessary:
- oeyä 'eylan = 'eylan oeyä,
- oeyä sìltsana 'eylan = 'eylan asìltsan oeyä
- Ma must go directly before the name who is being addressed.
- Srak(e) may (as far as I know) only go either at the very beginning or very end of a yes/no question.
- The words ko and nang must only go at the end of the sentence.
- Modal verbs can only come somewhere before the secondary verb; the secondary verb cannot happen somewhere before the modal:
- nga yivom tsun = wrong
- tsun nga yivom / nga tsun yivom / tsun yivom nga = correct forms.
- The topical must come at the beginning of the clause (though there seems to be an exception in song, in the Hunt Song, pxan livu txo nì'aw oe ngari...).