Difference between revisions of "Word Order Restrictions"

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(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 …')
 
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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...).