Archive for September, 2019
Detail #382: Plurals, Gender and some Twists
Tuesday, September 24th, 2019Detail #382: Restrictions on Reflexives
Monday, September 23rd, 2019You dare try to control Aughra? Aughra can barely control Aughra!
- Animacy. It may seem weird to think of inanimate things acting upon themselves?
- Certain types of verbs may not permit reflexives due to the normal reflexive meaning being too unrealistic. In such cases that the reflexive meaning indeed is intended, some more cumbersome construction where other verbs combine to form the intended meaning are required.
- The referent of the noun. The English example above is weird - a proper noun that is coreferent with the first person singular pronoun - but similar restrictions based on some notion of courtesy may exist.
- The animacy restriction could easily be resolved by making the inanimate noun the object of either a subjectless verb, the subject of a passive verb or the object of a verb with a dummy subject. Repeating the noun might also be reasonable.
- Repeating the noun seems reasonable with courtesy-based restrictions, but one might also use some kind of smaller set of nouns that can refer to the same person: titles, for instance.
- Where the verb is the restricting factor, one might imagine separate verb phrases added after a conjunction that take the reflexive marker ('the man helped it, did for himself' where it is a dummy pronoun), or again, the use of nouns that share referents ('his majesty helped the king'). Here, some extra marking would be needed whenever ambiguities arise, but words such as 'the same' or 'the other' probably would be available.
More funlang
Monday, September 16th, 2019Here is more of the funlang. This time I did the Eye Juggler text from Dirk Elzinga.
- Piyayuri
- Piya-yuri
- Piya-spirit
- wununday
- wunu-nday
- see-DISTPAST+IMPERF+REP
OK, so proper names get classifiers, too
- du
- du
- COMMENT
- yirunday
- yiru-nday
- follow-DISTPAST+IMPERF+REP
- kibikibinuya
- kibikibi-nuya
- children.in.group-ANIMATE
- Tabunihunday
- Tabuni-hu-nday
- Tabuni-belonging.to-DISTPAST+IMPERF+REP
And marking plural on the predicate amuses me, so…
- ɂa
- ɂa
- SAME
- gurawunday
- gura-wu-nday
- play-PL.TOPIC-DISTPAST+IMPERF+REP
- du
- du
- COMMENT
- yirunday
- yiru-nday
- follow-DISTPAST+IMPERF+REP
- nuya
- nuya
- ANIMATE
- ɂasamuwunday
- ɂasa-mu-wu-nday
- grasp-out-PL.TOPIC-DISTPAST+IMPERF+REP
And with classifiers that can be used as pronouns, there is no need for separate third person pronouns.
- wuŋiwubiya
- wuŋi-wu-biya
- eye-PL-ROUND
- hutuwunday
- hutu-wu-nday
- in.hand-PL.TOPIC-DISTPAST+IMPERF+REP
- ɂa
- ɂa
- SAME
- tuyawayuwunday
- tuyawa-yu-wu-nday
- throw-up-PL.TOPIC-DISTPAST+IMPERF+REP
- ɂa
- ɂa
- SAME
- rusutuduwunday
- rusu-tudu-wu-nday
- return-CAUS-PL.TOPIC-DISTPAST+IMPERF+REP
- du
- du
- COMMENT
- wuŋikabanuwunday
- wuŋi-kaba-nu-wu-nday
- eye-hole-COME-PL.TOPIC-DISTPAST+IMPERF+REP
- Piyayuri
- Piya-yuri
- Piya-spirit
- guraɂuŋinday
- gura-ɂuŋi-nday
- play-MUST-DISTPAST+IMPERF+REP
- wuŋibiya
- wuŋi-biya
- eye-ROUND
- zuyanday
- zuya-nday
- dark-DISTPAST+IMPERF+REP
- ɂa
- ɂa
- SAME
- ɂaranday
- ɂara-nday
- reflective-DISTPAST+IMPERF+REP
- yuri
- yuri
- spirit
- ɂasamundat
- ɂasa-mu-ndat
- grasp-out-DISTPAST+PERF+REP
- biya
- biya
- round
- hutundat
- hutu-ndat
- in.hand-DISTPAST+PERF+REP
- ɂa
- ɂa
- SAME
- tuyapayundat
- tuyapa-yu-ndat
- be.thrown-PASS-up-DISTPAST+PERF+REP
- ɂa
- ɂa
- SAME
- turunandat
- turu-na-ndat
- go.down-BEGIN-DISTPAST+PERF+REP
- du
- du
- COMMENT
- pasarandat
- pasara-ndat
- interrupted-DISTPAST+PERF+REP
- du
- du
- COMMENT
- suŋudundat
- suŋudu-ndat
- cedar.tree-DISTPAST+PERF+REP
- yuri
- yuri
- spirit
- ranaranatudundat
- ranarana-tudu-ndat
- shake-CAUS-DISTPAST+PERF+REP
- suŋuduɂuda
- suŋudu-ɂuda
- cedar.tree-TREE
- ranaranandat
- ranarana-ndat
- shake-DISTPAST+PERF+REP
- biya
- biya
- round
- turutupandat
- turu-tupa-ndat
- go.down-FAIL-DISTPAST+PERF+REP
- kibikibinuya
- kibikibi-nuya
- children.in.group-ANIMATE
- riniriniwundat
- rinirini-wu-ndat
- laugh-PL.TOPIC-DISTPAST+PERF+REP
- nuya
- nuya
- ANIMATE
- pusupusuwundat
- pusupusu-wu-ndat
- mockery-PL.TOPIC-DISTPAST+PERF+REP
- Piyayuri
- Piya-yuri
- Piya-spirit
- pusupusupandat
- pusupusu-pa-ndat
- mockery-PASS-DISTPAST+PERF+REP
- du
- du
- COMMENT
- nurutudundat
- nuru-tudu-ndat
- anger-CAUS-DISTPAST+PERF+REP
- du
- du
- COMMENT
- Piyasundat
- Piya-su-ndat
- Piya-LOC-DISTPAST+PERF+REP
- ɂa
- ɂa
- SAME
- zunandat
- zuna-ndat
- reason-DISTPAST+PERF+REP
- du
- du
- COMMENT
- yirunday
- yiru-nday
- follow-DISTPAST+IMPERF+REP
- yuri
- yuri
- spirit
- yiriyiruganundat
- yiriyiru-ganu-ndat
- run-BEHIND-DISTPAST+PERF+REP
- nuya
- nuya
- ANIMATE
- yiriyiruganupawundat
- yiriyiru-ganu-pa-wu-ndat
- run-BEHIND-PASS-DISTPAST+PERF+REP
- ɂa
- ɂa
- SAME
- hutudutupawundat
- hutu-(tu)du-tupa-wu-ndat
- in.hand-CAUS=FAIL-PL.TOPIC-DISTPAST+PERF+REP
So this is one way to make things less agglutinative – drop a syllable that is identical to the previous syllable. I suppose I should make sure I didn’t forget to do this elsewhere.
- yuri
- yuri
- spirit
- yiriyiruturandat
- yiriyiru-tura-ndat
- run-STOP-DISTPAST+PERF+REP
- ɂa
- ɂa
- SAME
- puzarandat
- puza-ra-ndat
- away-GO-DISTPAST+PERF+REP
- ɂa
- ɂa
- SAME
- tayituduɂuŋinday
- tayi-tudu-ɂuŋi-nday
- new-CAUS-MUST-DISTPAST+IMPERF+REP
- du
- du
- COMMENT
- wuŋinday
- wuŋi-nday
- eye-DISTPAST+IMPERF+REP
- ɂa
- ɂa
- SAME
- ŋuyarunday
- ŋuya-ru-nday
- pine.sap-FROM-DISTPAST+IMPERF+REP
- wuŋibiya
- wuŋi-biya
- eye-round
- ŋuyaŋu
- ŋuya-ŋu
- pine.sap-LIKE
- ɂa
- ɂa
- SAME
- ɂarawapawapa
- ɂara-wapawapa
- reflective-NO.LONGER
- ɂa
- ɂa
- SAME
- nuya
- nuya
- yellow
Talking Rock in a Funlang
Thursday, September 12th, 2019This is a new, unnamed funlang. It is an experiment in topic – comment with only intransitive predicates. So each full sentence is only two words and two words only. Pronouns include one that refers to the topic of the previous sentence (SAME) and one that refers to the comment of the previous sentence (COMMENT). It might even be non-recursive, but not being a theoretician, I won’t swear to that.
- yunara
- yunara
- 1SG.NEW
- bandasa
- banda-sa
- walk-RECPAST+IMPERF+VIS
- du
- du
- COMMENT
- yundatasa
- yundata-sa
- yesterday-RECPAST+IMPERF+VIS
- ɂa
- ɂa
- SAME
- habasusa
- haba-su-sa
- shore-LOC-RECPAST+IMPERF+VIS
- ɂa
- ɂa
- SAME
- pasarat
- pasara-t
- be-interrupted.RECPAST+PERF+VIS
- yi
- yi
- 1SG.OLD
- waɂat
- waɂa-t
- trip-RECPAST+PERF+VIS
- du
- du
- COMMENT
- ɂidusut
- ɂidu-su-t
- rock-LOC-RECPAST+PERF+VIS
- du
- du
- COMMENT
- surahigudiy
- sura-higu-diy
- speak-POTENTIAL-RECPAST+IMPERF+INF
- yi
- yi
- 1SG
- ɂasayut
- ɂasa-yu-t
- grasp-UP-RECPAST+PERF+VIS
- ɂa
- ɂa
- SAME
- surat
- sura-t
- speak-RECPAST+PERF+VIS
- ɂidubiya
- ɂidu-biya
- rock-round
- hutat
- huta-t
- be.in.hand-RECPAST+PERF+VIS
- ɂa
- ɂa
- SAME
- zinit
- zini-t
- be.spoken.to-RECPAST+PERF+VIS
- yi
- yi
- 1SG
- tanit
- tani-t
- say-RECPAST+PERF+VIS
- du
- du
- COMMENT
- ɂuŋut
- ɂuŋu-t
- question-RECPAST+PERF+VIS
- ɂa
- ɂa
- SAME
- yirut
- yiru-t
- follow-RECPAST+PERF+VIS
- ɂidubiya
- ɂidu-biya
- rock-round
- guya
- guya
- be.this-NONPAST+IMPERF+VIS
- ɂa
- ɂa
- SAME
- sura
- sura
- speak-NONPAST+IMPERF+VIS
- ɂa
- ɂa
- SAME
- tanit
- tani-t
- say-RECPAST+PERF+VIS
- du
- du
- COMMENT
- yirut
- yiru-t
- follow-RECPAST+PERF+VIS
- ɂidubiya
- ɂidu-biya
- rock-round
- yunara
- yunara
- 1SG-NONPAST+IMPERF+VIS
- ɂa
- ɂa
- SAME
- sura
- sura
- speak-NONPAST+IMPERF+VIS
- yi
- yi
- 1SG
- tanit
- tani-t
- say-RECPAST+PERF+VIS
- du
- du
- COMMENT
- yirut
- yiru-t
- follow-RECPAST+PERF+VIS
- yi
- yi
- 1SG
- zinibidit
- zini-bi-dit
- be.spoken.to-NEG-RECPAST+PERF+INF
- wisata
- wisata
- 2SG.NEW
- surabidit
- sura-bi-dit
- speak-NEG-RECPAST+PERF+INF
- ɂa
- ɂa
- SAME
- tanibidit
- tani-bi-dit
- say-NEG-RECPAST+PERF+INF
- du
- du
- COMMENT
- yirudit
- yiru-dit
- follow-RECPAST+PERF+INF
- yi
- yi
- 1SG
- zusahigudiy
- zusa-higu-diy
- watch.for-POTENTIAL-RECPAST+IMPERF+INF
- du
- du
- COMMENT
- wisatanudiy
- wisata-nu-diy
- 2SG-RECPAST+IMPERF+INF
- biya
- biya
- round
- tanirusut
- tani-rusu-t
- say-back-RECPAST+PERF+VIS
- du
- du
- COMMENT
- yirut
- yiru-t
- follow-RECPAST+PERF+VIS
- ɂidubiya
- ɂidu-biya
- rock-round
- yunara
- yunara
- 1SG-NONPAST+IMPERF+VIS
- ɂa
- ɂa
- SAME
- sura
- sura
- speak-NONPAST+IMPERF+VIS
- ɂa
- ɂa
- SAME
- puna
- puna
- be.mean-NONPAST+IMPERF+VIS
- du
- du
- COMMENT
- zuna
- zuna
- reason-RECPAST+PERF+VIS
- taniya
- tani-ya
- saying-GENERIC
- nurutudu-t
- nuru-tudu-t
- anger-cause-RECPAST+PERF+VIS
- du
- du
- COMMENT
- yunarasut
- yunara-su-t
- 1SG-LOC-RECPAST+PERF+VIS
- ɂa
- ɂa
- SAME
- zunat
- zuna-t
- reason-RECPAST+PERF+VIS
- du
- du
- COMMENT
- yirunut
- yiru-nu-t
- follow-RECPAST+PERF+VIS
- yi
- yi
- 1SG
- tuyawat
- tuyawa-t
- throw-RECPAST+PERF+VIS
- biya
- biya
- round
- tuyawapat
- tuyawa-pa-t
- throw-PASS-RECPAST+PERF+VIS
- ɂa
- ɂa
- SAME
- haraharasut
- harahara-su-t
- ocean-LOC-RECPAST+PERF+VIS
- yi
- yi
- 1SG
- wunurusubidit
- wunu-rusu-bi-dit
- see-back-NEG-RECPAST+PERF+INF
- biya
- biya
- round
- wunurusubipadit
- wunu-rusu-bi-pa-dit
- see-back-NEG-PASS-RECPAST+PERF+INF
I like the repetitiveness of otherwise transitive verbs. It amuses me.
I also like the fact that speak and spoken to are different, unrelated words. And that the converse of pick up is be in hand.
I like that pronouns come in two sets: new and previously mentioned. With regular nouns, this is accomplished by using noun plus classifier for a new mention and the classifier only as a previous mention.
I am a bit worried about the lack of clarity in where a quote ends. Adding something like “saying finished†might work, but it would probably involve repeating the noun tani-ya rather than just ya, which I don’t like.
The comment words ought to be less cleanly agglutinative, at least when it comes to multiple suffixes, those should blend a bit more, maybe.
What do you think?
I will do the Eye Juggler next, and then maybe the South Wind and the Sun. Short texts become such long texts that I am not sure I dare tackle the longer texts that I usually use.
Another musical interlude
Friday, September 6th, 2019While I try to figure out how to present the interlude language – a fun project not meant to be a naturalistic conlang on its own…
Xyric Folk Tales, Version 1
Sunday, September 1st, 2019Raymond Scherer first became interested in linguistics when he took Spanish for the first time in the 8th grade. Since then, he has engaged in a few language creation efforts and created the Xyric language as part of a school project, but has since expanded it. He currently studies German and Spanish but has aspirations to study other languages once he becomes fluent. He plans to study aerospace engineering in college.
Abstract
This is a collection of various folk tales in the Xyric language. This collection contains five different short stories, including their creation story in which the Great Boulder creates the world. It also includes a story about a man saving his son, a man becoming the wind, a swearing pet, and a woman that raises birds.
Version History
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.