Legend: Definitions, Terms, <Text>, <Text>, [IPA], -Tags-, and "Glosses".
The following table shows the structure of a noun phrase:
| Order | Name | Contents | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Determiner | determiner word or genitive phrase | null if anaphoric or quantity appears |
| 2 | Cardinality | quantity word | may be null |
| 3 | Attributive | verb-argument construction(s) | any number of these |
| 4 | Head | Noun(s) | at least 1 required |
| 5 | Subclause | relative clause | may be null |
The determiner words are shown in the following table. If the phrase begins with a quantity word, the phrase is also presentational; to get an anaphoric quantity, the quantity must be nominalized and must appear in the head position (see the word and affix formation section).
| Word | Tag | Name | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| \ | \ | Any | Non-referential | "any", "a(n)", "some" |
| @? | @? | Dem-Q | Interrogative | "which?" |
| @% | @% | Def | Non-anaphoric Definite | "the" |
| @0 | @0 | Exi | Presentational | "a(n)", "some", "this/these" |
| @1 | @1 | Dem-1 | Proximal Demonstrative | "this/these" |
| @3 | @3 | Dem-Icl | ||
| @2 | @2 | Dem-2 | Medial Demonstrative | "that/those" |
| @6 | @6 | Dem-HA1 | Distal Demonstrative | |
| @7 | @7 | Dem-HA2 | ||
| @8 | @8 | Dem-HA3 | ||
| @9 | @9 | Dem-HA4 | ||
An attributive construction consists of a an attributive verb possibly followed by an argument phrase. An attributive verb is a verb where 1 of the defined arguments is relativized and unmarked. Another argument may appear as the argument phrase or be marked on the verb. If the verb is trivalent, the remaining argument must be marked on the verb.
A genitive phrase is either a noun phrase followed by the genitive particle (' ' Gen) or the same particle, to which a personal affix (with or without the associative marker) is prefixed, e.g. 1' 1' "my". A genitive phrase specifies either a possessor or the whole from which a part is selected, as in a partitive or superlative phrase.
A partitive phrase, after the genitive phrase, consists of a quantity word specifying the cardinality of the part and a generic noun.
A superlative phrase, after the genitive phrase, consists of a positive, negative, or normative scalar verb and a generic noun. For a small number of scalar verbs, there may be an argument phrase immediately following the verb. There may also be a quantity word before the scalar verb specifying the cardinality of the part.
A compound phrase consists of 2 or more phrases conjoined by instances of a phrase conjunction. Each phrase is either a noun phrase or a personal affix (with or without the associative marker). If a conjoined phrase contains a relative clause, it can only appear last.
| Word | Tag | Name | Glosses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| + | + | Agg | Aggregative | "and" |
| | | | | Alt | Alternative | "or" |
A relative clause is a clause containing the relative pronoun personal affix.
There is a reciprocal particle (/X /X Rec) that appears somewhere within the clause. Adverbs of manner and degree adverbials also need to be placed somewhere.
The following table shows the structure of a clause:
| Order | Name | Contents | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Time When | time when adverbial | may be null |
| 2 | 1st Argument | noun phrase | null if marked on verb or not defined |
| 3 | Head | Verb | required |
| 4 | Adverbial | phrase or adverb | may be null |
| 5 | 2nd Argument | noun phrase | null if marked on verb or not defined |
| 6 | 3rd Argument | noun phrase | null if marked on verb or not defined |
| 7 | Oblique Part | prepositional phrase(s) | may be null |
| Word | Tag | Name | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $ | $ | AT | Absolute Present |
| < | < | DP | Definite Past |
| > | > | DF | Definite Future |
The following may be prefixed to a basic time when word, except that there's no interrogative present:
| Prefix | Tag | Name | Gloss | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ?- | ?- | Q- | Interrogative | "when?" |
| (- | (- | LT- | Before | "ago", "already", "before", "early" |
| )- | )- | GT- | After | "from now", "not yet", "after", "late" |
An adverb of manner immediately follows its (non-scalar) host verb.
A degree adverbial consists of a an adverbial noun specifying some unit of measurement preceded by a cardinal number. It immediately follows its scalar host verb, which may be either attributive or head of a clause.
A prepositional phrase is a noun phrase or personal affix introduced by a preposition. A comparative phrase may be replaced by a simultaneous clause using the "compare" verb if an explicit coreference is needed; otherwise, the last preceding argument is coreferenced.
| Word | Tag | Name | Object | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| /C | /C | Cpr | Comparative | Standard of Comparison |
| /I | /I | Ins | Instrumental | Instrument |
Any phrase, whether an argument or preceded by a preposition, may be marked for contrastive focus. This is done by placing a focus particle before the phrase (but after any preposition). Only 1 phrase may be focused; however, an additional phrase using the other particle may appear in the clause (somewhere after the first phrase).
| Word | Tag | Name | |
|---|---|---|---|
| /A | /A | Aff | Affirmative |
| /N | /N | Neg | Negative |
A complement clause is a subordinate clause that replaces the patient or theme argument of the immediately preceding matrix clause (whose verb takes the auxiliary personal suffix).
An adjunct clause is a subordinate clause that appears in addition to the matrix clause's arguments; it's introduced by a subordinating conjunction.
| Prefix | Tag | Name | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| /b | /b | By | Means | aspect not marked; relative present |
| /f | /f | For | Purpose | aspect not marked; relative future |
| /i | /i | If | Conditional | |
| /r | /r | Rat | Reason | |
| /t | /t | Tmp | Temporal | |
A coordinate clause is introduced by a coordinating conjunction and links to a preceding clause at the same level creating a chain of clauses. A chain linked by the simultaneous particle contains only single clauses. A chain linked by the sequential particle may contain chains of simultaneous clauses as well as single clauses. A chain linked by the disjunct particle may contain chains of sequential clauses, chains of simultaneous clauses, and single clauses.
| Prefix | Tag | Name | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| /c | /c | Sim | Simultaneous | CChain = Clause (/c Clause)* |
| /d | /d | Dis | Disjunct | DChain = SChain (/d SChain)* |
| /s | /s | Seq | Sequential | SChain = CChain (/s CChain)* |
The main clause makes the sentence either a command, a polar question, a content question, or a statement. A command is identified by the jussive particle (! ! Jus) at the start of the clause. A polar question is identified by the presence of the polar question particle (/Q /Q PQ) at the start of the clause. A content question is identified by the presence of the interrogative personal affix (? ? Q) somewhere. Any other main clause identifies a statement.
page started: 2019.Jan.07 Mon
current date: 2019.Jan.16 Wed
content and form originated by qiihoskeh
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