Feb16/V1 – A Constructed Language

Feb16/V1 Auxiliary Syntax

Legend: Definitions, Terms, <Text>, «apa», -Tags-, and "Glosses".

Reported Texts

In indirect reporting, the text is modified to fit the context of the quotation, unlike direct reporting. Semantically absolute elements must be replaced; these include personal nouns as well as absolute temporal suffixes. Both direct and indirect reporting use trivalent verbs which, being inherently auxiliary, don't use the auxiliary voice.

Direct Reporting

Direct reporting uses a special construction consisting of a word whose verb is qu "begin quote" + the original text + an optional object + a word whose verb is uq "end quote". The alpha role for uq is speaker and the beta role is addressee; the text is a third argument.

Indirect Reporting

The construction for indirect reporting consists of the modified text + an optional object + a word whose verb is one of the trivalent indirect reporting verbs. The choice of verb specifies the final particle of the original text. Note that these usages are rather different from those of the English glosses. The roles are as above.

A discourse word can appear instead of a modified text. These words are [8/e "this", ]8/e "that", and ;8/e "what?".

Indirect Reporting Verbs
Final Context Root Gloss

t command cm "command"

assertion, content question sa "say"

f command ph "prohibit"

assertion, content question ny "deny"

q polar question pq "ask if"

Indirect Reporting Verbs
Final	Context	Root	Gloss
t	command	cm	"command"
assertion, content question	sa	"say"
f	command	ph	"prohibit"
assertion, content question	ny	"deny"
q	polar question	pq	"ask if"

Tense Replacement

The final particle is omitted.

Tense Replacement
Old New Name

' [ Perfect

= \ Present

` ] Future Perfect

; / Future

. Imperative

Tense Replacement
Old	New	Name
'	[	Perfect
=	\	Present
`	]	Future Perfect
;	/	Future
.		Imperative

Person Replacement

The local personal nouns are absolute, so they need to be replaced within the complement text, unless the speaker of the matrix clause is 1st person and the addressee is 2nd person.

References to the 1st person are replaced by references to the speaker of the matrix clause.
References to the 2nd person are replaced by references to the addressee of the matrix clause.
References to the inclusive person usually must be replaced by an aggregate construction.
References to the matrix clause speaker are replaced by 1st person references.
References to the matrix clause addressee are replaced by 2nd person references.

Examples

(1.1.a) 0\qu 1cat/blk 2[fnd;q mn/old 1]uq\t

"The old man asked me, 'Will you find my black cat?'"

(1.1.a)	0\qu	1cat/blk	2[fnd;q	mn/old	1]uq\t
	"The old man asked me, 'Will you find my black cat?'"

(1.1.b) mn/old /cat/blk 4]hav 1[fnd/ mn/1 1]pq\t

"The old man asked me if I would find his black cat."

(1.1.b)	mn/old	/cat/blk	4]hav	1[fnd/	mn/1	1]pq\t
	"The old man asked me if I would find his black cat."

Other Trivalent Verbs

The other trivalent verbs are used for assertions and content questions where the text is a headless relative clause. The verb kn "inform" is used for assertions and the verb sk "ask" is used for content questions.

(2.1) fsh/rar 4`et[ \john/1 1]kn\t

"John was telling me who had eaten the rare fish."

(2.1)	fsh/rar	4`et[	\john/1	1]kn\t
	"John was telling me who had eaten the rare fish."

Modals

The modals are verbs that come in pairs, with one denoting necessity *n and the other possibility *p. A characteristic of these are the following semantic rules:

content -Negative Possibility <==> content Necessity -Negative

content -Negative Necessity <==> content Possibility -Negative

content	-Negative	Possibility	<==>	content	Necessity	-Negative
content	-Negative	Necessity	<==>	content	Possibility	-Negative

The epistemic modals (en and ep) are usually impersonal. They are always used as auxiliary verbs.

(3.1) fsh/rar cat[et[ 0.en=t

"The cat must have eaten the rare fish."

(3.1)	fsh/rar	cat[et[	0.en=t
	"The cat must have eaten the rare fish."

(3.2) jraf/1 boy[se[ 0.ep=f

"The boy must not have seen the giraffe."

(3.2)	jraf/1	boy[se[	0.ep=f
	"The boy must not have seen the giraffe."

The modals of potential (pn and pp) are obligatorily coreferential. They are always used as auxiliary verbs.

(3.3) \john\sng 4.pp=q

"Can John sing?"

(3.3)	\john\sng	4.pp=q
	"Can John sing?"

(3.4) 0/rain 4.pn=f

"It might not be raining."

(3.4)	0/rain	4.pn=f
	"It might not be raining."

The deontic modals (dn and dp) are perceptual verbs. The experiencer is the person requiring or permitting. They are usually used as auxiliary verbs.

(3.5) twbr/1 [kid/et 0.dn=q

"Is the child required to eat the tuber?"

(3.5)	twbr/1	[kid/et	0.dn=q
	"Is the child required to eat the tuber?"

(3.6) kid3\sng 1d.dp=t

"We're letting the children sing."

(3.6)	kid3\sng	1d.dp=t
	"We're letting the children sing."

The modals of volition (vn and vp) are also perceptual verbs. They are usually used as auxiliary verbs.

(3.7) /jraf/1 [boy/se 4.vn=t

"This boy wants to see a giraffe."

(3.7)	/jraf/1	[boy/se	4.vn=t
	"This boy wants to see a giraffe."

(3.8) fsh/rar cat[et 1.vp=f

"I don't want the cat to eat the rare fish."

(3.8)	fsh/rar	cat[et	1.vp=f
	"I don't want the cat to eat the rare fish."

Other Auxiliaries

Besides the verbs presented above, the perceptual verbs, such as se "see", are often used as auxiliaries. Some scalar verbs, such as slo "slow", may also be used as auxiliaries.

(4.1) /dog\run 0.slo 1.se't

"I've seen a slow-running dog."

(4.1)	/dog\run	0.slo	1.se't
	"I've seen a slow-running dog."

page started: 2022.Feb.19 Sat
current date: 2022.Feb.24 Thu
content and form originated by qiihoskeh

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