SSM3 – A Constructed Language

SSM3 Syntax

Basic Syntax

A modifier word is never the first word in the phrase.

Any argument phrases follow a subordinate head word; otherwise, phrases may occur in any order.

The dynamic relational medials have ergative subjects while all other classes have absolutive subjects.

The location arguments (objects) of relational roots are dative. The inverse is marked using su (Rcp).

Omitted Arguments

The ergative K-person singular is often omitted from transitive clauses, i.e. uvi from statements and uyu from questions and commands. The absolutive 3rd person pronouns (ala, alo, aha, and aho) are sometimes omitted as well, in both intransitive and transitive clauses.

eqovaske? "Did you hear it?"

eqovaske?	"Did you hear it?"

Identity, Definition, and Existence

In an identity clause, both subject and complement nouns are absolutive.

ayu adma opitegbe aniktabu adicko. "You're the woman that gave the boy a book."

ayu adma opitegbe aniktabu adicko.	"You're the woman that gave the boy a book."

In a definition clause, the complement noun changes from absolutive to verb.

avi efuttigvaro. "I'm not a cat."

avi efuttigvaro.	"I'm not a cat."

In an existence clause, the complement is omitted, or the null verb e is used.

attigvaro e. "The cat exists."

attigvaro e.	"The cat exists."

Subordinate Clauses

For all subordinate clauses, the head of the clause (verb) is the first word. How it's marked depends on the type of clause. For coreferential clauses, there are 2 strategies:

The subject is omitted and the appropriate inversion is used. This allows only a core argument to be coreferential.
The coreferential pronoun nu appears somewhere in the clause. The verb isn't inverted.

Complement Clauses

In a complement clause, the verb is marked as an absolutive noun and contains the complementizer conjunction ze.

exte azengi ujhona anzope. "I want John to see the antelope."

ujhona exte azepingi anzope. "John wants to see the antelope."

ujhona exte azengi anzope ufroqo odonu. "John wants his dog to see the antelope."

exte azengi ujhona anzope.	"I want John to see the antelope."
ujhona exte azepingi anzope.	"John wants to see the antelope."
ujhona exte azengi anzope ufroqo odonu.	"John wants his dog to see the antelope."

Adjunct Clauses

In an adjunct clause, the verb has an i initial followed by the relevent conjunction; for temporal adjuncts, this may be 0.

ucko evalba igolse ucka. "The boy sang before the girl danced."

ucko evalba itesugbe aniktabu. "The boy sang after being given a book."

ucko evalba igbe adifroqo odonu apne. "The boy sang while his dog was being given the meat."

ucko evalba igolse ucka.	"The boy sang before the girl danced."
ucko evalba itesugbe aniktabu.	"The boy sang after being given a book."
ucko evalba igbe adifroqo odonu apne.	"The boy sang while his dog was being given the meat."

Secondary Predicates

Secondary predicates also use the i initial, but no conjunction or tense. They always have coreferential subjects. Resultatives and depictives are distinguished only by the semantics of the host verb.

evaftuxa attigvaro isma adintiba. "I put the cat in the house."

evaske attigvaro isma adintiba. "I heard the cat in the house."

evaftuxa attigvaro isma adintiba.	"I put the cat in the house."
evaske attigvaro isma adintiba.	"I heard the cat in the house."

Attributive Clauses

In an attributive clause (i.e. used as a noun modifier), the verb has an o initial and no conjunction, although a tense prefix may appear.

afroqo osma adintiba otti erja. "The dog in the small house is big."

attigvaro oteske uvi exte anipne. "The cat I heard wants meat."

afroqo osma adintiba otti erja.	"The dog in the small house is big."
attigvaro oteske uvi exte anipne.	"The cat I heard wants meat."

Relative Clauses

The verb of a relative clause also has the o initial with the relativizer ze, which indicates that the relativized element isn't an argument of the verb (although it may modify an argument). The pronoun nu is used for the relativized element.

evarra abro ozeteske (uvi) afroqo odonu. "The man whose dog I'd heard was over there."

evarvi adma ozetelba ujhona irenu. "The woman John had sung with was here."

evarra abro ozeteske (uvi) afroqo odonu.	"The man whose dog I'd heard was over there."
evarvi adma ozetelba ujhona irenu.	"The woman John had sung with was here."

Conjoined Clauses

The verb of a clause conjoined to a main clause has the e initial with one of the coordinating conjunctions.

page started: 2013.May.17 Fri
current date: 2013.May.19 Sun
content and form originated by qiihoskeh

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