The order of phrase components is
Determiner - QuantityWord - Noun - OtherModifiers - RelativeClause
Cardinal numbers are the main group of quantity words; there are also singular and plural markers, used mainly when introducing referents.
The other modifiers include participles and genitive phrases.
| Suffix | Tag | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ni | Def | definite article |
| ca | CQ | content question |
| pak | Uni | universal quantifier (precludes QuantityWord) |
| kic | Prox | proximal demonstrative |
| soc | Medi | medial demonstrative |
| tac | Dist | distal demonstrative |
Genitive personal pronouns may also be used as determiners.
In the absence of a determiner, a quantity word makes the phrase indefinite. If neither determiner nor quantity word appears, the phrase is non-referential.
The case-markers are prepositional. They are currently:
| Suffix | Tag | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Abs | absolutive |
| pu | Erg | ergative |
| hi | Dat | dative |
| na | Gen | genitive |
| o | Voc | vocative |
There are also a number of pseudo-cases for which the markers are actually secondary predicates.
The verb is normally at the start of the clause, followed by the absolutive phrase, if any, and then any case-marked phrases. Complement clauses appear last. Secondary predicates appear immediately after the coreferenced phrase, assuming the argument isn't a pronominal affix.
The polar question particle PQ precedes the main verb. Content question (CQ) phrases are fronted and (in relative clauses) so are phrases consisting of or containing relative pronouns (RP).
A temporal adjunct clause begins with the conjunction (Tmp) and specifies the temporal relation between the main situation and the subordinate situation according to the aspect of the adjunct clause.
| aoristic | the adjunct situation occurs during the main situation |
| progressive | the main situation occurs during the adjunct situation |
| stative | |
| retrospective | the main situation occurs after the adjunct situation |
| prospective | the main situation occurs before the adjunct situation |
See also Adjunct Clauses .
| Aspect | Relative | Absolute |
|---|---|---|
| aoristic | present | definite past |
| progressive | present | present action |
| stative | present | present state |
| retrospective | past | indefinite past, experiential, resulting state |
| prospective | future | indefinite future, definite future, eventual |
| absolutive | theme, patient, univalent subject, noun predicate |
| ergative | donor, agent, instrument |
| dative | recipient |
| genitive | possessor, partitive whole |
| vocative | addressee |
Clauses of definition and identity use copular predicates with absolutive subjects. The copular predicate consists of a form of the copula followed by a noun phrase. The phrase is definite for identity clauses and non-referential for definition clauses. The copula is inflected like a static univalent verb except for the following:
| terok cuma meeri. | "Mary is a woman." |
|---|---|
| kinae habok. | "I'm not a cat." |
| tejon ni pera kic ti. | "This is the metal." |
The particles nae ("no", Neg) and too ("yes", Aff) may be used to negate or affirm phrases, being placed before the determiner or pronoun but after any case marker. Such phrases are (always?) focused.
| . | "." |
|---|
Topic phrases appear before the verb. If the topic is pronominal, the base forms of the pronouns are used. Verb agreement is normal.
page started: 2013.Dec.16 Mon
current date: 2013.Dec.19 Thu
content and form originated by qiihoskeh
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