OVS – A Constructed Language

OVS Semantics

Noun-Cases

There are 6 cases a noun can take:

-Agt: Agentive: actor, agent, donor.
-Pat: Patientive: descriptee, patient, recipient; as recipient, it appears before any theme of an active verb.
.Thm: Thematic: agent, patient, location, stimulus, theme; this is 0-marked
-Gen: Genitive: partitive, objective genitive.
-Pos: Possessive: possessive, subjective genitive.
-Voc: Vocative: identifies addressee(s).

Verb-Aspects

Tag Name Applies to Acts as Description

.Aor Aoristic Dynamic Dynamic simple action; no absolute present

-Prg Progressive Dynamic Dynamic action or change in progress

-Hab Habitual Dynamic Static multiple occasions

-Ret Retrospective Dynamic Static result, experience, indefinite relative past

-Pro Prospective Dynamic Static anticipation, indefinite relative future

.Stat Stative Static Static simple state

-Inch Inchoative Static Dynamic enter state

-Term Terminative Static Dynamic leave state

Tag	Name	Applies to	Acts as	Description
.Aor	Aoristic	Dynamic	Dynamic	simple action; no absolute present
-Prg	Progressive	Dynamic	Dynamic	action or change in progress
-Hab	Habitual	Dynamic	Static	multiple occasions
-Ret	Retrospective	Dynamic	Static	result, experience, indefinite relative past
-Pro	Prospective	Dynamic	Static	anticipation, indefinite relative future
.Stat	Stative	Static	Static	simple state
-Inch	Inchoative	Static	Dynamic	enter state
-Term	Terminative	Static	Dynamic	leave state

Tense and Modality

The past and present tenses are realis, while the future is irrealis, hence its placement.

The modalities are: potential (can, must), deontic (may, shall), epistemic (may must), evidential (witness, hearsay).

The contrafactual forms are not only irrealis, but contrary to fact.

page started: 2010.Jun.24 Thu
current date: 2010.Jun.27 Sun
content and form originated by qiihoskeh

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