Biwdiw

Biwdiw is one of the languages belonging to Piti language family. It stems directly from Proto-Piti language. It is spoken in the classic period and gives rise to a separate branch, named Biwdiwgu languages. Three daughter languages belong to this group and stem from Biwdiw. It has an alphabetical script.

Typological structure

Biwdiw is a morphologically agglutinative language, with an additional but strongly marked introflexive feature, realized in verbal roots, and some other occasional fusional features.

The basic word order is essentially SVO (Subject-Verb-Object).

pūgɛliw līlušɛc mūgi
(the) person sees (the) cow

However, in interrogative clauses the word order is VSO (Verb-Subject-Object), while in dependent clauses the prevailing word order is SOV (Subject-Object-Verb).

līlušɛc pūgɛliw mūgi?
Does (the) person see (the) cow?

tōnilū (um) pūgɛliw mūgi līlušiwňɛc 
I ask if (the) person sees (the) cow

The SVO order appears to be an evolution from a previous general SOV order. The entire system is indeed not firmly fixed between both orders.

Some typological parameters are set according to the head-modifier (or head-initial) type:

• verb - object (in main clauses)
• preposition - noun

Other typological parameters are still set according to the modifier-head (or head-final) type:

• object - verb (in dependent clauses)
• adjective - noun
• relative clause - noun

This tendency toward an underlying original SOV order can be seen in the secondary verb position feature. When any verbal form is supported by another verb, the former is moved in the final position of the sentence.

pūgɛliw hīsjɛc mūgišu līlušiwgɛ 
(the) person does not see (the) cow

Phonology

Main article: Biwdiw phonology

Morphology

Main article: Biwdiw morphology

Syntax

Main article: Biwdiw syntax

Vocabulary

Main article: Biwdiw vocabulary