Tsakxa pronouns: Difference between revisions
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'''Pronouns''' in '''[[Tsakxa]]''' | '''Pronouns''' in '''[[Tsakxa]]''' decline irregularly. Personal pronouns decline for three persons, three numbers and may take case suffixes and other clitics. Demonstrative pronouns decline by number and case. There are no relative pronouns. | ||
== Personal pronouns == | == Personal pronouns == | ||
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| a-su | | a-su | ||
| a-s-ef | | a-s-ef | ||
| | | as-wa | ||
|- | |- | ||
!Second person | !Second person | ||
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| as-aʔ | | as-aʔ | ||
| as-af | | as-af | ||
| | | as-wa | ||
|} | |} | ||
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!'''yonder''' | !'''yonder''' | ||
|- | |- | ||
!rowspan=3|<br>'''Case''' | |||
! '''Ergative''' | |||
| nxu | |||
| ep | |||
| e | |||
|- | |- | ||
!'''Absolutive''' | |||
| nxa | |||
| a | |||
| ate | |||
|- | |- | ||
!'''Adverbial''' | |||
| (s-)u- | |||
| (s-)a- | |||
| (s-)e- | |||
|} | |} | ||
The ergative and absolutive demonstratives are used as would be expected, whilst the adverbial demonstratives are used as a base for locative and other case markings. | The ergative and absolutive demonstratives are used as would be expected, whilst the adverbial demonstratives are used as a base for locative and other case markings. Dual is expressed regularly by the suffix -f, plural likewise by -t. | ||
: ''Ep'' - That thing | : ''Ep'' - That thing | ||
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The prefix ''s-'' + adverbial + locative suffix creates pronouns with the meaning of 'the thing (preposition) that thing': | The prefix ''s-'' + adverbial + locative suffix creates pronouns with the meaning of 'the thing (preposition) that thing': | ||
: '' | : ''S-u-atqe'' - the thing under that thing | ||
== Interrogative pronouns == | |||
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" class="wikitable" | |||
!colspan=2 rowspan=2| || colspan=4 | Distance from speaker | |||
|- | |||
!'''Animate''' | |||
!'''Inanimate''' | |||
|- | |||
!rowspan=3|<br>'''Case''' | |||
! '''Ergative''' | |||
| fu | |||
| fe | |||
|- | |||
!'''Absolutive''' | |||
| fam | |||
| fa | |||
|- | |||
!'''Adverbial''' | |||
| fu- | |||
| fa- | |||
|} | |||
The interrogative pronouns are divided into animate and inanimate pronouns. The inanimates roughly equate to 'what' or 'which' and the animates to 'who'. The ergative and absolutive are used as the typical cases, the adverbials take the normal adverbial case suffixes. | |||
: ''Nxa fu se-sha-nxa-l?'' - Who did this? (this.ABS who.ERG ABS<sup>-3</sup>-do<sup>0</sup>-PERF<sup>1</sup>-DUB<sup>2</sup>) | |||
Interrogative pronouns are not fronted except where focussed: | |||
: ''Fa uʔ wa-wa ut-ak?'' - Where are you coming from? (what 2ps go<sup>0</sup>~IMPERF<sup>1</sup> ABL<sup>3</sup>-go<sup>0</sup>) | |||
In non-focus contexts, they may be deleted: | |||
: ''Nxa se-sha-nxa-l?'' - Who/what did this? (this.ABS ABS<sup>-3</sup>-do<sup>0</sup>-PERF<sup>1</sup>-DUB<sup>2</sup>) | |||
[[Category:Tsakxa]] | |||
Latest revision as of 12:00, 2 December 2010
Pronouns in Tsakxa decline irregularly. Personal pronouns decline for three persons, three numbers and may take case suffixes and other clitics. Demonstrative pronouns decline by number and case. There are no relative pronouns.
Personal pronouns
Personal pronouns do not change for gender, but have emphatic and vocative forms, in addition to taking the same case clitics as nouns.
Basic forms
These forms are used in all contexts in which the other pronouns cannot be used. They are used when the pronoun is an argument of a verb, except when the pronoun is serving as topic or focus:
| Singular | Dual | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First person | su | su-f | su-wa |
| Second person | uʔ | uʔ-ef | u-wa |
| Third person | aʔ | aʔ-ef | aʔ-uwa |
These pronouns can then have the case suffixes applicable to Tsakxa nouns attached to them, as in u-wa-kxa (we deliberately), u-wa-ta (with us).
Emphatic pronouns
These pronouns are used in topical (i.e. initial) position:
| Singular | Dual | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First person | a-su | a-s-ef | as-wa |
| Second person | as-uʔ | as-uf | a-wa |
| Third person | as-aʔ | as-af | as-wa |
For example:
- A-su-ø se-pesh-as - if I were a rich man
- A-swa tas-tas-el ta-ma - he's definitely looking at us
Vocative forms
| Singular | Dual | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second person | et-uʔ | et-uf | et-wa |
The vocative forms are used to call attention to the speaker. For example:
- Et-uf! - You two!
Demonstrative pronouns
| Distance from speaker | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| this | that | yonder | |||
Case |
Ergative | nxu | ep | e | |
| Absolutive | nxa | a | ate | ||
| Adverbial | (s-)u- | (s-)a- | (s-)e- | ||
The ergative and absolutive demonstratives are used as would be expected, whilst the adverbial demonstratives are used as a base for locative and other case markings. Dual is expressed regularly by the suffix -f, plural likewise by -t.
- Ep - That thing
- U-atqe - Under that thing
The prefix s- + adverbial + locative suffix creates pronouns with the meaning of 'the thing (preposition) that thing':
- S-u-atqe - the thing under that thing
Interrogative pronouns
| Distance from speaker | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animate | Inanimate | ||||
Case |
Ergative | fu | fe | ||
| Absolutive | fam | fa | |||
| Adverbial | fu- | fa- | |||
The interrogative pronouns are divided into animate and inanimate pronouns. The inanimates roughly equate to 'what' or 'which' and the animates to 'who'. The ergative and absolutive are used as the typical cases, the adverbials take the normal adverbial case suffixes.
- Nxa fu se-sha-nxa-l? - Who did this? (this.ABS who.ERG ABS-3-do0-PERF1-DUB2)
Interrogative pronouns are not fronted except where focussed:
- Fa uʔ wa-wa ut-ak? - Where are you coming from? (what 2ps go0~IMPERF1 ABL3-go0)
In non-focus contexts, they may be deleted:
- Nxa se-sha-nxa-l? - Who/what did this? (this.ABS ABS-3-do0-PERF1-DUB2)
