Tsakxa syntax: Difference between revisions
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: ''wen syuyut'' - the meat is cut (meat ABS<sup>-3</sup>:cut<sup>0</sup>) | : ''wen syuyut'' - the meat is cut (meat ABS<sup>-3</sup>:cut<sup>0</sup>) | ||
: ''mama uyuyut'' - the person cuts something ( | : ''mama uyuyut'' - the person cuts something (person GEN<sup>-1</sup>:cut<sup>0</sup>) | ||
A 'transitive' verb without the generic prefix (which reduces the valency by one) requires a patient but not a stated agent: | A 'transitive' verb without the generic prefix (which reduces the valency by one) requires a patient but not a stated agent: | ||
: ''wen (sukxa) syuyut'' - the meat is cut (by me) (meat (1ps:ERG) ABS<sup>-3</sup>:cut<sup>0</sup>) | : ''wen (sukxa) syuyut'' - the meat is cut (by me) (meat (1ps:ERG) ABS[INANIM]<sup>-3</sup>:cut<sup>0</sup>) | ||
=== Deletion of arguments === | === Deletion of arguments === | ||
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The focus may never be deleted. However, other pronominal arguments may be deleted if they are understood from context: | The focus may never be deleted. However, other pronominal arguments may be deleted if they are understood from context: | ||
: ''engqa | : ''engqa setanxafe?'' - did (you) see the beast? (beast ABS<sup>-3</sup>:see<sup>0</sup>:PERF<sup>1</sup>:INTERR<sup>2</sup>) | ||
Both personal pronouns and interrogative pronouns can be deleted: | Both personal pronouns and interrogative pronouns can be deleted: | ||
: ''engqa | : ''engqa setanxale?'' - (who) saw the beast? (beast ABS<sup>-3</sup>:see<sup>0</sup>:PERF<sup>1</sup>:DUB<sup>2</sup>) | ||
== The noun phrase == | == The noun phrase == | ||
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A noun phrase requires only a noun and a case ending. | A noun phrase requires only a noun and a case ending. | ||
[[Category:Tsakxa]] | |||
Latest revision as of 13:04, 2 December 2010
Syntax in Tsakxa roughly follows the model dictated here.
The utterance
The utterance as a whole is verb-final. Arguments may precede the verb in any order; however, the most salient argument, usually the topic or an emphasised element, is fronted. This 'focus' argument may be any argument of the verb, and is the first element of any utterance:
- Sesu-ø uʔ-a se-ta-nxa - your sister saw you (sister-TOPIC 2ps-DAT ABS-3-see0-PERF1)
The utterance as a whole, according to Dawkins (1999), has the following prototypical order:
FOCUS TIME MANNER PLACE AGENT PATIENT VERB waspap patangqate ateteta - Yetekxa wen unquyuyut that tent yesterday with a knife - Yete meat cutting (in it) Yesterday Yete was cutting meat in that tent
In actual speech, however, the order of the elements between the focus and the verb is effectively free.
Compulsory arguments
To be a complete sentence, an utterance must have at least a focus (which may be the agent or patient) and a verb:
- wen syuyut - the meat is cut (meat ABS-3:cut0)
- mama uyuyut - the person cuts something (person GEN-1:cut0)
A 'transitive' verb without the generic prefix (which reduces the valency by one) requires a patient but not a stated agent:
- wen (sukxa) syuyut - the meat is cut (by me) (meat (1ps:ERG) ABS[INANIM]-3:cut0)
Deletion of arguments
The focus may never be deleted. However, other pronominal arguments may be deleted if they are understood from context:
- engqa setanxafe? - did (you) see the beast? (beast ABS-3:see0:PERF1:INTERR2)
Both personal pronouns and interrogative pronouns can be deleted:
- engqa setanxale? - (who) saw the beast? (beast ABS-3:see0:PERF1:DUB2)
The noun phrase
Dawkins presents the following order as prototypical of Tsakxa noun phrases:
NOUN GENITIVES ADJECTIVES PLURAL DEMONSTRATIVES SUFFIXES CASE fesak su-qa wasa -t -ep -en -nxa cooking-pots my blue (ones) that not (ergative) Not those blue cooking pots of mine (ergative)
A noun phrase requires only a noun and a case ending.
