Conlang Relay 18/Doayâu: Difference between revisions

From FrathWiki
Jump to navigationJump to search
(tagged)
mNo edit summary
 
Line 310: Line 310:


== Links ==
== Links ==
* [http://tzirtzi.ipage.com/akana/index.php?title=Doayâu Doayâu grammar sketch]
* [http://akana.conlang.org/wiki/Doayâu Doayâu grammar sketch]
[[Category: Conlang Relay 18]]
[[Category: Conlang Relay 18]]

Latest revision as of 15:02, 13 May 2012

by Jan Strasser

Previous: West Germanic / Up: Relay 18 index / Next: Loknith

Doayâu text

Gigatûisèsìrugo tsàbò likésai bàyu turù. Dìnèfarita tsa ngâupurita lípòfùmùrà, gita tsí rìyau galau atsúpú yàgirita. Fígoagurìya fà gìralugòfùfala, gì roatsilàri tsa bagasìreagirì tsa fárìreagirì, nifátûi yâi gì nàgù nìmi tsóturì. Dàmauní, bàyu màfùnâibi bágalàyai, rìgàyarugo mìnayo yeràyai gugau akénu kápágì ga yàgèni kâu tsoa dùmàyariri. Sìgìbalúfarea furá fárù yaupú tsa táfâi yarù, tuilurùpùgo tsíri tsógauga nire, dagai akísífuyeogu ngiriutsú dearagurutsôa.

Translation

English

The statue in the corner moved again. The wooden dog, which had rested between the arms of the child, woke up and barked. Then it exhaled a large cloud of smoke, which whirled and divided and reassembled, eventually forming a maze that settled right beside the wall. There, on a wide platform covered with snow, stood a venerable lady whose mocking yet seductive face was rosy like a peach. Ignoring all rituals and etiquette though, instead unexpectedly smiling towards him, she lifted the veil from her face.

English translation of previous text

(West Germanic, by Sean Anderson)

The statue in the corner moved again. The carved dog, which had been curled up in the boy's arms, woke up and barked, breathing out a cloud of smoke that whirled, broke apart, and reassembled into a maze around the spreading place, where a splendid lady was standing on a broad table full of snow, with a derisive, enchanting face as rosy as tea. However, having forgotten all custom and pride, she laid down her glimmering veil with a gentle smile for him alone.

Interlinear gloss

Gigatûisèsìrugo
giga-tûi-sèsì-ri-go
be_alive-become-MIR-SENS-NC1.ABS
tsàbò
tsàbò
again
likésai
likésai-Ø
statue-ABS.SG
bàyu
bàyu
at
turù.
turù-Ø
corner-ABS.SG
The statue in the corner moved again.


Dìnèfarita
dìnèfə-ri-ta
wake_up-SENS-NC2.ABS
tsa
tsa
and
ngâupurita
ngâupu-ri-ta
bark-SENS-NC2.ABS
lìpòfùmùrà,
lìpa-òfù-mùrà-Ø
wood-made_of-dog-ABS.SG,
The wooden dog woke up and barked,


gita
gi-ta
REL-NC2.ABS
tsí
tsí
earlier
rìyau
rìyau
between
galau
galə-ù
child-OBL.SG
atsúpú
a-tsúpo-´
3SG.POSS-arm-ABS.PL
yàgirita.
yàgi-ri-ta
rest-SENS-NC2.ABS
which had rested between the arms of the child before.


Fígoagurìya
fíga-agu-ri-i-a
breathe-away-SENS-NC6.ABS-3.ERG
and_then
gìralugòfùfala,
gìra-lugo-òfù-fala-Ø
big-smoke-made_of-cloud-ABS.SG
Then it exhaled a large cloud made of smoke,


gi-i
REL-NC6.ABS
roatsilàrì
roa-tsilə`-ri-i
drift-ITER-SENS-NC6.ABS
tsa
tsa
and
bagasìreagirì
bagasə-reaya-ri-i
split-DETR-SENS-NC6.ABS
tsa
tsa
and
fárìreagirì,
fárə-reaya-ri-i
gather-DETR-SENS-NC6.ABS,
which whirled and divided and reassembled,


nifátûi
nifá-tûi-i
fog-become-PTCP
yâi
yâi
finally
gi-i
REL-NC6.ABS
nàgù
nàgù
next_to
nìmi
nìmi-Ø
wall-ABS.SG
tsóturì.
tsótu-ri-i
settle-SENS-NC6.ABS
eventually forming a maze that settled right beside the wall.


Dàmauní,
da-mə-ù=ní
PROX-place-OBL.SG=on,
bàyu
bàyu
at
màfùnâibi
màfu-nâibi-Ø
broad-platform-ABS.SG
bágalàyai,
bága-làye-i
snow-be_under-PTCP,
There, on a wide platform covered with snow,


rìgàyarugo
rìgàye-ri-go
stand-SENS-NC1.ABS
mìnayo
mìnayo-Ø
lady-ABS.SG
yeràyai
yerə-ayV-i
venerable-STAT-PTCP
stood a venerable lady


gugau
gi-gau
REL-NC1.OBL
akénu
a-kénu-Ø
3SG.POSS-face-ABS.SG
kápágì
kápágè-i
mock-PTCP
ga
ga
but
yàgèni
yàgène-i
seduce-PTCP
kâu
kâu
like
tsoa
tsoa-Ø
peach-ABS.SG
dùmàyariri.
dùmə-ayV-ri-ri
red-STAT-SENS-NC4.ABS
whose mocking yet enchanting face was rosy like a peach.


Sìgìbalúfarea
sìgìba-lu-fə-ri-a
consider-EVID-NEG-NC4.ABS-3.ERG
furá
furá
however
fárù
fá-rù
all-NC4.OBL
yaupú
yaupu-´
ritual-ABS.PL
tsa
tsa
and
táfâi
táfai-´
distance-ABS.PL
yarù,
yari-ù
SUB-OBL,
Ignoring, however, all rituals and etiquette,


tuilurùpùgo
tuilu-ri-pù-go
smile-SENS-AFF-NC1.ABS
tsíri
tsíri
instead
tsógauga
tsé-gau=a
MED-NC1.OBL=for
nire,
nire
unexpectedly
instead unexpectedly smiling towards him,


dagai
da-gai
PROX-NC1.ERG
akísífuyeogu
a-kísí-fu=yeogu
3SG.POSS-cheek-OBL.PL=from
ngiriutsú
ngiriutsú
fine_cloth-ABS.SG
dearagurutsôa.
deari-agu-ri-tsú-a
put-away-SENS-NC5.ABS-3.ERG
she lifted the veil from her face.

Vocabulary

(I have not indicated the noun class of each noun because class membership is more or less semantically-based. Instead, I've included definitions for those agreement morphemes that occur in the text.)
morpheme class meaning notes
suffix (absolutive case singular)
suffix (absolutive case plural) raises tone of preceding vowel, sometimes with a change in quality
a- prefix (3rd person singular possessor)
-a- suffix (agreement 3rd person ergative) changes preceding /i u/ into /e o/
-agu- suffix (indicates motion away from focus)
bága n. snow
bagasi- v.mt split, divide, cut
bàyu pp. at, on, in
da- pron. (proximal demonstrative pronoun) takes noun class agreement
dàma n. there, that place
deara- v.mt put, place, move towards
dìnèfa- v.it wake up, rise
dùmaya- v.it be red
cj. also, and then, afterwards
fá- pron. all, every
-fa- suffix (negation) goes between evidential and participant marking
fala n. cloud
fári- v.mt collect, gather, assemble, merge
fígo- v.mt breathe, blow, sigh
-fu suffix (oblique case plural)
furá adv. however, by contrast
ga cj. but, yet
=ga pp. for, on behalf of, to the benefit of postclitic, governs oblique case
gala n. child
gi- pron. (relative pronoun) takes noun class agreement
giga- v.it breathe, be alive, stir
gìra- prefix big, large, voluminous
-go- suffix (agreement noun class 1: humans, gods, spirits, birds, tools) becomes -ga- before /i/ or /u/; changes preceding /i e/ into /u o/
-i suffix (ergative case singular)
-i- suffix (agreement noun class 6: liquids, air, fire etc.) surfaces as low tone if preceded by /i/
-i- suffix (participle, verbal noun) deletes preceding /i/
kápágè- v.mt laugh at, mock, scorn, disdain
kâu pp. like, as, similar to
kénu n. face, facade, front side, bow (of a ship)
kísí n. side, cheek
làya- v.it+ be under, be covered by, be hidden takes a mandatory complement, which may be incorporated
likésai n. statue, figurine, idol (lit. "small god")
lìpe n. wood (the material)
-lu- suffix (evidential: inferred from physical or situational evidence)
lugo n. smoke
màfu- prefix broad, wide, flat, spacious
mìna n. mother, mature woman
mùrà n. hunting dog, hound
nàgù pp. next to, beside, at the foot of, under
nâibi n. platform, terrace (typically on the roof of a house)
ngâupu- v.it bark, bellow, roar
ngiriutsú n. fine cloth
=ní pp. on, touching postclitic, governs oblique case
nifá n. maze, mist, fog
nìmi n. wall
nire adv. surprisingly, unexpectedly
-òfù- suffix consisting of, made from deletes preceding vowel
-pù- suffix (affirmative) goes between evidential and participant marking; changes preceding /i e/ to /u o/
-reagi- suffix (detransitiviser)
-ri- suffix (agreement noun class 4: food, ideas, unlimited areas, mass nouns)
-ri- suffix (evidential: sensory perception)
rìgàya- v.it stand
rìyau pp. among, between, within
roa- v.it drift, float, be suspended
-sèsì- suffix (indicates unexpected information)
sìgìba- v.mt consider, keep in mind, pay attention to
-ta- suffix (agreement noun class 2: fish, land animals, body parts, natural forces)
táfai n. difference, distance, politeness, etiquette
tsa cj. and, with
tsàbò adv. again, once more, over and over
tsé- pron. (medial demonstrative pronoun) takes noun class agreement
tsí adv. earlier on, beforehand
-tsilà- suffix (iterative)
tsíri adv. instead
tsoa n. peach, apricot
tsótu- v.it lie down, rest, settle
-tsú- suffix (agreement noun class 5: soft non-food items)
tsúpo n. arm, branch (of a tree), flank (of an army)
-tûi- suffix become, turn into, start
tuilu- v.it smile, smirk, grin, laugh quietly
turù n. knee, bend, corner, loop
suffix (oblique case singular) deletes preceding vowels other than /a/
yàgène- v.mt make friends with, win over, seduce
yàgi- v.it rest, relax, be sleepy, cuddle
yâi adv. in the end, eventually, as a result
yari pron. (subordinating pronoun)
yaupu n. ritual, tradition, custom
=yeogu pp. away from postclitic, governs oblique case
yeraya- v.it be worthy of reverence, be adorable
-yo- suffix (honorific, augmentative)

Grammar

Doayâu is morphologically ergative, suffixing and agglutinative.

Nominal morphology

  • There are seven noun classes, which are cross-referenced on verbs and deictic pronouns.
  • Nouns inflect for three cases (absolutive, ergative, oblique) and two numbers (singular, plural)
  • Possession is indicated with prefixes that show number and person of the possessor.
  • Nominal compounds are head-final.
  • There are no 3rd person pronouns. Instead, demonstratives are used, which inflect for noun class, case, and number.

Verbal morphology

  • Verbs are mandatorily marked for evidentiality and (absolutive) participant agreement (in this order).
  • Absolutive 3rd person arguments are tracked on the verb by noun class, but not by number.
  • Transitive verbs are also marked for their ergative arguments (after the absolutive marker). Ergative arguments are tracked only by person and number, not by noun class.
  • In addition, verbs can take a large array of derivational suffixes, which may pile up before the evidential suffix.
  • Absolutive arguments may also be incorporated, appearing before the verb root. This decreases valency by one and promotes the ergative argument to absolutive.

Syntax

  • Adjectives are not a seperate word class. Some concepts are expressed by attributive prefixes, others by stative verbs (often inflected as a participle/verbal noun).
  • Noun phrases are mostly head-initial, with genitives, participles and relative clauses following their head.
  • Most adpositional phrases are prepositions; however, a number of clitic postpositions also occur.
  • The unmarked sentence order is VSO. SOV is used in subclauses and sometimes for stylistic reasons.
  • Pronouns in the absolutive or ergative case are often omitted (i.e. Doayâu is a pro-drop language).
  • Adverbs and conjunctions are usually placed after the head of the first constituent in a clause (Wackernagel's position).

Links