Béu : Chapter 6 : Derivations

Welcome to béu

..... How words change class

..

... Adjectives => Nouns

..

gèu = green : geumai = greenness

naike = sharp : naikemi = sharpness

Note ... the affix changes depending on whether the word is a monosyllable or a non-monosyllable.

Note ... gèu can also mean "the green one". You can tell from context whether it is an adjective or a noun. All adjectives behave likewise.

..

... Adjectives (and nouns) => Verbs

..

gèu = green : geuko = to make green

naike = sharp : naikeko = to sharpen

keŋkia = salty : keŋkiko = to salt, to add salt

Note ... when the adjective ends is a diphthong (and is non-monosylabic) the last vowel is dropped.

bakwenda = bicycle

jene bakwendri nambon = Jane bicycled home

bakwendako = to bicycle

For example ...

geukari = I turned it green ... notice that ʃì "it" can be dropped because geuko is V2.

geukari tí = I turned myself green

tezari gèu = I became green

The difference in meaning of the above two examples, is that tezari gèu says nothing about volition (or effort) while geukari tí has connotations of both.

geukawari = I was made green

The above has suggests volition (and effort) but by a third party.

Note ... -ko is possible an eroded version of gàu ... "to do".

..

... Verbs => Adjectives

..

.. -ble & -klo

..

These are two useful affixes. They appear in certain words that are quite common.

bwí = to see

bwible = visible

bwiklo = worth seeing

flò = to eat

floble = edible

floklo = delicious

solbe = to drink

solbeble = drinkable

solbeklo = delicious

gàu = to do, to make

gauble = do-able

gauklo = worth doing

mài = to get, to receive

maible = possible (a possibility)

maiklo = significant, sizeable

It is not hard to see that these two affixes are related to the two verbs klói and blèu.

There are actually two words derived from these verbs using these two affixes.

kloible = likeable, cute (usually used in connection with young kids)

bleuklo = worth-holding, sexy, hot (used for nubile/attractive adults, both sexes)

I think that these two words complement each other. I think that the last two derived adjectives are rather neat.

..

.. The passive participle

..

The passive participle is formed by affixing -wai to the infinitive. For example ...

kludau = to write : kludwai = written

solbe = to drink : solbwai = drunk (not in the sense of intoxicated)

and because of the strong tendency of adjectives to also serve as nouns ...

kludwai = the one that is written => a note

solbwai = "that which has been drunk"

..

.. The active participle

..

Sometimes also called the habitual participle.

The active participle is formed by affixing -ana to the infinitive. For example ...

kludau = to write : kludana = "writing" or "fond of writing"

solbe = to drink : solbana = drinking

and because of the strong tendency of adjectives to also serve as nouns ...

kludana = the one who is always writing => writer/author

solbana = "he who drinks" or "a drinker"

..

.. The present participle

..

The present participle is formed by affixing -la to the infinitive. HOWEVER in this case the final vowel of the infinitive is not deleted. Rather it is kept but if it is a diphthong it drops its second half. For example ...

kludau = to write : kludala = "writing just now"

solbe = to drink : solbela = "drinking at this moment"

and because of the strong tendency of adjectives to also serve as nouns ...

kludala = "the one writing just now" or just "the writer"

solbela = "the one now drinking" or just "the drinker"

..

.. The participle of obligation

..

Actually the form solbe by itself can be a participle when it qualifies a noun. For example ...

moʒi solbe = the water that must be drunk

toili kludau = the book that must be written

and because of the strong tendency of adjectives to also serve as nouns ...

kludau = that which must be written => an (school) assignment

..

... Verbs => Nouns

..

Actually verbs in their infinitive form can be considered nouns also. For example ...

dó = to do, to make ... but it can also be translated as "deed" or "action".

If an action can result in (or be strongly connected to) some physical object. In that case the name of the physical object is derived from the verb by deleting the final vowel of the infinitive and adding "u". For example ...

dó = to make, to produce : dú = a product, an artifact

nàu = to give : nù = a gift

solbe = to drink : solbu = a drink

The -u ending always gives a countable noun ... also tangible, sort of.

To produce uncountable nouns the suffix -van is often used. For example ...

nauvan = tribute, tax

dovan = products

solbevan = drinks

yái = to have : yaivan = possessions, property

glà = to store : glavan = reserves

Note ... yú is not a noun, but a particle that indicates possession, occurs after the "possessed" and before the "possessor.

..

... Nouns => Adjectives

..

keŋko = salt : keŋkia =not salty, lacking salt : keŋkua = salty, having salt ..

There is another relativized in béu that refers back to a whole proposition. In English "which" is sometimes given this function. For example ...

1) ... John had completely forgotten his wedding anniversary which really annoyed his wife.

béu uses nài in a similar way to how which is used in the above example. Also the same shorthand form is used for nài and nái. However no misunderstanding is possible since nài always has a pause before it (how do I do a comma ?) and nái always is immediately after a noun.

To give and to receive

..

náu = "to give" or "to allow" or "to let".

mài = "to receive" or "to get" or "to undergo"

1) jonos nori toili jeneye = John has given a book to Jane

2) jonos nori jene toilitu = John gave Jane a book

Note ... toili takes the instrumental case ... HIGHLIGHT in light green, similar to ... adverbs + "to come and go"

3) jenes mori toili (jonovi) = Jane has received a book (from John) ... "receive" in the perfect aspect equates to "have" or "got"

The above 3 examples describe the same action but from two different perspectives.

Note ... in each of these 3 examples, all 3 arguments are marked differently

Note ... in 2) jene takes the ergative, although the action initiated by her would be minimal (if anything at all).

The words kyò "show" and fyá "tell" follow the same pattern as 1) and 2) ... at least when the object is a noun and not a complement clause.

..

The second passive construction

..

We have already seen that every transitive verb can be made into an intransitive by infixing w in the verb.

However they is a second method of generating passives.

jene mori timpa (hí jono) = jane has been hit (by john) ... where mori is the word mài "to receive"

Notice that when the subject receives a noun, then it will take the ergative case. However when the subject receives an infinitive verb, then no ergative case is affixed.

..

The reciprocal construction

..

The reciprocal particle is bèn

jonos jenes timpur bèn = "John and Jane are hitting each other" = "John and Jane hit one and other"

Note ... lè "and" is not used when two nouns in the ergative case occur adjacent to each other.

The particle also comes after adjectives occasionally. For example ...

jono lè jene ʔes bèn = John and Jane are the same.

ʔes is what tone ???

..

To allow or let

náu is used to express "to allow" or "to let".

John has let Jane go => jonos nori jene jòi ... ?? or should it be jìa ... if jòi was considered a pure noun it would be *joitu

Note that this construction mirrors the construction in 1) above, with an infinitive substituted for indirect object (i.e. bé "to go" for toili "book").

The causative construction

du = "to do" or "to make"

The causative construction

(pás) dari jono dono = I made john walk

(pás) dari jono timpa jene = I made John hit Jane ... in this sort of construction, jono, timpa and jene must be contiguous and jono should be to the left of jene.

(pás) dari oye timpa glá = I made him/her hit the woman

(pás) dari oye dono = I made him/her walk

Alternatively we can use the tá particle and drop the -ye

(pás) dari tá (ò) donor = I made him/her walk

Is the below OK ?

mari náu jòi = I received permission to go = I received to give to go.

dari jene dono = I made Jane walk

jene dowori dono = Jane has been made to walk

nari jene dono = I allowed Jane to walk

jene nawori dono = Jane has been allowed to walk

jene nawori dono = "Jane has been made to walk" ??? OR "Jane has been allowed to walk"

jene mori dono = "Jane has been made to walk" OR "Jane has been allowed to walk"

(pà) mori solbe moze (hí jono) = I was made to drink the water (by John)

moze mori solbe (hí jene) = The water has been drunk (by Jane)

Who/what is responsible

1) pintu lí mapa = the door became closed ... this uses the adjective form of mapa and the "copula of becoming" láu.

Agent => Anything ... It could be that the agent was the wind ... or even some evil spirits ... use your imagination.

2) pintu bwori mapau = the door was closed ... this is the standard passive form. (By the way ... I don't mean pintu rì mapa when I say "the door was closed")

Agent => Human and the action deliberate ... It strongly implies that the agent was human but is either unknown or unimportant.

Now lets consider gèudu = "to turn green" ... ambitransitive, S and A ... as in English.

1) báu lí gèu = The man became green ... this uses the adjective form of gèu and the "copula of becoming" láu. This form has no implication as to the humanness of the agent.

Agent => Anything and the action could be accidental.

2) báu bwori geudu = The man was made green ... this is the standard passive form. It strongly implies a human agent but the agent is either unknown or unimportant.

Agent => Human and the action deliberate

3) báus tí geudori = The man made himself green ... this form implies that there was some effort involved and definitely a deliberate action.

Agent => The man and the action deliberate

..

..... The sides of an object

..

sky nambon = above the house

awe (rá) nà sky nambon = the bird is above the house .... sometimes nà can be left out as well ... awe sky nambon = the bird is above the house (a phrase) the NP (the bird above the house) ....

earth nambon = under the house

face nambon = front of the house

arse nambon = behind the house

kà = side

aibaka = a triangle

ugaka = a square

idaka = a pentagon

elaka = a hexagon

ò atas nambo = he/she is above the house ... however if "house" is understood, and mention of it is dropped, we must add ka to atas ... for example ...

ò ataska = he/she is above

daunika = underneath

liʒika = on the left hand side

luguka = on the right hand side

noldo, suldo, westa, istu niaka, muaka faceside backside etc. etc.

Béu : Chapter 6 : Derivations

Contents

..... How words change class

... Adjectives => Nouns

... Adjectives (and nouns) => Verbs

... Verbs => Adjectives

.. -ble & -klo

.. The passive participle

.. The active participle

.. The present participle

.. The participle of obligation

... Verbs => Nouns

... Nouns => Adjectives

To give and to receive

The second passive construction

The reciprocal construction

To allow or let

The causative construction

Who/what is responsible

..... The sides of an object

..... Index

Navigation menu

Page actions

Page actions

Personal tools

Navigation

Search

Tools