Béu : Chapter 6 : Derivations
..... Derivation
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Derivational morphology often involves the addition of a derivational suffix or other affix. Such an affix usually applies to words of one lexical category (part of speech) and changes them into words of another such category. For example, the English derivational suffix -ly changes adjectives into adverbs (slow → slowly).
Examples of English derivational patterns and their suffixes:
- adjective-to-noun: -ness (slow → slowness)
- adjective-to-verb: -ize (modern → modernize)
- adjective-to-adjective: -ish (red → reddish)
- adjective-to-adverb: -ly (personal → personally)
- noun-to-adjective: -al (recreation → recreational)
- noun-to-verb: -fy (glory → glorify)
- verb-to-adjective: -able (drink → drinkable)
- verb-to-noun (abstract): -ance (deliver → deliverance)
- verb-to-noun (agent): -er (write → writer)
Derivation can be contrasted with inflection, in that derivation produces a new word (a distinct lexeme), whereas inflection produces grammatical variants of the same word.
Generally speaking, inflection applies in more or less regular patterns to all members of a part of speech (for example, nearly every English verb adds -s for the third person singular present tense), while derivation follows less consistent patterns (for example, the nominalizing suffix -ity can be used with the adjectives modern and dense, but not with open or strong).
Derivation can also occur without any change of form, for example telephone (noun) and to telephone. This is known as zero derivation. ..
béu has a large inventory of affixes for derivation. The diagram below shows the five main derivational processes which are absolutely fundamental to the working of the language.
Most nouns can be used as adjectives just by placing them directly after the noun they are qualifying. Like "school bus" in English. For example ...
solbes moze = a drink of water
Also there is a particle yó' joining the possessed to the possessee ... however it is rarely used.
"John's house" => nambo yó jono .... but more usually nambo jono
This is zero derivation and is marked as ø in the above diagram.
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We have already remarked on the saidau => saidaus and the maŋga => maŋgas transforms [ Ch 2.1 ].
These are marked as S in the above diagram.
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..... ia & ua ................. noun => adjective
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keŋko = salt => keŋkia = salty, having salt
keŋko = salt => keŋkua = lacking salt, saltless
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..... bi & du ................ noun => adjective
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bi is a suffix which attached to nouns and means "attracted to".
-bis is affixed to a few nouns and a few adjectives. Its has the sense of "liking", "tending towards", "accustomed to" or "addicted to".
ái | white | aibi | faded |
lozo | grey | lozobi | grizzled |
pà | I | pabi | selfish |
mama | mother | mambi | motherbound |
nambo | house | nambi | domesticated |
toili | book | toilbi | bookish |
alka | alcohol | alkabis | an alcoholic |
alha | flower | habis | a bee |
ʔinte | ant | ʔintebis | an anteater, pangolin or aardvark |
As you can see, the derived word can have some erosion.
[ This one is interesting ʔargobis = demanding (adjective) <= ʔár gò + -bis ??? ] [ And mirroring ʔargobis above we have ʔargodus = afraid of commitments (adjective) <= ʔár gò + -dus ?? ]
du is affixed to a few nouns and a few adjectives. Its has the sense of "disliking", "scared of", "avoiding" or "hating".
ʔazwo | milk | ʔazwodu | lactose intolerant | ||||
glabu | person | glabudu | timid, shy (of an animal) | ||||
moze | water | mozduʔi | rabies | ||||
peugan | society | peugandu | antisocial | peugandumai | antisocial behaviour | ||
--- | an electron | ---bis | positively charged | ---dus | negatively charged | ---gan | charge (electrical) |
kòi | sun | koidu | nocturnal |
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..... a => ai .................. noun => adjective
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aŋgwa = harmony => aŋgwai = graceful, elegant, poetic
bawa = men => bawai = male, masculine
gala = women => galai = female, feminine
sopa = a corpse => sopai = smelly
alha = flower => alhai = fragrant
anya = mammal => anyai honest
fida= wind => fidai temporary
hala = rock => halai permanent
fona = rain => fonai pure
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sekla = the material called "glass" => seklai = made of glass ... [Additional information about sekla ... seklau = spectacles, seklas = a glass]
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ʔà = one => ʔài = same, identical => ʔàis = the same one
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..... ia & ua ................. verb => adjective
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The passive participle is formed by affixing -ia to the infinitive. For example ...
laudo = to wash/launder : laudia = washed ... [ laudias = item that has been washed. nò laudias = laundered clothes ]
kludau = to write : kludia = written ... [ kludias = the one that is written => a note ]
glù = to know : glu.ia = known
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The obligation participle is formed by affixing -ua to maŋga. For example ...
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Actually the form -ua by itself can be a participle when it qualifies a noun. For example ...
laudo = to wash/launder : laudua = to be washed ... [ lauduas = a soiled item of clothing : nò lauduas = a pile of clothes to be washed ]
toili kludua = the book that must be written
kluduas = that which must be written => an (school) assignment
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..... la & le & lo .......... verb => adjective
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The present participle is formed by affixing -la to the infinitive. If the final vowel verb is a diphthong it drops its last bit. For example ...
kludau = to write : kludala = "writing just now"
solbe = to drink : solbela = "drinking at this moment"
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These are two useful affixes. They appear in certain words that are quite common.
bwí = to see
bwile = visible
bwilo = worth seeing
flò = to eat
flole = edible
flolo = delicious
solbe = to drink
solbele = drinkable
solbelo = delicious
gàu = to do, to make
gaule = do-able
gaulo = worth doing
mài = to get, to receive
maile = possible (a possibility)
mailo = significant, sizeable
These two affixes are related to the two verbs klói "to like" and blèu "to hold". In earlier béu these two affixes were -klo and -ble but the initial consonants were eroded away.
There are actually two words derived from these verbs using these two affixes.
kloile = likeable, cute (usually used in connection with young kids)
bleulo = worth-holding, sexy, hot (used for nubile/attractive adults, both sexes)
I think that these two words complement each other nicely. [But if these two concepts conflate in your mind ... not so nice, you would be a pedophile :-( ]
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..... pe ........................... adj => adjective
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hìa = red : hiape = reddish
jutu = big : jutupe = somewhat large
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..... mai & mi ............... adj => nouns
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gèu = green : geumai = greenness
naike = sharp : naikemi = sharpness
Note ... the affix changes depending on whether the word is a monosyllable or a non-monosyllable.
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..... uʒi ........................ verb => adjectives
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solbe = to drink : solbuʒi = fond of drinking
kludau = to write : kluduʒi = fond of writing
lento = to play : lentuʒi = playful
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..... an ......................... verb => nouns
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This is actually an infix.
solbe = to drink : solbane = drinker
kludau = to write : kludanau = writer, author
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... om ........................ verb => verb
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This is actually an infix.
solbome = to drink : solbome = to make drink
kludau = to write : kludomau = to make write
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... The inverse operator
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The inverse operator is the prefix u and it can be applied to adjectives, nouns and verbs ...
mutu = important : umutu = unimportant
kludanau = writer : kludanau = non-writer
tata = to tangle : utata = to untangle
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... Positive and negative connotations
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In the 4 (lexical category changing) derivational processes illustrated above, it can be seen that the sufffix ia seems to be associated with positivity and the sufffix ua with negativity.
Also in the 2 (lexical category unchanging) derivational processes illustrated above, it can be seen that the preffix u seems to be associated with negativity.
Perhaps also the past tense -i (positive with respect to realization) and the past tense -u (negative with respect to realization) is an extention of this pattern.
So perhaps béu speakers feel -ia has a positive connotation and -ua or u- have a negative connotation.
This pattern seems to be confined to affixes though. When it comes to lexical words this pattern is not* seen.
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* Well some common words seem to pattern the same way. For example ... bù "not", úa "to run out"/"to be used up", ìa "to complete"/"to finish".
But other words seem to pattern in the exact opposite way. For example ... kyà "don't", aiya "no", ʔaiwa "yes".
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..... X Further Derivations
... noun => verb
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bakwenda = bicycle
jene bakwendori nambon = Jane bicycled home
bakwendako = to bicycle
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... adjectives => verbs
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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.
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.
jwari geuko = 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".
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... verbs => nouns
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Actually verbs in their infinitive form can be considered nouns also. For example ...
gàu = 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 ...
gàu = 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 -fan is often used. For example ...
naufan = tribute, tax
dofan = products
solbefan = drinks
yái = to have : yaifan = possessions, property
glà = to store : glafan = reserves
Note ... yó is not a noun, but a particle that indicates possession, occurs after the "possessed" and before the "possessor.
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..... Direct quotes in print
I must think further on this
Direct speech is enclosed in "moonmarks". These bits of direct speech are also highlighted. Usually the first speaker's words are highlighted in blue and the second speaker's words are highlighted in yellow. The highlighted area is lozenge shape. Every "textblock" the protagonists are reset ??. In a story, after the scene is set ... that is the time of speaking and the identity of the speakers have been established, then their names are dropped from the text and the kloi "speak" is also dropped. However somebody reading the text out loud would give this information from their understanding of the situation.
* Occasionally very narrow blocks can not be avoided. And of course in mathematical/scientific tracts the tracts are all over the place ... interspersed with diagrams and what have you.
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..... The sides of an object
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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.
..... Index
- Introduction to Béu
- Béu : Chapter 1 : The Sounds
- Béu : Chapter 2 : The Noun
- Béu : Chapter 3 : The Verb
- Béu : Chapter 4 : Adjective
- Béu : Chapter 5 : Questions
- Béu : Chapter 6 : Derivations
- Béu : Chapter 7 : Way of Life 1
- Béu : Chapter 8 : Way of life 2
- Béu : Chapter 9 : Word Building
- Béu : Chapter 10 : Gerund Phrase
- Béu : Discarded Stuff
- A statistical explanation for the counter-factual/past-tense conflation in conditional sentences