Achiyitqan Grammar: view article

Achiyitqan, and otherwise just link to the other major parts of grammar, each of which is detailed in its own document.

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[edit] [top]Sentence structure

Basic, typical word order is SOVI, where I is the indirect object. However, all sentence orders are technically possible; I is the most mobile part of the sentence, but typically does not occur directly adjacently . SVO is also very common. If an object is topical or otherwise prominent, it is often moved sentence-initially. The least common order is VSO.

In SOV phrases, nominative and accusative case markers are often dropped from (singular) nouns.

In single-word sentences (where the object is incorporated and the agent is represented only by a pronominal suffix), the surface morpheme order is actually OSV. These constructions are quite prominent in Achiyitqan.

[edit] [top]Noun phrases & Attributive adjectives

(Main article: Noun morphology)

The simplest noun phrase consists of just a noun root with a case/number suffix (which, in some cases, is null -Ø). Nouns can also take prepositions, determiners, and articles; see the linked article for more information.

Attributive adjectives are prefixed directly onto their noun. Many adjectives may do this in a row, to create incredibly long single-word noun phrases. These adjectives tend to stack in the same order as in English (e.g. big-red-dog as opposed to red-big-dog).

Attributive adjectives appear alone only when they have an or meaning in a string applied to the same noun, in which case they are tacked onto the prononminal 'or' elem ;

Niqelem kiinkehpe nadanu
niq-
blue- elem
or.PNPronoun kiin-
red- kehp
paint -e
-SGSingular (number)
one countable entity.ACCAccusative (case)
TRANS direct object; patient na-
OPTOptative (mood)
'wish, hope'- danu
use
'You may use [either] the blue or red paint'

Possessive constructions always follow a possessee-possessor order, with the possessee taking a thematic case and the possessor using the genitive.

Aŋii tsiípun búlhaqu inaakiw
aŋ
cat -ii
-NOMNominative (case)
TRANS subject, INTR argument.PLPlural (number)
more than one/few tsií
rind -pun
-ACCAccusative (case)
TRANS direct object; patient.PLPlural (number)
more than one/few búlha
lemon -qu
-GENGenitive (case)
possessive.SGSingular (number)
one countable entity in-
NEGNegative (polarity)
not- a-
GNOGnomic (aspect/mood)
common, timeless truths- aki
eat -w
PLPlural (number)
more than one/few
'Cats don't eat lemon rinds.'

Adverbs and modifying morphemes used to modify adjectives typically suffix directly to the head noun, instead of the adjective in question. For instance, to form "best," a noun is prefixed han- 'good' and suffixed with -cea 'most'.

[edit] [top]Verb phrases & Object incorporation

(Main article: Verb morphology)

A bare-bones verb consists of just a verb root and tense/aspect marker (and, in past tense, that marker is Ø-). They can also mark for negation, mood, distinct aspects, subject, subject number agreement, and can take incorporated arguments. See the linked article for more information on most of those categories.

Object incorporation may or may not change the valency of a sentence, depending on whether it is compounding or classifier incorporation. (This is not overtly marked on the verb.)

'Compound' incorporation changes the valency, reducing the verb to a functional intransitive, because the object is contained within it, and it cannot take another object. This is always the case when the verb is monotransitive and the the incorporated object is a pronoun. Tagiwap 2SSecond person singular (person)
addressee (you)-hear-1SFirst person singular (person)
speaker, signer, etc.; I 'I heard you' cannot take another object, and is semantically equivalent to ʔip tán giw 1SFirst person singular (person)
speaker, signer, etc.; I.NOMNominative (case)
TRANS subject, INTR argument 2SSecond person singular (person)
addressee (you).ACCAccusative (case)
TRANS direct object; patient hear 'I heard you.'

'Classifier' incorporation treats the incorporated object as an instrument (typically), or sometimes a theme, but not a direct patient. In this case, the verb remains transitive, or is reduced from a ditransitive to a monotransitive, as it still requires a direct object (an external argument). Iwa aikiɥos, 1SFirst person singular (person)
speaker, signer, etc.; I.ACCAccusative (case)
TRANS direct object; patient knife-cut-3SThird person singular (person)
neither speaker nor addressee 'They cut me with a knife.' Incorporated pronouns are almost never used instrumentally, but instead as recipient.

ʔipmaye giqiégaap
ɂipma
surprise -yo
NMZNominaliser
makes other word a noun -e
SGSingular (number)
one countable entity.ACCAccusative (case)
TRANS direct object; patient gi-
PRESPresent tense (tense)
current- qi-
3PLUnknown code- éga
send -ap
-1SFirst person singular (person)
speaker, signer, etc.; I
'I'm sending them a surprise.'

The verb phrase can also include adverbs. Most of these suffix directly to the verb, and there can be multiple. The first in a string will be those that affect the verb's incorporated noun, notably -taun 'lots of', followed by manner adverbs like 'quickly, haphazardly' and finally by temporal adverbs like 'yesterday, later'. Adverbs directly modifying other adverbs (like bím, 'very') appear after them.

Tuhgiamataunstipbímmimpa
tuh-
fish- gia
catch -ma
1PL -taun
-lots -stip
-quick -bím
-very -nimpa
-yesterday
'We very quickly caught a lot of fish yesterday.'

[edit] [top]Relative clauses

There are two ways to build a relative clause: with a head noun, or the 'self-headed' type.

Those with separate heads follow a head noun and use the relativizing suffix -heɥ which otherwise behaves as a regular verb.

Kaɥíuno tówapheɥ gitagpagé.
ka-
DEFDefinite
"the"- ɥíun
person -o
NOMNominative (case)
TRANS subject, INTR argument.SWind element (gender/class) Ø-
PSTPast (tense)
action occurred before moment of speech- tów
see -ap
-1SFirst person singular (person)
speaker, signer, etc.; I -heɥ
-RELRelative gi-
PRESPresent tense (tense)
current- tag-
here- pagé
be_place
'The person who I saw is here'.

Headless relative clauses are nominalized verbs formed with the preclitic pronoun seu and the suffix -heɥ and have a meaning along the lines of "one(s) who X". Any typical verbal morphology can occur before the -heɥ and any typical nominal morphology can occur thereafter. Relativized nouns are inherently of the Animate S-class.

Seu tówapheɥo gitagpagé.
seu
RELRelative tów
see -ap
-1SFirst person singular (person)
speaker, signer, etc.; I -heɥ
-RELRelative -o
-NOMNominative (case)
TRANS subject, INTR argument.SWind element (gender/class) gi-
PRESPresent tense (tense)
current- tag-
here- pagé
be_place
'(The) one who I saw is here.'

Anything following or immediately affixed to seu is part of the relative complex. Seu can take prefixes intended for the entire complex, like ka- (definite), or adjectives.

Kapaihseu kasiks gólkeya iiknitheɥa ikwipíw.
ka-
DEFDefinite
"the"- paih-
nasty- seu
RELRelative ka-
DEFDefinite
"the"- siks
food -t
-PLPlural (number)
more than one/few.ACCAccusative (case)
TRANS direct object; patient gól
dog -keya
-PLPlural (number)
more than one/few.GENGenitive (case)
possessive ii-
REMRemote past (tense)
'a long time ago'- knit
steal -heɥ
-RELRelative -a
-NOMNominative (case)
TRANS subject, INTR argument.PLPlural (number)
more than one/few ik-
3SThird person singular (person)
neither speaker nor addressee- wipí
return -w
-PLPlural (number)
more than one/few
'Those nasty ones/people who stole the dogs' food (finally) returned it.'

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