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Tnaaq syntax
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Tnaaq phrases and sentences
This public article was written by [Deactivated User], and last updated on 17 Aug 2020, 03:26.

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Menu 1. Noun phrases 2. Predicate nouns 3. Sentence order 4. Interrogatives 5. Topic 6. Focus
[edit] [top]Noun phrases

A relative clause follows the noun. Numerals follow next, then demostratives. Finally the clitics:
hqiinuta: the table
hqiinuta kyyr: the black table
hqiinuta kyyr ar: the two black tables
hqiinuta kyyr ar Atia: Ati's two black tables
hqiinuta kyyr ar Atiataq: with Ati's two black tables

There are two ways of adding a modifier to the noun. Adjectives are usually stative verbs. If they are meant to describe a permanent situation or quality then a nominalised form of the adjective is used after the noun. If the adjective is used for a transitory state then a verbal form is used. Verbal forms in this way are considered as relative clauses, but they don't require the relativiser n. Numbers add a suffix -n.

Demostratives usually go last in a sentence, but a relativised clause may follow them if it's longer than one word (i.e. if it has a complement).

There are finally some clitics that are attached to the noun phrase and indicate some cases:

=uuti: comitative

=taq: instrumental

=tar: origin

=ran: material

This one is used to identify material. It is also used with quantifiers.

T'ai kainait ruuran n kau ruqni?
Is a ship of fish enough for you?
(A ship full of fish/A ship made of fish)

=a: possesor

=rs anaphoric posessor: used when the posessor is the same of the previously mentioned phrase. It can be used with or without a possesive demonstrative, attaching to it and often changing their form (-u forms contract as expected, -is forms loose it with the clitic, plurals get =s).

Hyhynis kasuunatrs. I wash my pwn blankets OR
Hyhynis sars kasuunat. I wash my own blankets.

Hyhynin kasuunatrs. She washes her own blankets OR
Hyhynin nars kasuunat. She washes her own blankets BUT
Hyhynin nais kasuunat. She washes her (other person's) blankets.

Hyhynyn nars kasuunat. She washes her own blanket
Hyhynin nans kasuunat. They(F) wash their own blankets.

[edit] [top]Predicate nouns

Predicate nouns are noun phrases used as a predicate. There is a copula used for irrealis and/or negative, realis affirmative being made by zero copula.

[edit] [top]Sentence order

The main (broad focus) order is verb initial. For intransitive verbs the order is VS. Transitives have VSO. Interrogatives are fronted.

Narihkr kynqaaiau.
nar-ihk-t
run-ANDAndative (case)
towards
-PFVPerfective (aspect)
completed action
k-nqaaiau
DEFDefinite
"the"
-turkey

The turkey ran away.

At htasin tnairikr kynqaaiau.
at
PFVPerfective (aspect)
completed action

h-t-asin
DEF-NMZ.M-cook

tnairik-t
roast-PFV
k-nqaaiau
DEFDefinite
"the"
-turkey

The cook roasted the turkey.

At htasin tnairikr nqaaiau.
at
PFVPerfective (aspect)
completed action

h-t-asin
DEF-NMZ.M-cook

tnairik-t
roast-PFV
nqaaiau
turkey

The cook roasted a turkey.

[edit] [top]Interrogatives

Polar questions
Polar questions use the question particle 'tu' first in the sentence.

Interrogative pronouns
PronounUse
tiwho
trwhat
tuuhtwhen
tiqnawhere
tuntusawhy


At naut n'Iiqan kysin.
T'at naut n'Iikan kysin?
Ti naut kysin?
Tr naut n'Iikan?

Quqaat at t Ati ruut n arsantu s n Iiqan naasqutna n skiisahqaunas
quqaat
yesterday
at
PFV
t -Ati
M-Ati
ruu-t
give-NMZ

n
ADV
arsan=tu
look.at=foot
s
DAT
n-Iiqan
F-Iiqan

naasqutna
chicken
n
in
k-siisahqaunas
DEF-barn

Yesterday John sneakily gave a chicken to Mary in the barn.

At t Ati ruut s n Iiqan naasqutna
at
PFV
t -Ati
M-Ati
ruu-t
give-NMZ

n-Iiqan
F-Iiqan

naasqutna
chicken

John gave Mary a chicken

At untuut t Ati naasqutna su n Iiqan
0Unknown code-at
3-PERF
yr-t
give-NMZ

t -Ati
M-Ati
0Unknown code-naasqutna
INDEF-chicken
su
PREP
n-Iiqan
F-Iiqan

John gave a chicken to Mary

At iqruut N'Iiqan naasqutna t t'Ati
∅-at
3-PERF
iq-ruu-t
PAS-give-PFV

n-Iiqan
F-Iiqan
naasqutna
chicken
t
from
t -Ati
M-Ati

Mary was given a chicken by John

At iquntuut naasqutna t t'Ati su n'Iiqan
At iquntuut t t'Ati naasqutna su n Iiqan
∅-at
3-PFV
iq-un-ruu-t
PAS-ANTID-give-PFV

naasqutna
chicken
t
from
t -Ati
M-Ati
su
to
n-Iiqan
F-Iiqan

A chicken was given to Mary by John

At nunait t'Ati naasqutna
Ti ianunait su naasqutna?
Ti inunait t'Ati?
Ti ianunait t'Ati?

Sat ruut t'Isqai qunanka. Ati gave me a coconut.
Ats ruut t'Isqai qunanka. I gave Ati a coconut.
Ti siruut qunanka? who gave me a coconut?
Tist iaruut qunanka? who did i give a coconut?
Trst aiquntuut t'Ati? what did Ati give me?
Tr siruut t'Ati? What did Ati gave me?
Trst iaruut t'Ati? what did Ati gave me?

Tr iquntuut t t'Ati su n'Iiqan?
Ti iaruut naasqutna su n'Iiqan?
Ti iruut t'Ati naasqutna?


This are prepossed, before the verb. This takes ergative clitics. Pronouns take the suffix -har

Atist t'Unkarank nurnahunt knaik.
at-i=st
PFVPerfective (aspect)
completed action
-PLPlural (number)
more than one/few
=1First person (person)
speaker, signer, etc; I
.DATDative (case)
indirect object; recipient, beneficiary, location
t-Unkarank
MMasculine gender (gender)
masculine or male
-Unkarank
nur-nahun-t
APPLApplicative voice (valency)
promotes an oblique argument
-feed-PFVPerfective (aspect)
completed action
k-naik
DEFDefinite
"the"
-pig

Unkarank fed the pigs for me.

T'Unkarank atistr nurnahunt knaik.
t-Unkarank
MMasculine gender (gender)
masculine or male
-Unkarank
at-i=st=r
PFVPerfective (aspect)
completed action
-PLPlural (number)
more than one/few
=1First person (person)
speaker, signer, etc; I
.DATDative (case)
indirect object; recipient, beneficiary, location
=3MThird person masculine (person)
he/they
.ERGErgative (case)
TRANS subject; agent
nur-nahun-t
APPLApplicative voice (valency)
promotes an oblique argument
-feed-PFVPerfective (aspect)
completed action
k-naik
DEFDefinite
"the"
-pig

As for Unkarank, he fed the pigs for me

Knaik atiikst tUnkarank nurnahunt.
k-naik
DEFDefinite
"the"
-pig
at-i=uk=st
PFVPerfective (aspect)
completed action
-PLPlural (number)
more than one/few
=1First person (person)
speaker, signer, etc; I
.DATDative (case)
indirect object; recipient, beneficiary, location
=3MThird person masculine (person)
he/they
.ERGErgative (case)
TRANS subject; agent
t-Unkarank
MMasculine gender (gender)
masculine or male
-Unkarank
nur-nahun-t
APPLApplicative voice (valency)
promotes an oblique argument
-feed-PFVPerfective (aspect)
completed action

As for the pigs, Unkarank fed them

Sahar atist tUnkarank nurnahunt knaik.
sa=har
1First person (person)
speaker, signer, etc; I
=TOPTopic (syntactic)
the topic (key reference point) of a sentence
at-i=st
PFVPerfective (aspect)
completed action
-PLPlural (number)
more than one/few
=1First person (person)
speaker, signer, etc; I
.DATDative (case)
indirect object; recipient, beneficiary, location
t-Unkarank
MMasculine gender (gender)
masculine or male
-Unkarank
nur-nahun-t
APPLApplicative voice (valency)
promotes an oblique argument
-feed-PFVPerfective (aspect)
completed action
k-naik
DEFDefinite
"the"
-pig

As for me, Unkarank fed the pigs


Focus is marked preposing the focused element to n. Verbs that take the auxiliaries at and ihk replace them with syntetic affixes. The verb agrees with the focused element, which makes voice changes common.

At n Qausiina suntr aunysty qasyytaq.
at-i
PFVPerfective (aspect)
completed action
-PLPlural (number)
more than one/few
n-Qausina
FFeminine gender (gender)
feminine or female
-Qausina
sunt-t
give.drink-PFVPerfective (aspect)
completed action
aunysty
guest
qasyy=taq
beer=INSTRInstrumental (case)
'with' 'using'

Q. gave beer to the guests. (give-drink the guests with beer)

Qausiina nan asuntr s aunysty qasyytaq.
Qausina
Qausina
na-n
FFeminine gender (gender)
feminine or female
-COPCopula
used to link the subject of a sentence with a predicate
.FOCFocus (syntactic)
shows new or contrastive information
a-sunt-t
ANTIPAntipassive voice (valency)
valency is decreased by one
-give.drink
s
DATDative (case)
indirect object; recipient, beneficiary, location
aunysty
guest
qasyy=taq
beer=INSTRInstrumental (case)
'with' 'using'


aunysty un suntit aus n Qausina qasyytaq.
aunysty
guest
u-n
INInanimate (gender/class)
for non-living things
.COPCopula
used to link the subject of a sentence with a predicate
.LOCLocative (case)
'in, on, at' etc
sunt-i-t
give.drink-PFVPerfective (aspect)
completed action
aus
PREPPrepositional (case/POS)
general prep phrs/POS marker
n-Qausina
FFeminine gender (gender)
feminine or female
-Qausina

qasyy=taq
beer=INSTR


Qasyy untaq nuhsuntr Qausina s aunysty.
qasyy
beer
u-n=taq
INInanimate (gender/class)
for non-living things
-COPCopula
used to link the subject of a sentence with a predicate
.FOCFocus (syntactic)
shows new or contrastive information
=INSTRInstrumental (case)
'with' 'using'
nuh-sunt-t
give.drink-PFVPerfective (aspect)
completed action
n-Qausina
FFeminine gender (gender)
feminine or female
-Qausina
s
DATDative (case)
indirect object; recipient, beneficiary, location
aunysty
guest


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