Villager WIP feature list
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This private article was written by [Deactivated User], and last updated on 3 Jan 2023, 12:15.
[comments] vllgr
?FYI...
This article is a work in progress! Check back later in case any changes have occurred.
This article is a work in progress! Check back later in case any changes have occurred.
Villager uses topic marking. Because villagers are materialistic and prefer to get straight to the point about what they want, this is marked with word order.
As a result, primary word order is OVS. This may need to change depending on the topic, for which grammatical voice is utilised.
If the topic can be inferred from context or hasn't changed, the corresponding noun can be dropped.
Villager is strongly head-initial. Nouns go before numerals, determiners and adjectives.
Adjectives are formed through juxtaposition. There is no genitive case; ownership is indicated by declining an adjective with the same case as the noun it relates to. If the noun in question uses the unmarked case, the phrase becomes ambiguous. So e.g. the difference between "an emerald that looks like me" and "my emerald" would need to be inferred from context, or be phrased differently.
Distinguishing between a phrase with a dropped patient and an intransitive phrase is done by bringing the subject to the front. So VA indicates a dropped patient, whereas SV indicates an intransitive phrase (in the antipassive voice).
Verbs are typically transitive, so the antipassive is needed to use an intransitive phrase for most verbs.
Villager has tripartite alignment, with the patient being unmarked
Word order variations include:
- Active voice (PVA); patient is the topic.
- w/ dropped patient (VA); topic hasn't changed or is inferred from context. Not dropping could be considered condescending, as if talking to a child.
- Symmetrical voice (AVP); agent is the topic.
- w/ dropped agent (VP); topic hasn't changed or is inferred from context. Not dropping could be considered condescending, as if talking to a child.
- Antipassive voice (SV); patient is omitted, agent becomes subject.
- Passive voice (SV); agent is omitted, patient becomes subject. Distinguished from antipassive by context.
- Reciprocal voice (AV); patient is dropped but is not the topic.
- Impersonal passive voice (SV); subject is a dummy pronoun.
- Imperative mood (VS); the action is the most salient part of the clause, and is a command or request.
- Formal mood (VAP); rather than dropping the patient it is appended after the agent to show respect, while retaining it as the topic.
- Energetic mood (VPA); the action is the most salient part of the clause.
- Interrogative mood (PAV/APV/SV); the action is called into question. Verb moves to the back and is preceded by an interrogative particle.
- Conditional mood (PAV); action is dependent upon another clause.
- w/ dropped agent (PV); agent is inferred from context. Not dropping could be considered condescending, as if talking to a child.
- Jussive mood (PVA); agent is a dummy pronoun. Patient may be dropped.
Honorific is added after something to make it a proper noun, or to indicate that you're talking about something specific rather than the thing in general. Leaving it off when you're clearly talking about someone particular is impolite, as though you're gossiping about them without being explicit about it. ✎ Edit Article ✖ Delete Article
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