Grammar
Noun
The noun of this language does not have any gender and article.
The noun without numeral will signify « whole », « all », « in general » or « that kind of ».
The suffix « du » which signifies « plural » is seldom used. It signifies especially in the cases such as « more than one » or « a part of all ».
I Nominative Case and Accusative Case
The spelling of nominative case and accusative case is the same. A noun, whether it is a subject or an object will be distinguished by its order before or after a verb. The subject is always placed before a verb and the accusative case is always placed after a verb.
II Genitive Case
-
The suffix –g
-
If a word is ended with k or g, the suffix will be transformed into -d.
-
The genitive case with the suffix –g will come after the word which it modifies.
III Dative Case
-
The suffix -ho
-
Dative case could be placed before or after verb.
IV Locative Cases
inessive -tuk illative -tak elative -tag adessive -cak allative -cok ablative -cog superessive -put subessive -vat
Adjective and Adverb
-
Adjective is placed after noun and adverb is placed after verb.
-
Adjective or Adverb = Noun + -g
-
If a word is ended with -k or -g, the suffix will be transformed into -d.
Verb
I The suffix of verb
The following suffixes can represent the directions of verb.
Upward -pat downward -vot inward -tak outward -tag close to -cok far from -cog
II Tense
The verb does not have the future tense and the past tense.
The infinitive verb could express the action at present, in the future or in the past.
Ngnok e agga dustak nag, la kowehota.
» When he came into the house, I had eaten. »
Ngok e agga dustak nag, la ssalok e!
» When he comes into the house, I will kill him. »
III The compounded verb and the suffix of aspect
- -chog
A suffix which comes after a verb and forms a perfective aspect can express the experience in the past.
– » Du lokchog ko lagtu? » -« La lokchog lagtu. »
-« Have you killed people? » -« Yes, I have. »
- -hota
A suffix which comes after a verb and forms a perfect aspect will express an action that is finished.
Ngnok e agga dustak nag, la kowehota.
« When he came into the house, I had eaten. »
- agga + verb
An action which has just been finished.
Ngnok e agga dustak nag, la agga kowe.
« When he came into the house, I have just finished eating. »
- aggawa + verb
An action which is going to be finished.
La aggawa kowe.
« I almost finished eating. »
- awa-
A suffix which comes after a verb and forms progressive aspect. An action which is being executed.
La awakowe.
« I’m eating. »
- -ra
A suffix which comes after a verb and forms inchoative aspect. The beginning of an action. It doesn’t matter It does not matter whether the action is finished or not.
la kowera.
I begin to eat.
- awara + verb
An action which is just being practiced.
la awara kowe.
I just begin to eat.
- awataya + verb
An action that will be practiced immediately.
la awataya kowe.
« I’m going to eat immediately. »
- taya + verb
An action that will be practiced in the near future.
la taya kowe.
« I’m going to eat. »
- ssa-verb
An action that will be practiced in the future at the will of the subject.
Ngok e agga dustak nag, la ssalok e!
» When he comes into the house, I will kill him. »
- ssa-verb-hota
An action that will be completed in the future at the will of the subject.
Ngok e agga dustak nag, la ssalokhota e!
» When he comes into the house, I will kill him (to death). »
- verb-ra-hota and awa-verb
ex:< la kowerahota > and < la awakowe >
In terms of time, la kowerahota = la awakowe, but the former emphasizes the action having begun and the latter emphasizes the action is being practiced.
- The temporal relation between clauses
Ngnok e agga dustak nag, « When he came into the house, »
la kowehota. « I had eaten. »
NoEAT la agga kowe. « I had just finished eating. »
la aggawa kowe. « I almost finished eating. »
EAT la awakowe. « I was eating. »
la kowera. « I had begun eating. »
It does not matter whether the action « eating » is finished or not.
la awara kowe. « I had just begun eating. »
la awataya kowe. « I was going to eat immediately. »
NO EAT la taya kowe. « I was going to eat. »
Syntaxe
I Word order: SVO
II Negative
When the negative ‘ko’ is placed before a verb, it has a negative meaning.
III. Question
- Yes/no-questions
When the negative ‘ko’ is placed after a verb, it fonctions as a yes/no-question.
- Wh-questions
The interrogative expression will be placed at the head of sentence.
Rama « who »
Raga « which »
Raha « what »
Ccak « why »
Ccok « where »
Ba « how »
Baho « how many »
IV. Clause
A clause which ends with the suffix –g modifies the word before it. If the last word of the clause is ended with k or g, the suffix will be transformed into -d.
Russa ladu (taya) vasyok tuna dusgudak bwak awach vayanatukd.
Let’s build a tower whose top is in the heaven.
La lokhota laguna dusnatakd.
I killed the man who came into the house.
V. Imperative mood
The subject will not be present:
1 Use infinitive verb.
2 Use infinitive verb + suffix –hota +adverb
3 Use infinitive verb + suffix –ra.
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