Minhast: Difference between revisions

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====Conjunctions====

Unlike many other languages, including English, Minhast has only a few conjunctions, and these join only NPs; they never join clauses, simply because the highly polysynthetic verb possesses a flexible, robust array of tools for joining clauses (e.g. pseudo-adverbial affixes, valence operators, the S/O pivot, verb serialization, nominalization, etc) to perform the operations that prototypical conjunctions do. Since the Minhast NP is barely developed compared to the VP, it is not surprising that there are few function particles available to the NP.

Unlike many other languages, including English, Minhast has only a few independent particles that serve as conjunctions, and these join only NPs; they never join clauses, simply because the highly polysynthetic verb possesses a flexible, robust array of tools for joining clauses (e.g. pseudo-adverbial affixes, valence operators, the S/O pivot, verb serialization, nominalization, etc) to perform the operations that prototypical conjunctions do. Since the Minhast NP is barely developed compared to the VP, it is not surprising that there are few function particles available to the NP.

For joining two or more clauses, simple apposition of the clauses is used to signify "and" as well as "but"; the distinction between the two depends on context, although the Horse Speaker and Salmonic dialects, and Classical Minhast also employ preposed ''wa='' constructions. The Horse Speaker dialect uses the ''wa='' forms rarely though, and even in the Salmonic dialects it is rather uncommon. These ''wa='' constructions are used to join separate clauses where a ''=mā'' subordinator, which also conveys temporal sequencing, would be undesirable. However, since these conjunctions originate from adverbs, the clause-clause binding should be really seen as VP + AdvP-VP constructions, with an intervening adverbial particle has been fronted from the succeeding clause. Moreover, since preposed ''wa-'' constructions have a tendency to serve as topic or reference shifters, these adverbial phrase constructions may invert the roles of the core arguments.

{| class="bluetable lightbluebg"

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|-

! Meaning

! ~~Conjunction~~

! Noun Phrase

! Sentential ''Wa='' Structure

|-

! and

| suttu/sut, =s + [NP]=suttu

| suttu/sut [NP]=s + [NP] [NP]1=s + ...[NP]n + suttu

| √V + [Clause]

|-

! but

| kan

| kan kan wa=

| √V + [Clause] kan wa=[Clause]

|-

! or

| xan, xandaš

| xan xandaš

| xan wa=[Clause]

|}

A note about the conjunction ''suttu'': if one of the NPs being referred to is the ABS argument of a preceding nominalized clause, ''suttu'' or one of its allomorphs surfaces between the nominalization and the second NP argument before the Associative verb may be elided, as in the phrase ''Gāl Kuranaft suttu intasilapikmenesaš'' ("May he ride hard with the Black Horse!", i.e. "Rest in peace").

~~The~~ conjunction ''~~kan~~'' ~~occurs only~~ in the ~~Salmonic dialects~~ and ~~Classical Minhast; it also is encountered in~~ the Horse ~~Speaker dialect, albeit rarely.~~

A note about the conjunction ''suttu'': if one of the NPs being referred to is the ABS argument of a preceding nominalized clause, ''suttu'' or one of its allomorphs surfaces between the nominalization and the second NP argument before the Associative verb may be elided, as in the following example:

{{Gloss

|phrase =Gāl kūranaft suttu intaslapimmakikminesaš

| IPA =

| morphemes = gāl kūr-an-aft suttu nt-silap-mmak-km-nes-an=š

| gloss = horse black-INTRANS-NMLZ and INT-ride-ASSOC-3P.ABS-FUT-INTRANS=IRREAL

| translation = May they ride hard ''together'' with the Black Horse! ''("Rest in peace")''

}}

====Connectives====

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 ====Conjunctions====
-Unlike many other languages, including English, Minhast has only a few conjunctions, and these join only NPs; they never join clauses, simply because the highly polysynthetic verb possesses a flexible, robust array of tools for joining clauses (e.g. pseudo-adverbial affixes, valence operators, the S/O pivot, verb serialization, nominalization, etc) to perform the operations that prototypical conjunctions do.  Since the Minhast NP is barely developed compared to the VP, it is not surprising that there are few function particles available to the NP.
+Unlike many other languages, including English, Minhast has only a few independent particles that serve as conjunctions, and these join only NPs; they never join clauses, simply because the highly polysynthetic verb possesses a flexible, robust array of tools for joining clauses (e.g. pseudo-adverbial affixes, valence operators, the S/O pivot, verb serialization, nominalization, etc) to perform the operations that prototypical conjunctions do.  Since the Minhast NP is barely developed compared to the VP, it is not surprising that there are few function particles available to the NP.
+For joining two or more clauses, simple apposition of the clauses is used to signify "and" as well as "but"; the distinction between the two depends on context, although the Horse Speaker and Salmonic dialects, and Classical Minhast also employ preposed ''wa='' constructions. The Horse Speaker dialect uses the ''wa='' forms rarely though, and even in the Salmonic dialects it is rather uncommon.  These ''wa='' constructions are used to join separate clauses where a ''=mā'' subordinator, which also conveys temporal sequencing, would be undesirable.  However, since these conjunctions originate from adverbs, the clause-clause binding should be really seen as VP + AdvP-VP constructions, with an intervening adverbial particle has been fronted from the succeeding clause.  Moreover, since preposed ''wa-'' constructions have a tendency to serve as topic or reference shifters, these adverbial phrase constructions may invert the roles of the core arguments.
 {| class="bluetable lightbluebg"
@@ Line 2,425: / Line 2,428: @@
 |-
 ! Meaning
-! Conjunction
+! Noun Phrase
+! Sentential ''Wa='' Structure
 |-
 ! and
-| suttu/sut, =s + [NP]=suttu
+| suttu/sut<br/> [NP]=s + [NP]<br/> [NP]<sub>1</sub>=s + ...[NP]<sub>n</sub> + suttu
+| √V + [Clause]
 |-
 ! but
-| kan
+| kan<br/> kan wa=
+| √V + [Clause]<br/> kan wa=[Clause]
 |-
 ! or
-| xan, xandaš
+| xan<br/> xandaš
+| xan wa=[Clause]
 |}
-A note about the conjunction ''suttu'':  if one of the NPs being referred to is the ABS argument of a preceding nominalized clause, ''suttu'' or one of its allomorphs surfaces between the nominalization and the second NP argument before the Associative verb may be elided, as in the phrase ''Gāl Kuranaft suttu intasilapikmenesaš'' ("May he ride hard with the Black Horse!", i.e. "Rest in peace").
-The conjunction ''kan'' occurs only in the Salmonic dialects and Classical Minhast; it also is encountered in the Horse Speaker dialect, albeit rarely.
+A note about the conjunction ''suttu'':  if one of the NPs being referred to is the ABS argument of a preceding nominalized clause, ''suttu'' or one of its allomorphs surfaces between the nominalization and the second NP argument before the Associative verb may be elided, as in the  following example:
+{{Gloss
+|phrase =Gāl kūranaft suttu intaslapimmakikminesaš
+| IPA =
+| morphemes = gāl kūr-an-aft suttu nt-silap-mmak-km-nes-an=š
+| gloss = horse black-INTRANS-NMLZ and INT-ride-ASSOC-3P.ABS-FUT-INTRANS=IRREAL
+| translation = May they ride hard ''together'' with the Black Horse!  ''("Rest in peace")''
+}}
 ====Connectives====