Difference between revisions of "Western Abenaki and English/Contrastive Grammar"

Revision as of 17:29, 1 May 2023

Animacy

Nouns and verbs are tagged with animacy, and there are different verbs depending on whether the subject/object are animate or inanimate.

Noun Animacy

• Lobster
  • ^sȣgaiwios<n><nn>/lobster<n>
• Apple
  • ^aplesa<n><aa>/apple<n>
• Nuts
  • ^pagȣnisal<n><nn><pl>/nut<n><pl>

Verb Animacy

Verb animacy differs depending on the animacy of the subject and/or object.

• put aside
  • beskaaka<vb><tv><aa><o_3sg_def_aa>
  • beskato<vb><tv><nn><o_3sg_def_nn>
• see someone or something
  • namiha<vb><tv><aa><o_3sg_def_aa>
  • namito<vb><tv><nn><o_3sg_def_nn>
• one names him or it
  • wihlômek<vb><tv><aa><o_3sg_def_aa>
  • witôzik<vb><tv><nn><o_3sg_def_nn>

Plural Agreement

Adjectives and verbs must agree with the relevant noun in plurality

Adjective Plurality

• pear (elongated apple) → pears (elongated apples)
  • kwanogazid<adj> aples<n><aa><sg>
  • kwanogazijik<adj><pl> aplesak<n><aa><pl>
• flat light → flat lights (the northern lights)
  • abagigen<adj> wassakw<n><aa><sg>
  • abagigenol<adj><pl> wassakol<n><aa><pl>

Verb Plurality

• pears are
  • kwanogazijik<adj><pl> aplesak<n><aa><pl> aoak<vb><iv><aa><pl>
• candlelights are present
  • wassanmôganihlak<n><aa><pl> aimek<vb><iv><aa><pl>

First Person Possessive, First Person Subject

In Western Abenaki, the first person possessive marker is a prefixed n’. In English, this is simply the word "my." Similarly, a first person subject is marked on a verb with the same prefixed n’. In English, this is the word "I."

• N’cape - my coffee
  • ^cape<n><nn><px1sg>/coffee<n><px1sg>$
  • the "my" will be extracted in the Structural Transfer lab
• n’wlômawaldamen - I believe
  • ^n’wlômawaldamen<vb><tv><nn><s_sg1>/believe<vb>
  • The "I" will also be extracted