Difference between revisions of "Fijian and English/Contrastive Grammar"
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==Noun Phrase Structure== | ==Noun Phrase Structure== | ||
| − | + | ===Word orders=== | |
| + | In a Fijian NP, adjectives, demonstratives, relative clauses modifying the head noun, if present, must follow the head noun, while in English, adjectives and demonstratives precede the head noun and relative clauses follow the head noun. | ||
| + | |||
{{transferTest|fij|eng|a ’oro vina’a yai|this good village}} (gloss: ART village good this) | {{transferTest|fij|eng|a ’oro vina’a yai|this good village}} (gloss: ART village good this) | ||
{{transferMorphTest|fij|eng|a{{tag|art}} ’oro{{tag|n}} vina’a{{tag|adj}} yai{{tag|dem}}|this{{tag|det}}{{tag|dem}}{{tag|sg}} good{{tag|adj}}{{tag|sint}} village{{tag|n}}{{tag|sg}}}} | {{transferMorphTest|fij|eng|a{{tag|art}} ’oro{{tag|n}} vina’a{{tag|adj}} yai{{tag|dem}}|this{{tag|det}}{{tag|dem}}{{tag|sg}} good{{tag|adj}}{{tag|sint}} village{{tag|n}}{{tag|sg}}}} | ||
| − | + | ===Nominal articles=== | |
| + | An NP in Fijian has to begin with an article: ''a'' for common nouns (which becomes ''na'' after a preposition) and ''o'' for proper names and pronouns (which is dropped after a preposition). The articles in Fijian roughly corresponds to the definite article ''the'' in English, and there's no indefinite article in Fijian. The indefinite article in English can be translated through the number "one". | ||
| + | |||
{{transferTest|fij|eng|e dua a ’oro|a village}} (gloss: 3sg-subj one ART village) | {{transferTest|fij|eng|e dua a ’oro|a village}} (gloss: 3sg-subj one ART village) | ||
{{transferMorphTest|fij|eng|e{{tag|prn}}{{tag|pers}}{{tag|sg}}{{tag|p3}}{{tag|subj}} dua{{tag|num}} a{{tag|art}} ’oro{{tag|n}}|a{{tag|det}}{{tag|ind}}{{tag|sg}} village{{tag|n}}{{tag|sg}}}} | {{transferMorphTest|fij|eng|e{{tag|prn}}{{tag|pers}}{{tag|sg}}{{tag|p3}}{{tag|subj}} dua{{tag|num}} a{{tag|art}} ’oro{{tag|n}}|a{{tag|det}}{{tag|ind}}{{tag|sg}} village{{tag|n}}{{tag|sg}}}} | ||
| − | + | ===Poessive structures=== | |
| + | When the possessor is a pronoun and the possessed is a bound noun, the word order of an NP with a possessive structure in Fijian differs from that in English. | ||
| + | |||
{{transferTest|fij|eng|a mataqu|my eye}} (gloss: ART eye-1sg) | {{transferTest|fij|eng|a mataqu|my eye}} (gloss: ART eye-1sg) | ||
{{transferMorphTest|fij|eng|a{{tag|art}} mataqu{{tag|n}}{{tag|pos}}{{tag|sg}}{{tag|p1}}|my{{tag|det}}{{tag|pos}}{{tag|sp}}{{tag|p1}}{{tag|mf}}{{tag|sg}} eye{{tag|n}}{{tag|sg}}}} | {{transferMorphTest|fij|eng|a{{tag|art}} mataqu{{tag|n}}{{tag|pos}}{{tag|sg}}{{tag|p1}}|my{{tag|det}}{{tag|pos}}{{tag|sp}}{{tag|p1}}{{tag|mf}}{{tag|sg}} eye{{tag|n}}{{tag|sg}}}} | ||
| + | ==Predicate Structure== | ||
| + | ===Word orders=== | ||
| + | The major clause type in Fijian always has a predicate at the beginning of the clause, usually with a verb as the head and a obligatory subject pronoun in the initial position of the predicate; all other NPs (subject NP, object NP, object pronoun, etc.), which are optional, follow the predicate. An English clause generally has an SVO word order, and a pronoun and a full NP with the same reference cannot co-occur as the subject of a verb. | ||
| + | {{transferTest|fij|eng|Era la’o a gone.|The children are going.}} (gloss: 3pl-subj go ART child) | ||
| + | {{transferMorphTest|fij|eng|ra{{tag|prn}}{{tag|pers}}{{tag|pl}}{{tag|p3}}{{tag|subj1}} la’o{{tag|va}}{{tag|iv}} a{{tag|art}} gone{{tag|n}} .{{tag|sent}}|the{{tag|det}}{{tag|def}}{{tag|sp}} child{{tag|n}}{{tag|pl}} be{{tag|vbser}}{{tag|pres}}{{tag|p3}}{{tag|pl}} go{{tag|vblex}}{{tag|ger}} .{{tag|sent}}}} | ||
| − | == | + | ===Tense-aspect markers=== |
| − | + | Fijian uses separate words (known as tense/aspect markers) to mark tenses and aspects, instead of having verb inflections as English does. | |
| − | |||
| − | {{ | + | {{transferTest|fij|eng|Au aa la’o.|I went.}} (gloss: 1sg-subj PAST go) |
| − | |||
Revision as of 17:56, 22 March 2018
Contents
Noun Phrase Structure
Word orders
In a Fijian NP, adjectives, demonstratives, relative clauses modifying the head noun, if present, must follow the head noun, while in English, adjectives and demonstratives precede the head noun and relative clauses follow the head noun.
(fij) a ’oro vina’a yai → (eng) this good village (gloss: ART village good this)
(fij) a<art> ’oro<n> vina’a<adj> yai<dem> → (eng) this<det><dem><sg> good<adj><sint> village<n><sg>
Nominal articles
An NP in Fijian has to begin with an article: a for common nouns (which becomes na after a preposition) and o for proper names and pronouns (which is dropped after a preposition). The articles in Fijian roughly corresponds to the definite article the in English, and there's no indefinite article in Fijian. The indefinite article in English can be translated through the number "one".
(fij) e dua a ’oro → (eng) a village (gloss: 3sg-subj one ART village)
(fij) e<prn><pers><sg><p3><subj> dua<num> a<art> ’oro<n> → (eng) a<det><ind><sg> village<n><sg>
Poessive structures
When the possessor is a pronoun and the possessed is a bound noun, the word order of an NP with a possessive structure in Fijian differs from that in English.
(fij) a mataqu → (eng) my eye (gloss: ART eye-1sg)
(fij) a<art> mataqu<n><pos><sg><p1> → (eng) my<det><pos><sp><p1><mf><sg> eye<n><sg>
Predicate Structure
Word orders
The major clause type in Fijian always has a predicate at the beginning of the clause, usually with a verb as the head and a obligatory subject pronoun in the initial position of the predicate; all other NPs (subject NP, object NP, object pronoun, etc.), which are optional, follow the predicate. An English clause generally has an SVO word order, and a pronoun and a full NP with the same reference cannot co-occur as the subject of a verb.
(fij) Era la’o a gone. → (eng) The children are going. (gloss: 3pl-subj go ART child)
(fij) ra<prn><pers><pl><p3><subj1> la’o<va><iv> a<art> gone<n> .<sent> → (eng) the<det><def><sp> child<n><pl> be<vbser><pres><p3><pl> go<vblex><ger> .<sent>
Tense-aspect markers
Fijian uses separate words (known as tense/aspect markers) to mark tenses and aspects, instead of having verb inflections as English does.
(fij) Au aa la’o. → (eng) I went. (gloss: 1sg-subj PAST go)
