Difference between revisions of "Rungus and English/Contrastive Grammar"

Revision as of 18:16, 24 April 2025

Rungus is VSO whereas English is SVO
(drg) Momobog ko dialo → (eng) You hit him
(drg) bobog<v><impf><af> oku<prn><pers><p2><sg><nom> dialo<prn><pers><p3><sg><acc> → (eng) you<prn><pers><subj><p2><mf><sg> hit<vblex><pres> him<prn><pers><obj><p3><m><sg>

Rungus marks actor focus on the verb af, which indicates that the focus argument is an actor; this is roughly equivalent to active voice in English, which is not morphologically marked
(drg) Mamanau it ulun → (eng) The person goes
(drg) panau<v><impf><af> it<det><def><nom> ulun<n> → (eng) the<det><def><sp> person<n><sg> go<vblex><pres><p3><sg>

Rungus marks patient focus on the verb pf, which indicates that the focus argument is a patient; this is roughly equivalent to passive voice in English, which is marked on the verb pp and through promotion of the semantic patient to the syntactic subject
(drg) Duaton oku dikau → (eng) I am asked by you
(drg) duat<v><pf> oku<prn><pers><p1><sg><nom> dikau<prn><pers><p2><sg><acc> → (eng) I<prn><pers><subj><p1><mf><sg> be<vblex><p1><sg> ask<vblex><pp> by<pr> you<prn><pers><p2><mf><sg>

Rungus marks beneficiary focus on the verb bf, which indicates that the focus argument is a beneficiary; this has no direct equivalence in English
(drg) Tinahakan oku do tinggol → (eng) I was given necklaces
(drg) tahak<v><perf><pf><vol> oku<prn><pers><p1><sg><nom> do<det><ind><acc> tinggol<n> → (eng) I<prn><pers><subj><p1><mf><sg> be<vblex><past><p1><sg> given<adj> necklace<n><pl>

In Rungus, determiners mark if the following noun is focused (tagged as nom) or non-focused (tagged as acc); this has no direct equivalence in English
(drg) Mangagama i tukang do meja → (eng) The workman makes a table
(drg) gama<v><impf><af> i<det><def><nom> tukang<n> do<det><ind><acc> meja<n> → (eng) the<det><def><sp> workman<n><sg> make<vblex><pres><p3><sg> a<det><ind><sg> table<n><sg>

Determiners are always required in Rungus and can be optional in English (also see the beneficiary focus example)
(drg) Gamaon oku dot ulun di tagad ku → (eng) My ricefield has been made for me by people

Rungus expresses possession with genitive pronouns gen; English expresses possession with possessive determiners pos (also see the second determiner example)
(drg) Mangatag oku di jiip ku → (eng) I repair my jeep
(drg) atag<v><impf><af> oku<prn><pers><p1><sg><nom> i<det><def><acc> jiip<n> ku<prn><pers><p1><sg><gen> → (eng) I<prn><pers><subj><p1><mf><sg>} repair<vblex><pres> my<det><pos><sg> jeep<n><sg>

@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 == Possessive pronouns ==
-* Rungus expresses possession with genitive pronouns <code>gen</code>; English expresses possession with possessive determiners <code>pos</code>
+* Rungus expresses possession with genitive pronouns <code>gen</code>; English expresses possession with possessive determiners <code>pos</code> (also see the second determiner example)
 * {{transferTest|drg|eng|Mangatag oku di jiip ku|I repair my jeep}}
 *: {{transferMorphTest|drg|eng|atag{{tag|v}}{{tag|impf}}{{tag|af}} oku{{tag|prn}}{{tag|pers}}{{tag|p1}}{{tag|sg}}{{tag|nom}} i{{tag|det}}{{tag|def}}{{tag|acc}} jiip{{tag|n}} ku{{tag|prn}}{{tag|pers}}{{tag|p1}}{{tag|sg}}{{tag|gen}} |I{{tag|prn}}{{tag|pers}}{{tag|subj}}{{tag|p1}}{{tag|mf}}{{tag|sg}}} repair{{tag|vblex}}{{tag|pres}} my{{tag|det}}{{tag|pos}}{{tag|sg}} jeep{{tag|n}}{{tag|sg}} }}