Amis and English/Contrastive Grammar

Word Order

In Amis sentences the verb must come before nouns.

• (ami) Minanuy kaku tu safa. → (eng) I am swinging a younger sibling.

  (ami) nanoy<v><av> aku<prn><pers><sg><p1><nom> u<nm><um><dat> safa<n> → (eng) I<prn><subj><p1><mf><sg> be<vbser><pres><p1><sg> swing<vblex><pprs> a<det><ind><sg> young<adj><sint><comp> sibling<n><sg>

• (ami) Maulah kaku tu pusong. → (eng) I like Taitung.

  (ami) ulah<v><uv><prst> aku<prn><pers><sg><p1><nom> u<nm><um><dat> pusong<np><top> → (eng) I<prn><subj><p1><mf><sg> like<vblex><pres> Taitung<np><top><sg>

Noun Markers

Subject and object marked by noun marker in Amis.

• (ami) Milaʼup ku wacu tu wawa ni Panay. → (eng) The dog is chasing Panay's child.

  (ami) laʼop<v><av> u<nm><um><nom> wacu<n> u<nm><um><dat> wawa<n> i<nm><sg><gen> Panay<np><ant> → (eng) the<det><def><sp> dog<n><sg> be<vbser><pres><p3><sg> [chase<vblex><>] Panay<np><ant><sg>+have<vbhaver><pres><p3><sg> child<n><sg>

• (ami) Malaʼup nu wacu ku wawa ni Panay. → (eng) Panay's child was chased by the dog.

  (ami) laʼop<v><uv><prst> u<nm><um><gen> wacu<n> u<nm><um><nom> wawa<n> i<nm><sg><gen> Panay<np><ant> → (eng) Panay<np><ant><sg>+have<vbhaver><pres><p3><sg> child<n><sg> be<vbser><past><p3><sg> chase<vbser><pp> by<pr> the<det><def><sp> dog<n><sg>

Possessives

Possessive relationships are denoted by the use of the word aku when immediately following a noun marker.

• (ami) Fangcal ku wawa aku. → (eng) My child is good.

  {{transferMorphTest|ami|eng|fangcal<adj> ku<nm><um><nom> wawa<n> aku<prn><pers><sg><gen>|my<det><pos><p1><mf><sg> child<n><sg> be<vbser><pres><p3><sg> good<adj><sint>}

• (ami) Tata’ak ku ʼayam aku. → (eng) My chicken is big.

  {{transferMorphTest|ami|eng|tata'ak<adj> ku<nm><um><nom> ʼayam<n> aku<prn><pers><sg><p1><gen>|my<det><pos><p1><mf><sg> chicken<n><sg> be<vbser><pres><p3><sg> big<adj><sint>}

Transitive Verbs

The subject and object of the verb appear after it in a subject-object word order.

Ergative Constructions

Ergative constructions (describing a change of state) in Amis come in the order: verb, agent, subject.

• (ami) Ruhemen aku ku pawli. → (eng) I will ripen this banana.
• (ami) Macangcang nira ku sinabel. → (eng) She warmed up the dish.