Japhug and English/ContrastiveGrammars

all transferMorphTests should include lemmas with the tags, not full forms -JNW

1. For clauses with transitive verbs, in Japhug the object generally precedes the verb (and follows the subject). In English however the object follows the verb.

• (jya) βzaŋsa tonɯpandʑi. → (eng) (They) made friends (with each other).

(jya) βzaŋsa<n><ind> tonɯpandʑi<v><du> → (eng) They<prn><sbj><pl> made<vblex> friends<n><pl>

(Note: Japhug intransitive verbs require an object but not a subject, unlike in English.)

• (jya) kɯkɯra xuexiao ɲɯrganɯ. → (eng) These (the children) like school.

(jya) kɯkɯra<dem><prox><pl> xuexiao<n><ind> ɲɯrganɯ<v><sens><pl> → (eng) These<dem><prox><pl> like<vblex> school<n>

2. Japhug generally uses postpositions to express relative position (i.e., locative postpositions zɯ, tɕu and ri), whereas English uses prepositions.

no need for subcategory tags on your postpositions, just like English doesn't have them for prepositions. Just use <tag>post</tag>. -JNW

• (jya) jonɯɕe tɕe, tʂu tɕu ɲɤmtsɯr. → (eng) They went, and on the road they were hungry.

(jya) jonɯɕe<v><ifr><auto> tɕe<lnk>, tʂu<n> tɕu<post><loc> ɲɤmtsɯr<v><ifr> → (eng) They<prn><sbj> went<vblex>, and<lnk> on<pr><loc> the<det><def> road<n> they<prn><sbj> were<aux><past> hungry<vblex>

• (jya) ambro ɯjme zɯ kɤzo. → (eng) Land on my horse's tail.

(jya) ambro<n><px1sg> ɯjme<n><px3sg> zɯ<post><loc> kɤzo<v><imp> → (eng) Land<vblex> on<pr><loc> my<adv> horse's<n><poss> tail<n>

3. Japhug expresses negation by a prefix on the verb, where English requires an adverb like "not" (and often an auxiliary verb like "did").

• (jya) aʑo mɯpɯrɤʑia. → (eng) I was not present.

(jya) aʑo<prn><1sg> mɯpɯrɤʑia<v><neg><pst> → (eng) I<prn><1sg> was<aux><pst> not<adv><neg> present<vblex>

• (jya) khramba kɤβzu mɤpe. → (eng) Telling lies is bad.

(jya) khramba<n> kɤβzu<v><inf> mɤpe<v><neg> → (eng) Telling<vblex><ipfv> lies<n><pl> is<v> bad<adj>

Where's negation in this second example? -JNW

4. The Japhug causative prefix on verbs would generally require a complementary clause with a verb like "made" on the "original" subject of the verb (i.e., the agent being "caused" to perform the action described by the verb).

• (jya) ɯʑo kɯ nɤʑo pɯ́wɣsɯmtoa. → (eng) They caused me to see you.

(jya) ɯʑo<prn><3sg> kɯ<post><erg> nɤʑo<prn><2sg> pɯ́wɣsɯmtoa<v><ipfv><inv><caus><1sg> → (eng) He<prn><3sg> caused<vblex><pst> me<prn><1sg><obj> to<aux> see<vblex> you<prn><2sg>

• (jya) tɤʑɣɤɕɯfka. → (eng) Eat to your fill!

(jya) tɤʑɣɤɕɯfka<v><iv><imp><ref><caus> → (eng) Eat<vblex><inf> to<pr> your<det><pos><sp> fill<vblex><inf>

Is this "eat until you're full" or "eat your fill"? -JNW

5. Japhug verbs can take dual (-ndʑi) and plural (-nɯ) indexation suffixes, that can take the place of second or third person dual/plural pronouns as the object of the verb. E.g., a clause can consist of an intransitive verb alone, with a dual prefix in place of its argument. However it doesn't always do this, it can simply be an agreement with the object(s).

• (jya) ɕɤrɯ nɯ ʁnɯtɤrtsɯɣ toβzundʑi tɕe. → (eng) They made two piles from the bones.

(jya) ɕɤrɯ<n> nɯ<dem> ʁnɯtɤrtsɯɣ<n> toβzundʑi<v><ifr><du> tɕe<lnk> → (eng) They<prn><pl> made<vblex><pst> two<adj> piles<n><pl> from<pr> the<det><def> bones<n><pl>

• (jya) maka ɯtaʁ mɯpjɤpenɯ. → (eng) They were not good to him.

(jya) maka<adv> ɯtaʁ<n><px3sg> mɯpjɤpenɯ<v><neg><ipfv><ifr><pl> → (eng) They<prn><pl> were<aux><pst> not<adv> good<adj> to<pr> him<prn><3sg>