Kaingang and Portuguese/Contrastive Grammar

Five constrastive differences between Portuguese and Kaingang are:

1) Portuguese has gendered nouns, and Kaingang does not.

(kgp) kafã → (eng) companheira

(kgp) kafã<n> → (pt) companheira<n><f>

Inh<prn> mré<n> nĩ<asp> fi<prn> vỹ<subj> tỹ<ex>, inh<prn> kafã<n> fi<prn> nĩ<asp>.

Minha<prn> esposa<n><f> é<v> minha<prn> companheira<n>

"My wife is my companion."

2) Kaingang has subject markers, and Portuguese does not.

(kgp) tỹ → (eng) {{{4}}}

{{transferMorphTest|kgp|eng|tỹ<subj><erg>|meu<prn>

Inh<prn> kósin<n> tỹ<subj><erg> ẽgno<n> vỹ<subj><top>, inh<prn> mỹ<post> tũg<v><iv>.

Meu<prn> filho<n><masc> caçula<adj> morreu<v><3p><past?>.

"My youngest son died"

3) Tense is expressed in the verb in Portuguese, and not in Kaingang.

4) The copula verb "be" is formed with an existance-marking aspect marker in Kaingang, and with a verb in Portuguese.

(kgp) nĩ → (eng) é

(kgp) nĩ<asp> → (eng) é<v>

Tỹ<ex> ti<prn> ã<prn> jãmré<n> nĩ<asp>.

É<v> seu<prn> cunhado.<n>’

"He is his brother-in-law."

Inh mỹ tóg tỹ øn há nĩ ve nĩ.

‘para mi (cir.) ele(s.tóg) tÿ(ind.ex.) parece bom(predicado) é(ind.a.)

Tenho a impressão que ele é bom.’

"I have the impression that he is good"

5) Kaingang has post-positions, Portuguese has pre-positions.

Nĩ<v><iv><sg> ra<cir>, ẽprã<cir>!

Senta<v><3p> n<prep>o<det> chão<n><masc>!

Sit in the chair!

Ẽg<prn> jagfy<cir> tóg<subj> ter<v>, Jesus<n>.

Por<prep> nós<prn> morreu<v> Jesus<n>.

"Jesus died for us."