Kaingang and Portuguese/Contrastive Grammar

Five constrastive differences between Portuguese and Kaingang are:

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

(kgp) kafã → (pt) 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 → (pt) {{{4}}}

(kgp) tỹ<subj><erg> → (pt) 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"

(kgp) tỹ → (pt) {{{4}}}

(kgp) tỹ<subj><erg> → (pt) meu<prn>

São Paulo vỹ, rã jur ja tá nĩ.

"Sao Paulo is eastwards"

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

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

(kgp) nĩ → (pt) 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."

(kgp) nĩ → (pt) é

(kgp) nĩ<asp> → (eng) é<v>

Inh<prn> mỹ<cir> tóg<subj> tỹ<ex> ũn<prn><rel> há<n><dep> nĩ-ve<v><iv> nĩ<asp>.

Tenho a impressão que ele é bom.’

"I have the impression that he is good"

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

(kgp) ẽprã → (pt) por

(kgp) ẽprã<cir> → (pt) em<prep>

Nĩ<v><iv><sg> ra<asp>, ẽprã<cir>!

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

Sit on the floor!

(kgp) jagfy → (pt) por

(kgp) jagfy<cir> → (pt) por<prep>

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

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

"Jesus died for us."