Difference between revisions of "Biak and English/Contrastive grammar"

Revision as of 14:44, 23 April 2021

bhw-eng Tests

Reordering of article and noun

Biak sentences order the article before the noun, opposite of English.

• (bhw) ras anya → (eng) the day

  (bhw) ras<n> i<prn><pers><p3><sg><spc> → (eng) the<det><def><sp> day<n><sg>

• (bhw) rum nane → (eng) these houses

  (bhw) rum<n> na<prn><pers><p3><pl><inan><spc>+ne<det><dem> → (eng) these<det><dem><pl> houses<n><pl>

Verb Tenses

Verb tenses are not indicated in Biak, and in general one cannot determine whether a verb is past or present. The future tense is typically indicated with the word nari which precedes the verb.

• (bhw) rusa anine dores → (eng) this deer stood

  (bhw) rusa<n> i<prn><pers><p3><sg><spc>+ne<det><dem> ores<v><iv><p3><sg> → (eng) this<det><dem><sg> deer<n><sg> stand<vblex><past>

• (bhw) Ikak aniyasne nyas i → (eng) This snake up here smelled it

  (bhw) ikak<n> i<prn><pers><p3><sg><spc><giv>+yasne<det><dem> nas<v><tv><p3><sg> i<prn><pers><p3><sg> → (eng) this<det><dem><sg> snake<n><sg> up here<adv> smell<vblex><past> prpers<prn><obj><p3><nt><sg>

indicating demonstrative from ending

• (bhw) mnu ine → (eng) this village

  (bhw) mnu<n> i<prn><pers><p3><sg><spc>+ne<det><dem> → (eng) this<det><dem><sg> village<n><sg>

• (bhw) rusa anine → (eng) this deer

  (bhw) rusa<n> i<prn><pers><p3><sg><spc>+ne<det><dem> → (eng) this<det><dem><sg> deer<n><sg>

Locative Endings

Location of the noun can be indicated by an ending added to the complex article in Biak, translating to an adverb in English.

• (bhw) ikak aniyasne → (eng) this snake up here

  (bhw) ikak<n> i<prn><pers><p3><sg><spc><giv>+yasne<det><dem> → (eng) this<det><dem><sg> snake<n><sg> up here<adv>

Plurals

If a noun appears with an article, the number of the article indicates whether the noun is singular or plural. The pronominal article can also be a suffix of the noun.

• (bhw) rum nane → (eng) these houses

  (bhw) rum<n> na<prn><pers><p3><pl><inan><spc>+ne<det><dem> → (eng) this<det><dem><pl> houses<n><pl>

• (bhw) ina anskoine → (eng) these three girls

  (bhw) ina<n> anskoi<prn><pers><p3><pc><spc><giv>+ne<det><dem> → (eng) this<det><dem><pl> three<num><pl> girl<n><pl>

Implicit Subject

For Biak sentences lacking an explicit subject, a pronoun is assumed that agrees with the number of the verb.

• (bhw) imnai kwar → (eng) it stopped already

  (bhw) mnai<v><iv><p3><sg> kwar<adv> → (eng) it/prpers<prn><subj><p3><nt><sg> stop<vblex><past> already<adv>

• (bhw) nggokain → (eng) we sit

  (bhw) kain<v><iv><p1><pl><ex> → (eng) we/prpers<prn><subj><p1><mf><pl> sit<vblex><pres>

Possessives

Alienable possession is indicated by a determiner in Biak following the possessum and the possessor noun phrase, although they can come in either order. In English, the possessive is indicated by an "'s" on the possessor or a possessive personal pronoun.

• (bhw) ikak anine snonsnon vyedya → (eng) this snake's name

  (bhw) ikak<n> i<prn><pers><p3><sg><spc><giv>+ne<det><dem> snonsnon<n> det<det><pos><px3sg><sg><spc> → (eng) the<det><def><sp> snake<n><sg>'s<gen> name<n><sg>

• (bhw) snewar vyedya → (eng) his belly

  (bhw) snewar<n> det<det><pos><px3sg><sg><spc> → (eng) prpers<det><pos><p3><m><sg> belly<n><sg>