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."
(kgp) kur → (pt) roupa
(kgp) kur<n> → (pt) roupa<n><f>
Nũgnũj<n><dep><pl> ti<prn> nĩ<asp>, ã<prn> kur<n> ti<prn>.
A<det> sua<prn><det><3p><f> roupa<n><f> está<v><3p><sg> dobrada<adj><f>
"Your clothes are folded"
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) vỹ → (pt) o
(kgp) tỹ<subj> → (pt) o<prn>
São Paulo<n> vỹ<subj>, rã jur ja tá<cir> nĩ<asp>.
São Paulo<n> fica<v> n<prep>o<det> leste<n>
"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."