Kaingang and Portuguese/Contrastive Grammar

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Five constrastive differences between Portuguese and Kaingang are:

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

  • (kgp) kafã → (por) companheira
(kgp) kafã<n> → (por) 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 → (por) roupa
(kgp) kur<n> → (por) 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 → (por) meu
(kgp) tỹ<subj><erg> → (por) meu<prn><m>}

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 → (por) o
(kgp) vỹ<subj> → (por) o<det><m>}

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) Kaingang distinguishes between dependent nouns and independent nouns. Portuguese does not.

  • (kgp) kãfór → (por) maior
(kgp) kãfór<n><dep> → (por) maior<adj>

Téj<n><dep><sg> ki<cir> tóg<subj>, ti<prn> panh<n><dep> kãfór<n><dep> nĩ<asp>, kyrũ<n><sg> ti<prn>.

O<det><m> moço<n> é<v> mais alto<adj> que o<det> pai<n> d<prep>ele<prn>.


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."