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Difference between revisions of "Proto-Besokian language"
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==Morphosyntax== | ==Morphosyntax== | ||
Proto-Besokian morphosyntax is notable for its minimalist inflection but highly complex derivational system. Matrix word order | Proto-Besokian morphosyntax is notable for its minimalist inflection but highly complex derivational system. There is no formal distinction between word classes, and lexemes are highly polysemous and their interpretation strictly context-dependent. | ||
===Syntax=== | |||
Matrix word order is VOS from a base-generated SVO. The predicate consistently appears sentence-initial, only preceded by complementizers and conjunctions. The subject appears last, followed only by adjuncts and enclosing the remaining arguments between itself and the predicate. The order of internal arguments varies, but PP — Ind Obj — Dir Obj seems to have been preferred. Modifiers follow their hosts, either directly or connected by intervening particles (see below). | |||
While not appearing in the Besokian Cosmogony, negation was likely formed by a two-item construction consisting of the complementizer *''at'' (which seems to double as a negative prefix), appearing sentence-initially, and a negative particle *''mî'' as head of a NegP scoping over the VoiceP, hence appearing directly between the last internal and the external argument. The latter position is invariable, clearly distinguishing unergative and unaccusative predicates (as the subject is an internal argument in the latter, it is followed rather than preceded by *''mî''). | |||
This gives the following (flat) template for the Proto-Besokian clause: | |||
{| | |||
|- | |||
| Complementizers<br />Conjunctions<br />Clause Negation (*''at'') || Predicate || Argument PP || Indirect Object || Direct Object<br />Unaccusative Subject || Negation (*''mî'') || Unergative Subject || Adjuncts | |||
|} | |||
[[Category:Besokian Languages]][[Category:Proto-Languages]] | [[Category:Besokian Languages]][[Category:Proto-Languages]] | ||