Languages of Papua New Guinea

Tentative Grammar Description for the Gadsup [gaj] Language

Date Created:
2016-11-02
Extent:
73 pages
Publication Status:
Draft (posted 'as is' without peer review)
Table of Contents:
License 5 Copyright 6 Preface/Disclaimer/Acknowledgments (Sample) 7 Abbreviations and Symbols 8 1 INTRODUCTION 10 2 WRITING SYSTEM AND SOUNDS 12 3 NOUNS AND NOUN PHRASES 13 3.1 Pronouns and Possessive Suffixes 13 3.1.1 Pronouns 13 3.1.2 Possessive Pronouns 16 3.1.3 Possessive Prefixes 18 3.1.4 Reflexive Pronouns 20 3.1.5 Translation Issues for Pronouns 21 3.2 Possession 21 3.2.1 Direct (Inalienable) 21 3.2.2 Indirect (Alienable) 22 3.3 Nouns 23 3.3.1 Singular and Plural Nouns 23 3.4 Adjectives 24 3.4.1 Comparatives 26 3.4.2 Words or Markers that Make Adjectives Stronger and Less Strong 27 3.5 Numerals and Quantifiers 27 3.5.1 Traditional Counting System 27 3.5.2 Quantity Words 29 3.5.3 Ordinal Numbers 29 3.6 Articles and Demonstratives 30 3.6.1 Translation Issues for Articles and Demonstratives 32 3.7 Basic Noun Phrase Structure 32 4 POSTPOSITIONS 34 5 VERBS 37 5.1 Person and Number Marking 37 5.1.1 Subject Marking 37 5.1.2 Object Marking 38 5.1.3 Beneficiary Marking 39 5.2 Tense 40 5.3 Aspect 41 5.3.1 Continuous aspect 41 5.3.2 Habitual aspect 41 5.3.3 Repeated aspect 42 5.3.4 Beginning aspect 42 5.3.5 Completed aspect 43 5.4 Serial Verbs 43 6 CLAUSES 45 6.1 Verbless Clauses 45 6.2 Transitive clauses 45 6.3 Intransitive clauses 46 6.4 Di-transitive clauses 47 6.5 Semantic roles / Noun roles 48 6.5.1 Agent 48 6.5.2 Force 48 6.5.3 Possessor 48 6.5.4 Experiencer 49 6.5.5 Stimulus 49 6.5.6 Location 50 6.5.7 Source / Destination 50 6.5.8 Instrument 51 6.5.9 Accompaniment 51 6.5.10 Recipient 52 6.5.11 Beneficiary 52 6.5.12 Patient 52 6.6 Adverbs and time 53 6.6.1 Time 53 6.6.2 Place 53 6.6.3 Manner 54 6.6.4 Degree 54 6.7 Negative Clauses and Negation 55 7 SENTENCES 58 1.1Verbal suffixes connecting clauses 58 7.1 Commands (Imperative Sentences) 60 7.2 Questions (Interrogative Sentences) 62 7.2.1 Yes-No Questions 62 7.2.2 WH Questions 62 7.3 Reason, Result, Purpose 65 7.3.1 Reason and Result 65 7.3.2 Purpose and Result 65 8 Bibliography 66 9 APPENDIX 67 9.1 Kam waintam pakoni oyeno, 'Two men making spears' 67 9.2 Kauya arim wayani, 'Fishing Story' 69
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Entry Number:
74736