Now that you have found your way here I must remind you this page is far from complete. I am struggling to clarify a complex process that doesn't want to be clarified.
Nova syntax is difficult for non-Nowans to grasp because so
many of the usual rules do not operate. Most languages may be
said to have a dominant word order; SVO, SOV, and VSO being
common. However, the words subject, object, and verb do not have
a lot of meaning in Nova. Nova instead analyzes an event in
three primary manners. First is duration. The basic word
order in this sense is least durative to most durative. Thus it
might be said that word order is Verb, Stative, Nominal, Locator,
Cyclical. Although very few sentences would have all of these
elements it is not impossible. Within the Nominal element, there
is an added element of ordering, namely the idea of
control. Nominal word order reflects a basic Most Control
to Least Control order. Where two nominals are equal in control,
then role comes into play. Actor, benefecient, patient is
the usual order for arguments. Finally, subordinate clauses
follow primary clauses.
Control refers to the covert ranking that underlies
sentence word order. Nova reflects a world view that expects
that the large, the powerful, the intelligent, can only be acted
upon by the small, the weak, and stupid, if they allow it to
happen. This allowance may be either conscious or unconscious.
Control is ordered according to this basic pattern;
Consider these two simple sentences.
'a-bdé-ká.dtó-ji-ttil-pe in dha.ba-
me-né an li.du-dta-wí
The man bit a dog.
*'a-bdé-ká-dtó-ji-ttil-pe an li.du-
me-wí in dha.ba-dta-né
The dog bit a man.
If the first sounds odd, the second, to a Nowan, is
impossible. Nova assumes that in some manner, the man allowed
himself to be bitten by the dog. Thus the correct form is;
'a-bdé-ká.dtó-ji-ttil-pe in dha.ba-
dta-né an li.du-ye-wí
The man was bitten by a dog.
Role is marked by case markers. Role reflects event initiation and participation. The functions that are marked by verb voices in other languages are nominal cases in Nova. With nominals equally marked for control, the order is Relative, Benefactive, Passive.
Syntax Notes explain indirect subject or drop role Possessive Construction Explain each of the syntactics Uses of Se
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© 2001 Brad Coon