[YG Conlang Archives] > [katanda group] > messages [Date Index] [Thread Index] >


[Date Prev] [Date Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next]

Replies to several questions



>
> What is the performance that an equation is a component or section of?
> 

Good question.  I've moved "equation" to the "symbol" class.

>
> Are there any rules for ordering words that may precede verbs besides
> these two?
> 

The only rule, I guess, is that the result makes sense.  Keep in mind
that they're processed left-to-right.  I can't imagine this being a
problem, but if you can think of any examples, then please post them
here.

>
>>   I realize that you're sad about the game but tears aren't
>>      necessary.
>>    Vibenda mi bufusi tumi limwa nane bube sa maxenidunda
>>      gevevyu.
>
> 1)  Why is "sa" there?  It looks like all three verbs are in a default
> present-imperfective.  Is the default tense of "maxenidunda" future,
> and is it because it's a deontic modal derivative?
>
> 2)  Does "nane" link "maxenidunda" to "bufusi" or to "vibenda"?
> Linking to "vibenda" makes (a lot) more sense to me.
> 

You're right on both counts!  I changed the sentence in the drills
because I haven't yet explained how to deal with the problem.  I'll do
so in a later lesson.

>
> What kind of noun is "lupu"?  Can it be plural?  Is it a mass noun?  I
> guess the same questions apply to "sulupu" too.
> 

All "-pu" roots are count nouns by default (those with "lu", of course,
are also group nouns), even though the English word "kinfolk" is a mass
noun.  The translation software has to treat these specially, because
the English default is different from the Katanda default.  Other
examples are "research", "land", "rain", and "money".

"Lelupu" wouldn't make sense except in the case where more than one
group of kinfolk were involved, as in "The kinfolk(?s) of four different
congressman were at the reception".

>
> In this sentence from Lesson 28 (#42), can "bovanto" replace "maho"?
> Is there any change in meaning?
> 
>>   How powerful is the medicine that Mary wants for her feet?
>>    Bizdanta kiku cayste te casi Kamaryabyo cayhi vaspe lesucaynze
>>	 maho?
>

Translator output:

    Bizdanta kiku cayste te casi Kamaryabyo cayhi vaspe lesucaynze maho?
    = How powerful is the medicine that Mary wants for her feet?

    Bizdanta kiku cayste te casi Kamaryabyo cayhi vaspe lesucaynze
	bovanto?
    = How powerful is the medicine that Mary wants for her own feet?

You should use the anaphor unless you want to emphasize the relationship
between "her" and the subject of "want".

>
> Does "caygo" also mean "promoting good health"*, as in this sentence
> from Lesson 25 (#10),
> 
>>   The boat is bound to be full of healthy food that comes from the ocean.
>>    Xenube bitsa nango gefuvyu caygo te zodetsa fuhi bisay.
>
> All of the other examples talk about the health/sickness of the person
> or animal, (two about the health/sickness of parts of animal, a foot
> and the skin).
> 

Semantically, that sentence is gibberish.  It should be:

    Xenube bitsa nango gefuvyu caygompo te zodetsa fuhi bisay.

I.e., food that makes people healthy.  You can also use "caygonfo" =
'foor that keeps people healthy'.

>
> Is there any distinction in Katanda between old as not-new vs. old as
> not-young?
> 

Yes.  And as you suggest, "old" = 'not recent' is "budensa", but I
haven't added it yet to the dictionary.


Regards,

Rick Morneau
http://www.srv.net/~ram
http://www.eskimo.com/~ram