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apostrophes in classifiers

In a message dated 6/6/2007 7:46:33 AM Central Daylight Time, sts@hidden.email writes:


That sounds interesting, could you please give examples?
- word with classifier
- word with classifier with similar meaning
- word with classifier with opposite meaning


There are no "classifiers with similar meaning".  

From Appendix C of "Lexical Semantics":

"A small number of classifiers have opposites. If so, the first one (i.e., the "positive" classifier) will represent the concept that is higher in magnitude or more humanly appealing. The second one (i.e., the "opposite" or "antonymic" classifier) will represent the concept that is lower in magnitude or that has less human appeal. If there is a conflict between magnitude and appeal, magnitude will have precedence. For example, 'drunk/inebriated' will use the positive classifier because it is higher in the magnitude of alcohol ingested, even though its opposite 'sober' is more positive in human appeal.
A similar approach will be used for classes that do not have opposites. In these cases, the basic, unmarked form will represent the concept that is higher in magnitude or more appealing, while the modifier "ju" [Saweli "zu"] will be used for the concept that is lower in magnitude or is less appealing."

The main reason I stress the vowel after the apostrophe is to emphasize its presence, especially in antonymic classifiers.

There are three main types of extended classifier using the apostrophe:

1) antonymic classifiers add " 'a ":

su: performance attribute | su'a: opposite of performance attribute

sudrak - peaceful, calm, serene, tranquil, harmonious, orderly.
su'adrak - disorderly, upset, chaotic, turbulent, tumultuous, frenzied.
sufek - justified/warranted/vindicated
su'afek - unjustified, unwarranted, uncalled for.

va: mental state [SR] | va'a: opposite of mental state [SR]

vafeg - satisfied with, content.
va'afeg - dissatisfied with/about, discontented, unsatisfied, unhappy.

vi: other scalar relationship [SR] | vi'a: opposite of other scalar relationship [SR]

vib - have something to do with, be involved with, have an unspecified association or relationship with.
vi'ab - have nothing to do with, be uninvolved with, have no relationship to/with.

vo: measurable physical state [SN] | vo'a: opposite of measurable physical state [SN]

vograk - tight, fixed, secure, snug, fast, set.
vo'agrak - loose, insecure, slack, not fixed firmly in position.

vu: other scalar non-relational state [SN] | vu'a: antonym of other scalar non-relational state [SN]

vubak - huge, immense, gigantic.
vu'abak - tiny, miniscule.

we: exchange/transfer verb (AP gains possession of F) [BR] | we'a: opposite of exchange/transfer verb (AP loses possession of F) [BR]

wesrav - borrow.
we'asrav - lend, loan.

wo: relational locative [BR] | wo'a: opposite of relational locative [BR]

wod - at, in, near, with [locative].
wo'ad - away from, not at.

wu: other binary relational state [BR] | wu'a: opposite of other binary relational state [BR]

wucug - composed of/made up of/consisting of.
wu'acug - without, missing, lacking, without [, devoid of].

xe: living entity attribute [BN] | xe'a: opposite of living entity attribute [BN]

xefak - honest, upright, truthful, sincere, earnest.
xe'afak - dishonest, deceitful, untruthful, insincere.

xu: other binary non-relational state [BN] | xu'a: opposite of other binary non-relational state [BN]

xubak - entire, whole, total, complete, plenary.
xu'abak - incomplete, partial, fractional.

za: genitive/relative clause linker | za'a: opposite of genitive/relative clause linker

zag - of (genitive), apostrophe-s, that (relative conjunction), which, who, relative clause linker.
za'ag - not of, not had by.

One pair of this group has a vaguer connection:

gi: physical illness | gi'a: mental illness

2)  Sometimes I use extensions with apostrophe to produce whole series of related classifiers, such as the tenses and modals and a few others, especially "hu", "la", and "ne".  In these cases, the vowel after the apostrophe conveys no meaning of its own (but even with "hu" and "ne" there is an 'other' classifier with " 'u"); the meaning of the classifier is essentially unanalyzable, except to keep the classifiers in an alphabetical series in my preferred order.

ye: present tense
ye'a: past tense
ye'e: past+present tense
ye'i: present+future tense
ye'o: future tense
ye'u: unspecified tense

yo: epistemic probability modality
yo'a: epistemic evidentiality modality
yo'aw: epistemic hedge modality
yo'ay: epistemic reasonableness modality
yo'e: epistemic counterfactuality modality
yo'i: epistemic acceptability modality
yo'o: epistemic significance modality
yo'u: epistemic inevitability modality

yu: deontic obligation modality
yu'e: deontic necessity modality
yu'o: deontic consequentiality modality

hu: measurement device | hu'a: energy converter | hu'e: manipulator; modifier | hu'i: transporter | hu'o: musical instrument | hu'u: misc powered device

3) I have tried to make 'other' classifiers end in "u", so sometimes I have used " 'u" as an extension to maintain this pattern.  This occasionally means that possible classifiers are skipped, e.g., "mo" is not used.

ha: atmospheric or weather phenomenon | ha'u: other non-living phenomenon
hu: measurement device | hu'a: energy converter | hu'e: manipulator; modifier | hu'i: transporter | hu'o: musical instrument | hu'u: misc powered device

ja: elements
je: compounds
ji: animal substance
jo: plant substance
ju: other natural substance

ka: natural body of water
ke: natural planetary location
ki: natural extraplanetary location
ko: natural inorganic thing
ku: natural thing (not actually part of the living body)

la: processed food substance | la'a: drink | la'e: recreational/nonbeneficial drugs, incl. tobacco products | la'u: medicine
le: metal other artificial substance
li: solid other artificial substance
lo: liquid other artificial substance
lu: other artificial substance

ma: room | ma'u: non-room part of a building
me: building(s)/place of business
mi: political area
mu: other artificial location (typically infrastructure)

na: food item
ne: measuring device | ne'a: ability-enhancing device | ne'e: tool, manipulator | ne'i: weapon | ne'o: musical instrument | ne'u: general, miscellaneous device/instrument/tool
ni: clothing | ni'u: part of clothing not worn separately; non-clothing
no: supports the human body | no'u: not used for supporting the human body
nu: social item

pa: container
pe: conduit
pi: separator/barrier
po: artificial component | po'u: fastener
pu: other artificial item

qa: god | qa'u: mind
qe: non-living energy (count noun)
qi: non-living energy (mass noun)
qo: recurring, periodic point in time | qo'u: non-recurring point in time
qu: recurring, periodic period of time | qu'u: non-recurring period of time

ra: group/organization
re: group member
ri: profession/endeavor
ro: abstract symbol/shape
ru: concrete symbol/shape

ta: speech act
te: activity | te'e: action produces a physical result | te'o: the action of the body is the important thing
ti: actions of movement through space
to: involuntary act | to'u: can be done by inanimate object
tu: other act | tu'a: deliberate conscious intent | tu'u: specific part of the body is used

Sometimes the " 'u" form has only a generally related meaning:

ve: external physical relation | ve'u: internal physical relation [SR]
wa: kinship relation [BR] | wa'u: social/economic/political relation [BR]

ga: external animal organ | ga'a: internal animal organ| ga'u: natural thing (body parts that last beyond the life of the body)
ge: other body parts | ge'u: body parts too small to see with naked eye (cell) or in isolation (enzyme)
gi: physical illness | gi'a: mental illness
go: wound/growth
gu: other living matter & energy

he: vehicle
hi: weapon launcher | hi'a: explosive weapon or projectile | hi'u: explosive non-weapon
ho: electrical component | ho'u: electrical energy converter

stevo