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--- en:grammar:verb_phrases [2023-01-04 11:17] – Switch to new possessive pronouns; place time adverbs before the verb phrase, as is most common christian
+++ en:grammar:verb_phrases [2023-02-02 12:35] (current) – [The copula] Add rationale christian
@@ Line 180: / Line 180: @@
 ===== The copula =====
-The copula **xi** – translated as a form of 'be' in this context – connects a noun phrase with an adjective or noun phrase that describes it. If a adjective follows, it can be and often is omitted, but if a noun phrase follows, it should always be used. Note that the expression that follows **xi** is considered a //complement// rather than an object, therefore it never takes the object marker **o**.
+The copula **xi** – translated as a form of 'be' in this context – connects a noun phrase with an adjective or noun phrase that describes it. If a adjective follows, it can be and often is omitted, but if a noun phrase or a prepositional phrase follows, it should always be used. Note that an adjective or noun phrase that follows **xi** is considered a //complement// rather than an object, therefore it never takes the object marker **o**.
+So if an adjective follows, **xi** is typically omitted:
 **Ti (xi) ingi dulse.** – You're really sweet.\\
 **Uma (xi) bai.** – The horse is white.\\
-**Ya den laste (xi) mardi.** – Yesterday he/she was ill.\\
+**Ya (xi) mardi den laste .** – Yesterday he/she was ill.\\
-**Ya xi baba hau.** – 'He's a good father.'\\
-**Ta ona xi [actor] maxuhur.** – That woman is a famous actress.
+Note that, if a a time expression (or another expression including a noun or a preposition) is placed after the subject, **xi** should always be used, to prevent possible confusion:
+**Ya den laste xi mardi.** – Yesterday he/she was ill.\\
+**Xi** it always used before a noun or preposition:
+**Ya xi baba hau.** – He's a good father.\\
+**Ta ona xi [actor] maxuhur.** – That woman is a famous actress.\\
+**Le xi ni ruma.** – They're at home / They're in the house.\\
+**Mi xi de Barat.** – I'm from India. //(I was born there or usually live there)//
 The negated form of the copula is just **no** – **xi** is never used in this case.
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 **Uma gran xi lela.**
+//Rationale:// That the copula is required before noun phrases and locative phrases, but (typically) omitted before adjectives, follows the typical patterns in the majority of all languages (WALS 120) and specifically in creoles (APiCS 73–75).
 ===== Other verbs with a complement =====
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 XXX Maybe call these "copulas" as well and use a term such as "standard copula" when referring to **xi**?
-Several other verbs are likewise commonly followed by a complement: an adjective or noun that complements their meaning. Such complements immediately follow the verb, and they may be followed by an object or a prepositional phrase. While the object marker **o** is usually optional, after a complement it //must// be used, since otherwise there might be some confusion about where the complement ends and the object starts. If a verb with a complement also takes an object, the complement refers to the object, otherwise it refers to the subject.
+Several other verbs are likewise commonly followed by a complement: an adjective or noun that complements their meaning. Such complements immediately follow the verb, and they may be followed by an object or a prepositional phrase. While the object marker **o** is usually optional, after a complement it //must// be used, since otherwise there might be some confusion about where the complement ends and the object starts. If a verb with a complement also takes an object, the complement refers to the object, otherwise it refers to the subject. These include, but aren't limited to:
   * **ban** – become
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 **Mi ga ban (president).** – I will become president.\\
 **Le ga fa (president) o mi.**– They will make me president.\\
-**Mi si den sente glupi glupi.** – I feel very stupid today.
+**Mi si den sente glupi glupi.** – I feel very stupid today.\\
+**On li pentoda lal o ruma.** – They have painted the house red.
-XXX Give some more examples – of the verbs listed here, **fa** and **xyende** can take a direct object (introduced by **o**)?
 Determiners referring to the complement are placed before it, as usual. Adverbs referring to the verb phrase are usually placed at the end of the verb phrase, i.e., after the complement.
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 ===== Subjectless verbs =====
-A few verbs have a special meaning when used without a subject.
+When used without a subject, **ha** means 'there is, there are'.
-Subjectless **ha** means 'there is, there are'.
 **Ha ona ni dor.** – There is a woman at the door.
-Subjectless **xi** is used to describe the weather. In such expressions, it often corresponds to English 'it's / it is'.
+Generally a subjectless verb is used in cases there where is no actual entity that could be used as subject. English typically uses a generic 'it' in such cases.
+**Xyende to ya no lai si den.** – It seems he/she won't come today.\\
+**Xi sedi to nas no bisa go ta ples.** – It's sad we can't do there.
+Often, subject **xi** followed by a verb or adjective refers to the weather.
+**Xi garam garam si den.** – It's very hot today.\\
+**Xi ren den tali.** – It'll rain tomorrow.
+While **xi** between a subject and an adjective is often omitted, when there is no subject, it's better to include it for clarity.
-**Xi garam garam si den.** – It's very hot today.
+//Rationale:// There is no info on this in WALS, but according to APiCS, most pidgins and creoles don't use an "expletive" subject (i.e. a subject that doesn't really refer to anything) in existential verb constructions corresponding to English 'there is'. We follow this usage, choosing a widely used pattern to express 'there is/are'. For consistency, we treat other expressions where the subject would be expletive the same way.
 ===== Negation =====