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--- en:grammar:verb_phrases [2023-01-12 08:10] – [Other verbs with a complement] 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.
@@ Line 200: / Line 211: @@
 **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 =====
@@ Line 225: / Line 238: @@
 ===== 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 =====