en:grammar:word_order
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en:grammar:word_order [2021-11-21 14:35] – Add "word order" to title and fix link christian | en:grammar:word_order [2022-05-09 11:59] (current) – [The subject and object markers] christian | ||
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- | ====== Lugamun grammar: Word order and sentence structure ====== | + | {{page> |
- | The typical structure | + | ====== Word order ====== |
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+ | ===== SVO order ===== | ||
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+ | Lugamun' | ||
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+ | Simple sentences have just a subject and a verb. | ||
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+ | **Ya nulis.** – He/She is reading. | ||
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+ | The object, if present, is usually placed after the verb. | ||
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+ | **Mi ama ti.** – I love you. | ||
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+ | [[Prepositions|Prepositional phrases]] are most typically placed at the end of the clause, after the object (or after the verb, if there is no object). | ||
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+ | **Mi li da buku a Tom.** – I gave the book to Tom. / I gave Tom the book. | ||
//Note:// Among the world' | //Note:// Among the world' | ||
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+ | ===== The subject and object markers ===== | ||
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+ | Lugamun has two little words – typically called //markers// – that can be placed at the beginning of the subject or the object to mark them unambiguously as such. **I** marks the subject, while **o** marks the object. In sentences that use the typical SVO order, these markers are optional and usually omitted. Instead of the above example, you could also say: | ||
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+ | **I mi li da o buku a Tom.** | ||
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+ | But such usage is rare, because the sentence is clear without the **i** and the **o**. | ||
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+ | However, the object marker //must// be used if you place a prepositional phrase between the verb and the object. For example, you could also say: | ||
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+ | **Mi li da a Tom o buku.** | ||
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+ | In this case, the **o** is required and cannot be omitted. | ||
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+ | From time to time there may be sentences that are so long and complex that it's not trivial to detect where the object starts. In such cases, it may be a good idea to use **o** to clarify this. | ||
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+ | **Alisa no miru no tem prepre o rabit gen au poket jilet au kotoke gi tu estre de it.** – Alice (Alisa) had never before seen a rabbit with either a waistcoat-pocket, | ||
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+ | In such longish sentences, the **o** helps to clarify their structure, making it easier for the reader or listener to make sense of them. Using it is therefore helpful, though the sentence remains legal without it. | ||
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+ | The markers **i** and **o** also allow varying the word order, deviating from the usual SVO order. The various [[verb phrases# | ||
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en/grammar/word_order.1637501732.txt.gz · Last modified: 2021-11-21 14:35 by christian