Munja'kin Grammar: Difference between revisions
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===Questions=== | ===Questions=== | ||
Polar questions are only marked by intonation in Munja'kin, it has no question particle. Interrogative words are fronted in content questions. | |||
Revision as of 13:41, 14 September 2023
Munja'kin is a very analytic, strongly head-initial verb-subject-object language. Munja'kin lacks gender, number marking on nouns or any form of agreement, but it features switch-reference particles, clusivity, differential object marking and inalienable possession.
Nouns
Munja'kin's nouns are invariable and are not categorized into classes. Munja'kin does not use articles, so no distinction between definite and indefinite nouns is made. Some nouns like pagi may also be used as verbs, others like juru may be used as adjectives, the exact role is determined by word order, as verbs precede their arguments while adjectives follow nouns.
Pronouns
Munja'kin's pronouns distinguish clusivity and have a possessive form, which is most notably used after the preposition an to express inalienable inanimate possession or subordinate relationships.
| Singular | Plural | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Person | 2nd Person | 3rd Person | 1st Person | 2nd Person | 3rd Person | ||
| Inclusive | Exclusive | ||||||
| Plain | tun | si'o | lia | hin | tunga | si'ka | li'ka |
| Possessive | toni | sa'oi | li | hini | tungí | sa'kí | li'kí |
Adjectives
Munja'kin's adjectives follow nouns and double as stative verbs, which precede nouns. Comparisons are made using the preposition puli (against).
Prepositions
Munja'kin's prepositions generally originate from verbs and co-occur with either the plain or the possessive form of a pronoun.
Hi and pa
Munja'kin has differential object marking: hi co-occurs with displaced direct object proper nouns or pronouns while pa co-occurs with displaced direct object non-proper nouns.
The an-mutation
An is a special preposition that causes a following consonant (but not a following cluster) to voice. It also becomes an-d- before z, l and r.
| Initial sound | +an |
|---|---|
| p | an b |
| t | an d |
| ch | an j |
| k | an g |
| s | an-d-z |
| z | |
| l | an-d-l |
| r | an-d-r |
Conjunctions
Verbs
Verb derivation
Particles
Numerals
Syntax
Word order
Relative clauses
Questions
Polar questions are only marked by intonation in Munja'kin, it has no question particle. Interrogative words are fronted in content questions.