Ts'íts'àsh Grammar
Ts'íts'àsh is a mainly analytic language. The word order is subject-object-verb (SOV).
Nouns
Ts'íts'àsh features an agency distinction which is present on all arguments of a verb phrase, in that a more active subject is marked differently from a less active one. Direct objects are also marked differently depending on this. The subject and direct object are marked with postpositions, as seen in the following examples.
More active subject
A more active subject is marked with the postposition ts', with the direct object being marked with the postpostion sh in that case:
- Íkì ts' úbà sh ók'.
- "The girl hugs the boy."
Less active subject
A less active subject is marked with the postposition sh, and the direct object is then marked with the postposition ì, as seen in the example below:
- ĺkì sh úbà ì bái.
- "The girl sees the boy."
Verbs
Verbs have three different forms: imperfect, perfect, and conditional.
Imperfect
The imperfect is the basic form of the verb. It is used to indicate incomplete actions, such as àsh [aʃ˩] "is speaking".
Perfect
The perfect describes completed actions, for example àshksh [aʃ˩.kʃ] "spoke".
Conditional
The conditional denotes hypothetical occurences, as in àshá [a˩.ʃa˥] "may speak"