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Toaq has a system of grammatical '''animacy'''.
Toaq has a system of grammatical '''animacy'''.


Any noun phrase belongs to one of nine '''classes''', each with its own word for “he/she/they/it” that refers back to the most recent noun phrase belonging to that class. (This system of anaphoric pronouns is the ''only'' place in Toaq where this animacy distinction comes up, so the classes are known varyingly as '''animacy classes''', '''anaphora classes''', or '''pronominal classes'''.)
Any noun phrase belongs to one of four '''classes''', each with its own word for “he/she/they/it” that refers back to the most recent noun phrase belonging to that class. (This system of anaphoric pronouns is the ''only'' place in Toaq where this animacy distinction comes up, so the classes are known varyingly as '''animacy classes''', '''anaphora classes''', or '''pronominal classes'''.)


== Grammatical, rather than natural animacy ==
== Grammatical, rather than natural animacy ==
Line 8: Line 8:
If you know some Spanish, it's like "grammatical gender" in that language. ''La persona'' is feminine, even if the person you're talking about isn't necessarily female.
If you know some Spanish, it's like "grammatical gender" in that language. ''La persona'' is feminine, even if the person you're talking about isn't necessarily female.


Toaq's pronouns work the same way: if you describe a person as {{t|sa sảo}}, the appropriate pronoun to refer to them later in the sentence is {{t|tá}}, because {{t|sảo}} is an adjective. It's not correct to use {{t|hó}}, because that's the pronoun for animate ''verbs'', not animate referents.
Toaq's pronouns work the same way: if you describe a person as {{t|sá sao}} ("someone big"), the appropriate pronoun to refer to them later in the sentence is {{t|tá}} (“it<sub>descriptive</sub>”), because {{t|sao}} has the "descriptive" animacy. It's not correct to use {{t|hó}}, because that's the pronoun for animate ''verbs'', not animate referents.


== Table of classes ==
== Table of classes ==
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Toaq animacy classes
|+ Toaq animacy classes
! Nr. !! Class !! Pronoun !! Example
! Nr. !! Class !! Pronoun !! Example !! Meaning
|-
|-
| 0 || ({{t|raı}} alone) || ({{t|ráı}}) || {{t|sa rảı}}
| I || Animate || {{t|hó}} || {{t|sá poq}} || a person
|-
|-
| I || Animate verbs || {{t|hó}} || {{t|sa pỏq}}
| II || Inanimate || {{t|máq}} || {{t|sá jıo}} || a building
|-
|-
| II || Inanimate verbs || {{t|máq}} || {{t|sa jỉo}}
| III || Abstract || {{t|hóq}} || {{t|sá sıo}} || an idea
|-
|-
| III || Abstract verbs || {{t|hóq}} || {{t|sa sỉo}}
| IV || Descriptive || {{t|tá}} || {{t|sá de}} || something pretty
|}
 
=== Verb animacy classes ===
<div style="text-align: center; display: inline-block; float: right;">
<div style="background-color: #fcc; padding: 2em; padding-top: 1em">
<strong style="font-size: larger">Class I – <b style="color: #c00">{{t|ho}}</b></strong>
<p>For living beings and their actions.</p>
{| style="margin: 0 auto; table-layout: fixed;"
| style="font-size: 200%; width: 2em" | 🧒
| style="font-size: 200%; width: 2em" | 🐕
| style="font-size: 200%; width: 2em" | 🏊
| style="font-size: 200%; width: 2em" | 🗣️
|-
| {{t|deo}} || {{t|kune}} || {{t|lıaı}} || {{t|kuq}}
|-
| child || dog || swims || says
|}
</div>
<div style="background-color: #fdc; padding: 2em; padding-top: 1em">
<strong style="font-size: larger">Class II – <b style="color: #c80">{{t|maq}}</b></strong>
<p>For inanimate tangible things.</p>
{| style="margin: 0 auto; table-layout: fixed;"
| style="font-size: 200%; width: 2em" | 🥝
| style="font-size: 200%; width: 2em" | ⛰️
| style="font-size: 200%; width: 2em" | 📦
| style="font-size: 200%; width: 2em" | 🔥
|-
|-
| IV || Adjective verbs || {{t|tá}} || {{t|sa dẻ}}
| {{t|zeo}} || {{t|meı}} || {{t|tıaı}} || {{t|loe}}
|-
|-
| V || {{tone|5}} clauses || {{t|róu}} || {{t|dûa jí sıa rảı}}
| fruit || mountain || box || flame
|}
</div>
<div style="background-color: #ccf3dd; padding: 2em; padding-top: 1em">
<strong style="font-size: larger">Class III – <b style="color: #090">{{t|hoq}}</b></strong>
<p>For abstract (intangible) concepts.</p>
{| style="margin: 0 auto; table-layout: fixed;"
| style="font-size: 200%; width: 2em" | 🌃
| style="font-size: 200%; width: 2em" | 🔠
| style="font-size: 200%; width: 2em" | ☯️ 
| style="font-size: 200%; width: 2em" | 🚭
|-
|-
| VI || {{t|lu}} phrases || {{t|kúy}} || {{t|lú tảo jí hóa}}
| {{t|nuaq}} || {{t|laı}} || {{t|chuaq}} || {{t|juao}}
|-
|-
| VII || {{t|po}} phrases || {{t|zé}} || {{t|pó sa gỉ}}
| night || letter || ideology || rule
|}
</div>
<div style="background-color: #ccf; padding: 2em; padding-top: 1em">
<strong style="font-size: larger">Class IV – <b style="color: #33c">{{t|ta}}</b></strong>
<p>For words that could apply to many things.</p>
{| style="margin: 0 auto; table-layout: fixed;"
| style="font-size: 200%; width: 2em" | 💨
| style="font-size: 200%; width: 2em" | ✨
| style="font-size: 200%; width: 2em" | ☕
| style="font-size: 200%; width: 2em" | 🌈
|-
|-
| VIII || Personal pronouns || {{t|fúy}} || {{t|nháo}}
| {{t|suaı}} || {{t|de}} || {{t|loq}} || {{t|reo}}
|-
|-
| IX || Demonstratives || {{t|bóu}} || {{t|ní}}
| fast || beautiful || warm || colorful
|}
|}
</div>
<div style="font-size: smaller; padding: 1em">The main verb animacy classes. <br>[[Media:AnimacyPoster.png|See image version.]]


Note the following distinction:
</div>
* Classes V through IX apply when the expression has a certain grammatical form.
</div>
* Classes 0 through IV apply depending on the "main" '''verb animacy class''' of a determiner phrase.


=== Verb animacy classes ===
Every Toaq verb belongs to some verb animacy class:
Every Toaq verb belongs to some verb animacy class:
* If the verb is {{t|raı}}, it's in '''class 0''' (the class containing only {{t|raı}}).
* If the verb necessarily implies animacy/sentience of its subject, it's in '''class I''' ({{t|hó}}).
* If the verb necessarily implies animacy of its subject, it's in '''class I''' ({{t|hó}}).
*: ''Examples:'' {{t|poq, naq, kato, che, be, deo, mıe, koı, moı, tao, fıeq, jaı…}}
** Examples: {{t|poq, naq, kato, che, be, deo, mıe…}}
* If the verb describes some other tangible object, it's in '''class II''' ({{t|máq}}).
* If the verb describes some other tangible object, it's in '''class II''' ({{t|máq}}).
** Examples: {{t|cea, kıoq, haq, toq, nao, hoe…}}
*: ''Examples:'' {{t|cea, kıoq, haq, toq, nao, hoe…}}
* If the verb describe an abstract concept or idea, it's in '''class III''' ({{t|hóq}}).
* If the verb describe an abstract concept or idea, it's in '''class III''' ({{t|hóq}}).
** Examples: {{t|noı, daq, dao, sıo, muı, zu…}}
*: ''Examples:'' {{t|noı, daq, dao, sıo, muı, zu…}}
* Other verbs are in '''class IV''' ({{t|tá}}).
* Other verbs are in '''class IV''' ({{t|tá}}).
** Examples: {{t|doq, nuı, juı, lıo, muo, raq, daı, de…}}
*: ''Examples:'' {{t|doq, nuı, juı, lıo, muo, raq, daı, de…}}
 
(TODO: what is the animacy class of verbs that imply action or thought of the subject? I think they're class I also, but I'm not sure. {{t|koı, moı, tao, fıeq, jaı…}}?)


=== Which is the "main" class? ===
There is one exception: the verb {{t|raı}}. This is so that we can use {{t|raı}} as a dummy verb whose only role is to bind {{t|ráı}} for later use, e.g.,
How do we determine the animacy class of a DP like {{t|sa dẻ pỏq}} — a [[serial]] of a class-IV and a class-I word?
:; {{t|Sá raı nä dua jí, ꝡä bu bo jí ráı da.}}
:: ''There are some things I know I don’t own.''
Variables (words starting with the prefix {{t|nha-}}) also behave this way.


An [https://discord.com/channels/311223912044167168/889589074011230230/926472970518548490 unofficially proposed rule] seems to boil down to: "use the first non-class-IV word's class, if possible; otherwise use class IV".
In a serial verb, the first verb determines the animacy.

Latest revision as of 15:36, 20 November 2023

Toaq has a system of grammatical animacy.

Any noun phrase belongs to one of four classes, each with its own word for “he/she/they/it” that refers back to the most recent noun phrase belonging to that class. (This system of anaphoric pronouns is the only place in Toaq where this animacy distinction comes up, so the classes are known varyingly as animacy classes, anaphora classes, or pronominal classes.)

Grammatical, rather than natural animacy

Toaq's animacy being "grammatical" means that it is a property of expressions, not of their referents.

If you know some Spanish, it's like "grammatical gender" in that language. La persona is feminine, even if the person you're talking about isn't necessarily female.

Toaq's pronouns work the same way: if you describe a person as sá sao ("someone big"), the appropriate pronoun to refer to them later in the sentence is tá (“itdescriptive”), because sao has the "descriptive" animacy. It's not correct to use hó, because that's the pronoun for animate verbs, not animate referents.

Table of classes

Toaq animacy classes
Nr. Class Pronoun Example Meaning
I Animate hó sá poq a person
II Inanimate máq sá jıo a building
III Abstract hóq sá sıo an idea
IV Descriptive tá sá de something pretty

Verb animacy classes

Class I – ho

For living beings and their actions.

🧒 🐕 🏊 🗣️
deo kune lıaı kuq
child dog swims says

Class II – maq

For inanimate tangible things.

🥝 ⛰️ 📦 🔥
zeo meı tıaı loe
fruit mountain box flame

Class III – hoq

For abstract (intangible) concepts.

🌃 🔠 ☯️ 🚭
nuaq laı chuaq juao
night letter ideology rule

Class IV – ta

For words that could apply to many things.

💨 ✨ ☕ 🌈
suaı de loq reo
fast beautiful warm colorful
The main verb animacy classes.
See image version.

Every Toaq verb belongs to some verb animacy class:

  • If the verb necessarily implies animacy/sentience of its subject, it's in class I (hó).
    Examples: poq, naq, kato, che, be, deo, mıe, koı, moı, tao, fıeq, jaı…
  • If the verb describes some other tangible object, it's in class II (máq).
    Examples: cea, kıoq, haq, toq, nao, hoe…
  • If the verb describe an abstract concept or idea, it's in class III (hóq).
    Examples: noı, daq, dao, sıo, muı, zu…
  • Other verbs are in class IV (tá).
    Examples: doq, nuı, juı, lıo, muo, raq, daı, de…

There is one exception: the verb raı. This is so that we can use raı as a dummy verb whose only role is to bind ráı for later use, e.g.,

Sá raı nä dua jí, ꝡä bu bo jí ráı da.
There are some things I know I don’t own.

Variables (words starting with the prefix nha-) also behave this way.

In a serial verb, the first verb determines the animacy.

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