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Cleft: Difference between revisions
→nä with noun phrases: consequence of tenses
(Created page with "{{refgram|syntax|the cleft verb}} In Toaq, the word {{t|nä}} is used to create so-called '''clefts'''. A cleft is a complex sentence that rearranges the contents of a simple sentence. In English, this is often used for emphasis (<i>It is <u>my purse</u> that they stole</i>). In Toaq, this functionality already lives in focus markers, and so {{t|nä}} is primarily '''a tool for rearranging sentence structure'''. == {{t|nä}} with noun phrases == Imagine you’ve got...") |
(→nä with noun phrases: consequence of tenses) Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit Advanced mobile edit |
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<blockquote><poem> | <blockquote><poem> | ||
{{t|Choq jí {{orange|ké ujoq, ꝡë toeq do páopaopao jí hóa}} râo púchaq zûo, ꝡä tua poaq jí báq seoqkası da}} | {{t|Choq jí {{orange|ké ujoq, ꝡë toeq do páopaopao jí hóa}} râo púchaq zûo, ꝡä tua poaq jí báq seoqkası da}} | ||
<i>I used {{orange|that one hammer my great-grandfather passed down to me}} yesterday to crack some walnuts open.</i> | <i>I used {{orange|that one hammer my great-grandfather had passed down to me}} yesterday to crack some walnuts open.</i> | ||
</poem></blockquote> | </poem></blockquote> | ||
You’ll notice that the remaining content of the sentence unwieldily maneuvers around the large noun phrase. It’s like it doesn’t even belong there any more. (This is known as a violation of [[right-branching]] – we’re putting a large thing in the center of the clause.) | You’ll notice that the remaining content of the sentence unwieldily maneuvers around the large noun phrase. It’s like it doesn’t even belong there any more. (This is known as a violation of [[right-branching]] – we’re putting a large thing in the center of the clause.) | ||
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<blockquote><poem> | <blockquote><poem> | ||
{{t|<u>{{green|Ké ujoq, ꝡë toeq do páopaopao jí hóa}} nä</u> choq jí {{green|hóa}} râo púchaq zûo, ꝡä tua poaq jí báq seoqkası da}} | {{t|<u>{{green|Ké ujoq, ꝡë toeq do páopaopao jí hóa}} nä</u> choq jí {{green|hóa}} râo púchaq zûo, ꝡä tua poaq jí báq seoqkası da}} | ||
<i>{{green|That one hammer my great-grandfather passed down to me}}, I used {{green|it}} yesterday to crack some walnuts open.</i> | <i>{{green|That one hammer my great-grandfather had passed down to me}}, I used {{green|it}} yesterday to crack some walnuts open.</i> | ||
</poem></blockquote> | </poem></blockquote> | ||
The {{t|nä}}-phrase (underlined) sits comfortably in the corner of the clause. Elsewhere, we’re able to refer back to it using {{t|{{green|hóa}}}}. In this sense, the thing after {{t|nä}} serves the role of a [[relative clause]] which describes the fronted noun phrase. | The {{t|nä}}-phrase (underlined) sits comfortably in the corner of the clause. Elsewhere, we’re able to refer back to it using {{t|{{green|hóa}}}}. In this sense, the thing after {{t|nä}} serves the role of a [[relative clause]] which describes the fronted noun phrase. | ||