Syntax
1 min read · 143 words
Lemdjösi’s word order is VSO and Head-Initial. Verb phrases are ordered: [Verb] [Temporal PP] [Spacial PP] [Adverbs] [Particles]
Intransitive Examples
Riketše eġe tšy.
‘“They (two) do not sleep”’
Arlanafa lo.
‘“You (formal) swam”’
Transitive Examples
Dəlsa dži f̌œljyšœ.
‘“I was burning some leaves just now”’
Ata eġe su džilsensi.
‘“This is not a pipe.”’
Ditransitive Example
Janfa eġe la džim b̌imti.
‘“Y’all did not give me a fish”’
Negation
Sentences are negated with a particle eġe /e.ɣe/, which comes at the end of the verb phrase. The particle also comes after negated adjectives and adverbs.
Ata eġe lo tšymšilkœsi.
‘“You are not a beekeeper”’
Ata lo susə eġe tšymšilkœsi.
‘“You are a not-good beekeeper”’
Yes-No Questions
Yes-No questions are marked with a particle tšyri /t͡ʃy.ri/, which comes at the end of the verb phrase.
Santufa tšyri tši f̌ym?
‘“Did you know that?”’
Ƕœltše w̌ypem tšyri lo w̌ynsi?
‘“Are you in the habit of safely drinking blood?”’
Content Questions
Content questions are also marked with the question particle tšyri /t͡ʃy.ri/ at the end of the verb phrase. Content questions do not alter the word order.
Ata tšyri lo bom?
‘“Who are you?”’
Dəlta tšyri ƕe an əmtšurpə?
‘“What is burning in the clearing?”’