"Do you have something for me?" (Double dative?)

Started by Swoka Swizaw, December 28, 2011, 12:14:10 PM

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Plumps

Quote from: Tirea Aean on January 05, 2012, 01:40:33 PM
well yeah but thats because Many German prepositions cause noun case change, typically to dative or accusative. in na'vi, the opposite is true: prepositions cause the noun to have No case.

ngaru tìyawr nìlun, ma 'eylan...

But that makes it sometimes a bit difficult for some German speakers to understand the case endings in Na'vi... e.g. ayeylanur oeyä etc. In German this is an meine Freunde (which is accusative ;) )

But BTT :P



Blue Elf

Quote from: Tanri on January 04, 2012, 04:12:36 PM
Quote from: wm.annis on January 04, 2012, 03:58:01 PM
Language is not bound by formal logic. :)  I can easily name you languages which not only allow double-datives (or double-accusatives), but require them in certain constructions.  My college Latin teacher called one "the dirty double dative."
Unless Pawl says it is forbidden, I would avoid saying it's not possible, especially given how many things the dative is used for in Na'vi.
OK, got the message :D
off topic
But those identically case marked constituents must be bound by some other rules - word order, combination with another part of the sentence etc... I hardly believe that truly independent, identically marked (thus interchangeable) constituents, can be used in meaningful sentence.
/off topic
What rule works in languanges:
- what is not prohibited (by known rules), it is allowed
or
- if something is not allowed (not defined by known rules), it is prohibited? ;D
I tend to agree with Tanri - until we get rules from Paul
Oe lu skxawng skxakep. Slä oe nerume mi.
"Oe tasyätxaw ulte koren za'u oehu" (Limonádový Joe)


Tirea Aean

it's always safer, imho to assume it's not allowed until proven that it is. (yet nume = vtr. is something that has been practiced SO often, i thought for SURE it was until I looked. O_O)

of course I won't shoot someone down on reaching out on faith if something has not been defined by a rule. I will just say, be careful what you learn, because if it turns out differently than you thought, you have some UNlearning and RElearning to do ;D

wm.annis


Tirea Aean