Proto-Alri syntax

Main article: Proto-Alri

This page gives an extensive description of Proto-Alri syntactical features.

Main clause and word order

Proto-Alri is an almost strictly SOV (Subject-Object-Verb) language.

ṫiʡek̇ə laje majrow
the man sees the dog

The quite rich case system allows every other possible word order, but most of them prove to be very marked and infrequently used. The only word order with a clear role and a frequent usage is OSV (Object-Subject-Verbs), which marks the so-called passive construct.

laje ṫiʡek̇ə majrow
the dog is seen by the man

The other elements in the sentence are usually placed in the order “place-manner-cause-time”, although they are basically freer than the main elements. An object in the dative case, when conveying the indirect object, can be freely placed before or after the direct object of the sentence, with a slight tendence to be placed after it.

khjenek̇ə sowʡe lajeʈu k̇oʂu / khjenek̇ə lajeʈu sowʡe k̇oʂu
the man gives bread to the dog / the man gives the dog bread

A peculiar feature is the agreement system of nouns with nominal forms of verbs. The subject of a deverbal nominal form is treated as the original point of an action and it is declined in the ablative case, while the possible direct object is treated as the final point of an action and it is declined in the terminative case.

majre lajeʈu ṫiʡeʡo
the man's sight of the dog

Nouns

The noun cluster is formed by a noun, carrying the main meaning, and by other noun-type forms, namely adjectives, which specify this meaning or add other meanings to the main noun. Inside of a noun cluster, the noun can be replaced by a pronoun.

The noun usually closes the noun cluster, being preceded by every other specifying form. Thus, other elements conveying possession and belonging are always placed before the noun, as well as every attributive adjective.

ṫiʡeṗu tojme
the man’s house

ami kʰijre
my hand

səjmi sajre
the young woman

The role of the noun cluster in the sentence and its number are marked by case and number endings. These endings mark also other adjectival elements inside the noun cluster, resulting this in the process called nominal agreement.

Both attributive and predicative adjectives agree in case and number with the noun they specify. Other elements, which convey possession or belonging do not agree with the main nominal form.

səjmi kʰjene tojmeʈu patow
the young man is going home

səjmik̇ə kʰjenek̇ə sowʡe wabʰow
the young man is bringing the bread

amiwa tojmewa
in our house

ṫiʡeṗu tojmewa
in the man's house

səjmij sajrej
the young women

sajrej səjmij imowij
the women are young

The grammar role of noun clusters can be further specified by postpositions, which are placed after the cluster. Thus, it can be stated that the noun cluster can be closed by a postposition.

tojmeʈu ṫa patowm
I am going inside the house

The cases

The grammatical role of the noun cluster in a sentence is conveyed by some endings. These endings are bound to grammatical cases, with usually well-defined roles.

The cases in Proto-Alri language are 9:

• Ergative
• Assolutive
• Possessive
• Terminative
• Ablative
• Causative
• Benefactive
• Instrumental
• Locative

The grammatical roles and all possible differences in usage among similar cases are enlisted below: