As I understand it, the practice of distinguishing between agent (ergative) and non-agent (absolutive), rather than between nonpatient (nominative) and patient (accusative) as is common in Indo-European languages.
For a 'very' brief overview of different case-marking systems, see http://www.xibalba.demon.co.uk/jbr/ranto/r.html — part of a rant against Esperanto, but you can ignore that here; this appendix focuses only on cases. Ergative languages use approach (E) in his list.
How do we express this in Lojban? gausmi?
- gernrgativiti --And (mi stidi)
Unfortunately English not always marks this distinction (e.g. "return",
the infamous keyword of xruti)... See Ergativity.
Non-Agentive form & it's corresponding Agentive:
cfari | begins | cfagau | initiates |
denpa | pauses | depygau | delays |
tolcfa | comes to a stop | sisti/dicra | halts/interrupts) |
sezyxru | reverts | xruti | restores |
cenba | varies | cenbygau/cnegau | alters |
jelca | burns | jelgau | ignites |
snura | is secure | bandu | protects |
masno | is slow | snogau/jabre | retards/brakes) |
muvdu | moves | muvgau | causes to move |
mrobi'o | dies | catra | kills |
banro | develops | banrygau | nurtures |
zenba | increases | zengau | augments |
banzu | suffices | bazgau | fulfills |
culno | is full | tisna | fills |
basti | takes the place of | basygau | replaces |
klama | goes | bevri | conveys |
bilma | is sick | bilmygau | sickens |
bredi | is ready | redgau | prepares |
carna | turns | cargau | rotates |
selcfipu | is confused | cfipu | confuses |
cilre | learns | ctuca | teaches |
ckeji | feels ashamed | kejgau | humiliates |
kakne | is able | curmi | allows |
curve | is pure | cuvgau | purifies |
danfu | is an answer | dafsku/frati | replies |
drani | is correct | dragau | rectifies |
farlu | falls | falgau | drops |
fatne | is backwards | fatygau | reverses |
febvi | comes to a boil | fabgau | boils |
porpi | comes apart | popygau | breaks |
fukpi | is a copy | fukyzba | duplicates |
gacri | is a cover | gairgau | covers over |
ganlo | is closed | ganlygau | closes |
gusni | illumines | gusygau | illuminates |
jdika | contracts | jdikygau | decreases |
jinru | bathes | jirgau | immerses |
jorne | is joined to | jongau | connects |
katna | cutter | katnygau | cuts |
burcu | brush | bruzu'e | paints |
komcu | is a comb | komzu'e | combs |
korcu | is bent | krogau | bends |
krefu | repeats | refygau | causes to recur |
kunti | is empty | kutygau | vacates |
gapru | is above | lafti | lifts |
lunbe | is bare | lubgau | denudes |
manku | is dark | mangau | darkens |
mapti | fits | matygau | matches |
muvdu | is in motion | muvgau | moves |
selnupre | is a promise | nupre | promises |
pagre | penetrates | gregau | causes to penetrate |
panlo | is a slice | panlyzba | slices |
pijne | is a pin | pijnylasna | pins |
pindi | is poor | pidgau | impoverishes |
preti | is a question | retsku/tese preti | asks a question |
preja | expands | pejgau | spreads |
cpana | is on | punji | puts on/at |
zvati | at | punji | puts on/at |
punli | is a swelling | pulgau | swells |
ranji | lasts | ranjygau | causes to last (makes lasting) |
ranti | is soft | rangau | softens |
ricfu | is rich | cfugau | enriches |
panzi | offspring | rorci | procreates |
viknu | is thick | viknygau | thickens |
ruble | is weak | blegau | weakens |
runme | is melting | rumgau | makes melt |
runta | dissolves | runtygau | makes dissolve |
sepli | is apart | fendi | divides |
nenri | is within | setca | inserts |
jbini | is between | setca | interposes |
spoja | explodes | pojgau | blows up |
sraku | is sharp | rakygau | scratches |
sudga | is dry | sudgau | dries off |
sutra | is fast | sutygau | hastens |
tcena | stretches | tengau | extends |
terpa | fears | tepygau | frightenss |
tinsa | is stiff | tensygau | stiffens |
titla | is sweet | titygau | sweetens |
tordu | is short | torgau | shortens |
tsali | is strong | tsagau | strengthens |
tsapi | ia a spice | tsapygau | seasons |
vasru | contains | vasygau | encloses |
vlipa | is powerful | vligau | empowers |
vreji | is a record of | rejgau | records |
vrusi | is a flavor | vusyga'e | tastes |
panci | is an odor | sumne | smells |
zasti | exists | zbasu | creates |
zekri | is a crime | zerzukte | commits a crime |
zifre | is free | zifygau | liberates |
(There are doubtless others.)
- The place structure of xruti has changed during its history...
- A note here says (1994) that xruti was to become non-agentive, although it remains agentive on the gismu lists of 9-6-94.
- I will have to check my notes, but IIRC the non-agentive meaning was changed to the present agentive at about the same time as the Great Rafsi Shift.
- Lojban distinguishes forms of causation...One could extend the foregoing series with each of the others.
- One must also consider the "hidden doers", those with non-x1 agent places:
- smuni has meaning
-------tersmu interprets - tatpi is tired
------seltatpi tires - fengu is angry
------selfengu angers - torni is twisting
-------seltorni twists - xalni is panicked
-------selxalni terrifies - zgike is music
------selzgi makes music
- smuni has meaning
That's a very useful list. We shouldn't overlook the usefulness of zil-, though:
- zilsti comes to a stop
- sisti halts (or dicra interrupts)
- zilxru reverts
- xruti restores
- zilcatra dies
- catra kills
- zilcfipu is confused
- cfipu confuses
--And
- Wouldn't "is killed" be better as a translation than "dies"? That is, there has to be a killer or there isn't really any catraing involved. I'd use mrobi'o (become dead) for just plain dying "without a cause". (And I'm not sure whether consensus was reached on the usage of zil- in this manner. xu la .andban. lojbo?) --mi'e filip
- It's a reasonable suspicion to have when I say something, but in this instance it's pretty uncontroversial, at least among the jboskepre. (I can't speak for nonjboskpre, since I don't get to hear their relevant views.)