The BG Language Creation Guide

#10: Syntax

1. Do you have articles? How do you show definite and indefinite forms? Note that the best answer to this question is a bit of a cop out. Each language which has definite articles follows different rules and has different details for their use. So, while it is true that both english and Spanish have definite and indefinite articles, there are places where Spanish uses the definite article where English does not. Creating a new set of rules for when to use definite articles is beyond the scope of this project. Choose one of the possibilities below and be prepared to stick with it:
   • Your language has no articles.
   • Your language has a definite article and no indefinite article. Create it and describe its allomorphs if any. The definite article works the same way as the English one does.
   • Your language has an indefinite article and no definite article. Create it and describe its allomorphs if any. The indefinite article works the same way as the English one does.
   • Your language has both a definite and indefinite article. Create them and describe their allomorphs if any. They work the same way as the English ones do.
2. What is the order of subject, object and verb in your language? Translate and gloss the following sentences to demonstrate.

   As you translate the first sentence, you will notice that you do not have the verb that precisely corresponds to 'light'. Translation is not just a matter of plugging words like puzzle pieces from one language to another. Ask yourself what the sentence means and choose words from your language that will convey that meaning. Work with what you have: do not create new words each time you come upon a tricky bit of translation. You can translate this sentence with the verbs you made in step 6.

   • We lit a fire.
   • We do not eat fish.
3. How normal is this in the context of languages of the world?
4. To indicate location and other relationships, do you use prepositions, postpositions, prefixes, infixes, circumfixes or suffixes?
5. What are your words (or affixes) for the following:
   • toward
   • away (from)
   • on (meaning on top of)
   • under
   • in
   • out
   • near
6. Translate and gloss the following to demonstrate.
   • in the tree
   • near the river
7. What is the order of noun and adjective? Are there exceptions? What kind of exceptions are there? Translate and gloss the following to demonstrate. (Note that you did this in step 8: if there are no changes, simply reuse those here).
   • dark sky
   • small children
8. Coordination: make words for
   • because
   • but
   • or
   • and
9. Write and gloss the sentences below:.
   • We do not drink the river water because fish swim in it.
   • We do not eat fish or birds.
   • We eat seeds and xx (Fill in the name of a vegetable here).
   • We swim a lot but we do not drink the river water.
10. Based on what you know about typology and universals, how do your choices of word order rules fit (numbers 2 4 and 6 above) together? Do they contradict one another or are the relationships as expected?