The BG Language Creation Guide
Translation Task
Here is some summary information about the morphosyntax of the Liqupa language and a sampling of lexical items. Use these to gloss and translate the sentences at the bottom of the page.
Here is an answer and explanation. Other, slightly different translations are possible.
Phonology
The Liqupa syllable is CV only but a word final /q/ is permitted.
If combining morphemes results in a
syllable ending in /q/ appearing in the middle of a word, and if the next syllable also begins with a consonat, the /q/ must be deleted. For example:
malaq = yak
-ma = plural
* malaq-ma yak-plural
mala-ma yak-plural yaks
Morphosyntactic Information
- Liqupa is an OSV language.
- Verbs agree with the person of the subject. An inflectional prefix is used on the verb to indicate this agreement. These prefixs are as follows:
- 1st person = i-;
- 2nd person = a-;
- 3 = u-.
- Tense is marked with a bound inflectional prefix which comes between the verb root and the agreement marker. These morphemes are -pa- past tense, and -na- future tense. Present tense is unmarked.
- Thus, the order of verbal morphemes is agreement-tense-verb.
- There are no articles.
- -a is a derivational suffix which changes nouns into verbs.
- Plural is marked on nouns by a bound inflectional suffix on the noun. This plural morpheme has four allomorphs, but only one is shown in the data below.
Function Words: Pronouns
Here is the pronominal system:
- 1s i | 1p imi
- 2s a | 2p ama
- 3s u | 3p umu
Content Words
Note that you should not (under ordinary circumstances) list infelcted forms as separeate entries. that is, 'bird' should appear, but not 'birds'. this list is deliberately
constructed as an aid to understanding translation: not as an example of a proper lexicon.
- bird: pipa
- birds: pipama
- catch: mama
- child: miciya
- disagreement: huhu
- duck: daq
- fish: maqu
- go: sasa
- person: mici
- small: -ya (bound suffix)
- swim: maqusa
- touch: (verb) nini
- walk (verb) micisa
Sentences to Translate
Translate and gloss the following into Liqupa
- The child swims.
- The bird will walk.
- The little duck caught the fish.
- You touch the children.
- the birds disagree.
Updated 4/26/2009