The assignment is to develop the syntax and semantics of your language.
Part 1: Syntax
1.1. What is the basic word order in your language: SOV, VSO, SVO, etc.? Provide an example sentence with a transitive verb something like this: The squirrel buried the acorn. (5 points)
Subject-object-verb (SOV) 41% Subject-verb-object (SVO) 35%
Verb-subject-object (VSO) 7% Verb-object-subject (VOS) 2%
Object-verb-subject (OVS) 0.8% Object-subject-verb (OSV) 0.3%
No dominant order 14%
1.2. Provide Phrase Structure Rules of the type
NP (AP) N
and examples in your language with translation for all ten structures below. (3 points each; 30 total). Please follow the examples carefully, and note if your language is different from the patterns in English below.
1.2.1. Provide the rule and a glossed and translated example of a Determiner in relation to the Noun (e.g. a dog)
So, write your answer like: NP Det N /u ʃɑ̃w̃/ ‘the dog’
1.2.2. Provide the rule and a glossed and translated example of a Degree (Intensifier) word in relation to the Adjective (e.g. very good)
1.2.3. Provide the rule and a glossed and translated example of an Adjective in relation to the Noun .
1.2.4. Provide the rule and a glossed and translated example of an Adposition in relation to the Noun Phrase .
1.2.5. Provide the rule and a glossed and translated example of a transitive Verb in relation to the Noun Phrase Direct Object .
1.2.6. Provide the rule and a glossed and translated example of Verb Phrase that takes a Complementizer Phrase (or S) as its complement .
1.2.7. Provide an example of a conjoined Noun Phrase
1.2.8. Provide an example of a conjoined Verb Phrase .
1.2.9. Provide an example of conjoined main clauses.
1.2.10. Provide an example of complex verb phrase with infinitival complement .
1.3. Provide examples and glosses of the following statement/question pairs.
1.3.1. The woman is here. Is the woman here?
1.3.2. The woman is not here. Is the woman not here?
1.3.3. The man is there. Who is there?
1.3.4. The boy’s dog chases cats. Whose dog chases cats?
1.3.5. The teacher saw her student. Whom did the teacher see?
1.3.6. The mother gave her child a hug. To whom did the mother give a hug?
1.3.7. The mother gave her child a hug. What did the mother give her child?
1.3.8. They went to the store. Where did they go?
For reference, here are some of the Phrase Structure Rules of English. Remember, your language can have a different linear order.
S NP (AUX) VP AUX = Auxiliary Verbs like can, will, might, should, infinitival to etc.
NP (Det) (AP) N (PP)
AP (Deg) A (PP) Deg = Degree or Intensifier like very, rather, quite, somewhat
PP P NP
VP V NP
VP V S
S COMP S COMP = Complementizer like that, if, whether
NP NP CONJ NP CONJ = Conjunction like and, or, nor, but
VP VP CONJ VP
S S CONJ S
