Preverb marking: Difference between revisions

| PoS = particle

'''Preverb marking''' is an experimental {{tp|[[nasin}} for {{tp(meta)|[[toki ponanasin]]}}, that allows speakers towhich explicitly separateseparates the [[Preverb|preverbspreverb]] of a sentence from the main [[predicate]], often usingwith athe use of {{tp|[[nimi sin]]}}. This makes preverbs a grammatical position rather than a lexical class, allowing for the usage of all [[content word]]s as descriptors for a main state or process.

The words '''{{tp|ta}}''' and '''{{tp|ni}}''' are established options for a preverb-marking particle. Both work the same in practice, but one might be preferred to another in a given {{tp|nasin}} based off of disambiguation or intuitiveness. Similarly to {{tp|[[e]]}}, the meaning resulting from use of {{tp|ta}} and {{tp|ni}} varies depending on the type of word included in the preverb phrase.

For <em>transitive words</em>verbs (such as {{tp|alasa}}, where the object is the <em>patient</em> of the predicate), preverb phrases affect the main predicate by treating a preverb as a layer over the main predicate:

{{tok|mi utala <mark>ta</mark> toki e ni.}} → {{tok|mi utala e ni: mi toki e ni.}} → ''I resist saying that.''

For <em>intransitive words</em>verbs (such as {{tp|ken}}, where the object is made to be or do the predicate), the preverb phrase affects the main predicate by specifying the preverb word: