Fluid-S-like sentences

[Creyeditor]

I swam as fast as I could.
The boat floated on the water.
I slipped and fell.
The boy slid elegantly over the clear ice.


Ich schwamm so schnell, wie ich konn-te.
1.SG.NOM swim\PST.IND.1.SG so fast like can\-1.SG.IND.PST
I swam as fast as I could.

Das Boot schwamm auf dem Wasser.
DEF.N.SG.NOM boat swim\PST.IND.1.SG on DEF.N.SG.DAT water
The boat floated on the water.

Ich rutsch-te aus und fiel hin.
1.SG.NOM slide-PST.IND.1.SG of and fall\PST.IND.1.SG to.
I slipped and fell.

Der Junge rutsch-te elegant über das Glatteis.
DEF.M.SG.NOM slide-PST.IND.3.SG elegant over DEF.N.SG.ACC clear_ice
The boy slid elegantly over the clear ice.

These sentences examplify the difference in volition, that isn't expressed in English (nor German) gramatically. In certain other languages the case of the subject varies according to volition and control.
This is called fluid-S alignment.

[zee]

English
I swam as fast as I could.
The boat floated on the water.
I slipped and fell.
The boy slid elegantly over the clear ice.

Ejnog
Dal til kome til ked nugedj
/dæl tɪl komə tɪl kɛd nu:xɛʒ/
1sg-NOM CNJ 'fast' CNJ 'can' 'swim'-PST
Al Tanki u ad Puler flugedj
/æl tænki: u: æd pu:lə flu:xɛʒ/
DEF-NOM 'boat' CNJ DEF-LOC 'water' 'float'-PST
Dal envuptedj v ossikonedj
/dæl envu:ptɛʒ və osi:konɛʒ/
1sg-NOM 'slip'-PST CNJ 'fall'-PST
Al Kergon pï ad Bered mudji gugedj cucami
/æl kɛrxon pji: æd bɛrɛd mu:ʒi: xu:xɛʒ tsu:tsæmi:/
DEF-NOM 'boy' CNJ DEF-LOC 'ice' 'clear' 'slide'-PST 'elegant'

[H.Á.]

Ésméstomít ordzoapél, ekiut aeltupél.
[ɛæ̯s.mɛæ̯s.tʊˌmɪə̯t ˈor.zʌˌʰpɛæ̯ˈl‿e.ʰkɨt ˈæl.tʏˌʰpɛæ̯l]
ADV-fast-COMP swim-PST.IMMEDIATE-1.SG.IND CNJ-ESS can-PST.IMMEDIATE-1.SG.IND
és-mésto-mít ordzoa-p-él ek-iut aeltu-p-él
= I swam as fast as I could.

Mok állys vátys joiðuvpak.
[mok‿ˈaʊ̯.ɬys ˈʋaʊ̯.ʰtys ˈjʌ.ðʏˌʰpak]
Boat-ABS water-SUPE along float-PROG-PST.IMMEDIATE-3.SG.IND
mok-ø áll-ys vátys joið-uv-p-ak
= The boat floated on the water.

Irdøepél ða udaẋepél.
[ˈɦi.rœɪˌʰpɛæ̯l ða ˈɦu.ða.xʷɪˌʰpɛæ̯l]
slip-PST.IMMEDIATE-3SG.IND and fall-PST.IMMEDIATE-3SG.IND
irdøe-p-él ða udaẋe-p-él
= I slipped and fell.

Kjódza harak hrápenys vátys ésboňa ðgarovpak.
[ˈɕɔʊ̯.d͡zɐ ˈha.ɾɐk ˈhɾaʊ̯.ʰpɪ̃ˌnys ˈʋaʊ̯.ʰtys‿ˈɛæ̯s.bʊ̃.ɲ̟ɐ ˈðga.ɾʊʋˌpak]
boy-ABS clear ice-SUPE POST ADV-elegant slide-PROG-PST.IMMEDIATE-3SG.IND
kjódza-ø harak hrápen-ys vátys és-boňa ðgaro-v-p-ak
= The boy slid elegantly over the clear ice.

Næniusk doesn't mark volition grammatically either, all subjects (in sentences 1 and 3 they were dropped) are in the absolutive case.

[DanH34]

I've changed the order of the sentences for organisational purposes.

Odd-numbered sentences use anti-causative verbs, which are marked as passive causative verbs.


1) I swam as fast as I could.
2) The boat floated on the water.
3) The boy slid quickly over the clear ice.
4) I slipped and fell.

Zidhgebzhail

1) vy ishoengkuif gAzmen hoeng vy gAunops.
v-y g ishk-oeng-uif g-Azme-n h-oeng v-y g-Au-n-o-ps
1-ABS-SG.M speed-ESSIVE-ADV PST-swim-SIMPLE REL-ESSIVE 1-ABS-SG.M PST-do-SIMPLE-REALIS-ABILITY
I swam as speedily as I was able to do.

2) zidh sontwath ha-gAzmen-iv.
zidh-Ø sont-wath ha-g-Azme-n-iv
boat-ABS.SG.M water-SUPERESSIVE.SG.M PASSIVE-PST-swim-SIMPLE-INSTIGATIVE
Boat floated on water.

3) zhief ishkuif njuftjim-glaivys gOupsien.
zhief-Ø ishk-uif njuft-jim-glaiv-ys g-Oupsie-n
boy-ABS.SG.M speed-ADV ice-PERLATIVE.SG.M-clear-ADJ PST-slide-SIMPLE
Boy slid speedily across clear ice.

4) vy ha-gOupsien-iv hiedzh ha-gAismien-iv
v-y ha-g-Oupsie-n-iv h-iedzh ha-g-Aismie-n-iv
1-ABS-SG.M PASSIVE-PST-slide-SIMPLE-INSTIGATIVE REL-and PASSIVE-PST-fall-SIMPLE-INSTIGATIVE
I slipped and fell.

[Imralu]

Swahili:

Niliogelea haraka iwezekanavyo.
ni-li-ogele-a haraka i-wezekan-a-vyo
1s-PST-swim-Ø quickly 9-be.possible-8.REL
I swam as fast as I could.
(= I swam as fast as possible.)

Mashua ilielea juu ya maji.
mashua i-li-ele-a juu y-a maji
boat(9/10) 9-PST-float-Ø top(9) 9-GEN water(6)
The boat floated on the water.

Niliteleza nikaanguka.
ni-li-telez-a ni-ka-anguk-a
1s-PST-slide-Ø 1s-SUBS-fall-Ø
I slipped and fell.
(I slid and fell.)

Mvulana aliteleza kwa madaha juu ya barafu safi.
mvulana a-li-telez-a kw-a madaha juu y-a barafu safi
boy(1) 1-PST-slide-Ø 15/17-GEN elegance(9) top(9) 9-GEN ice(9) clean/pure/clear
The boy slid elegantly over the clear ice.