Adamics 2: Pidgin Sentences
Last time we looked at how the orphaned space-babies (i.e. the Adamics) generated vocabulary in the first generation. Now let’s look at how they put that vocabulary together.
Sentence Structure
Sentences have no set structure, but are built from basic concepts to more explicit
=I want something
=I want food!
=I want a lot of food!
=I want (someone) to give me a lot of food!
papapa=I want mother(or father) to give me a lot of food.
Other possible sentence structures change the emphasis of the sentence (with help from textmechanic):
papapa wa mapi=give me something, mother. A lot of food
papapa wa mapi =Mother, a lot of food. Give it!
mapi papapa=Give me something a lot. food, mother.
There is a lot of potential for ambiguity.
papapa papayu=The mother bites the child or The child bites the mother.
Ambiguity might be avoided by including the object in the verb-gesture
papapa papayu>=The mother bites the child.
<grasping papapa mapa> papayu=The child bites the mother.
Since importance to the speaker determines word order, the first word is also usually the subject of the sentence.
papapa =The mother bites the child.
Putting the child first but keeping it within the verb-gesture allows the child to be the head of the sentence without losing its status as the object of the verb.
papapa=The child is bitten by the mother.
There are no embedded clauses, but sentences follow each other with logical connections left up to the listener.
papapa = That child doesn’t have food (so) mother, give (that) child food. Please, food give to that child.
Clearly, there’s a lot missing. Where are pronouns? Indirect objects? Tenses and moods? And what do Adamics do for gestures when they can’t see each other and gestures are useless?
Remember that this earliest form of Adamic is only a sort of pigeon. It won’t become a creole until the Next Generation. I hope you’ll tune in.
In the mean time, here is the complete vocab list for First Gen. Adamic.
nouns
papa=a person
papapa=a parent
payu=a robot
panu=a control
papapanu=a ruler
papayu=a child
payuyi=an animal
mama=liquid food
mamama=milk
mapi=solid food
mapiyi=meat
mamapi=porridge
mamapiyi=meat stew
mamayi=blood
kaka=an object
kakaka=a turd
kawa=a substance
kawama=an inedible liquid
kakapi=a chunk
kakakawama=urine
adjectives
wa=big
pi=small
nu=tall
yi=not tall
ha=long
mu=not long
wu=thick
pu=thin
ya=wide
mi=narrow
na=not
verbs
grasping ma=to eat
grasping pa=to interact
grasping ka=to give
grasping mapa=to bite
pointing ma=to dwell
pointing pa=to be functional
pointing ka=to have
waving ma=to be born
waving pa=to turn on
waving ka=to die
