Word order
Word order relates to how words are placed within a sentence, and in which order words are placed within substructures of sentences.
Statements
In most cases the word phrases of a statement can be placed in any order, yet the lack of case markings for subject vs object creates a few impossibilities when translating into Delang.
- Inanimate object cannot be agent of a sentence.
A work around exist for this problem, as pronouns may be agent, even if relating to an inanimate object. For example, if you should want to translate the rather bizarre idea that a book, an inanimate object, could read a person, Alfonz, 'the book' would have to be put in a separate relative clause from the rest of the sentence:
| The book, it reads Alfonz Δеліберін, ані сіті Алƒҩнс[1] |
- If no case marking[2] are used, direct objects has to be distinguished from indirect object, or vice versa, by a preposition.
There is no work around for this issue in Delang. Unlike English, you just cannot distinguish between indirect and direct object, just by their word order.
Noun phrases
The basic noun phrase is non-modifying adjective - noun - modifying adjective. Lists of adjectives are only permitted when listed in a relative clause. A complete noun phrase may consist of sub-clauses, relative clauses, or a basic noun phrase.
Verb phrases
Verb phrases consists of tense particle - tense marker - verb - adverbial verbs - emphatic tense marker.
- The tense particle (ƒłе for past tense, and гłо for future tense) are placed before the noun phrase that is to be shifted from present tense into past or future tense. Such sentences will more often than not, lock itself into a subject-object-verb order.
- Tense markers are tense particle that are prefixed on the verb. A tense particle and a tense marker may exists at the same time, and they may be opposites of each other.
- Adverbial verbs can be normal verbs or verbs that are only use adverbially.
- An emphatic tense marker, usually ƒłе, are often found in null verb sentences to distinguish between a simple statement and an emphatic statement.
| I'm crazy - Ас ьѡасаьі, vs. I am crazy - Ас ьѡасаьі ƒłе |
