Stonebreaker Language/Grammar/Prepositions

Prepositions

Work in Progress These are the little words like 'on', 'in', 'at' In the generic sense, these are more correctly referred to as 'adpositions'. In English, they can be used to modify a verb or noun or to complement verbs, nouns, adjectives or other adpositions.

In Stonebreaker, adpositions tend to be used to modify verbs, creating a phrasal verb. Examples include: Imidna: to go in Sulmisna: To put on Kumvenna: to come together.

Cases

The scope of the preposition is modified by tbe case of the object of the sentence. Where movement is indicated (for example into, out of, through) the Dative case is used. Where there is no movement or the preposition describes the status of the object, the Ablative, Accusative or Genitive case is used, depending on the meaning.

Examples:

Arka imid Barldomol (Dative): Arka goes into the Tavern

Arka ei im Barldomom (Ablative): Arka is in the Tavern

By using the correct cases, many concepts can be expressed without the use of prepositions. For example:

Arka avoy Ekk fekel Harnquistom: Arka looks at the axe made by Hanquist

Here the adposition 'a' (at) before the verb voyna modifies 'to see' to mean 'to look at'. This takes the Accusative (as the object of the sentence - in this case, the axe). Harnquist is expressed in the Instrumental case which conveys the meaning that the axe was made by him. Note that that in Stonebreaker, the Instrumental case is identical to the Ablative (used to express the concept of 'from').

Arka don Ekk Lordbugol: Arka gives the axe to Lordbug (Dative case to express 'to')

Putting these together:

Arka avoy Ekk fekel Harnquistom Lordgugol: Arka looks at the axe made by Harnquist for (to) Lordbug