Danny Wier wrote:


>From: "Jake X" <[log in to unmask]>
>
>> No, proverb is not an actual term. It's just carrying on the tradition of
>> "pronoun" i.e. in place of a noun.
>> For example, the following sentence.
>>
>> Mohammad Ali converted.
>>
>> You can change "Mohammad Ali," to "he," and he stands in place of the
>> subject.
>>
>> My friends and I were thinking about words that could have the same
>function
>> as a pronoun only with verbs. For example:
>>
>> Mohammamed Ali converted, and others "did so."
>>
>> In English, I cannot think ov a word that follows that function to clone
a
>> previously mentioned verb. But it was theoretical.

Well, you just used a proverb "did (so)"; it's just that the technical term
probably isn't used outside of linguistics classrooms......
>
>Oh I'm sorry, I had you wrong. You do have a good point. I guess the best
we
>can do for a verb substitute is to use "to do". It does sort of represent
>the "generic verb".
>
>But you have to use "to be" if you want to replace stative or passive
verbs,
>so it's not universal

Along with forms of "have".  Brit.Engl. uses "do" in places where US
wouldn't--
"He doesn't seem as happy as he used to do" or somesuch IIRC.
>
>So y'all's conlangs... what do you have that might relate?


Colloquial Kash can use _yale_ 'there is/are' where we would have 'be' or
'do' (or repeat the previous verb in more formal usage); or the perf. marker
_mende_ when perf. tenses are involved. Mostly in answer to questions
however.

H. hanahanga? 'are you eating?' (ha- 2s, nahan, -ka Q)
K. yale 'yes, I am' (ta yale 'no I'm not)

Ç: yacosaka? 'did he go?
C: yale 'yes, he did' (ta yale 'no, he didn't)

S: mende inahanga? 'have they eaten?"
T: mende 'yes, they have' (ta mende)

Otherwise you have to do things like:
melo macosa, omo ta melo erek 'I want to go, but erek doesn't (want to)'


>
>~Danny~