The
word order of Seediq is
verb–object–subject (VOS), where S corresponds to the argument marked with
absolutive case. This argument ordinarily occurs clause-finally, but may be followed by a
topicalized ergative argument. Like many of its other Austronesian relatives, Seediq contains voice
morphemes marked on the verb which indicate which of the verb's arguments (agent, patient, etc.) is treated as the subject and thus marked with
absolutive case. In noun phrases, modifiers follow the head (Tsukida 2005:304). Unlike Tagalog and many other Philippine languages, there are no linkers connecting the heads and modifiers.
Clauses There are three types of Seediq clauses (Tsukida 2005): • Interjection clauses • Basic clauses • Existential/possessive clauses Basic clauses have predicates (usually initial and consisting of single verbs, adjectives, or noun phrases), subjects, and optionally non-subject arguments and adjuncts. Subjects can be recognized via (Tsukida 2005): • Voice affix • Clitic pronoun • Quantifier floating • Relativization • Possessum demotion
Function words Some function words are given below: •
ni – "and" (conjunction) •
deni – "and then" (conjunction) •
ʼu, duʼu, ga, dega – all meaning "in case that" (conjunction) •
nasi – "if" •
ʼana – "even" •
ka – subordinating conjunction, case marker, linker •
ʼini – negator •
ʼadi – negates noun phrase predicates, future/perfect verb forms •
wada – past •
naʼa – "had better, could have done..." •
dima – "already" •
hana – "just" •
yaʼasa – "because" •
niqan – existential predicate (like Tagalog "may") •
ʼungat – negative existential predicate (like Tagalog "wala") Deictics include (Tsukida 2009:132-133): • Demonstratives: •
niyi – this, this one •
ga/gaga – that, that one • kiya/ki – that, that one (referring to things previously referenced or mutually understood) • Deictic adverbials: •
hini – here •
hi/hiya – there There are a total of six prepositions (Tsukida 2005:303): •
quri – toward, about, in the direction of •
paʼah – from •
bitaq – until, up to •
saw – like •
ʼasaw – because of •
mawxay – for the sake of Stative locatives (e.g., "on the mountain") do not take on any prepositions, but are rather placed directly after the verb without any additional marking.
Predicate extenders Preverbal elements such as adverbs, demonstratives, and prepositions can be used to extend predicates. Below is a partial list of predicate extenders from Tsukida (2008:308). • Extenders that require
neutral verb forms •
wada – past •
ga(ga) – distal progressive •
niyi – proximal progressive •
gisu – progressive, state •
meha – future, "is going to do" •
(me-)teduwa – "be able to do" •
nasi – "if" •
naʼa – "could have done something but did not • Extenders that require
non-finite verb forms •
ʼasi ~ kasi – "at once, suddenly" •
pasi – "at once" •
kani – "one did not have to do something but did it" •
ʼini – negative •
ʼiya – negative imperative • Extenders that require
future forms •
saw – "is/was about to do" •
rubang – "was about to do" • Extenders that require
future/perfect forms of verbs/nouns •
ʼadi – negative • Extenders that are
combined with adjectives/nouns •
maʼa – "become" • Extenders
without specific requirements •
pekelug – "just" •
dima – "already" •
hana – "at last" •
ʼida – "surely" •
yaʼa – uncertainty •
wana – only •
ʼana – "even" •
ma – "why" •
ʼalung ~ ʼalaw ~ ʼarang – "as is expected" •
pida – exactly •
lengu – "planned to do..." •
binaw – confirmation •
ʼatih – "at the last moment," "nearly" •
seperang – "purposefully, on purpose" ==Pronouns==