Possessive Markers
[(Aux) Verb (Neg) CP-S CP-Possessive]
In Láadan, there are several Possessive Markers that can be used, to describe how something belongs to something else. The Possessive marker will always come before any other ending markers.
You cannot add the Possessive marker to someone's name. You must add a pronoun to the sentence, that will "hold" the Possessive marker.
Remember that when using a Possessive marker, it is usually part of some larger case phrase, such as "He ate my sandwich" - sandwich would have the possessive marker, but the whole case phrase would also include "my". In the case of an object having a Possessive marker, the Possessive marker goes first, and then the marker of that CP as a whole. (Suzette Haden Elgin (1988), A First Dictionary and Grammar of Láadan, Second Edition, p. 50)
| Suffix | Meaning | Description |
|---|---|---|
| -tha | by reason of birth | Your eyes, hands, etc. |
| -thi | by reason of chance | Something that you acquired by luck or by chance. (Lotto winnings?) |
| -the | for unknown or unacknowledged reason | Something that you ended up with inexplicably. |
| -thu | the false (“partitive”) possessive | False ownership, "A dress of velvet", "A heart of stone", etc. |
| -tho | other (purchase, gift, law, custom, et cetera) | Used when not certain of the reason of ownership, but certain that there was one, and it is legitimate. |
(Suzette Haden Elgin (1988), A First Dictionary and Grammar of Láadan, Second Edition, p. 50)
Examples
Simple possessives:
| Láadan | English | Vocab words |
|---|---|---|
| oyi letha | My eyes. | oyi = eyes, le = me |
| ana lethe | My food. | ana = food |
| eba letho | My spouse. | eba = spouse |
Possessives in a sentence:
| Láadan | English | Vocab words |
|---|---|---|
| Báa aril yod eba netho? | Will your spouse eat? | aril = future, yod = to eat |
| Báa thal ana nethe? | Is your food alright? | thal = good |
Possessive markers on objects:
| Láadan | English | Vocab words |
|---|---|---|
| thom letho | My pillow | thom = pillow |
| Bóo dama ra ne thom lethoth. | Please don't touch my pillow. | dama = to touch with the skin, ne = you |
Object marker and possessive for a name:
| Láadan | English | Vocab words |
|---|---|---|
| Bíi eril eb le belid Meri bethoth wa. | I bought Mary's house. |
Here, bethoth is be-th-oth, singular-third-person, object-marker, and possessive-marker.