Re: IE lexical accent

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Peter P" <roskis@...> wrote:

> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, enlil@... wrote:
> > Peter:
> > > Kanoin koiran taloon.
> > > I carried (action finished) the dog (accusative)into the house.
> > >
> > > Kanoin koiraa taloon.
> > > I was carrying (imperfect action) a dog (partitive) into the
> house.
> >
> > Alright, then how does one say "I _carried a_ dog"?
> >
> >
> > = gLeN
>
> As you know Finnish does not use articles and English requires

them

> so we have to look at the context to decide which English article

to

> use. If you say 'a dog' then it is an unspecified dog and most
> likely found in the partitive case, because it is one example (or
> part) of many or all possible dogs.
>
> Perhaps if I gave a clearer example if would help.
>
> Join veden (accusative)
> I drank (or was drinking) (all) the water.
>
> Join vettä (partitive)
> I was drinking (or drank) (some of/of/from/a part of all) the

water.

>
> In the first example all the water was consumed, so it is more
> likely that the action was finished. In the second example, not

all

> the water was consumed, only a part (hence partitive case), so it

is

> more likely that the action (on all the water) was incomplete.
>
> Anyway this is not a Finnish list but I did want to comment on the
> partitive case.
>

So it's

"I drank the water"
vs.
"I drank water"
?

Torsten