NACLO 2022 - Problem QRelatively Speaking

Invitational round | 15 points | 14.71% | Problem statement | Official solution | Tags: Phrase translationSyntax

We have a few proper names here, which can act as anchors for the translation.

7. Ne totou a Sione.
   Sione read.
8. Tā tūmau e Mele e fakatino.
   Mele is always drawing the picture.
9. To muhu ika a Mele.
   Mele will have plenty of fish.
13. Fai vaka a Sione ne holoholo e au.
    Sione has canoes that I washed.

Upfront, this language is definitely not subject-initial. In 9, "Mele" comes last, so both the verb and the object come before it. In 8 and 13, there's stuff before and after the subject, so the subject is in the middle. Also note that particles like "ne", "e", and "a" are all over the place, so they are probably some case marker instead of concrete words. However the subject can be either marked by "a" or "e", so we are not too sure about the exact function of these particles yet.

The next best hypothesis is that the verb/tense comes first. Let's group the sentences by verb and tense (ignoring embedded ones):

	Perfect	Past	Present	Future
eat	1. Kua kai noa a au. I have only eaten.	9. Ne kai e ika ne takafaga he tama. The fish that the child caught ate.		6. To kai he moa ka holoholo e au e ika. The bird that I will wash will eat the fish.
there be	2. Kua fai fakatino foki ne tā e ia. There have also been pictures that he drew.		3. Muhu moa tūmau. There are always plenty of birds.
draw			8. Tā tūmau e Mele e fakatino. Mele is always drawing the picture.
have		4. Ne fai faiaoga e kāmuta. The carpenter had teachers.	12. Muhu tama foki e faiaoga ka kitia he moa. The teacher also has plenty of children that the bird will see. 13. Fai vaka a Sione ne holoholo e au. Sione has canoes that I washed.	11. To muhu ika a Mele. Mele will have plenty of fish.
see	5. Kua kitia e ia a au. He has seen me.
wash				10. To holoholo foki he tama e vaka ne tā he kāmuta. The child will also wash the canoe that the carpenter built.
read		7. Ne totou a Sione. Sione read.

Now the pattern is very clear. Looking vertically, the first word always marks the tense:

• Kua = perfect
• Ne = past
• (nothing) = present
• To = future

Furthermore, except for "there be" and "have", the second word is consistent within each row. Although most rows only have one entry, note that "wash" appears embedded in two other sentences, and in both cases the sentence also contains "holoholo". Similarly, "kitia" also appears in 12. For "there be" and "have", the two rows share two verbs: "muhu" and "fai". Note that "muhu" is used iff the possessed object is "plenty of". Therefore:

• kai = eat
• tā = draw
• kitia = see
• holoholo = wash
• totou = read
• muhu = there be/have-plenty-of
• fai = there be/have

Once we know the tense marker, we can identify the embedded relative clause. In 2, 9, 10, and 13, we have another instance of "ne", which must be the tense marker for the embedded clause, and what follows it must be the verb. Unfortunately, no second "to" has been found in 6 or 12. Instead, "holoholo" and "kitia" in these two sentences are led by "ka", which is presumably also the tense marker.

1. Kua kai noa a au.
   I have only eaten.
2. Kua fai fakatino foki ne tā e ia.
   There have also been pictures that he drew.
3. Muhu moa tūmau.
   There are always plenty of birds.
4. Ne fai faiaoga e kāmuta.
   The carpenter had teachers.
5. Kua kitia e ia a au.
   He has seen me.
6. To kai he moa ka holoholo e au e ika.
   The bird that I will wash will eat the fish.
7. Ne totou a Sione.
   Sione read.
8. Tā tūmau e Mele e fakatino.
   Mele is always drawing the picture.
9. Ne kai e ika ne takafaga he tama.
   The fish that the child caught ate.
10. To holoholo foki he tama e vaka ne tā he kāmuta.
    The child will also wash the canoe that the carpenter built.
11. To muhu ika a Mele.
    Mele will have plenty of fish.
12. Muhu tama foki e faiaoga ka kitia he moa.
    The teacher also has plenty of children that the bird will see.
13. Fai vaka a Sione ne holoholo e au.
    Sione has canoes that I washed.

Since there aren't many words left, just comparing sentences that share the same noun will reveal the corresponding word. The revelation here is that case and number are not marked on the noun; for example, "picture" and "pictures", "bird" and "birds", "I" and "me", each share the same word.

• au = I
• ia = he
• fakatino = picture
• moa = bird
• faiaoga = teacher
• kāmuta = carpenter
• ika = fish
• tama = child
• vaka = canoe

Eliminating these, the adverbs are also apparent:

• noa = only
• foki = also
• tūmau = always

But now here's the real question: what's the word order and what are "he", "e", and "a"? Let's gloss the sentences.

1. Kua kai noa a au.
   PERF eat only a I.
   T-V-Adv-Subj
   I have only eaten.
2. Kua fai fakatino foki ne tā e ia.
   PERF have picture also [PAST draw e he].
   T-have-Obj-Adv-[T-V-Subj(-Obj)]
   There have also been pictures that he drew.
3. Muhu moa tūmau.
   (PRES) have-plenty-of bird always.
   T-have-Obj-Adv
   There are always plenty of birds.
4. Ne fai faiaoga e kāmuta.
   PAST have teacher e carpenter.
   T-have-Obj-Subj
   The carpenter had teachers.
5. Kua kitia e ia a au.
   PERF see e he a I.
   T-V-Subj-Obj
   He has seen me.
6. To kai he moa ka holoholo e au e ika.
   FUT eat he bird [FUT wash e I] e fish.
   T-V-Subj-[T-V-Subj(-Obj)]-Obj
   The bird that I will wash will eat the fish.
7. Ne totou a Sione.
   PAST read a Sione.
   T-V-Subj
   Sione read.
8. Tā tūmau e Mele e fakatino.
   (PRES) draw always e Mele e picture.
   T-V-Adv-Subj-Obj
   Mele is always drawing the picture.
9. Ne kai e ika ne takafaga he tama.
   PAST eat e fish [PAST catch he child].
   T-V-Subj-[T-V-Subj(-Obj)]
   The fish that the child caught ate.
10. To holoholo foki he tama e vaka ne tā he kāmuta.
    FUT wash also he child e canoe [PAST draw he carpenter].
    T-V-Adv-Subj-Obj-[T-V-Subj(-Obj)]
    The child will also wash the canoe that the carpenter built.
11. To muhu ika a Mele.
    FUT have-plenty-of fish a Mele.
    T-have-Obj-Subj
    Mele will have plenty of fish.
12. Muhu tama foki e faiaoga ka kitia he moa.
    (PRES) have-plenty-of child also e teacher [FUT see he bird].
    T-have-Obj-Adv-Subj-[T-V-Subj(-Obj)]
    The teacher also has plenty of children that the bird will see.
13. Fai vaka a Sione ne holoholo e au.
    (PRES) have canoe a Sione [PAST wash e I].
    T-have-Obj-Subj-[T-V-Subj(-Obj)]
    Sione has canoes that I washed.

I have successfully identified two word orders:

1. T-V-Adv-Subj-Obj where the verb is not "have". Relative clauses are appended immediately after the noun they modify.
2. T-have-Obj-Adv-Subj where the verb is "have". The subject is absent if the sentence is "there be". Relative clauses are appended at the end of the sentence even when modifying the object. This creates an ambiguity because now subject and object relative clauses are in the same place; indeed, it's asked in Q1(c).

And here are the case marker particles. I'm separating them into three groups: transitive, intransitive, and existential (have).

Verb	Subject	Object
build	he kāmuta	(e vaka)
catch	he tama	(e ika)
draw	e ia	(fakatino)
draw	e Mele	e fakatino
eat	he moa	e ika
see	e ia	a au
see	he moa	(tama)
wash	e au	(e ika)
wash	e au	(vaka)
wash	he tama	e vaka
eat	a au	/
eat	e ika	/
read	a Sione	/
have	a Sione	vaka
have	e kāmuta	faiaoga
have	/	fakatino
have-plenty-of	a Mele	ika
have-plenty-of	e faiaoga	tama
have-plenty-of	/	moa

• For transitive verbs:
  • The subject either takes he or e. e is for pronouns and names, while he is for common nouns.
  • The object either takes e or a. a is for pronouns and names, while e is for common nouns.
• For intransitive verbs:
  • Subject follows same rule as transitive objects: a for pronouns and names, e for common nouns.
• For existential verb "have":
  • Subject follows same rule as transitive objects: a for pronouns and names, e for common nouns.
  • Object is always unmarked.

Now we shall translate.

(a) Fai moa noa.
(PRES) have bird only
There is only a bird.
(b) Kua holoholo foki he faiaoga ne takafaga e au a ia.
PERF wash also he teacher [PAST catch e I] a he
The teacher that I caught has also washed him.
(c) To muhu vaka e tama ka holoholo he moa.
FUT have-plenty-of canoe e child [FUT wash he bird]
The child will have plenty of canoes that the bird will wash. OR The child that the bird will wash will have plenty of canoes.

(a) He will also read.
FUT read also a he
To totou foki a ia.
(b) Sione has only had fish that the teacher will eat.
PERF have fish only a Sione [FUT eat he teacher]
Kua fai ika noa a Sione ka kai he faiaoga.
(c) The teacher that Mele saw built the canoe.
PAST build he teacher [PAST see e Mele] e canoe
Ne tā he faiaoga ne kitia e Mele e vaka.
(d) There have always been plenty of carpenters.
PERF have-plenty-of carpenter always
Kua muhu kāmuta tūmau.