Editing Chʼol language (section)

== Syntax ==

=== Case marking ===
Like almost all other Mayan languages, Ch'ol has two sets of person markers: [[Ergative case|ergative]] and [[Absolutive case|absolutive]]. The [[Mayan languages#Subjects and objects|Mayan tradition]] is to label the former as Set A and the latter as Set B.<ref>Vázquez Álvarez, Juan Jesús. ''A Grammar of Chol, a Mayan Language''. Austin, Texas: University of Texas at Austin, 2011; pp.74</ref> Chʼol is a [[Split ergativity|split ergative]] language: its morphosyntactic alignment varies according to aspect. With perfective aspect, ergative-absolutive alignment is used, whereas with imperfective aspect, we rather observe nominative-accusative.<ref>Vázquez Álvarez, Juan Jesús. ''A Grammar of Chol, a Mayan Language''. Austin, Texas: University of Texas at Austin, 2011; pp.177-178</ref>

Set A markers are generally considered as suffixes; however, Martínez Cruz (2007) and Arcos López (2009) categorized them as [[clitic|proclitics]]. These markers usually denote the agents of transitive verbs.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+Set A
!
!/ __ C
!/ __ V
|-
!1st
| colspan="2" |k- ~ j- (/ __ k)
|-
!2nd
|a-
|aw-
|-
!3rd
|i-
|(i)y-
|}
Note that all markers have phonologically conditioned allomorphs: 1st singular marker changes from ''k'' to ''j'' when it precedes another ''k,'' and 2nd singular and 3rd singular markers have glides inserted when they precede consonants.

Set B markers are suffixes. These markers usually denote the patients of transitive verbs or the core arguments of intransitive verbs.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+Set B
|-
!1st
| -oñ
|-
!2nd
| -ety
|-
!3rd
| -ø
|}There are three plural markers for plural case marking in Ch'ol – two clitics and one suffix. The two clitics can be attached either before the singular person markers or after the verbal roots.<ref>Vázquez Álvarez, Juan Jesús. ''A Grammar of Chol, a Mayan Language''. Austin, Texas: University of Texas at Austin, 2011; pp.80-83</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+Plural markers
|-
!1st (in)
|la
|-
!1st (ex)
|l(oj)oñ
|-
!2nd
|la
|-
!3rd
| -ob ~ -o'
|}

The [[Clusivity|exclusive 1st plural]] marker has a shorter form ''loñ'' and a longer form ''lojoñ.'' Both are used interchangeably, except when it is attached before a singular marker, in which case only the shorter form is allowed. The plural suffix -ob is often realized as ''-o''' in speech.

=== Verbal predicates ===

The basic word order is [[Verb–object–subject word order|VOS]]. However, word order varies and VOS is not always grammatical: factors including animacy, definiteness, topicalization and focus contribute to determining which word order is appropriate.<ref>Vázquez Álvarez, Juan Jesús. ''A Grammar of Chol, a Mayan Language''. Austin, Texas: University of Texas at Austin, 2011; pp.21–22</ref> A Ch'ol simple transitive phrase is comprised minimally of a single transitive verb in the form of [ASP Set A + Verb + Set B]. In the case of [[Agent (grammar)|non-agentive]] intransitive verbs, the cross-reference of the single argument is accomplished with either Set A or Set B depending on the [[Grammatical aspect|aspect]] of the verb. Verbal predicates can have the following aspects: [[Perfective aspect|perfective]], [[Imperfective aspect|imperfective]], [[Continuous and progressive aspects|progressive]], [[Inchoative aspect|inceptive]], [[Cessative aspect|terminative]], and [[Prospective aspect|potential]].<ref>Vázquez Álvarez, Juan Jesús. ''A Grammar of Chol, a Mayan Language''. Austin, Texas: University of Texas at Austin, 2011; pp.263</ref>

==== Transitive verbs ====
Within Chʼol transitive verbs, there exist two primary categories: simple forms and derived forms. The former modifies the primary arguments within the verb by cross-referencing the transitive subject in Set A and the object in Set B. In the perfective aspect, this category incorporates a status suffix, which is a vowel in harmony with the root vowel. Conversely, the imperfective aspect does not take such status suffix.<ref>Vázquez Álvarez, Juan Jesús. ''A Grammar of Chol, a Mayan Language''. Austin, Texas: University of Texas at Austin, 2011; pp.265</ref>
{|
|mi
|i-k'el-ø-o'
|-
|{{Smallcaps|imfv}}
|{{Smallcaps|a3}}-see-{{Smallcaps|b3-pl3}}
|-
| colspan="2" |'They see it.'
|}
To form derived transitive verbs, the suffix ''-V'' or ''-Vñ'' is appended, based on the aspect. Unlike the simple forms, the suffix does not need to be in harmony with the root vowel. The direct arguments in this category are identified via Set A and Set B inflections.<ref>Vázquez Álvarez, Juan Jesús. ''A Grammar of Chol, a Mayan Language''. Austin, Texas: University of Texas at Austin, 2011; pp.266</ref>
{|
|mi
|k-il-'''añ'''-ø
|
|
|
|
|tyi
|k-otyoty-'''i'''-ø
|-
|{{Smallcaps|imfv}}
|{{Smallcaps|a1}}-see-{{Smallcaps|dt-b3}}
|
|
|
|
|{{Smallcaps|prfv}}
|{{Smallcaps|a1}}-house-{{Smallcaps|dt-b3}}
|-
| colspan="2" |'They see it.'
|
|
|
|
| colspan="2" |'I inhabitated it.'
|}

=== Non-verbal predicates ===
This construction does not take aspect markers, in contrast to verbal predicates. It can be headed by nouns, adjectives, positionals, etc. The core argument only takes Set B markers.<ref>Vázquez Álvarez, Juan Jesús. ''A Grammar of Chol, a Mayan Language''. Austin, Texas: University of Texas at Austin, 2011; pp.267</ref>
{|
|wäy-äl-'''oñ'''
|-
|sleep-{{Smallcaps|stat}}-{{Smallcaps|b1}}
|-
|'I saw him.'
|}