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Get rid of the accusative

by traubenschorle, June 14, 2015

Messages: 100

Language: English

traubenschorle (User's profile) June 14, 2015, 4:25:35 PM

Many people don't get hang of the accusative. In another thread it was said that nearly every Esperantist on a higher level uses the word order SVO. So why is the accusative still necessary in spoken language?

johmue (User's profile) June 14, 2015, 4:49:24 PM

traubenschorle:Many people don't get hang of the accusative. In another thread it was said that nearly every Esperantist on a higher level uses the word order SVO. So why is the accusative still necessary in spoken language?
It is. Even if the most common word order is SVO this does not mean that it's the only one. Furthermore the accusative has other functions than indicating the direct object.

traubenschorle (User's profile) June 14, 2015, 4:53:33 PM

Of course it isn't the only one. But I think everybody understands what you mean, even if you let off the -n. So why don't use the accusative only in written language?

johmue (User's profile) June 14, 2015, 4:58:33 PM

traubenschorle:Of course it isn't the only one. But I think everybody understands what you mean, even if you let off the -n. So why don't use the accusative only in written language?
Because it would sacrifice the free word order. That's an important feature for many speakers.

traubenschorle (User's profile) June 14, 2015, 5:01:45 PM

I didn't know that the free word order is used so often in spoken language. Another idea: Just marking the object when the Word order isn't SVO. What about that?

johmue (User's profile) June 14, 2015, 5:03:59 PM

traubenschorle:I didn't know that the free word order is used so often in spoken language. Another idea: Just marking the object when the Word order isn't SVO. What about that?
Why even more complicated?

Just learn the accusative.

RiotNrrd (User's profile) June 14, 2015, 5:45:21 PM

traubenschorle:... Another idea: Just marking the object when the Word order isn't SVO. What about that?
Why don't we get rid of gender in German? "Die" and "das" serve no purpose and just complicate learning the language. From now on, all German nouns should use "der" and only "der". Der kugelschreiber. Der fräulein. And so on.

There. I just made a lot of German students lives a lot easier. I have lots of other ideas for improving German, too!

Vestitor (User's profile) June 14, 2015, 7:38:58 PM

RiotNrrd:
traubenschorle:... Another idea: Just marking the object when the Word order isn't SVO. What about that?
Why don't we get rid of gender in German? "Die" and "das" serve no purpose and just complicate learning the language. From now on, all German nouns should use "der" and only "der". Der kugelschreiber. Der fräulein. And so on.

There. I just made a lot of German students lives a lot easier. I have lots of other ideas for improving German, too!
Great. Didn't you just prove his point though?

traubenschorle (User's profile) June 14, 2015, 7:47:53 PM

I just don't understand why the accusative is needed for a (constructed) language that wants to be as easy as it is possible. It seems to be the biggest problem for beginners who don't mark objects in their native language.

johmue (User's profile) June 14, 2015, 8:01:54 PM

traubenschorle:I just don't understand why the accusative is needed for a (constructed) language that wants to be as easy as it is possible. It seems to be the biggest problem for beginners who don't mark objects in their native language.
Other people would not understand, why a fixed word order is needed for a (constructed) language that wants to be as easy as it is possible. It seems to be the biggest problem for beginners who have a free word order in their native language.

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