In the BDS family, certain particles with adjective-like distribution are present in all languages. These adjective can be used with any NP in almost any position, even though the most similar translation in English cannot: 'what about/how about ...'
In Bryatesle, the adjectives are kyne- and sudu-, in Dairwueh xən- and orə-, and in Sargaĺk you find cin- and asku-. The pairwise distinction between these differ between the languages: the Dairwueh pair differ by animacy (xən- being animate, orə- being inanimate), the Bryatesle kyne- and sudu- differ by number (sudu- being plural), and the cin- and asku- pair of Sargaĺk differ by definiteness (asku- being indefinite).
It should be clear that kyne-, xən- and cin- are cognate. One rather typical vowel correspondence pattern in monosyllabic roots can be spotted here.
Bryatesle /ɨ/ <y> : Dairwueh /ə/ <ə> : Sargaĺk /i/ <i>
The sound changes on the initial consonants are a bit more complicated though. The cin- in Sargaĺk suggests the original sound was /k/ rather than /k'/, since /k'/ is more stable against sound changes in Sargaĺk. This fits well with Dairwueh, where k > x, k' > k. The three other forms do not seem to be cognate at all.
Some examples of use would be these:
Bryatesle:
tvem kynë mindë gavari livytri
tvem kyn-ë mind-an gava-ri livyt-ri
how about the girl you were meeting
tvem kyn -ë mind -ë gava -ri livyt -ri you how about def.acc.fem girl acc.fem meet 2sg.atelic went 2sg.atelic you how about the girl that you meeting were
Dairwueh:
xənŋa srotoŋa misandeb
xən -ŋa sroto -ŋa misand -eb how about instr/loc small boat instr/loc arrive 2sg.past how about with the boat arrived you
How about (with) the boat (with which) you arrived
We notice in both Bryatesle and Dairwueh that the case function of the noun is somewhat ambiguous - it is never quite clear in past tense expressions whether the case pertains to its relation to the past tense verb or how it relates to the inquiry. Therefore, the case forms often may get somewhat confusing.
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