Conlang Relay 18/Doayâu
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by Jan Strasser
Doayâu text
Gigatûisèsìrugo tsàbò likésai bàyu turù. Dìnèfarita tsa ngâupurita lípòfùmùrà, gita tsí rìyau galau atsúpú yàgirita. Fígoagurìya fà gìralugòfùfala, gì roatsilàri tsa bagasìreagirì tsa fárìreagirì, nifátûi yâi gì nàgù nìmi tsóturì. Dàmauní, bàyu màfùnâibi bágalàyai, rìgàyarugo mìnayo yeràyai gugau akénu kápágì ga yàgèni kâu tsoa dùmàyariri. Sìgìbalúfarea furá fárù yaupú tsa táfâi yarù, tuilurùpùgo tsíri tsógauga nire, dagai akísífuyeogu ngiriutsú dearagurutsôa.
Translation
English
The statue in the corner moved again. The wooden dog, which had rested between the arms of the child, woke up and barked. Then it exhaled a large cloud of smoke, which whirled and divided and reassembled, eventually forming a maze that settled right beside the wall. There, on a wide platform covered with snow, stood a venerable lady whose mocking yet seductive face was rosy like a peach. Ignoring all rituals and etiquette though, instead unexpectedly smiling towards him, she lifted the veil from her face.
English translation of previous text
- (West Germanic, by Sean Anderson)
The statue in the corner moved again. The carved dog, which had been curled up in the boy's arms, woke up and barked, breathing out a cloud of smoke that whirled, broke apart, and reassembled into a maze around the spreading place, where a splendid lady was standing on a broad table full of snow, with a derisive, enchanting face as rosy as tea. However, having forgotten all custom and pride, she laid down her glimmering veil with a gentle smile for him alone.
Interlinear gloss
- Gigatûisèsìrugo
- giga-tûi-sèsì-ri-go
- be_alive-become-MIR-SENS-NC1.ABS
- tsàbò
- tsàbò
- again
- likésai
- likésai-Ø
- statue-ABS.SG
- bàyu
- bàyu
- at
- turù.
- turù-Ø
- corner-ABS.SG
The statue in the corner moved again.
- Dìnèfarita
- dìnèfə-ri-ta
- wake_up-SENS-NC2.ABS
- tsa
- tsa
- and
- ngâupurita
- ngâupu-ri-ta
- bark-SENS-NC2.ABS
- lìpòfùmùrà,
- lìpa-òfù-mùrà-Ø
- wood-made_of-dog-ABS.SG,
The wooden dog woke up and barked,
- gita
- gi-ta
- REL-NC2.ABS
- tsí
- tsí
- earlier
- rìyau
- rìyau
- between
- galau
- galə-ù
- child-OBL.SG
- atsúpú
- a-tsúpo-´
- 3SG.POSS-arm-ABS.PL
- yàgirita.
- yàgi-ri-ta
- rest-SENS-NC2.ABS
which had rested between the arms of the child before.
- Fígoagurìya
- fíga-agu-ri-i-a
- breathe-away-SENS-NC6.ABS-3.ERG
- fà
- fà
- and_then
- gìralugòfùfala,
- gìra-lugo-òfù-fala-Ø
- big-smoke-made_of-cloud-ABS.SG
Then it exhaled a large cloud made of smoke,
- gì
- gi-i
- REL-NC6.ABS
- roatsilàrì
- roa-tsilə`-ri-i
- drift-ITER-SENS-NC6.ABS
- tsa
- tsa
- and
- bagasìreagirì
- bagasə-reaya-ri-i
- split-DETR-SENS-NC6.ABS
- tsa
- tsa
- and
- fárìreagirì,
- fárə-reaya-ri-i
- gather-DETR-SENS-NC6.ABS,
which whirled and divided and reassembled,
- nifátûi
- nifá-tûi-i
- fog-become-PTCP
- yâi
- yâi
- finally
- gì
- gi-i
- REL-NC6.ABS
- nàgù
- nàgù
- next_to
- nìmi
- nìmi-Ø
- wall-ABS.SG
- tsóturì.
- tsótu-ri-i
- settle-SENS-NC6.ABS
eventually forming a maze that settled right beside the wall.
- Dàmauní,
- da-mə-ù=ní
- PROX-place-OBL.SG=on,
- bàyu
- bàyu
- at
- màfùnâibi
- màfu-nâibi-Ø
- broad-platform-ABS.SG
- bágalàyai,
- bága-làye-i
- snow-be_under-PTCP,
There, on a wide platform covered with snow,
- rìgàyarugo
- rìgàye-ri-go
- stand-SENS-NC1.ABS
- mìnayo
- mìnayo-Ø
- lady-ABS.SG
- yeràyai
- yerə-ayV-i
- venerable-STAT-PTCP
stood a venerable lady
- gugau
- gi-gau
- REL-NC1.OBL
- akénu
- a-kénu-Ø
- 3SG.POSS-face-ABS.SG
- kápágì
- kápágè-i
- mock-PTCP
- ga
- ga
- but
- yàgèni
- yàgène-i
- seduce-PTCP
- kâu
- kâu
- like
- tsoa
- tsoa-Ø
- peach-ABS.SG
- dùmàyariri.
- dùmə-ayV-ri-ri
- red-STAT-SENS-NC4.ABS
whose mocking yet enchanting face was rosy like a peach.
- Sìgìbalúfarea
- sìgìba-lu-fə-ri-a
- consider-EVID-NEG-NC4.ABS-3.ERG
- furá
- furá
- however
- fárù
- fá-rù
- all-NC4.OBL
- yaupú
- yaupu-´
- ritual-ABS.PL
- tsa
- tsa
- and
- táfâi
- táfai-´
- distance-ABS.PL
- yarù,
- yari-ù
- SUB-OBL,
Ignoring, however, all rituals and etiquette,
- tuilurùpùgo
- tuilu-ri-pù-go
- smile-SENS-AFF-NC1.ABS
- tsíri
- tsíri
- instead
- tsógauga
- tsé-gau=a
- MED-NC1.OBL=for
- nire,
- nire
- unexpectedly
instead unexpectedly smiling towards him,
- dagai
- da-gai
- PROX-NC1.ERG
- akísífuyeogu
- a-kísí-fu=yeogu
- 3SG.POSS-cheek-OBL.PL=from
- ngiriutsú
- ngiriutsú
- fine_cloth-ABS.SG
- dearagurutsôa.
- deari-agu-ri-tsú-a
- put-away-SENS-NC5.ABS-3.ERG
she lifted the veil from her face.
Vocabulary
- (I have not indicated the noun class of each noun because class membership is more or less semantically-based. Instead, I've included definitions for those agreement morphemes that occur in the text.)
| morpheme | class | meaning | notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| -Ø | suffix | (absolutive case singular) | |
| -´ | suffix | (absolutive case plural) | raises tone of preceding vowel, sometimes with a change in quality |
| a- | prefix | (3rd person singular possessor) | |
| -a- | suffix | (agreement 3rd person ergative) | changes preceding /i u/ into /e o/ |
| -agu- | suffix | (indicates motion away from focus) | |
| bága | n. | snow | |
| bagasi- | v.mt | split, divide, cut | |
| bàyu | pp. | at, on, in | |
| da- | pron. | (proximal demonstrative pronoun) | takes noun class agreement |
| dàma | n. | there, that place | |
| deara- | v.mt | put, place, move towards | |
| dìnèfa- | v.it | wake up, rise | |
| dùmaya- | v.it | be red | |
| fà | cj. | also, and then, afterwards | |
| fá- | pron. | all, every | |
| -fa- | suffix | (negation) | goes between evidential and participant marking |
| fala | n. | cloud | |
| fári- | v.mt | collect, gather, assemble, merge | |
| fígo- | v.mt | breathe, blow, sigh | |
| -fu | suffix | (oblique case plural) | |
| furá | adv. | however, by contrast | |
| ga | cj. | but, yet | |
| =ga | pp. | for, on behalf of, to the benefit of | postclitic, governs oblique case |
| gala | n. | child | |
| gi- | pron. | (relative pronoun) | takes noun class agreement |
| giga- | v.it | breathe, be alive, stir | |
| gìra- | prefix | big, large, voluminous | |
| -go- | suffix | (agreement noun class 1: humans, gods, spirits, birds, tools) | becomes -ga- before /i/ or /u/; changes preceding /i e/ into /u o/ |
| -i | suffix | (ergative case singular) | |
| -i- | suffix | (agreement noun class 6: liquids, air, fire etc.) | surfaces as low tone if preceded by /i/ |
| -i- | suffix | (participle, verbal noun) | deletes preceding /i/ |
| kápágè- | v.mt | laugh at, mock, scorn, disdain | |
| kâu | pp. | like, as, similar to | |
| kénu | n. | face, facade, front side, bow (of a ship) | |
| kísí | n. | side, cheek | |
| làya- | v.it+ | be under, be covered by, be hidden | takes a mandatory complement, which may be incorporated |
| likésai | n. | statue, figurine, idol (lit. "small god") | |
| lìpe | n. | wood (the material) | |
| -lu- | suffix | (evidential: inferred from physical or situational evidence) | |
| lugo | n. | smoke | |
| màfu- | prefix | broad, wide, flat, spacious | |
| mìna | n. | mother, mature woman | |
| mùrà | n. | hunting dog, hound | |
| nàgù | pp. | next to, beside, at the foot of, under | |
| nâibi | n. | platform, terrace (typically on the roof of a house) | |
| ngâupu- | v.it | bark, bellow, roar | |
| ngiriutsú | n. | fine cloth | |
| =ní | pp. | on, touching | postclitic, governs oblique case |
| nifá | n. | maze, mist, fog | |
| nìmi | n. | wall | |
| nire | adv. | surprisingly, unexpectedly | |
| -òfù- | suffix | consisting of, made from | deletes preceding vowel |
| -pù- | suffix | (affirmative) | goes between evidential and participant marking; changes preceding /i e/ to /u o/ |
| -reagi- | suffix | (detransitiviser) | |
| -ri- | suffix | (agreement noun class 4: food, ideas, unlimited areas, mass nouns) | |
| -ri- | suffix | (evidential: sensory perception) | |
| rìgàya- | v.it | stand | |
| rìyau | pp. | among, between, within | |
| roa- | v.it | drift, float, be suspended | |
| -sèsì- | suffix | (indicates unexpected information) | |
| sìgìba- | v.mt | consider, keep in mind, pay attention to | |
| -ta- | suffix | (agreement noun class 2: fish, land animals, body parts, natural forces) | |
| táfai | n. | difference, distance, politeness, etiquette | |
| tsa | cj. | and, with | |
| tsàbò | adv. | again, once more, over and over | |
| tsé- | pron. | (medial demonstrative pronoun) | takes noun class agreement |
| tsí | adv. | earlier on, beforehand | |
| -tsilà- | suffix | (iterative) | |
| tsíri | adv. | instead | |
| tsoa | n. | peach, apricot | |
| tsótu- | v.it | lie down, rest, settle | |
| -tsú- | suffix | (agreement noun class 5: soft non-food items) | |
| tsúpo | n. | arm, branch (of a tree), flank (of an army) | |
| -tûi- | suffix | become, turn into, start | |
| tuilu- | v.it | smile, smirk, grin, laugh quietly | |
| turù | n. | knee, bend, corner, loop | |
| -ù | suffix | (oblique case singular) | deletes preceding vowels other than /a/ |
| yàgène- | v.mt | make friends with, win over, seduce | |
| yàgi- | v.it | rest, relax, be sleepy, cuddle | |
| yâi | adv. | in the end, eventually, as a result | |
| yari | pron. | (subordinating pronoun) | |
| yaupu | n. | ritual, tradition, custom | |
| =yeogu | pp. | away from | postclitic, governs oblique case |
| yeraya- | v.it | be worthy of reverence, be adorable | |
| -yo- | suffix | (honorific, augmentative) |
Grammar
Doayâu is morphologically ergative, suffixing and agglutinative.
Nominal morphology
- There are seven noun classes, which are cross-referenced on verbs and deictic pronouns.
- Nouns inflect for three cases (absolutive, ergative, oblique) and two numbers (singular, plural)
- Possession is indicated with prefixes that show number and person of the possessor.
- Nominal compounds are head-final.
- There are no 3rd person pronouns. Instead, demonstratives are used, which inflect for noun class, case, and number.
Verbal morphology
- Verbs are mandatorily marked for evidentiality and (absolutive) participant agreement (in this order).
- Absolutive 3rd person arguments are tracked on the verb by noun class, but not by number.
- Transitive verbs are also marked for their ergative arguments (after the absolutive marker). Ergative arguments are tracked only by person and number, not by noun class.
- In addition, verbs can take a large array of derivational suffixes, which may pile up before the evidential suffix.
- Absolutive arguments may also be incorporated, appearing before the verb root. This decreases valency by one and promotes the ergative argument to absolutive.
Syntax
- Adjectives are not a seperate word class. Some concepts are expressed by attributive prefixes, others by stative verbs (often inflected as a participle/verbal noun).
- Noun phrases are mostly head-initial, with genitives, participles and relative clauses following their head.
- Most adpositional phrases are prepositions; however, a number of clitic postpositions also occur.
- The unmarked sentence order is VSO. SOV is used in subclauses and sometimes for stylistic reasons.
- Pronouns in the absolutive or ergative case are often omitted (i.e. Doayâu is a pro-drop language).
- Adverbs and conjunctions are usually placed after the head of the first constituent in a clause (Wackernagel's position).
