Inspirational Natlangs

A mirror of this page exists at KneeQuickie. Note that both pages are updated independently, and thus may not always feature the same content.

With a little digging, one can easily find quite a selection of freely-available grammars on the web. Normally I just download these and dump them into my e-reader, but then if I want to direct someone else to a grammar, I have to go hunting again. It seemed useful to make a list.

I do not include Wikipedia pages in this list. Some languages have their phonologies and morphologies very well described there, but most articles are very weak on syntax.

The organization below is based on region rather than family. I have no particular attachment to this scheme, if someone has a more useful plan.

Africa

• Firdu-Fula Grammar (Gambian Dialect)
• Igbo sketch
• Kpelle: A Reference Handbook of Phonetics, Grammar, Lexicon and Learning Procedures
• A Grammar of Nzadi (Bantu)
• Pular (Fuuta Jallon) Tutorial
• Sandawe Grammar (Khoisan)
• Wolof
• Yoruba, very brief

Middle-East and Caucasus

Northeast Caucasian

• Ingush Grammar
• A Grammar of Khwarshi
• Lak somewhat light

Afro-Asiatic

• The Akkadian language: grammar and vocabulary (a little sparse)
• A Short Grammar of Biblical Aramaic
• An Introductory Coptic Grammar (Sahidic)
• Hebrew Grammar (Modern typesetting of classic Gesenius)
• Basic Maltese Grammar

Other Families and Isolates

• Hittite Grammar
• Introduction to Sumerian Grammar

Central Asia and Siberia

• Burushaski, an isolate.
• Tundra Nenets Grammatical Sketch

Indo-European

• Introduction to Old Avestan
• Introduction to Manichaean Sogdian

South Asia

Indo-European

• Kashmiri: a Grammatical Sketch
• A Practical Grammar of the Pali Language
• A Reference Grammar of Pashto

Other Families and Isolates

• A Grammar of Galo (Tibeto-Burman)
• Aspects of Yakkha Grammar (Kiranti Tibeto-Burman)

East and South-east Asia

• Ainu for Beginners 58 lessons
• Towards a Grammar of Takivatun Banun (Formosan Austronesian)
• A Generative Sketch of Burmese
• A Grammar of Kurtop (Tibeto-Burman)
• A Manchu Grammar (a bit old)
• Nùng Grammar (Tai-Kadai)
• Thai Reference Grammar

Australia and Polynesia

• A Grammar of Abui
• Bariai Grammar Sketch
• The Begak (Ida'an) Language of Sabah (huge grammar, with several interlinearized texts)
• Materials on Golin: Grammar, Texts and Dictionary
• A Grammar Sketch of the Kaki Ae Language
• Te taetae ni Kiribati Kiribati Language Lessons
• Grammar of the Kokota Language (Austronesian)
• Kuot Grammar Essentials
• A Grammatical Sketch of Ngarla: A Language of Western Australia
• Grammar of the Sentani Language
• Tungak Grammar Essentials

North and Central America

Algonquin

• Arapaho
• Blackfoot
• Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe): not as tidy as it could be

Caddoan

• Introduction to the Arikara Langage some pages poorly scanned
• Sketch of Wichita, a Caddoan Language, almost no syntax

Iroquoian

• A Reference Grammar of Oklahoma Cherokee
• Oneida Dictionary and Teaching Grammar

Mayan

• Einführung in das kolonialzeitliche K’iche’ (Quiché)
• Tzotzil, grammar summary from a dictionary
• A Grammar of the Yucatecan Mayan Language

Na-Dene

• Introduction to Dena'ina: Kenai (Outer Inlet) Dialect
• Hupa Grammar; Hupa Language Dictionary
• Phonology and Morphology of Tanacross
• Tlingit Grammar Outline

Sahaptin

• Yakima Ichishkíin
• Nez Perce Verb Morphology; Topics in the Nez Perce Verb (dissertation)

Salishan

• Coeur d'Alene grammar and texts (not always tidy)
• Spokan Grammar
• Aspect and category in Okanagan word formation
• The Kinkade Collection: the On-Line Archive of Papers for the International Conference on Salish (and Neighbo(u)ring) Languages

Uto-Aztecan

• UA Overview
• Chemehuevi field notes, dissertation, grammar and sound files.
• A Grammar of Cupeño
• Modern Aztecan Grammatical Sketches: Tetelcinco Nahuatl, North Puebla Nahuatl, Huasteca Nahuatl, Michoacán Nahual
• Northern UA Grammatical Sketches: Northern Paiute, Papago, Northern Tepehuan
• Southern UA Grammatical Sketches: Western Tarahumara, Cora
• Hopi summary; Hopi Lessons
• Luiseño summary

Other Families and Isolates

• Chimariko Grammar
• Choctaw sketch
• Mutsun Grammar (Utian) by Marc Okrand, the inventor of Klingon
• Upper Necaxa Totonac
• Studies in Southern Wakashan (Nootkan) Grammar (Nuuchahnulth and Makah)
• A Reference Grammar of Wappo viewable online, but you have to pay to download

South America

• The Language of the Apurinã People of Brazil (Maipure/Arawak)
• A Grammar Sketch and Lexicon of Arawak
• Aymara (Spanish)
• Kokama-Kokamilla
• A Grammar of Matses
• Quechua very sparse
• A course in Old Tupi (Portuguese)