Netagin

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'Netagin
brítz nˀAthághín
בְּרִיץ אֲ֬תָגִין


ββρείτζ νἈθωγείν

Spoken in: Cyprus, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey
Conworld:
Total speakers: 393,000
Genealogical classification: Isolate
(Branch)
(Subbranch)
Netagin
Basic word order: SOV
Morphological type: Templatic, Fusional
Morphosyntactic alignment: Accusative, Dechticaetiative, Hierarchical
Writing system:
Created by:
IlL 2013~

Netagin is intended to be my "real" jump-on-the-pseudo-Celtic-bandwagon - a morphophonological rather than syntactic imitation of Celtic, specifically within a Semitoid framework. It is an a priori language intended to have a Northwest Semitic and Irish aesthetic, (Indeed Tiberian Hebrew and Aramaic are the most stereotypically "Celtic" of all Semitic languages, with their use of lenition. So much that I was once tempted to make an Irish-looking Semlang. For the curious, it resulted in something like A chathabh an séibhear an seabhar ba bhíth an dtóir? 'Did the scribe write the book in the house of purity?' This project can be considered a compromise between the two aesthetics.) and also as a semi-joke (though I'm not sure if it is best understood as laughing with or at Israelis/Modern Hebrew for their mutational challengedness. The aim definitely is, however, to create a language that would inspire *DIVINE FEAR* and *DREAD* in the minds of the average Israeli). It employs templatic morphology, animacy hierarchy-based person marking and mutation-triggering proclitics encoding multiple grammatical functions such as topic-prominence, TAM and modality/evidentiality.

Background

The Netagin language (Netagin: בְּרִיץ אֲ֬תָגִין

ββρείτζ νἈθωγείν brítz nˀAthághín [bʁɨtɬ naθɒˈʝin] "speech of the recluses"; Greek: νεθαγίν nethayín; Modern Hebrew: נְתָגִין
netagín or נְתָגִינִית
netaginít) is a language isolate autochthonous to Cyprus and spoken in Cyprus and its Middle Eastern environs, including the Holy Land. As a result of interaction with Greek it shares with it extensive spirantization, nasal mutation and palatalization. Rather remarkably, however, Netagin additionally grammaticalized these sandhi processes, much like the insular Celtic languages and to a lesser extent Tiberian Hebrew. It is a fusional and templatic language with some agglutinative  characteristics. The language has been small but vigorous up until modern times. Currently the language is suffering from decline in speakers and attrition of its many unique grammatical features. The latter is especially severe in Israel as the marginalized speakers assimilate more Israeli roots, vocabulary and syntax, and omit mutations as in spoken Israeli Hebrew.

Phonology

Consonants

There are 35 phonemic consonants.

Netagin consonants
Consonants
Bilabial Labio-dental Dental Alveolar Retroflex Palatal Velar Uvular Pharyngeal Glottal
plain emphatic
Nasals m, mb /m~mʲ/ n, nd, nˀ, nh /n~nʲ/ nˤ, nḥ /nˤ/ ng /ɲ~ŋ/
Plosives voiceless p /p~pʲ/ t /t~tɕ/ /tˤ~ɗˤ/ c /c~k/ q /q/ ˀ /ʔ/
voiced b, bp /b~bʲ/ d, dt /d~dʑ/ dṭ /dˤ/ g, gc /ɟ~g/ gq /ɢ/
Fricatives unvoiced f, ph /f~fʲ/ th /θ/ s /s~ɕ/ ṭh /sˁ~θˁ/ š /ʂ~ʃ/ ch /ç~x/ qh /χ/ ḥ, fh /ħ/ h /h~ɦ/
voiced bh /v/
([vʲ])
dh /ð/ z /z~ʑ/ gh /ʝ~ɣ/ r /ʁ/ ˁ /ʕ/
Approximants mh, mhf /w/ y /j/
Lateral app. l /ɫ~ʎ/
Lateral fric. ś /ɬ/
Lateral aff. tz /tɬ/

The phoneme /tˤ/ is realized as an implosive, [ɗˤ] word-initially.

In the standard pronunciation (but not in all dialects; notably not in the Ṭašálí dialect) all consonants except /j/, emphatics, uvulars, gutturals (pharyngeals and glottals), lateral fricatives and affricates and dental fricatives are palatalized when preceding a front vowel. /w/'s palatalized allophone is /vʲ/.

Plain /ɣ/ /x/ /g/ /k/ /ŋ/ /ʂ/ /ɫ/ /z/ /s/ /d/ /t/ /n/ /w/ /v/ /f/ /b/ /p/ /m/
Palatalized [ʝ] [ç] [ɟ] [c] [ɲ] [ʃ] [ʎ] [ʑ] [ɕ] [dʑ] [tɕ] [nʲ] [vʲ] [fʲ] [bʲ] [pʲ] [mʲ]

Vowels

The vowels written with an acute accent can be analyzed as long vowels or tense vowels; one or more of both pronunciations may be realized simultaneously.

Vowels
Front Near-front Central Near-back Back
Close í /i(ː)/ [ɨ] ú /u(ː)/
Near-close i /ɪ/ u /ʊ/
Close-mid é /e(ː)/ [ɘ] ó /o(ː)/
Mid
Open-mid e /ɛ/ [ɜ] o /ɔ/
Near-open
Open a /ä/ á /ɒ(ː)/

Front vowels /i e ɛ/ are centralized to [ɨ ɘ ɜ] after emphatic or uvular consonants.

Stress

In native words primary stress can only fall on the ultimate, or less commonly the penultimate syllable.

Orthography

Until recently the Greek alphabet and the Hebrew abjad (especially in Israel or by Jews) were more often used. However, recently the Latin script, especially imprecise renditions thereof, has been spreading to the exclusion of the Hebrew-based orthography.

Consonants

The dagesh is used to mark historical gemination (dagesh forte) that is nowadays realized only for resonants n, l and r, and non-lenition (dagesh lene) for the case of b, g, d, , c, m, p, q, and t. In Netagin the lenitable letters are termed בֵּגָֿ״דֿ וֲּטֵֿכָֿ״םֿ וֻּפֶֿקָֿ״תֿ

béghádh fa-ṭhéchámh fu-phéqháth [beˌɣɒð fasˤɘˌxɒw fʊfʲeχɒθ]. Mémh, however, often resists lenition after /ɪ/, /i/ or /j/. A word-medial dageshed lenitable consonant is not written as double letters in Latin script.

Syllable/word-final <ˀ> and <h> are silent. When a word-final he has a mappiq (homographic to the dagesh) it is not silent, but is to be pronounced /h/ (Romanized as hh and Hellenized as a doubled vowel).

Netagin consonants
Hebrew Name Latin Greek IPA
א ˀálaph ˀ spiritus lenis /ʔ/
בּ báith b ββ /b~bʲ/
גּ gímhal g γγ /ɟ~g/
דּ dálath d δδ /d~dʑ/
ה h spiritus asper, vowel doubling (when word-final) /h/
וּ f ϝϝ /f~fʲ/
ז záin z ζ /z~ʑ/
ח ḥéth η /ħ/
טּ ṭéth ττ /tˤ~ɗˤ/
י yódh y, i after a vowel ι, ϊ after a vowel /j/
כּךּ cáph c χχ /c~k/
ל lámhadh l λ /ɫ~ʎ/
מּםּ mémh m μμ /m~mʲ/
נן nún n ν /n/
ס sámhach s σ, ς /s~ɕ/
ע ˁáin ˁ ω /ʕ/
פּףּ p φφ /p~pʲ/
צץ tzádhe tz τζ /tɬ/
קּ qóph q κκ /q/
ר réš r ρ /ʁ/
ש šín š σζ /ʃ/
שֹ śín ś θζ /ɬ/
תּ t θθ /t~tɕ/

Lenition (Netagin taqídháh 'melting; dissolution') is marked with a lack of a dagesh in the Hebrew script, or a following h in the Latin script. The rafe may be used for improved contrast.

Lenition
Hebrew script Latin Greek IPA
ב bh β /v~vʲ/
ג gh γ /ʝ~ɣ/
ד dh δ /ð/
ו fh ϝ /ħ/
ט ṭh τ /sˤ~θˤ/
כך ch χ /ç~x/
מם mh μ /w~vʲ/
פף ph φ /f~fʲ/
ק qh κ /χ/
ת th θ /θ/

Historical nasalization (Netagin: carríṭháh 'befogging; making turbid') is marked in the Hebrew script with a nún mecharríṭh ('befogging nún'; rendered here as an iluy) in conjunction with a dagesh for lenitable consonants.

Eclipsis
Hebrew script Latin Greek IPA
א֬, ה֬ nˀ, nh ν- added /n~nʲ/
בּ֬ mb μβ /m/
גּ֬ ng νγ /ɲ~ŋ/
דּ֬ nd νδ /n~nʲ/
וּ֬ mhf μϝ /w~vʲ/
ח֬, ע֬ nḥ, nˁ ν- added /nˤ/
י֬ ny ν- added /nʲ/
טּ֬ dṭ ντ /dˤ/
כּ֬ gc γχ /ɟ~g/
פּ֬ bp μφ /b/
קּ֬ gq γκ /gˤ~ɢ/
תּ֬ dt νθ /d~dʑ/

Vowels

Vowels
Hebrew Latin Greek IPA (Standard) IPA (Țašálí)
אַ, אֲ a α /a/ /a/
אָ

1||á|| ω || /ɒ/ || /o/

אֶ, אֱ, אְ e ε /ɛ/ /æ/
אֵ é αι /e/ /e/
אִ i ι /ɪ/ /i/
אִי í ει /i/ /i/
אָ, אֳ o ο /ɔ/ /o/
אֹ, אוֹ ó αυ /o/ /ø/
אֻ u υ /ʊ/ /u/
אֻו ú ου /u/ /y/
אְ Ø

Disambiguation

In the Latin and Greek scripts interpuncts (•) are used to separate digraph combinations that are to be pronounced as two letters: piq•háh (they dream).

Unvocalized orthography

In the unvocalized Hebrew-based orthography it is generally accepted to indicate all mutations in addition to writing matres lectionis for certain long vowels. The diphthong ái and sometimes éi are written with two consecutive yódh.

Morphology

NB. Superscript L = lenition of the following consonant, N = eclipsis, D = following consonant is dageshed.

Nouns and Adjectives

See also: Netagin/Declension patterns.

Nouns and adjectives are inflected for number (singular, paucal and plural), gender (animate, honorific, inanimate and abstract; historically the latter two, being somewhat arbitrary with respect to abstract nouns, had been dubbed "masculine" and "feminine" after the Semitic genders they resemble), and four cases.

The mutations that accompany the words only affect other words in the same prosodic phrase or NP.

Declensions with sound plurals

Animate plurals are typically sound, while inanimate sound plurals are typically adjectives (and their nounless forms derived from them via the prefix m- if they don't have it already) and abstract/honorifics.


Animate declension: qinnáth ('stranger')
Case Singular Paucal Plural
Direct qinnáth qinnáthú qinnáthíyáh
Genitive qinnáthímN qinnáthannL qinnáthínN
Instrumental qinnáthath qinnátháich qinnáthícháhL
Locative qinnáthámh qinnáthéimN qinnáthán


Inanimate declension: yáréph ('wheel')
Case Singular Paucal Plural
Direct yáréphN yiréphú yirépháh
Genitive yiréphéiL yiréphannL yirépháiN
Instrumental yiréphéchN yirépháich yiréphcháhL
Locative yiréphín yiréphéimN yiréphán


Uncountable/honorific declension: ˀimáh ('mother')
Case Singular Paucal Plural
Direct ˀimáh(N if abstract) ˀimáthéi ˀimótháh
Genitive ˀimathN ˀimáthannL ˀimótháiN
Instrumental ˀimáthéchN ˀimátháich ˀimóthcháhL
Locative ˀimáthámh ˀimáthéimN ˀimóthín

Declensions with broken plurals

Broken plurals are nonconcatenative plurals that take singular case markers (they derive diachronically from collective noun patterns). Broken plurals only occur with (mainly less animate) nouns. Unlike in Arabic broken plurals induce no irregularity in agreement.

Broken plural patterns
Singular Plural Examples
C1əC2íC3 C1əC2úC3 brítz (language) > brútz
psíph (vote) > psúph
C1əC2óC3 fríaˁ (arrow, ray) > fróaˁ
C1eC2[a]C3 C1əC2áC3, C1əC2éC3 śebhar (fish) > śbhár
C1éC2[a]C3 létzí (sow, contemptible person) > letzí
C1óC2[a]C3 C1oC2áC3, C1oC2éC3
C1éC2óC3, C1éC2áC3 ˀəC1C2íC3, ˀəC1C2úC3, ˀəC1C2áC3 céthóaˁ (encounter) > ˀechtíaˁ
C1óC2áC3 C1əC2óC3áh
C1áC2íC3 ˀəC1íC2úC3
C1áC2óC3 C1əC2C2éC3
CəCCVːC CəCáCóC, CəCóCéC, CəCáCúC
CiCCəCáh CəCCóCáh

Derivational morphology

  • -ón: certain nouns, pejorative suffix
  • -í, -íy-: nisba adjectival suffix, borrowed from Semitic

Pronouns

Second person plural pronouns and verbs are used for politeness, and first person paucal is used for humility in very formal situations. Subject and direct object forms are usually omitted, except for topicalization or focusing. The short forms are adpositional object forms, which follow the adposition unlike other NPs.

The third person pronouns only refer to animates.

Personal pronouns
Case Zeroth person First person Second person Third person
Singular Paucal Plural Singular Paucal Plural Singular Paucal Plural
Nominative ˀagáˀ ˀachd ˀadú ˀadáˀ ˀanní ˀannú ˀannáˀ héhh hennú hennáˀ
Accusative ˀácháˀ, cháˀ ˀachtí, ˀáthú, thú ˀátháˀ, tháˀ ˀání, ˀánú, ˀánáˀ, náˀ hethí, hethú, hetháˀ, háˀ
Genitive ˀácháiN, cháiN</sup ˀachímN, chímN ˀáthannL, thannL ˀátháiN, tháiN ˀanímN, nímN ˀánannL, nannL ˀánáiN, náiN hímN hannL háiN
Instrumental ˀácháhL, cháhL ˀachath, chath ˀátháich, tháich ˀáthcháhL, thacháhL ˀanath, nath ˀánáich, náich ˀáncháhL, nacháhL hath háich hacháhL
Locative ˀáchín, chín ˀachámh, chámh ˀáthéimN, théimN ˀáthín, thín ˀanámh, námh ˀánéimN, néimN ˀánín, nín hámh héimN hín


Interrogative pronouns
Case 'who' 'what'
Nominative ˀéiN
Accusative máh ˀéiN
Genitive méiL ˀayyéiL
Instrumental míth ˀéich
Locative mím ˀayyó

The demonstrative pronoun is used adnominally or pronominally. It may be used as a pronoun for inanimates.

Having arisen from historical gemination, the demonstrative pronoun resists mutations.

Demonstrative pronoun
Case Singular Paucal Plural
Nominative cáˀ
Accusative dáh láh cáˀ
Genitive déiL lannL cáiN
Instrumental dách léich cacháh
Locative léimN cán

Verbs

Netagin verbs, perhaps similarly to those of Biblical Hebrew, mark aspect and person, but not tense. (Netagin, rather unusually, renders tense as proclitics on NPs instead.) Non-concatenative morphology figures prominently in conjugation for valence and TAM, much like in Semitic and Proto-Indo-European.

Patterns

Up to 4 verbal patterns may be derived from a root in Netagin:

  • In the Intransitive paradigm are verbs denoting intransitive actions ("come"), as well as stative verbs ("be cold"). It is often considered the most basic form.
  • The Transitive paradigm contains most monotransitive verbs, ("eat") including causativizations of Intransitive verbs ("make happy"). Can also have a telic (desired outcome was reached) meaning.
  • The Reflexive pattern consists of verbs denote reflexive/reciprocal action ("get dressed", "kiss each other"), or change of state ("thicken").
  • The Causative pattern contains causatives of transitive verbs ("feed") (and of some Intransitives and Reflexives). Causatives of statives in the imperfective aspect may denote active maintenance of a state (as opposed to changing a state in the perfective aspect).

Note that there is no passive in Netagin - this function is mainly served by zeroth person in transitive verbs or with Reflexive verbs.

Perfective Imperfective Participle Action noun
Intransitive C1aC2aC3 C1iC2C2aC3 C1óC2éC3 C1C2íC3N
Transitive C1C2óC3 C1aC2C2í1C3 meC1aC2C2íC3 C1aC2C2íC3áhN
Reflexive ˀiC1C2é1C3 niC1C2é1C3 miNC1úC2áC3 ˀaC1C2óC3athN
Causative ˀaC1C2aC3 NC1éC2aC3 maC1C2áC3 ˀaC1C2úC3áhN

1 Attenuates to a before a stressed suffix beginning with a consonant.

Suffixes beginning with a vowel cause the vowel between C2 and C3 to be elided.

The infinitive (inf) is formed by leniting the first letter of the bare stem of the verb, or if said first letter is a guttural, adding fa-.

The action noun (axn) or gerund is used in action noun constructions, which are of the form SUBJECT-gen AXN OBJECT-acc. It is of importance in forming relative clauses, for Netagin does not have a relativizer.

בֶּן אָתַןּ גְדִיב כַּ֬וֵּה וַּתַּתֵּ֬לַם.
Ben ˀáthann ghedhíbh gcaféh fatedtélamh.
FUT=1PC.GEN drink.AXN.SG.DIR coffee.SG.DIR INV-(1,3)-awaken/CAUS.IPFV
Our drinking coffee will keep us alert.

Affixes

Unipersonal (suffix) conjugation

The suffix conjugation is used for inherently intransitive (unaccusative) or reflexive verbs, and imperatives. Unipersonal verbs are negated in the optative/imperative by núrN.

Unipersonal verb structure
0 1 2
Stem/Voice/Aspect Personal suffix Imperative or Polarity/Focus

(There are the intransitive stem, the reflexive stem, and the transitive/causative stem(s). The latter is used in imperatives of transitive verbs.)

In the indicative the personal suffixes represent the subject; in the imperative they indicate the object.

Unipersonal suffixes
Person Singular Paucal Plural
0 -c[h]1áˀ
1 -d(i)/-ch(i)1/-t[h]1í3 -t[h]1ú -t[h]1áˀ
2 -ní -nú -náˀ
3 -(a)2/3 -áh

The 0th, 1st and 2nd person forms are penultimately stressed; the 3rd person forms are ultimately stressed.

1After vowels or mh.
2As indicative subject; not expressed without another suffix
3As imperative object.

Slot 2 suffixes
Netagin Gloss
-n Imperative (imp)
-chú Affirmative focus (aff.foc)
-chí Negative (neg)
-náh/-cháh* Negative focus (neg.foc)

*In second person forms.

Bipersonal (prefix) conjugation

The prefix conjugation is used for non-imperative transitive verbs (verbs that can take an agent and a patient).

Bipersonal verb structure
−2 −1 0 1 2
Inverse prefix Bipersonal prefix Transitive stem/Voice/Aspect Polarity/Focus Pluractionality suffix


Inverse prefix
Netagin Gloss
faD- Inverse (inv)


Personal prefixes
Netagin Gloss
b- (2,0)
c- (1,0)
h- (1,2)
l- (0,3)
n- (2,3)
t- (1,3)
y- (3,3)


Polarity/focus suffixes
Netagin Gloss
-(a) Affirmative (aff)
-cú Affirmative focus (aff.foc)
-cí Negative (neg)
-náh Negative focus (neg.foc)

All of the above suffixes are stressed. The focused suffixes emphasize the truth value and are therefore used to answer yes/no questions.

Pluractionality suffix
Netagin Gloss
-nn Pluractional (plax)

The pluractionality suffix never affects the thematic vowel in irregular verbs, unlike other suffixes beginning with a consonant.

Example paradigm

The following is the paradigm of the verb root g-d-b ('drown, drink') which has verbs in all four verb patterns:

gadhabh - to drown
Perfective Imperfective
Subject Singular Paucal Plural Singular Paucal Plural
0 gadhabhcáˀ gidabhcáˀ
1 gadhabhd gadhabhtú gadhabhtáˀ gidabhd gidabhtú gidabhtáˀ
2 gadhabhní gadhabhnú gadhabhnáˀ gidabhní gidabhnú gidabhnáˀ
3 gadhabh gadhbhú gadhbháh gidabh gidbhú gidbháh


gadhóbh - to drink, prefixed
Perfective Imperfective
Direct Inverse Direct
bighdóbh fabighdóbh beghadíbh
cighdóbh facighdóbh ceghadíbh
highdóbh fahighdóbh heghadíbh
lighdóbh fallighdóbh leghadíbh
nighdóbh fannighdóbh neghadíbh
tighdóbh fatighdóbh teghadíbh
yighdóbh fayyighdóbh yeghadíbh


gadhóbh - to drink, w/ focus suffixes
yighdóbhcí yighdóbhcú yighdóbhnáh


gadhóbh - to drink, imperative
Perfective Imperfective
Object Singular Paucal Plural Singular Paucal Plural
0 gadhóbhcán! gadabhcán!
1 gadhóbhtín! gadhóbhtún! gadhóbhtán! gadabhdin! gadabhtún! gadabhtán!
3 gidhbhín! gidhbhún! gidhbhán! gadbhín! gadbhún! gadbhán!


ˀighdébh - to get oneself drowned; to fill up with liquid
Perfective Imperfective
Subject Singular Paucal Plural Singular Paucal Plural
0 ˀighdabhcáˀ nighdabhcáˀ
1 ˀighdabhd ˀighdabhtú ˀighdabhtáˀ nighdabhd nighdabhtú nighdabhtáˀ
2 ˀighdabhní ˀighdabhnú ˀighdabhnáˀ nighdabhní nighdabhnú nighdabhnáˀ
3 ˀighdébh ˀighdebhú ˀighdebháh nighdébh nighdebhú nighdebháh


ˀaghdabh - to drown (transitive)/to cause to drink/to fill w/ liquid, prefixed
Perfective Imperfective
baghdabh bingédabh
caghdabh cingédabh
haghdabh hingédabh
laghdabh lingédabh
naghdabh ningédabh
taghdabh tingédabh
yaghdabh yingédabh


ˀaghdabh, imperative
Perfective Imperfective
Object Singular Paucal Plural Singular Paucal Plural
0 ˀaghdabhcán! ˀingédabhcán!
1 ˀaghdabhtín! ˀaghdabhtún! ˀaghdabhtán! ˀingédabhtín! ˀingédabhtún! ˀingédabhtán!
3 ˀaghdabhín! ˀaghdabhún! ˀaghdabhán! ˀingédbhín! ˀingédbhún! ˀingédbhán!

Weak roots

The so-called weak roots have consonants that create various irregularities in conjugation.

First radical
Gutturals (ˀálaph, héˀ, ḥéth, ˁáin)
Perfective Imperfective Participle Action noun
Intransitive C1aC2aC3 C1iC2C2aC3 C1óC2éC3 C1aC2íC3N
Transitive C1aC2óC3 C1aC2C2íC3 meC1aC2C2íC3 C1aC2C2íC3áhN
Reflexive ˀeC1eC2éC3 neC1eC2éC3 miNC1úC2áC3 ˀáC2óC3athN (C1 = ˀ)
ˀaC1aC2óC3athN (C1 = h, ḥ, ˁ)
Causative ˀaC1aC2aC3 n(e)C1éC2aC3 maC1aC2áC3 ˀáC2úC3áhN (C1 = ˀ)
ˀaC1aC2úC3áhN
(C1 = h, ḥ, ˁ)
Nún
Perfective Imperfective Participle Action noun
Intransitive naC2aC3 niC2C2aC3 nóC2éC3 neC2íC3N
Transitive NC2óC3, ~NC2óC3 naC2C2íC3 menaC2C2íC3 naC2C2íC3áhN
Reflexive ˀiNC2éC3 niNC2éC3 minnúC2áC3 ˀaNC2óC3athN
Causative ˀaNC2aC3 (n)néC2aC3 maNC2áC3 ˀaNC2úC3áhN
Yódh
Perfective Imperfective Participle Action noun
Intransitive yaC2aC3 yiC2C2aC3 yóC2éC3 yeC2íC3N
Transitive C2óC3, ~éC2óC3 yaC2C2íC3 meyaC2C2íC3 yaC2C2íC3áhN
Reflexive ˀéiC2éC3 néiC2éC3 minyúC2áC3 ˀéiC2óC3athN
Causative ˀéiC2aC3 nyéC2aC3 méiC2áC3 ˀéiC2úC3áhN
Perfective Imperfective Participle Action Noun
Intransitive faC2aC3 fiC2C2aC3 fóC2éC3 f(e)C2íC3N
Transitive C2óC3, ~óC2áC3 faC2C2íC3 mefhaC2C2íC3 faC2C2íC3áhN
Reflexive ˀóC2éC3 nóC2éC3 mimhfúC2áC3 ˀóC2óC3athN
Causative ˀóC2aC3 mhféC2aC3 móC2áC3 ˀóC2úC3áhN
Second radical
Guttural
Perfective Imperfective Participle Action noun
Intransitive C1aC2aC3 C1éC2aC3 C1óC2éC3 C1eC2íC3N
Transitive C1eC2aC3 C1áC2íC3 meC1áC2íC3 C1áC2íC3áhN
Reflexive ˀeC1C2éC3 niC1C2éC3 miNC1úC2áC3 ˀaC1C2óC3athN
Causative ˀaC1C2aC3 NC1éC2aC3 maC1C2áC3 ˀaC1C2úC3áhN
Hollow-Y
Perfective Imperfective Participle Action noun
Intransitive C1áC3 C1iyyaC3 C1áC3 C1íC3N
Transitive C1éC3 C1ayyíC3 meC1ayyíC3 C1ayyíC3áhN
Reflexive ˀéC1íC3 náC1éC3 miNC1éC3 táC1óC3athN
Causative ˀáC1íC3 NC1éC3 máC1íC3 táC1úC3áhN
Hollow-W
Perfective Imperfective Participle Action noun
Intransitive C1áC3 C1ifaC3 C1áC3 C1íC3N
Transitive C1úC3 C1afíC3 meC1afíC3 C1afíC3áhN
Reflexive ˀéC1úC3 náC1óC3 miNC1óC3 táC1óC3athN
Causative ˀáC1úC3 NC1óC3 máC1úC3 táC1úC3áhN
Third radical
Guttural
Perfective Imperfective Participle Action noun
Intransitive C1aC2aC3 C1iC2C2aC3 C1óC2é[a]1C3 C1(e)C2í[a]1C3N
Transitive C1C2aC3 C1aC2C2í[a]1C3 meC1aC2C2í[a]1C3 C1aC2C2í1C3áhN
Reflexive ˀiC1C2é2C3 niC1C2é[a]1C3 miNC1úC2áC3 ˀaC1C2óC3athN
Causative ˀaC1C2aC3 NC1éC2áC3 maC1C2áC3 ˀaC1C2úC3áhN

1 inserted if C3[+pharyngeal]. 2 becomes á if C3[+pharyngeal].

Nún

This irregularity does not hold for all verbs whose C3 = n; specifically, this class is no longer productive with new verbs.

If a unipersonal suffix beginning with an eclipsable consonant is attached, the final nún vanishes, eclipsing the consonant:

1sg: -c 1pc, pl: -dtú, -dtá

For all other suffixes, the nún is written/geminated as normal.

Yódh
Perfective Imperfective Participle Action noun
Intransitive C1aC2áh, -í- / _C C1iC2C2áh, -í- / _C C1óC2eh C1(e)C2íN
Transitive C1C2eh, -éi- / _C C1aC2C2eh, -í- / _C meC1aC2C2eh C1aC2C2íyáhN
Reflexive ˀiC1C2áh, -éi- / _C niC1C2áh, -éi- / _C miNC1úC2eh ˀaC1C2íthN
Causative ˀaC1C2eh, -í- / _C NC1éC2eh, -í- / _C maC1C2eh ˀaC1C2úyáhN

The suffixes -áh and -eh are deleted before a suffix beginning with a vowel.

Consonants in suffixes lenite after a vowel.

Perfective Imperfective Participle Action noun
Intransitive C1aC2áh, -ú- / _C C1iC2C2áh, -ú- / _C C1óC2eh C1(e)C2íN
Transitive C1C2eh, -ó- / _C C1aC2C2eh, -ú- / _C meC1aC2C2eh C1aC2C2ífáhN
Reflexive ˀiC1C2áh, -ó- / _C niC1C2áh, -ó- / _C miNC1úC2eh ˀaC1C2úthN
Causative ˀaC1C2eh, -ú- / _C NC1éC2eh, -ú- / _C maC1C2eh ˀaC1C2úfáhN

The vowel suffixes -áh and -eh are deleted before a suffix beginning with a vowel.

Consonants in suffixes lenite after a vowel.

Geminate roots

Geminate roots are those with identical second and third radicals.

Perfective Imperfective Participle Action noun
Intransitive C1aC2C2, -ó- / _C C1úC2aC2 C1óC2éC2 C1iC2C2N
Transitive C1óC2C2, -ó- / _C C1úC2íC2 meC1úC2íC2 C1úC2íC2áhN
Reflexive ˀéC1iC2C2, -ó- / _C néC1iC2C2, -ó- / _C miNC1úC2áC2 ˀaC1C2óC2athN
Causative ˀáC1aC2C2, -ó- / _C NC1éC2aC2 máC1aC2C2 táC1uC2C2áhN

Numerals

Numerals are essentially ordinary adjectives or nouns (for 100 and higher units). Numerals larger than 10 turn their heads into the genitive case.


Netagin numerals
n nth n each/at a time n-fold; n-ad 1/n
0 séphar *mesáphúr - - -
1 hálódh mehálúdh halúdhládh halálédh -
2 gáḥéz megáḥúz gaḥuzḥáz gaḥáḥéz géḥáz
3 tzúbhál metzábhúl tzebhulbál tzebhábhél tzibál
4 méqhátz memháqhútz meqhutzqátz meqháqhétz miqátz
5 pazzím mepházúmh pezumhzámh pezázémh pizzámh
6 ˀalbán melábhún lebhunbán lebhábhén libán
7 qátzídh meqhátzúdh qetzudhtzádh qetzátzédh qittzádh
8 cóˁáš mecháˁúš ceˁušˁáš ceˁáˁéš céˁáš
9 ripúi merápheh rephuipheh rephápheh ripeh
10 ḥachúbh meḥáchúbh ḥachubhcábh ḥacháchébh ḥicábh
11 ḥáchúbh fa-hálódh ḥáchúbh mehálúdh - - -
20 gáḥéz nḥachúbh megháḥúz nḥachúbh - - -
100 méˀáh maˀáthí - - -
1000 ˀelaph ˀalphí - - -
10^6 ˀeqaṭomíryó, ˀeqaṭ - - - -
10^9 diseqaṭomíryó, diseq - - - -

Grammar

Word order

The constituent order defaults to SXVO/SVOX, but topicalization may promote a constituent to first position. Adjectives and genitives usually follow the noun unless they are topicalized or focalized. Genitive/possessive pronouns always precede the possessed NP.

Two types of function words can be recognized in Netagin: proclitics (coordinating conjunctions, topic/focus, etc.), which attach to the host or to another clitic and form what counts as one word, and relators (prepositions and subordinating conjunctions) which occupy second position (a.k.a. Wackernagel's position) in their dependent noun phrases or clauses.

Nominal/Adjectival predication

Netagin is entirely devoid of copulas. Instead one uses the topic particle ha-L with the subject, and the focus particle ha-N on the predicate nominal.

הֲזְמָלִ אֶלָּא הַגַּ֬שֻּודָה.
Ἁ-ζεμώλ ἐλλώ ἁ-νγασζζουδώ.
Ha-zemhál ˀelláˀ ha-ngaššúdháh.
TOP-person.PL.DIR NEG FOC-thing-INAN.PL.DIR
People are not objects.

Predication of possession

Predicative possession is constructed similarly to the dative construction in many languages, but the possessor is topicalized.

הֲאַכְדְּ חָמָה חִצָּה אַקְדֻּול.
Ἁ-ἄχδδ ηωμώ ηιτζζώ ἀκδδούλ.
Ha-ˀachd ḥámháh ḥittzáh ˀaqhdúl.
TOP-1SG.NOM exist-3PL excess.PL.DIR coin.PL.DIR
I have too many coins. (lit. Me-wise, there are excess coins.)

Relative clauses

Netagin uses deranked relative clauses that employ a possessive construction using the action noun of the verb. Resumptive pronouns are required as oblique arguments in the RC, and may be used in subject/DO positions as well. The position of tense particles in the RC is useful for reconstructing the aspect of the clause; they are found on the most patient-like argument when the verb is perfective and the most agentive argument when the verb is imperfective. Relative clauses are negated with the prefix míl- ('un-, lack of') which is hyphenated.

הַוָרָשֹ לְאָ֬תָי דַ֬סִּילַת?
Ἁ-ϝωρώθζ λε-ὠθώϊ νδασσειλάθ?
Ha-fháráś le-ˀáthái ndassílath?
TOP=silver.SG.DIR RECENT_PAST=1PL.GEN earn/AXN-GEN
What of the money we've been earning? [lit. as for the money of past-our earning]

Using the plural form of the verbal noun indicates pluractionality.

Relative clauses may occur before the noun in poetry.

Copulative RCs (i.e. of the form "which is NP"), can be rendered with apposition (FOC=[predicate NP]).

Clitics

Clitics serve a diversity of functions in Netagin. The order of pre-NP clitics is as follows: attitudinal-epistemic/evidential-tense-topic/focus.

Inpositional

Netagin adpositions come in second position (cf. the Latin phrase magna cum laude) unless the object is pronominal, in which case they are prepositional.

קִּ֬ב כִיםּ
γκιβ χειμμ
qibh chím
for 1SG.GEN
for me
תִּפְלוֹן אָ֬נָי תַּ֬ל אִ֬מַּת
θθιφλαύν νὠνώϊ νθαλ νἰμμάθ
tiphlón nˀánái dtal nˀimath
letter.INAN.DIR 2PL.GEN from mother-HON.GEN
a letter from your mother
  • talN [genitive]: from
  • qibhL [genitive]: for the sake of
  • L [genitive]: in order that
  • qrúthN [genitive]: lest, in order that... not
  • ˁarN [instrumental]: with (accompanying)
  • ˀelN [instrumental]: without
  • déráˀL [accusative]: because of
  • hídhL [accusative]: towards
  • mašN [locative] in, within; [accusative] into
  • celN [locative: place; accusative: movement]: above, over
  • dónL: on, about [genitive]; onto [accusative]
  • nótzL [genitive place; accusative: movement]: before, in front of
  • cadL [locative]: when
  • tarN [locative place; accusative: movement]: after, behind, for
  • meṭáˀL [locative] over, beyond; [accusative]: movement beyond, through
  • bachN: [locative: place; accusative: movement] below, under
  • ferrN [genitive]: between, among
  • yirinL [genitive]: instead of
Usage of cí/qrúth/cad/nótz/tar

Purpose clauses and time clauses have a different structure than independent clauses. The subject is declined in the appropriate case and occupies first position, and the infinitive form is used for the verb.

מִּבְלוֹקֵי קְרֻות תַּקַם צָּפִיחַ
Μμιβλαυκαίϊ κρούθ θακαμ τζωφείαη
Mibhlóqhéi qhrúth thaqhamh tzáphíaḥ
ice-SG.GEN lest INF-melt early
lest the ice melt prematurely

Pronominal subjects follow the conjunction:

תַּר נֻו לָט!
Θθαρ νου λώτ!
Tar nú láṭh!
after 2PC.ACC INF.die.PFV
After you die! (hostile response to a command/request)

Discourse

  • הֲ-
ha-L: topic/vocative
  • הַ-
ha-N: focus
  • דֵּי
L: "after all"
  • הֵן
hénL: tag question

Epistemic

  • טִּםּ
ṭim: certainty
  • קָּש
qáš: deductive/inferential
  • כֲּ-
ca-L: possibility
  • הֵג
hégh: doubt

Evidential

  • bél: witnessed
  • ˁatáˀ: hearsay
  • tzúl: axiomatic

Tense

Tense marking can be omitted depending on the context; it is most often marked on the most patientive argument available if the verb is perfective, and on the most agentive argument if the verb is imperfective.

  • ל-
l-: recent past
  • ש-
š-: remote (historical or more than ~20 years ago) past
  • בֶּן-
ben: future

Attitudinal

  • nacL: happiness
  • šúN: entreaty for empathy
  • ˀichL: optative
  • dimL: hope
  • qrúthN: fear, 'lest'

Number

There exist three numbers in Netagin: singular (sg) representing one object, paucal (pc) for a few, and plural (pl) for many. The paucal form usually denotes two to nine items, but the boundary between paucal and plural is quite fluid; a paucal could be used for a larger number for contrast with a much larger number of things. The plural number in pronouns also serves as an honorific; complementarily, using paucal pronouns where a plural is expected entails a "dishonorific", humble or pejorative meaning.

Nominal number

Nouns are declined for all three numbers.

Verbal number

Pluractionality denotes that an action is performed a plural (as opposed to singular or paucal) number of times or places, or the number of objects is plural. Pluractionality with a second person object, or lack of pluractionality with a first person object, may also be used to indicate politeness.

Politeness/Honorific

Honorific suffixes on nouns indicate that the speaker raises the referent, accompanied by a rise above the speaker (only for animates) in animacy.

אִךְ בֲתֻורָה תֵּרְנַף.
Ἰχ Βαθουρώ θθαρνάφ.
ˀIch Bhathúráh tarnaph.
ˀich-L báthúr-áh Ø-t-[r-n-p]/ˀaCCaC
OPT deity-HON.DIR DIR-(1,3)-attest/CAUS.PFV
God be my witness.

Cases

All cases have prepositions that govern them.

Direct

The direct case (dir) marks a core argument of a verb, either subject or direct object. It should be noted that Netagin marks the recipient (usually the more animate patient), rather than the theme (the less animate patient), of most ditransitive verbs with the direct case; Netagin is thus a dechticaetiative language. Pronouns, unlike nouns, distinguish nominative (nom) and accusative (acc). The direct/accusative case is the case governed by prepositions that originate from verbs.

Genitive

The genitive case (gen) indicates possession, origin, cause, or concern. It is used also appositionally (in the order noun-genitive), where English would use a compound. The genitive case also has partitive uses.

Possessor-less genitives are possible and, by corollary, headless relative clauses.

Instrumental

The instrumental (ins) indicates instrument/means or comitation (with certain prepositions; the bare instrumental can optionally be used as a comitative for pronouns). What is considered the direct object of ditransitive constructions in dative languages is most often cast in the instrumental in Netagin. (Netagin, although a dechticaetiative language, does not have a dedicated dechticaetiative case.)

Locative

The locative or allative case (loc) marks location or destination (often with locational prepositions), spatial, temporal or abstract. Some ditransitive verbs cause their themes to take the locative.

Hierarchy

Person, animacy and social status are all factors in the hierarchical person marking. The hierarchy is:

2.honorific > 3.honorific > 1 > 2.familiar > 3.familiar > 0 > 3.inanimate

By default the direction of transitivity is assumed to be from higher to lower animacy. Generally when a less animate participant acts on a more animate one, the verb is required to take an inverse-marking affix.

Conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions always come in second position.

  • fa- (fu- / _C[+labial]): and (nominal/adjectival)
  • ˀis: and (sentential)
  • : or
  • ˀach: but
  • ˀóth: but/rather
  • ṭúL: that [complement clause]
  • haṭhúL: if
  • ˀaph: although, even if
  • barL: then
  • gúnN: because
  • habhráˀL: so, therefore

Dictionary

Please see Netagin/Dictionary.