Qatama grammar
Intro
Qatama grammar is relatively straightforward.
Qatama | |
Alternative Names | Qatam / Q`tam |
Author | Qang |
Type | personal language |
Year began | ~1998 |
Demographics | |
Population | ~80 million |
Spoken in | The Qatama Empire |
Genetic Classification | Humanoid |
Grammar | |
Most Common Word-Order | OVS |
Morphological Typology | Isolating |
Morpho-syntactic Alignment | Nom-Acc |
- There are no verb conjugations; plurals are marked by a particle, articles that can be disregarded in speech, and only three genders.
- The language lacks conjugation, declension, or any inflection at all (there are minor exceptions).
- Concepts like plural or past tense are expressed in a syntactical way.
- Due to the nature of Qatama, most words are not limited to one word class, but can in fact work as verbs, nouns or adjectives. In fact, quite a number of them even can work as adpositions or linked verbs (whatever we wish to analyze them as - the usual difference being that linked verbs can occur as postpositions).
- There are no visible morphological signs that would give away what function a specific word has in a sentence - syntax and intonation convey this information.
Phonology
- Vowels
a = /a/ o = /o/ u = /u/ ` = /?/ Between vowels and [@] between consonants
- Plosives
t = /t/ d = /d/ k = /k/ g = /g/ q = /q/ (or [X] as a final)
- Affricates
j = [tS] or [dZ] or /Z/ (These variations are dialectal, /Z/ being most common)
- Nasals
m = /m/ n = /n/ ng = /N/
- Trills
r = /r/ or the Approximant [r\]
- Fricatives
h = /h/ tl = /t_K/
- Approximants
l = /l/ y = /j/ and u = [w] before /a/
Phonotactics
Qatama phonotactics are very easy because all of the words are formed by predictable syllables.
- Only an o syllable can precede another o syllable, so where omoq is correct, amoq would be incorrect.
- Note that o can not immediately precede an l, so where mal and mul are correct, mol is not.
Dialects
The most recognizable dialect is Tam`q.
Described by Qatama scholar Nor
Syntax
Word order
Unlike English, word order in Qatama is object-verb-subject.
- object -- verb -- subject
- tamu kojra al mung
- "[the] house love the woman" = The woman loves the house.
- Questions are formed by adding the interrogative particle qa to the end of declarative statements.
- object -- verb -- subject -- qa
- tamu kojra al mung qa
- "[the] house love the woman INT-PART" = Does the woman loves the house?
- particles -- noun -- adjectives
- al tamu taha
- "the house big" = The big house.
- adverbs -- auxiliaries -- verb
- noj muna kuj gun ta
- "with care must walk I" = I must walk carefully.
Dependent Clauses
- Dependent clauses are handled by placing the particle ruq before the clause and ra after.
- I met a man and a woman yesterday. The woman, who had a thick black hair, was very pretty.
- kang ma mung ngumaq ko`oga ta | al mung ruq unuq ohada ma oga kura na ra ung t`ha aya
- man and woman yesterday to-meet 1SG | ART woman general-clause-particle-initial hair thick and black to-have 3SG general-clause-particle-final PAST very pretty/beautiful
- kang ma mung ngumaq ko`oga ta | al mung ruq unuq ohada ma oga kura na ra ung t`ha aya
- I met two women yesterday, one with thick black hair and one with soft brown hair. The woman who had a thick black hair was very pretty.
- mung to ngumaq ko`oga ta ruq noj unuq ohada ma oga ong ma noj unuq ayuha ma myoga ong ra | al mung ruq unuq ohada ma oga kura na ra ung t`ha aya
- woman two yesterday to-meet 1SG general-clause-particle-initial with hair thick and black one an with hair soft and brown one general-clause-particle-final | ART woman general-clause-particle-initial hair thick and black to-have 3SG general-clause-particle-final PAST very pretty/beautiful
- mung to ngumaq ko`oga ta ruq noj unuq ohada ma oga ong ma noj unuq ayuha ma myoga ong ra | al mung ruq unuq ohada ma oga kura na ra ung t`ha aya
Plurals
- The particle uj is placed in front of nouns to mark plurality.
- When uj is present there is no other particle/article used.
- Adjectives are not pluralized.
- kama -- village | al kama -- the village | uj kama -- the villages
Demonstratives
- Qatama demonstratives do change depending on number, but not gender.
As pronouns
- this -- kun
- I like this. -- kun koj ta
- that -- nuq
- Is that yours? -- nuq m`ga qa
- these -- qunju
- Where are these from? -- moq qunju aj qa
- those -- nuja
- My father gave me those. -- nuja naj ta ung kura kangha m`ta
- that which -- nuda
- I have what he wanted. -- ung nung nada nuda kura ta
- those which -- nujada
- She will give you what [those things] you want. -- nujada nung ga uq gaya na
- this -- kun
As subordinators
- He hopes you proceed with the speech
- muaha ga noj al mutara kanuj nada
- He hopes that you proceed with the speech
- muaha ga nuq noj al mutara kanuj nada
Adjectives
Adjective always follow the word they modify in Qatama.
- al tamu taha -- The big house.
Articles
Qatama makes use of several articles that could be analyzed as particles.
- al - This is used as both definite and indefinite, but could also be thought of as particle that marks words as nouns.
- m`ja -- n. blood, v. to bleed | m`ja ongo ta = I see bleeding | al m`ja ongo ta = I see (the) blood.
- o - This is an honorific article used to show respect for the concept or topic being referred to.
- al kang -- The man. | o kang The (honorable/respected) man.
- oyo - This is a diminutive article used to show a lack of importance, disdain or malice toward the concept or topic being referred to, often accompanied by profanity or vulgarity.
- oyo tamu q`na -- The[that] shitty shack.
- um - This is an emphatic article is used to show immediacy or importance of the concept or topic being referred to. It is often used in imperatives.
- goku al tamu -- The house burns./The house is burning. | goku um tamu -- The house is burning!
- kya mada naj um kama -- Come (back) to the village!
Questions
- Questions are asked using the interrogatory particle qa, always placed at the end of a phrase.
- Qatama does not ask questions the same way as English.
- The syntax of a question is exactly the same as a declarative statement.
- There are no interrogatives such as who, what, or when in Qatama.
- Questions are asked by placing the desired result as the object and placing qa at the end of what would normally be a statement.
- tamu kojra al mung | "[the] house love the woman" = The woman loves the house.
- tamu kojra al mung qa | "[the] house love the woman [interrogative]" = Does the woman loves the house?
Tense
There are five basic tenses in Qatama. The tense particle is always placed immediately before the verb it modifies.
- Negative Past
- ungla - al tajala ungla gaq taka - We did not eat the sauce.
- Past
- ung - al tamu ung qal nara - They built the home.
- Simple Present
- The simple present tense isn't marked. naj al daq gun nada - He is walking toward the mountain.
- Negative Future
- uqla - ga uqla ongo naya - She will not see you.
- Future
- uq - m`ta uq muq na - It will be mine.
The tense need not be marked if it is clearly indicated by another word in the same phrase: kumaq kuda na, He cooks(prepare food) (will cook) tomorrow.
Pronouns
Qatama pronouns (uj uta) are fairly straightforward.
- Note that the polite form of the 2nd person is used in both singular and plural.
- The 3PLM and 3PLF do not have possessive forms.
- It is important to use the correct form of the 1PL, inclusive and exclusive.
- The reflexive of any pronoun is formed by placing ayu after it.
- I built it myself. -- na ung qal ta ayu | Will you prepare it yourself? -- na uq udaq gahan ayu qa
Imperatives
There are four distinct imperatives in Qatama.
- kya -- general imperative, always placed in front of the verb phrase
- kya naj tamu m`ga mua -- Go to your home!
- kya muta -- Speak [to me]!
- gya -- used specifically for the demand of an item, i.e. to give
- gya al ujla -- Give the knife [up / to me]!
- kyo -- used specifically to demand silence
- kyo -- Quiet!
- kyo muq -- Stand quietly!
- kyala -- general negative imperative, always placed in front of the verb phrase
- kyala naj ta muta -- Do not talk to me!
- Where kyo or gya are used kya is not.
Semantic Morphology
- Semantic Morphology is not as prevalent in Qatama as it is in other languages, but there is a semi-constant them that runs throughout a portion of the lexicon.
- What is important to remember is that not every time you see one of these particular syllables does it change the word in a consistent, predictable way.
-ha
- Appended to;
- m - often indicates the augmentative
- n - often used to create an obscure relation
- ng - often indicates the augmentative
- l - often used to create a related lexical entry
- r - often used to create a related lexical entry
-la
- Appended to;
- q - often indicates negation or opposition
- m - often used to create an obscure relation
- ng - often indicates negation or opposition
- j - often used to create a related lexical entry
-ra
- Appended to;
- q - often indicates a close semantic relation
- m - often used to create an obscure relation
- ng - often indicates an extreme relation to the base root
- j - often used to create a related lexical entry