Round Robin Conlang

The round robin conlang is a collaborative conlanging game which ran in the winter of 2009—2010, begun and overseen by Pete Bleackley (here). To quote the rules:

Each person in turn [...] creates one new rule and one new root, plus some examples to show the consequences, and passes it on to the next person on the list. When it gets back to me, we start another loop, and keep going for as long as we feel necessary.

The grammar presented here is from the end of round 5.

Game organisation

The current turn order is

1. Pete Bleackley
2. Matthew Turnbull
3. Daniel Demski
4. John Vertical
5. Alex Fink
6. Patrick Dunn
7. Mechthild Czapp
8. Alex Bicksler

and back to Pete Bleackley to complete the round.

Past Participants

• Gary Shannon
• Vincent Pistelli
• Brett Williams

Grammar

Phonology

No documentation of the phonology was officially prepared as part of the game, but some observations are collected at Round_Robin_Conlang/Observations.

Morphology

• Roots are CVC and verbal in meaning
• Verbal 1st person is indicated by derivational suffix [-af] which triggers spirant lenition.

Ex. bivaf - I ask, tiɣaf - I speak, tsʼuð˜af - I die.

• Verbal 2nd person is marked by the suffix -es, which changes the stem analogue to the 1st person.

Frex: ha bives: you asked, vijes: you create (if I understood rule 1 correctly)

• Verbal 3rd person is indicated by the suffix [-ú], which also triggers spirant lenition

Ex. ha vivú - it grew, ha vivivu ívib i.ɔ - the plants each grew very quickly

• Dual verbal number is indicated by the particle [i.ɔ] at the end of the clause.
• Plural verbal number is indicated by reduplicating the VC of the verbal root, copying any lenition. When [iɔ] cooccurs with this it has distributive rather than dual force.

Eg. kʼéχéχaf - we (all) come (together), kʼéχéχaf iɔ - we (all) come one at a time.

• The General Future tense indicates that an event has not yet occurred. It is formed by the preverbal particle [bó]. This tense is used whether or not the action is intended to occur in the futur, or was supposed to happen in the past and did not. In the case that the action is supposed to be in the futur, the particle recieves primary phrasal stress and may be reduplicated.

Ex. bó suɣ̃af suŋŋ - the field has not been ploughed by me, perhaps I will later. bó bó suɣ̃af suŋŋ - I will plough the field.

• Simple past is marked by the particle "ha" before the verb.

Ex. ha bivaf iɔ - We two asked.

• There is a different past tense for events which happened before the conscious lifetime of the speaker or in myths. This tense uses the particle "χu". It can also be used instead of "ha" to indicate that the speaker is unsure about the truth of the statement.

"χu bives" You asked (either before my lifetime or only maybe)

• The passive voice is formed by prefixing é to the stem and gemminating the first consonant:

Ha ébbivú: He was asked.

• A prefix [í-] derives agents (also, it seems, some experiencers/undergoers from intransitiv roots). Note this being mark'd for high tone - default tone is not indicated. This also does not trigger spirantization.

Eg. [ítig] "speaker", [ítsʼun] "mortal", [íkʼeb] "man"

• Patient nouns are formed by infixing a homoorganic nasal before the last consonant
  • bimb - question
  • boimb - attempt
  • kant - arrow
  • tiŋg - word
  • vent - sight
  • viñj - artefact
• A tool or body part can be derived from an agent noun by infixing a homoorganic nasal before the first consonant, and moving the high pitch onto the second syllable.
• Names of birds can be formed by suffixing -at to a word
• The intensive of the verbal root is formed by suffixing -aq, which triggers gemination of the previous consonant.

Eg. [bib] "to ask" [bibbaq] "to interrogate"; [tig] "to speak" [tiggaq] "to give a speech."

• The imparativ mode is express'd by changing the person suffix' initial vowel to <e> and geminating the root-final consonant (if not geminated yet).
  • kattes - Shoot! (singular)
  • katattes - Shoot! (plural)
  • katattef - Let us shoot! (plural)
  • tiggaχes - Give a speech! (sing.) (Not *tiggaqqes nor *tigggaχes)
  • tigiggaχes - Give speeches! (plur.)
• Hypothetical situations require the Subjunctive 1. This mood inserts kem in front of the verb or the tense preposition:
  • Example: ha vivú: it grew
  • kem ha vivú: it grew (subjunctive 1)
• Collective nouns are formed by prefixing ŋ- to nouns that begin with vowels, or lu- to nouns that begin with consonants
• A participle is formed from the verb by spirant lenition and appending a vowel, [-e] if the stem vowel is front and [-o] if it's not. Participles do not distinguish active from passive.
  • k'eb "be male", k'eve "male (adj.)"
  • tap "break", tafo "broken" or "which has broken s.t."
• Nominal paucal number is derived from count nouns by the suffix [-ól], for mass nouns this derivational process signifies a sufficiency of the noun.
  • bimból - a few questions
  • kantól - a few arrows
  • ventól - some sights
  • boimból - a few attempts
  • íbetsʼól - sufficient sand
• Reduplication of adjectives creates abstract nominatives. A reduplicated tone loses its tone on the second syllable.
  • hóv – to be good
  • hóvhov – goodness
• Addendum: If the root ends in a stop, the onset is geminated instead of forming a cluster:
  • nuk - to be female
  • nunnuk - womanhood (*nuknuk)

• Possessive pronouns are treated as participles formed from the pronominal root.
  • gɔs - "I"
  • gɔso - "my"
  • sɛt - "you"
  • sɛse -- "your"
  • bimb gɔso "my question"
• Non-pronominal possessors are cast using a third person pronoun tocarry the possessive marking, which cliticises to the possessing noun.
  • intán lɛqatɔso - "a goose's leg"
  • ínukól ísuŋóltsoio - "two ploughmen's wives" (lit. "women")
• A prefix [du-] marks instrumental case. An initial vowel* will be replaced, but its tone will remain.
  • dukant - with an arrow
  • duntáp - with an axe
  • dumvíj - with a tool
  • dúbetsʼ - with sand

*We only have examples with [i] so far, so it's possible this only happens before sufficiently close vowels.

• A prefix [tsʼɛ-] marks locative case. Underlying [ɛ.i] contracts to [e] (other initial vowels may do other things). Again, high tone remains.
  • tsʼɛqump - in a hole
  • tsʼentán - on the leg
  • tsʼésasaq - in water
• The prefix gi indicates the comitative case. A vowel at the beginning of the word will be replaced but its tone retained:

giNqúpat

with the woodpecker

Syntax

• I thought I'd gently dip our toes in some larger structure, with conjunctions that go between phrases, for instance "vigi" meaning "because", that is that the first clause is implied, caused or

motivated by the second:

• • "tiggaχes vigi ha bivaf" -- You give a speech because I asked.
  • "ha boivaf iɔ vigi kʼeves" -- We two tried because you're a man.
  • "tsʼununnaχes iɔ vigi ha kʼéχéχes" -- You each die a terrible death because you all came.
• Word order is VSO but pronouns, if present, go before the verb. When the subject, pronouns match the number of the verb, and are correspondingly distributive or collective.
• tsai ha vet íbetsʼaqól iɔ - The two saw enough powder (flour).
• tsov gɔs vetet iɔ - Each sees me.
• Modifiers of the noun follow the noun they modify.
  • kant tafo - broken arrow
• Negation of finite verb phrases is sometimes accomplished with tsele coming after the verb. However, many verbs have irregular negations, accomplished with (often unrelated) participles placed in apposition with the subject. Note, it is often the words which do not have clear opposites which have irregular negation. A clear opposite is one which would be synonymous with negation- for example, "he does not ask" is not synonymous with "he answers", so it gains an irregular negation; but "he does not die" is synonymous with "he lives", so both are acceptable things to say. The irregular opposite participles are not used as full, independent verbs.

Examples:

• • bivu tontevigi sɛt tajo - He asks although you are not asking.
  • kʼéχú tsele - He does not come; synonymous with neŋ
• To join nominal phrases involving oblique cases/clitics (such as the preceding three) into one, a general-purpose particle /kai/ is used. With the comitative case, this functions as a general "A and B" expression.
  • kasaf suŋŋat kai tsʼentán - I shoot a thrush on the leg (it was sitting on some previously discussed leg)
  • Contrast: kasaf suŋŋat tsʼentán - I shoot a thrush in the leg (I hit its leg)
  • vesaf íkat kai gílɛq - I see an archer and a guard
  • Contrast: vesaf íkat gílɛq - I see (that there is) an archer with theguard
• Relative clause formations are nominative-accusative in nature, and they involve a gap strategy with a nominative relativizer [kolí], or an accusative relativizer [kɛl] like so :
  • [ kasaf lɛqat ] - I shoot a goose
  • [ bó tsʼus̃ú lɛqat ] - the goose has not died, but probably will
  • [ kasaf lɛqat kolí bó tsʼus̃ú ] - I shoot the goose that will die (probably).
  • [ bó tsʼus̃ú lɛqat kɛl kasaf ] - the goose that I'm shooting will probably die
• One way of forming yes/no questions is by adding the word ɔ́lɛv (there) to a sentence. This is considered formal, which means it is the form of yes/no questions used by respected individuals, as well as the form more politely used when quoting someone directly. ɔ́lɛv can go wherever the speaker desires in the sentence.

Examples:

• • χu veTeTes saNq ɔ́lɛv:
  • Did you see the statue? Literally: You (pl.) saw (in the dist. past) the statue there? (Something like English, "you saw the statue now?" or "did you see it then?")
• More on formality. Those who speak formally do so as a part of their identity, not based on context. A major life change must accompany a decision to begin speaking formally or cease to do so. However, it is preferred in both direct quotes and most indirect discourse to use formal structures, even often when quoting onesself. A departure from this is seen as very deliberate disrespect.
• Adverbs of time occur after the verb, but before the subject.
  • bó tsʼuð˜ú saulam - S/he will die soon
  • viddzes saulam kantól - Make some arrows soon! (Note fortition: geminate j> ddz)

Vocab

offset entries are derivations from the root above them

Roots

bib

ask

bibbaq

to interrogate

bimb

question

tajo

not asking (irregular)

boib

try

boimb

an attempt

betsʼ

be_a_grain (like sand)

betsʼaq

be_a_powder (like flour)

íbetsʼ

sand

dɔb

to be tall

dɔddob

height

dɔbbaq

to be towering

ídobbaq

any unusually tall thing, esp. of trees

ŋídobbaq

a forest of tall trees; a building supported by tall pillars

hóv

to be good

hóvhov

goodness

kat

shoot

kant

arrow

lukant

quiver

kantat

swift

lukantat

flock of swifts

íkat

archer

ŋíkat

company of archers

iŋkát

bow

kim

be female

kimat

hen

kʼeb

be male

kʼebat

cock

íkʼeb

man

kʼéq

come

lɛb

to do what (to) (e.g. lɛves "what are you doing?")

lɛmb

what

ílɛb

who

indε'b

what (of tools specifically)

lɛq

guard

ílɛq

sentry

ŋílεq

company of guardsmen

inlɛ́q

shield

lɛɴq

fort

lɛqat

goose

lulεqat

flock of geese

neŋ

to stay behind or away; not come

nuk

be female

nunnuk

womanhood

qatsʼ

to finish something

qantsʼ

a finished task

qup

bore, dig

íqup

digger

iɴqúp

drill

iɴqúpat

woodpecker

qump

hole

qʼog

to wade

qʼogat

heron

saq

carve

ísaq

carver

ŋísaq

ethonym of the speakers of this language

insáq

chisel

saNq

sculpture

lusaNq

group of sculptures

sas

wet, moisten

ísas

moisture, liquid

ísasaq

water

ísasaqat

waterfowl

suŋ

to plough

ísuŋ

ploughman

insúŋ

plough

suŋŋ

ploughed land

suŋŋat

thrush

tán

walk

ítán

nomad

intán

leg

tánn

footpath

tap

break

ítap

breaker

intáp

axe

tig

speak

tiggaq

to give a speech

tiŋg

word

lutiŋg

language

tsʼun

die

tsʼunnaq

to die a terrible, torturous death

vet

see

vetat

hawk

vent

sight

ívet

seer

imvét

eye

imvétat

peacock

vib

grow

vibbaq

grow very fast

ívib

plant

vij

create

viñj

artefact

ívij

creator

imvíj

tool

vik

to intentionally make a mistake to check whether the listener paid attention

Pronouns

ɔt

3rd person singular animate

tsoi

3rd person dual

tsov

3rd person distributive plural

gɔs

1st person

sɛt

2nd person singular informal

Adverbs

ɔ́lɛv

there; somewhere; that way; thus. Can form yes/no questions.

saulam

soon

Particles

ha

simple past

χu

`complicated past'

bó

General Future

iɔ

two, dual; distributive

tsele

negation of verbs without irregular negation

kem

subjunctive 1

Conjunctions

vigi

because

tontevigi

although

vani

if

tontevani

lest

kai

general nominal phrase conjunctor