Siye Dialects
None of the dialects participate in the post-2245 voicing changes of Standard Siye
Siye (Susu)
The dialect of Siye dismissively known as Susu has as its principal feature the collapse of the affricates into the fricatives. This creates surprisingly few problems, so much so that some broad-minded Simayamka consider Susu 'barely a dialect'. This is intended as a compliment. The main grammatical feature of Susu is the replacement of the directional suffix /tu/ [su], now homophonous with the directional suffix /su/ [su], with /sa/ [sa].
| Examples | Meaning | Standard Spelling | Standard Pronunciation | Susu Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| fortress | /kilu/ | [ˈʧʰi.lu] | [ˈʃi.lu] | |
| hudzu-priest | /kutum/ | [ˈxu.dzʊⁿ] | [ˈxu.sʊⁿ] | |
| wisemen | /pimuyamka/ | [ˈtçʰi.mu.ˌjæⁿ.ka] | [ˈçi.mu.ˌjæⁿ.ka] |
| Cases | Case Number | Case Suffix | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | 1, 1a | -0 | |
| Absolutive | 1, 1b | -0 | |
| Accusative | 2 | -a, -ha, -0 | |
| Ergative | 3 | -ya, -na | |
| Genitive | 4 | -ne, (etym.) -e | |
| Possessive | 5 | -me | |
| Ablative | 6 | -sum | |
| Locative | 7 | -kem | |
| Allative-Dative | 8 | -su | from Siye -su, -tu |
| Instrumental | 10 | -ʃi | from Siye -ki |
| Comitative | 13 | -ni | |
| Adverbial | 11 | -ku | |
| Equative | 12 | -pu | |
| Animate Instrumental | 14 | -neʃi | |
| Elative | 15 | -nemsum | |
| Inessive | 16 | -nemʃim | |
| Illative | 17 | -nemsu | |
| Abessive | 18 | -neto | |
| Causal | 19 | -neya |
| General Directionals | Abbreviation | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| -[ʃi]- | DIR.STAT | in place | |
| -[na]- | DIR.SUPER | up | |
| -[nu]- | DIR.SUB | down | |
| -[su]- | DIR.ABL | away from | |
| -[sa]- | DIR.ALL | towards | Replaces -[su]- from Siye -[tsu]- |
Siye (Tsishi)
The Tsishi dialect features the coalescence of the high vowels and the creation of new phonemes from allophones.
| Examples | Meaning | Standard Spelling | Standard Pronunciation | Tsishi Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| town, city | /lusili/ | [ˈlu.ʃi.li] | [ˈli.ʃi.ʎi] | |
| lustful(ly) | /omnuni/ | [ˈɔⁿ.nu.ni] | [ˈɔⁿ.ni.ɲi] |
| Cases | Case Number | Case Suffix | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | 1, 1a | -0 | |
| Absolutive | 1, 1b | -0 | |
| Accusative | 2 | -[a], -0 | from Tide -ŋa |
| Ergative | 3 | -[ja], -[na] | from Tide -ɲa, Thide -sa |
| Genitive | 4 | -[ne] | from Tide -ŋë, Thide -kë |
| Possessive | 5 | -[me] | possibly from Tide definite pronoun /me/, Thide /me/ |
| Ablative | 6 | -[sɪⁿ] | from Siye -sum |
| Locative | 7 | -[kɛⁿ] | from Tide -këŋ |
| Allative-Dative | 8 | -[si] | from Siye -su |
| Dative-Benefactive | 9 | -[tsu] | from Siye -tu |
| Instrumental | 10 | -[tʃi] | from Siye -ki |
| Comitative | 13 | -[ɲi] | from Siye -ni |
| Adverbial | 11 | -[xi] | from Siye -ku |
| Equative | 12 | -[ɸi] | from Siye -pu |
| Animate Instrumental | 14 | -[netʃi] | from Siye -ne + eki, instrumental postposition from instrumental case of inanimate pronoun 'e' |
| Elative | 15 | -[nɛⁿsɪⁿ] | from Siye -ne + emsum, analogical ablative of emtu 'inner' from emtu 'innards' |
| Inessive | 16 | -[nɛⁿʃɪⁿ] | from Siye -ne + emkim, analogical locative of emtu 'inner' from emtu 'innards' |
| Illative | 17 | -[nɛⁿsi] | from Siye -ne + emtu, locative postposition 'inner' from emtu "innards" |
| Abessive | 18 | -[neto] | from Siye -ne + to "without", from Thide tʰo "absence" |
| General Directionals | Abbreviation | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| -[tʃi]- | DIR.STAT | in place | |
| -[na]- | DIR.SUPER | up | |
| -[ni]- | DIR.SUB | down | |
| -[si]- | DIR.ABL | away from | |
| -[tsi]- | DIR.ALL | towards |
Changes in Tsishi
Recent (2250) changes in the Tsishi dialect have produced geminate consonants and closed oral syllables.
ʧ > ʃʃ [-ʃʃi] INS vs [-ʃi] INCL
ʦ > ss [-ssi] DAT vs [-si] ALL vs [-sɪⁿ] ABL
ʎ > ll [ˈʃilli] 'house', [ˈʧili] 'fort' [liʃillisi] 'to the town'
ɲ > nn [-nni] COM [-ni] DIR.SUB
Siye (Tsushi)
Tsushi is a newly (2250) recorded dialect or sub-dialect of Tsishi. Hypercorrection of the consonants preceding Tsishi i < u, i has resulted in:
[xi] for /ki/ [tʃi]
[ɸi] for initial /pi/ [tç]
[ʃu] for non-initial /pu/ [ɸu]
[si] for /si/ [ʃi]
Ye
Ye has two variations, Rural and Urban.
| Cases | Case Number | Case Suffix | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative-Absolutive | 1, 1a | -0 | |
| Accusative | 2 | -[ɔ] | |
| Ergative | 3 | -[nɔ] | |
| Vocative | 20 | -[i] | |
| Genitive | 4 | -[ne] | |
| Possessive | 5 | -[me] | |
| Ablative | 6 | -[ɛⁿ], -0 | |
| Locative | 7 | -[kæⁿ] | |
| Allative-Dative | (8) 9 | -[θi] | |
| Instrumental | 10 | -[xi] | |
| Comitative | 13 | -[ni] | |
| Elative | 15 | -[kɛⁿ] | LOC + ABL |
| Inessive | 16 | -[kæⁿxi] | LOC + LOC |
| Illative | 17 | -[kæⁿθi] | LOC + ALL |
| Abessive | 18 | -[nito] | COM + to |
| General Directionals | Abbreviation | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| -[xi]- | DIR.STAT | in place | |
| -[nɔ]- | DIR.SUPER | up | |
| -[ni]- | DIR.SUB | down | Older [ny] |
| -[i]-, -[0]- | DIR.ABL | away from | Older [y], [hy]; Ye absence of Directional implies DIR.ABL |
| -[θi]- | DIR.ALL | towards | Older [θy] |
| PAM Suffixes | Abbreviation | Aspect | Polarity | Mood | Notes | Early Siye |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -[mɔ]- | IPFV.POS.REAL (PAM1, P1) | Imperfective | Positive | Realis | -mea- | |
| -[nɔ]- | PFV.POS.REAL (PAM2, P2) | Perfective | Positive | Realis | -nea- | |
| -[me]- | IPFV.POS.IRL (PAM3, P3) | Imperfective | Positive | Irrealis | -me- | |
| -[ne]- | PFV.POS.IRL (PAM4, P4) | Perfective | Positive | Irrealis | -ne- | |
| -[mɔ:]- | IPFV.POS.REAL (PAM5, P5) | Imperfective | Negative | Realis | -meau- | |
| -[nɔ:]- | PFV.POS.REAL (PAM6, P6) | Perfective | Negative | Realis | -neau- | |
| -[me:]- | IPFV.POS.IRL (PAM7, P7) | Imperfective | Negative | Irrealis | Subjunctive | -meu- |
| -[ne:]- | PFV.POS.IRL (PAM8, P8) | Perfective | Negative | Irrealis | Contrafactual | -neu- |
1. In pre-Ye, a and um had become [ɑ] and [ʌⁿ].
2. The fricatives coalesce into h: s, ɸ, ʃ , x > h.
3. The affricates become fricatives: tʃ, ts, tç > ʃ, s, ç
4. The Great Ye Vowel Shift; ɛⁿ > æⁿ, ɑ > ɔ, æⁿ > ɪɘⁿ, Cæⁿ > Cjɘⁿ, ɔⁿ > ɒⁿ, u > y, ʌⁿ > ɛⁿ
5. The semi-vowels and h disappear, precipitating a round of vowel dominance contraction: h, w, j > 0
6. The remaining fricatives increase distance from one another: ʃ, s, ç > x, θ, s
7. y > i (22nd century)
| Examples | Meaning | Standard Spelling | Standard Pronunciation | Rural Ye Pronunciation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| red | /kiwa/ | [ˈʧʰi.ʋɑ] | [ˈxɔ:] | ||
| I am seeing it. | /eleyemputsuma/ | [e.le.ˈjɛⁿ.ɸu.ˌtsu.mɑ] | [e.ˈlɛⁿ:.ʔi.ˌθi.mɔ] | ||
| towards the fortress | /kilusu/ | [ˈʧʰi.lu.su] | [ˈxi.li.θi] | ||
| cloak | /kamsutu/ | [ˈkæⁿ.su.tsu] | [ˈkʰjɘⁿ.i.θi] | ||
| beast | /pitake/ | [ˈtçʰi.tɑ.ke] | [ˈsi.tɔ.ke] | ||
| loc. | /-kem/ | [gɛⁿ] | [kæⁿ] | ||
| what? | /pala/ | [ˈpa.la] | [ˈpɔ.lɔ] | ||
| Martian duck | /amsa/ | [ˈɪɘⁿ.sjɘⁿ] | Mostly found in local words of pre-Siye origin | ||
| ecstasy | /omnum/ | [ˈɔⁿ.nʌⁿ] | [ˈɒⁿ.nɛⁿ] |
Tadji
Tadji is a daughter language of Tide and a sister language to Tiye. It is descended from the ruling caste dialect used before the Great Revolt. It is beyond the scope of this document to explore the complexities of Tadji, so here it will merely be stated that Siye-speakers often use Tadji as an onomastic resource.
