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| = sounds = | | === syllables === |
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| == consonants ==
| | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; width: 200px;" |
| | | ! a |
| {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | | ! e |
| |+
| | ! i |
| ! | | ! o |
| ! Labial | | ! u |
| ! Alveolar | | |-align=center |
| ! Palatal | | | '''ba''' |
| ! Velar
| | | '''be''' |
| ! Glottal
| | | '''bi''' |
| |-
| | | '''bo''' |
| ! Plosive
| | | '''bu''' |
| | p
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| | t
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| | k
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| | (ʔ)
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| |-
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| ! Affricate
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| | ts~tʃ
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| |-
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| ! Fricative
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| | s~ʃ
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| |-
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| ! Nasal
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| | m
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| | n
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| |-
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| ! Approximant
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| | l (t͡ɬ)
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| | j
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| | w
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| |}
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| == vowels ==
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| {| class="wikitable"
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| |-
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| !
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| ! Front
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| ! Central
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| ! Back
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| |- style="text-align:center;"
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| ! Close | |
| | i || || u
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| |- style="text-align:center;" | |
| ! Mid
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| | e || || o
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| |- style="text-align:center;"
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| ! Open
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| | || a || | |
| |}
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| = nouns =
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| Nouns can be marked for gender, number, size, and in several other ways.
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| * '''ka-''' - plural; several [PL]
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| :: ''' ''' - <tt> </tt> - <small>PL-dog-NOM</small> - ''dogs''
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| == pronouns ==
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| {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; width: 300px;"
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| !
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| ! ''singular''
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| ! ''plural''
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| |-align=center | | |-align=center |
| ! 1
| | | '''ka''' |
| | '''wa'''- | | | '''ke''' |
| | '''kwa'''- | | | '''ki''' |
| | | '''ko''' |
| | | '''ku''' |
| |-align=center | | |-align=center |
| ! 2
| | | '''ma''' |
| | '''ni'''- | | | '''me''' |
| | '''ki'''- / '''nki'''- | | | '''mi''' |
| | | '''mo''' |
| | | '''mu''' |
| |-align=center | | |-align=center |
| ! 3
| | | '''na''' |
| | '''o'''- | | | '''ne''' |
| | '''ku'''- | | | '''ni''' |
| | | '''no''' |
| | | '''nu''' |
| |} | | |} |
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| * The reflexive/reciprocal is marked by '''-nya-'''.
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| :: '''kunyakala''' - <tt>ku-nya-kal-a</tt> - <small>3PL-REFL-speak-NPST</small> - ''They speak to each other.''
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| :: '''onyananke''' - <tt>o-nya-n-ank-e</tt> - <small>3SG-REFL-see-NEG-PST</small> - ''She did not see herself.''
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| * The accusative/passive is marked by '''i-'''.
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| :: '''iwana''' - <tt>i-wa-n-a</tt> - <small>ACC-1SG-see-NPST</small> - ''I am seen.''
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| :: '''ipikalanke''' - <tt>i-pi-kal-ank-e</tt> - <small>ACC-2DU-speak-NEG-PST</small> - ''You (two) were not spoken to.''
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| <small>NOTE: The dual pronouns '''pwa''', '''pi (mpi)''', and '''pu''' are used infrequently.</small>
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| = verbs =
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| * '''Pronominal prefix''' - '''VERB STEM''' - '''tense/aspect-modal'''
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| == tenses ==
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| There are two tenses...[[wp:Nonpast_tense|nonpast]], [[wp:Past_tense|past]].
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| * '''-a''' - non-past [NPST]
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| :: '''wayema''' - <tt>wa-yem-a</tt> - <small>1S-eat-NPST</small> - ''I eat.''
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| * '''-e''' - past [PST]
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| :: '''niyeme''' - <tt>ni-yem-e</tt> - <small>2S-eat-PST</small> - ''You ate.''
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| == other modifiers ==
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| Various moods (or modals), aspects, and syntactic markers are used to add nuance and subtlety.
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| = lexicon =
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| * '''kal''' - say; tongue; voice; language; talk
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| :: '''kalo''' ('''nkalu''') - language; dialect
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| * '''mat''' - cut; kill; knife
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| * '''yem''' - eat; nourish; bread
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| :: '''yemo''' - food; sustenance
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| = examples =
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| == speak ==
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| * '''kal''' - speak
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| : '''wakala''' - <tt>wa-kal-a</tt> - <small>1SG-speak-NPST</small> - ''I speak.''
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| : '''nikale''' - <tt>ni-kal-e</tt> - <small>2SG-speak-PST</small> - ''You spoke.''
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| : '''kunyakala''' - <tt>ku-nya-kal-a</tt> - <small>3PL-REFL-speak-NPST</small> - ''They speak to each other.''
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| == break ==
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| * '''tak''' - break
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