Conlang Relay 17/Feayran

by David Edwards

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The text

Korhruktukákt

Ulkáuth elàeruholikuktuvá. Úk mishlóahulukun kukánoholùikurhr. Rhrúk akuktukúlkirhr. Ùulukturár rhrúk aìnàininú ulkáauth kuktùuránuìlkura karhruktùushúlki. Mú ulkuktukúlkiret. Théokai toèrrukúlkik.

Smooth English

The elk did evil

An elk was friends with a man. But the elk's blood burned toward the man. Then the elk attacked the man. The elk called out, and then twelve twelves of twelve elks went there and chased the man. The first elk bit the man many times. At that time the man was killed.

Interlinear gloss

Ulkáuth elàeruholikuktuvá. ulk<áu>th elàer<u-h-ol<i>ku-kt;u-v-á> elk<DIR.LEAD.S> friend<LEAD-Ø-male<INS.FOLLOW>-CLS(large_prey_animal);LEAD.S-STAT-INTRS.IND> Úk mishlóahulukun kukánoholùikurhr. <ú>k mishl<óa-h-ul<u>k-u>n k<u-k-á-n;o-h-ol<ùi>ku>rhr CONTRAST<LEAD> blood<DIR.INAN.S-Ø-CLS(large_prey_animal)<LEAD>-Ø> fire<LEAD-PERF-INTRS.IND-CLS(water);INAN.S-Ø-CLS(male)<LAT.FOLLOW>> Rhrúk akuktukúlkirhr. rhr<ú>k ak<u-kt;u-k-ú-lk;i>rhr next<LEAD> attack<LEAD-CLS;LEAD.S-PERF-TRNS.IND-CLS(male);FOLLOW.S> Ùulukturár rhrúk aìnàininú ulkáauth kuktùuránuìlkura karhruktùushúlki. ùul<u-kt;u-r-á>r rhr<ú>k aìnàinin<ú> ulk<áau>th k<u-kt;ùu-r-á-n<uì>lku>ra karhr<u-kt;ùu-sh-ú-lk;i> call<LEAD-CLS;LEAD.S-PUNC-INTRS> next<LEAD> 1,728<LEAD> elk<DIR.LEAD.S> go<LEAD-CLS;LEAD.P-PUNC-INTRS.IND-CLS(foreign_land)<LAT.FOLLOW>> chase<LEAD-CLS;LEAD.P-IMPF-TRNS.IND-CLS;FOLLOW.S> Mú ulkuktukúlkiret. m<ú> ulk<u-kt;u-k-ú-lk;i>ret much<LEAD> bite<LEAD-CLS;LEAD.S-PERF-TRNS.IND-CLS;FOLLOW.S> Théokai toèrrukúlkik. th<éo>kai toèrr<u-k-ú-lk;i>k time_in_the_past<LOC.INAN.S> death<LEAD-PERF-TRNS.IND-CLS;FOLLOW.S>

Notes

The feayr do not domesticate or ride on animals; the closest parallel I could find for "horse" was "elk," and I chose to translate the relationship between man and steed as "friendship."

Grammar

Noun morphology: (pre-stem) + STANCE.CASE.NUMBER + (incorporated GEN) + (post-stem)

The STANCE.CASE.NUMBER affix always carries a high tone, marked with an acute accent (e.g., á).

Noun affixes

áu - direct case (for agents and patients), singular, leading stance áau - direct case, plural, leading stance óa - direct case, inanimate referent

éo - unincorporated locative case, singular, inanimate referent

i - incorporated locative or instrumental case, following stance u - incorporated locative or instrumental case, leading stance ùi - incorporated lative case, following stance

Note on incorporation: when an incorporated noun begins with a vowel, an h- is added to the front.

Qualifier affixes

ú - leading stance

Verb morphology: (pre-stem) + STANCE + (incorp. ABL) + (AGENT) + ASPECT + VOICE + (PATIENT) + (incorp. LOC/LAT) + (post-stem)

The VOICE affix always carries a high tone.

STANCE affixes

u - leading stance

AGENT/PATIENT affixes

ktu - large prey noun class, singular, leading stance no - water/emotion noun class, singular, inanimate lki - masculine noun class, singular, following stance ktùu - large prey noun class, plural, leading stance

ASPECT affixes v - stative/descriptive k - perfective action r - punctual, also implies immediacy or haste sh - imperfective action

VOICE affixes ú - transitive á - intransitive

There is also one instance of tone sandhi: Rising tones (marked in the form àa) become falling tones (marked aà) after high tones (marked á).