Náŋifi Fasúxa

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Náŋifi Fasúxa (the Common Language) is the native language of the Pínaax (the People).

The phonology is relatively simple, with 9 consonants (p,t,k,m,n,ŋ,f,s,x). There are 3 basic vowels. which may be short or long (a,i,u; aa, ii, uu). There are also six diphthongs (ai [aj], au [aw], iu [ju], ia [ja], ui [wi], ua [wa]. The acute accent on a vowel indicates stress and a rising pitch; the unmarked vowels have a falling pitch.

A peculiarity of Náŋifi Fasúxa is the ability of the syllables in its three-syllable roots to flip form CV to VC depending on the use of the root in the sentence. In discussion of the grammar of Náŋifi Fasúxa, the terms 'initial syllable', 'medial syllable', and 'final syllable' refer to the syllables of the masculine singular CVCVCV root before any flipping; the feminine plural adjective kuáŋit [kwa.ŋit] has stress on the flipped radical medial syllable -aŋ-, even though the realization of the stress is on the initial syllable of the word as pronounced. (I would be grateful for any help in more effective wording)

Nouns, Adjectives, and Prepositions: Nouns, adjectives, and prepositions are characterized by an unflipped intial syllable.

Nouns: Nouns indicate gender and grammatical number. The masculine singular retains all the syllables as CV; plurality is indicated by flipping the final syllable, femininity by flipping the medial syllable. Nouns are accented on the initial syllable. Thus:

pínaxa [pi.na.xa] man

pínaax [pi.na:x] men

pianxa [pjan.xa] woman

pianax [pja.nax] women

Adjectives: Adjectives are similar to nouns, and agree with the noun they modify in gender and number (the exceptions are the possessive pronouns). Adjectives are accented on the medial syllable and follow the nouns they modify. Thus:

pínaxa kuŋáti [pi.na.xa ku.ŋa.ti] a great man

pínaax kuŋáit [pi.na:x ku.ŋajt] great men

pianxa kuáŋti [pjan.xa kwaŋ.ti] a great woman

pianax kuáŋit [pja.nax kwa.ŋit] great women

Prepositions: Prepositions are accented on the final syllable and agree with the noun which the prepositional phrase modifies in gender and number. Thus:

páŋasa tamapú múfaxa [pa.ŋa.sa ta.ma.pu mu.fa.xa] the house above the camp

paaŋas taamíx múfaxa [ta:.mix pa:.ŋas] the huts below the camp

Verbs and Adverbs: Verbs and adverbs are characterized by a flipped initial syllable.

Active Verbs: Active verbs and intransitive verbs are accented on the initial syllable. The verbs agree in gender and number with the subject. Náŋifi Fasúxa is a VSO language. Thus:

átmaxi pínaxa kuŋáti [at.ma.xi pi.na.xa ku.ŋa.ti] a great man descends

átmaix pínaax kuŋáit [at.majx pi.na:x ku.ŋajt] great men descend

átamxi pianxa kuáŋti [a.tam.xi pjan.xa kwaŋ.ti] a great woman descends

átamix pianax kuáŋit [a.ta.mix pja.nax kwa.ŋit] great women descend

An active verb may function as an active participle after a noun. Thus:

páŋaas áxauk [pa.ŋa:s a.xawk] the burning houses

pianxa átamxi [pjan.xa a.tam.xi] the women who are descending

The active participle may not be used as a substitute for the equivalent nouns. Thus there is a difference between:

táamxi [ta:m.xi] the descending ones (feminine plural) vs. átamxi [a.tam.xi]

Passive Verbs: Passive verbs are accented on the medial syllable. They agree in gender and number with the subject. Thus:

axáuk páŋaas [a.xawk pa.ŋa:s] the houses are burning

A passive verb may function as a passive participle after a noun. As with the active form, the passive participle is strictly adjectival. Thus:

páŋaas axáuk [pa.ŋa:s a.xawk] the burnt houses

Adverbs: Adverbs are accented on the final syllable. They agree in gender and number with the verb they modify. The chief adverbs are the temporal participles atkamí (past), itŋafí (present), and ixpunú (future). Just as adjectives follow the noun they modify, so too do the adverbs follow the verb.

átamxi atakmí pianxa [a.tam.xja.tak.mi pjan.xa] the woman descended

átamxi itaŋfí pianxa [a.tam.xi:.taŋ.fi pjan.xa]the woman descends

átamxi ixupnú pianxa [a.tam.xi:.xup.nu pjan.xa] the woman will descend

Adverbs may modify adjectives, including active and passive participles.

páŋasa kuŋáti ukŋatí [pa.ŋa.sa ku.ŋa.tjuk.ŋa.ti] the very big house

páŋasa úŋxaku ukŋatí [pa.ŋa.sawŋ.xa.ku:k.ŋa.ti] the great burning house

túnasi uŋxáku ukŋatí [tu.na.sjuŋ.xa.ku:k.ŋa.ti] the big burned stone

Pronouns: There are three pronominal roots (ŋasipu, natufi, pumafa), which inflect for gender and number. Thus the complete set of pronouns is:

ŋásipu he

ŋásiup they (masculine)

ŋáispu she

ŋáisup they (feminine)

nátufi you (masculine singular)

nátuif you (masculine plural)

náutfi you (feminine singular)

náutif you (feminine plural)

púmafa I (masculine)

púmaaf we (masculine)

puamfa I (feminine)

puamaf we (feminine)

Genitive Prepositional Construct The genitive relationship, rather than transposition or a specific genitive adjective, is indicated by the formation of a preposition that agrees with its object in its root, but the noun it modifies in gender and number. Thus:

páaŋsa pianxa' pianax [pa:ŋ.sa pjan.xa pja.nax] the hut of the women