Conlang Relay 18/Doayâu

by Jan Strasser

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Doayâu text

Gigatûisèsìrugo tsàbò likésai bàyu turù. Dìnèfarita tsa ngâupurita lípòfùmùrà, gita tsí rìyau galau atsúpú yàgirita. Fígoagurìya fà gìralugòfùfala, gì roatsilàri tsa bagasìreagirì tsa fárìreagirì, nifátûi yâi gì nàgù nìmi tsóturì. Dàmauní, bàyu màfùnâibi bágalàyai, rìgàyarugo mìnayo yeràyai gugau akénu kápágì ga yàgèni kâu tsoa dùmàyariri. Sìgìbalúfarea furá fárù yaupú tsa táfâi yarù, tuilurùpùgo tsíri tsógauga nire, dagai akísífuyeogu ngiriutsú dearagurutsôa.

Translation

English

The statue in the corner moved again. The wooden dog, which had rested between the arms of the child, woke up and barked. Then it exhaled a large cloud of smoke, which whirled and divided and reassembled, eventually forming a maze that settled right beside the wall. There, on a wide platform covered with snow, stood a venerable lady whose mocking yet seductive face was rosy like a peach. Ignoring all rituals and etiquette though, instead unexpectedly smiling towards him, she lifted the veil from her face.

English translation of previous text

(West Germanic, by Sean Anderson)

The statue in the corner moved again. The carved dog, which had been curled up in the boy's arms, woke up and barked, breathing out a cloud of smoke that whirled, broke apart, and reassembled into a maze around the spreading place, where a splendid lady was standing on a broad table full of snow, with a derisive, enchanting face as rosy as tea. However, having forgotten all custom and pride, she laid down her glimmering veil with a gentle smile for him alone.

Interlinear gloss

Gigatûisèsìrugo

giga-tûi-sèsì-ri-go

be_alive-become-MIR-SENS-NC1.ABS

tsàbò

tsàbò

again

likésai

likésai-Ø

statue-ABS.SG

bàyu

bàyu

at

turù.

turù-Ø

corner-ABS.SG

The statue in the corner moved again.

Dìnèfarita

dìnèfə-ri-ta

wake_up-SENS-NC2.ABS

tsa

tsa

and

ngâupurita

ngâupu-ri-ta

bark-SENS-NC2.ABS

lìpòfùmùrà,

lìpa-òfù-mùrà-Ø

wood-made_of-dog-ABS.SG,

The wooden dog woke up and barked,

gita

gi-ta

REL-NC2.ABS

tsí

tsí

earlier

rìyau

rìyau

between

galau

galə-ù

child-OBL.SG

atsúpú

a-tsúpo-´

3SG.POSS-arm-ABS.PL

yàgirita.

yàgi-ri-ta

rest-SENS-NC2.ABS

which had rested between the arms of the child before.

Fígoagurìya

fíga-agu-ri-i-a

breathe-away-SENS-NC6.ABS-3.ERG

fà

fà

and_then

gìralugòfùfala,

gìra-lugo-òfù-fala-Ø

big-smoke-made_of-cloud-ABS.SG

Then it exhaled a large cloud made of smoke,

gì

gi-i

REL-NC6.ABS

roatsilàrì

roa-tsilə`-ri-i

drift-ITER-SENS-NC6.ABS

tsa

tsa

and

bagasìreagirì

bagasə-reaya-ri-i

split-DETR-SENS-NC6.ABS

tsa

tsa

and

fárìreagirì,

fárə-reaya-ri-i

gather-DETR-SENS-NC6.ABS,

which whirled and divided and reassembled,

nifátûi

nifá-tûi-i

fog-become-PTCP

yâi

yâi

finally

gì

gi-i

REL-NC6.ABS

nàgù

nàgù

next_to

nìmi

nìmi-Ø

wall-ABS.SG

tsóturì.

tsótu-ri-i

settle-SENS-NC6.ABS

eventually forming a maze that settled right beside the wall.

Dàmauní,

da-mə-ù=ní

PROX-place-OBL.SG=on,

bàyu

bàyu

at

màfùnâibi

màfu-nâibi-Ø

broad-platform-ABS.SG

bágalàyai,

bága-làye-i

snow-be_under-PTCP,

There, on a wide platform covered with snow,

rìgàyarugo

rìgàye-ri-go

stand-SENS-NC1.ABS

mìnayo

mìnayo-Ø

lady-ABS.SG

yeràyai

yerə-ayV-i

venerable-STAT-PTCP

stood a venerable lady

gugau

gi-gau

REL-NC1.OBL

akénu

a-kénu-Ø

3SG.POSS-face-ABS.SG

kápágì

kápágè-i

mock-PTCP

ga

ga

but

yàgèni

yàgène-i

seduce-PTCP

kâu

kâu

like

tsoa

tsoa-Ø

peach-ABS.SG

dùmàyariri.

dùmə-ayV-ri-ri

red-STAT-SENS-NC4.ABS

whose mocking yet enchanting face was rosy like a peach.

Sìgìbalúfarea

sìgìba-lu-fə-ri-a

consider-EVID-NEG-NC4.ABS-3.ERG

furá

furá

however

fárù

fá-rù

all-NC4.OBL

yaupú

yaupu-´

ritual-ABS.PL

tsa

tsa

and

táfâi

táfai-´

distance-ABS.PL

yarù,

yari-ù

SUB-OBL,

Ignoring, however, all rituals and etiquette,

tuilurùpùgo

tuilu-ri-pù-go

smile-SENS-AFF-NC1.ABS

tsíri

tsíri

instead

tsógauga

tsé-gau=a

MED-NC1.OBL=for

nire,

nire

unexpectedly

instead unexpectedly smiling towards him,

dagai

da-gai

PROX-NC1.ERG

akísífuyeogu

a-kísí-fu=yeogu

3SG.POSS-cheek-OBL.PL=from

ngiriutsú

ngiriutsú

fine_cloth-ABS.SG

dearagurutsôa.

deari-agu-ri-tsú-a

put-away-SENS-NC5.ABS-3.ERG

she lifted the veil from her face.

Vocabulary

(I have not indicated the noun class of each noun because class membership is more or less semantically-based. Instead, I've included definitions for those agreement morphemes that occur in the text.)

morpheme	class	meaning	notes
-Ø	suffix	(absolutive case singular)
-´	suffix	(absolutive case plural)	raises tone of preceding vowel, sometimes with a change in quality
a-	prefix	(3rd person singular possessor)
-a-	suffix	(agreement 3rd person ergative)	changes preceding /i u/ into /e o/
-agu-	suffix	(indicates motion away from focus)
bága	n.	snow
bagasi-	v.mt	split, divide, cut
bàyu	pp.	at, on, in
da-	pron.	(proximal demonstrative pronoun)	takes noun class agreement
dàma	n.	there, that place
deara-	v.mt	put, place, move towards
dìnèfa-	v.it	wake up, rise
dùmaya-	v.it	be red
fà	cj.	also, and then, afterwards
fá-	pron.	all, every
-fa-	suffix	(negation)	goes between evidential and participant marking
fala	n.	cloud
fári-	v.mt	collect, gather, assemble, merge
fígo-	v.mt	breathe, blow, sigh
-fu	suffix	(oblique case plural)
furá	adv.	however, by contrast
ga	cj.	but, yet
=ga	pp.	for, on behalf of, to the benefit of	postclitic, governs oblique case
gala	n.	child
gi-	pron.	(relative pronoun)	takes noun class agreement
giga-	v.it	breathe, be alive, stir
gìra-	prefix	big, large, voluminous
-go-	suffix	(agreement noun class 1: humans, gods, spirits, birds, tools)	becomes -ga- before /i/ or /u/; changes preceding /i e/ into /u o/
-i	suffix	(ergative case singular)
-i-	suffix	(agreement noun class 6: liquids, air, fire etc.)	surfaces as low tone if preceded by /i/
-i-	suffix	(participle, verbal noun)	deletes preceding /i/
kápágè-	v.mt	laugh at, mock, scorn, disdain
kâu	pp.	like, as, similar to
kénu	n.	face, facade, front side, bow (of a ship)
kísí	n.	side, cheek
làya-	v.it+	be under, be covered by, be hidden	takes a mandatory complement, which may be incorporated
likésai	n.	statue, figurine, idol (lit. "small god")
lìpe	n.	wood (the material)
-lu-	suffix	(evidential: inferred from physical or situational evidence)
lugo	n.	smoke
màfu-	prefix	broad, wide, flat, spacious
mìna	n.	mother, mature woman
mùrà	n.	hunting dog, hound
nàgù	pp.	next to, beside, at the foot of, under
nâibi	n.	platform, terrace (typically on the roof of a house)
ngâupu-	v.it	bark, bellow, roar
ngiriutsú	n.	fine cloth
=ní	pp.	on, touching	postclitic, governs oblique case
nifá	n.	maze, mist, fog
nìmi	n.	wall
nire	adv.	surprisingly, unexpectedly
-òfù-	suffix	consisting of, made from	deletes preceding vowel
-pù-	suffix	(affirmative)	goes between evidential and participant marking; changes preceding /i e/ to /u o/
-reagi-	suffix	(detransitiviser)
-ri-	suffix	(agreement noun class 4: food, ideas, unlimited areas, mass nouns)
-ri-	suffix	(evidential: sensory perception)
rìgàya-	v.it	stand
rìyau	pp.	among, between, within
roa-	v.it	drift, float, be suspended
-sèsì-	suffix	(indicates unexpected information)
sìgìba-	v.mt	consider, keep in mind, pay attention to
-ta-	suffix	(agreement noun class 2: fish, land animals, body parts, natural forces)
táfai	n.	difference, distance, politeness, etiquette
tsa	cj.	and, with
tsàbò	adv.	again, once more, over and over
tsé-	pron.	(medial demonstrative pronoun)	takes noun class agreement
tsí	adv.	earlier on, beforehand
-tsilà-	suffix	(iterative)
tsíri	adv.	instead
tsoa	n.	peach, apricot
tsótu-	v.it	lie down, rest, settle
-tsú-	suffix	(agreement noun class 5: soft non-food items)
tsúpo	n.	arm, branch (of a tree), flank (of an army)
-tûi-	suffix	become, turn into, start
tuilu-	v.it	smile, smirk, grin, laugh quietly
turù	n.	knee, bend, corner, loop
-ù	suffix	(oblique case singular)	deletes preceding vowels other than /a/
yàgène-	v.mt	make friends with, win over, seduce
yàgi-	v.it	rest, relax, be sleepy, cuddle
yâi	adv.	in the end, eventually, as a result
yari	pron.	(subordinating pronoun)
yaupu	n.	ritual, tradition, custom
=yeogu	pp.	away from	postclitic, governs oblique case
yeraya-	v.it	be worthy of reverence, be adorable
-yo-	suffix	(honorific, augmentative)

Grammar

Doayâu is morphologically ergative, suffixing and agglutinative.

Nominal morphology

• There are seven noun classes, which are cross-referenced on verbs and deictic pronouns.
• Nouns inflect for three cases (absolutive, ergative, oblique) and two numbers (singular, plural)
• Possession is indicated with prefixes that show number and person of the possessor.
• Nominal compounds are head-final.
• There are no 3rd person pronouns. Instead, demonstratives are used, which inflect for noun class, case, and number.

Verbal morphology

• Verbs are mandatorily marked for evidentiality and (absolutive) participant agreement (in this order).
• Absolutive 3rd person arguments are tracked on the verb by noun class, but not by number.
• Transitive verbs are also marked for their ergative arguments (after the absolutive marker). Ergative arguments are tracked only by person and number, not by noun class.
• In addition, verbs can take a large array of derivational suffixes, which may pile up before the evidential suffix.
• Absolutive arguments may also be incorporated, appearing before the verb root. This decreases valency by one and promotes the ergative argument to absolutive.

Syntax

• Adjectives are not a seperate word class. Some concepts are expressed by attributive prefixes, others by stative verbs (often inflected as a participle/verbal noun).
• Noun phrases are mostly head-initial, with genitives, participles and relative clauses following their head.
• Most adpositional phrases are prepositions; however, a number of clitic postpositions also occur.
• The unmarked sentence order is VSO. SOV is used in subclauses and sometimes for stylistic reasons.
• Pronouns in the absolutive or ergative case are often omitted (i.e. Doayâu is a pro-drop language).
• Adverbs and conjunctions are usually placed after the head of the first constituent in a clause (Wackernagel's position).

Links

• Doayâu grammar sketch