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| == cons == | | = Phonology = |
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| | == consonants == |
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| == phonotactics == | | == phonotactics == |
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| Kala has a fairly simple phonological system. It allows only syllables with maximally one initial and one final consonant. Consonant clusters only occur word-medially and over syllable boundaries, with the exception of prenasalized plosives which can start a word. Kala phonotactics does not allow the onsets of adjacent syllables to be identical, nor both to be labialized or palatalized. (There are a few exceptions to this, such as '''tata''' for the informal/familiar form of father, etc.) Syllables beginning with /l/ do not occur as the first syllable of a [[WP:Headword|headword]].
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| = locative verbs =
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| Kala does not have prepositions as a distinct part of speech. Instead, many locative verbs can be used as prepositions, in which case they precede the noun they modify. There is one general locative (-'''hue''') which is affixed to nouns (and occasionally verbs) to indicate the sense of “at; in; on”.
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| * '''na tsakahue''' – <small>1SG house-LOC</small> – ''I am at home''
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| * '''iyoma tahi nayo hakyohue''' – <small>today son 1SG.POSS school-LOC</small> – ''My son is in school today''
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| Almost any locative verb can be used in the preposition role.
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| * '''mita tsakam maye''' – <small>dog house be.among</small> – ''The dog is among the houses''
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| * '''mita naye yohua inak''' – <small>dog during night eat-NEG</small> – ''The dog does not eat during the night''
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| * '''mita tsaka nahe''' – <small>dog house inside</small> – ''The dog is inside the house''
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| * '''mita nahe tsaka ina''' – <small>dog inside house eat</small> – ''The dog is eating inside the house''
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| There is a special suffix (-'''la''') to indicate motion. It can be added to a locative verb only in the verb role and is never affixed to –'''hue'''.
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| * '''mita tsaka ka’ela''' – <small>dog house toward-go</small> – ''The dog is going toward the house''
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| * '''mita ka’e tsaka yala''' – <small>dog toward house go</small> – ''The dog is going toward the house''
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| * '''mita yempa tahelaye''' – <small>dog table under-MOT-PST</small> – ''The dog went under the table''
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| In certain expressions a preposition is unnecessary. Most often this is because of the pronominal constructions.
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| * '''kamena ke mita yetaye''' – <small>3PL-P.1SG O dog give-PST</small> – ''They gave me a dog. / They gave the dog to me.''
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| * '''na’ameta ke apua tayo makatli''' – <small>1PL.EXCL-P.2SG TOP song 2SG.POSS play.music-FUT</small> – ''We will play your song to/for you.''
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| A list of some common locative verbs:
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| * '''ma’a''' – with [accompanied by / furnished with]
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| * '''ma’ak''' – without; with no…
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| * '''nyahe''' – by means of; per; via
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| * '''pahe''' – against; touching
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| * '''sahe''' – across; opposite; other side
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| * '''saye''' – along; following [a line]
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| * '''tsa’e''' – across; through
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| * '''ma’e''' – before; in front
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| * '''pue''' – after; back; behind; rear
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| * '''ua’e''' – above; over / on
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| * '''tahe''' – below; beneath; under
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| * '''ka’e''' – to; towards; at [moving toward]
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| * '''uaye''' – from [moving out of or away from]
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| * '''nahe''' – in [located inside of]; internal
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| * '''nyaue''' – outside of; exterior to
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| * '''ya’e''' – near; close to
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| * '''mahe''' – around; approximate; close to
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| * '''maye''' – between; among
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| * '''kaye''' – around; encircling; surrounding
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| * '''tsaye''' – since; until; up to; as far as
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| * '''paye''' – beyond; exceeding; farther than
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| = number & counting =
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