Lotá

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Lotá
Pronounced:	/lota˥/ - [ˈlo˧.ta˥]
Timeline and Universe:	theoretically this universe, future
Species:	Humanoid
Spoken:	Central North coast of Lhined
Total speakers:	~5,000
Writing system:	None, romanized for ease in article
Genealogy:	isolate, assumed distant relation to Bokeih, notable Rajo-Faraneit and Etimri influences
Typology
Morphological type:	Inflecting
Morphosyntactic alignment:	Nominative-Accusative
Basic word order:	SVO with frequent use of SOV
Credits
Creator:	Humancadaver101 aka Schwhatever aka Buckfush530
Created:	August 2008

Lotá is a language spoken slightly inland from the coast opposite the Timereitah. The speakers were typically involved in trade negotiations between continental merchants (specifically the Faraneih, but also Raj and a few other groups) and the coastal fishermen (specifically the Tnusjakt speakers).

Phonology

Word Initial Consonants

• /p b f v m t d s z n ʃ ʒ l ɬ c ɟ ç ʝ ɲ k g x ɣ ʟ/
  • Romanized as "p b f m t d s z n x zh l lh c j ch jh ng k g kh gh lg"

Word Medial Consonants

• /p b b: f v m t t: d d: s s: z n ʃ ʃ: ʒ l ɬ c ɟ ɟ: ç ʝ ɲ k g g: x ɣ ʟ/
  • Romanized as "p b bb f m t tt d dd s ss z n x xx zh l lh c j jj ch jh ng k g gg kh gh lg"

Word Terminal Consonants

• /v z ʝ ɣ ʔ/
  • Romanized as "v z jh gh q"

General Vowels

• /a a: e e: i i: o o:/
  • Romanized as "a aa e ee i ii o oo"

Word Terminal Vowels

• /ə ɒ: ɛ: ɪ: ɔ: ə~ ɒ:~ ɛ:~ ɪ:~ ɔ:~ a˥ e˥ i˥ o˥ a:˥ e:˥ i:˥ o:˥ a˩ e˩ i˩ o˩ a:˩ e:˩ i:˩ o:˩ a˧ e˧ i˧ o˧ a:˧ e:˧ i:˧ o:˧/
  • Romanized as "y â ê î ô yn an en in on á é í ó áá éé íí óó à è ì ò ù àà èè ìì òò a e i o aa ee ii oo"

Morphology

Like most of the Measceineafh Sprachbund, a relatively high level of synthesis in the verbal morphology is in the process of developing. Unlike most of the other languages in the region, however, Lotá has a history of nominal inflection, although, extensive contact with Rajo-Faraneih Languages has dramatically reduced this (as well as resulted in the loss of the superlative and a more shadowy plurality distinction).

Nominal Morphology

There are three cases: nominative, accusative, and oblique. Accusative forms by nasalizing an exposed, terminal vowel (why lacks an underlying consonant which is now expressed by tonality terminally), or if there is a terminal consonant or a non-reduced vowel with an underlying phoneme, adding a /ə~/. Oblique is formed by adding -/tə/ or -/ə/ if the root ends in a voiced consonant.

The first declension is made of nouns that end in any fricative. Those that end in fricatives are devoiced in non-nominative cases.

sez - fish(es) - nominative
sesyn - accusative
sesty - oblique

The second declension contains all nouns which end in a glottal stop. The /ʔ/ becomes one of /p t c k/ in non-nominative cases. As a result, many nominative homophones are distinguished in other cases:

daq - wolf/wolves - nominative
dakyn - accusative
dakty - oblique

daq - merchant(s) - nominative
dapyn - accusative
dapty - oblique

The third declension is made of nouns that end in a nasalized vowel. The orthography hides the distinction, that word terminal <n> nasalizes the proceeding vowel, while word medial does not. Several nouns are merged in the nominative, although distinct elsewhere.

sovyn - horn(s) - nominative
sovonyn - accusative
sovony - oblique

sovyn - pain(s) - nominative
sovomyn - accusative
sovomy - oblique

The fourth declension is made of nouns that end in a "clear" long vowel (middle tone /a: e: i: o:/). Here, a deleted approximant appears in non-nominative cases. Some nouns are homophones for the nominative but otherwise distinct.

lhî - finger(s) - nominative
lhilyn - accusative
lhily - oblique

lhî - waste - nominative
lhilhyn - accusative
lhilhty - oblique

The fifth declension is made of nouns that end in a high tone vowel. The internally preserved plosive varies, as nouns can be homophones in the nominative but distinct in the other cases.

dó - pig(s) - nominative
dogyn - accusative
dogy - oblique

dó - fruit(s) - nominative
dobyn - accusative
doby - oblique

lotá - lotá person(s) or the lotá language - nominative
lotadyn - accusative
lotady - oblique

The sixth declension is made of nouns the end in a low tone vowel. The internally preserved fricative varies, as nouns can be homophones in the nominative, but distinct in the other cases.

lhì - gem(s) - nominative
lhizyn - accusative
lhizy - oblique

lhì - exchange(s), trade(s) - nominative
lhivyn - accusative
lhivy - oblique

A seventh declension, formed by earlier *-aad' or *-aat' roots also exists, but it is highly irregular. Unlike most other declensions, here the accusative and oblique cases merge between couplets that end in glottal stops or a high tone. For example:

lá - blood - nominative
laggyn - accusative
lakty - oblique

laq - shoe(s) - nominative
laggyn - accusative
lakty - oblique

The eighth declension contains only one word - lhik, meaning ear(s), which is the only example of terminal /k/ (which is why it's treated like a slant phoneme in that position, not a full-fledged phoneme). It's declension is reminescent of the fourth declension in some ways:

lhik - ear(s) - nominative
lhiklhyn - accusative
lhiklhty - oblique

Last but not least, there is the ninth declension, which parallels the eighth. Its members all have short vowels in the nominative and long vowels embedded in oblique and accusative forms:

ba - shawl(s) - nominative
bâyn - accusative
bâty - oblique

Lotá Pronouns are somewhat more complex, as they distinguish number and proximity (or failing that inclusiveness and exclusiveness).

Verbal Morphology

There are two main verbal declensions, which (for ease) will be referred to as the first and second declension. The first declension is highly regular and clearly defines the root and affixes of the verb. For example, with geq (to give, mutation form gek-):

ni      geki     ki gaz
ni      gek- i   ki gaz
1.S.NOM give-IMP to 2.S.OBL
I'm giving you (something).

ni      geksi     ki gaz
ni      gek- si   ki gaz
1.S.NOM give-PRF  to 2.S.OBL
I gave you (something).

The second declension, on the other hand, has the final consonant of the root voice if unvoiced and geminate. Virtually all of them end with /g/ or /k/ in mutation form (and therefore a high vowel or glottal stop when exposed). Another example with lá (to bleed, mutation form lag-):

ni      laggi
ni      lag(g)-i
1.S.NOM bleed- IMP
I'm bleeding.

ni      lagsi
ni      lag-  si
1.S.NOM bleed-PRF
I bled.

Once the root and the tense/aspect marker have been added, another series of suffixes can be dumped at the end of the verb. The next one is to mark for mood - the optative marker, either present and marking or absent and non-optative.

ni      geksindi     ki gaz
ni      gek- si- ndi ki gaz
1.S.NOM give-PRF-OPT to 2.S.OBL
I should have give you (something).

Next, one of various negative markers can follow. These do not compete with the optative marker. For example:

ni      geksiata     ki gaz
ni      gek- si- atna ki gaz
1.S.NOM give-PRF-NEG  to 2.S.OBL
I didn't give you (something).

ni      geksindiatna      ki gaz
ni      gek- si- ndi-atna ki gaz
1.S.NOM give-PRF-OPT-NEG  to 2.S.OBL
I shouldn't have give you (something).

There are two main negative markers: -atna, and -lhia. The first is used for verbs that usually take solid objects or a variety of objects. The second is for verbs that typically take fluid or no object.

ni      laggilhia
ni      lag(g)-i-  lhia
1.S.NOM bleed- IMP-NEG
I'm not bleeding.

ni      zivoilhia
ni      zivo-i  -lhia
1.S.NOM age- IMP-NEG
I'm not getting older.

Following negative markers, other mood and aspect suffixes may be added.

ni      lagsiná.
ni      lag-  si- ná.
1.S.NOM bleed-PRF-CONT
(As/While) I (continued to) bleed.

ni      lagsiky.
ni      lag-  si- ky
1.S.NOM bleed-PRF-EMPH
I (totally/hella) bled profusely/to death!

ni      lagsiq
ni      lag-  si- q
1.S.NOM bleed-PRF-IRR
I might have bled.

ni      lagsin
ni      lag-  si- n
1.S.NOM bleed-PRF-POT
I could have bled.

The irrealis marker -q proceeds all other "Other Mood" markers (but not optative or negative markers) when stacked, but mutates to -t when medial:

ni      laggitky.
ni      lagg- i-  t-  ky.
1.S.NOM bleed-IMP-IRR-EMPH
I may bleed to death!

Further along, the emphatic (which mutates to -ke- medially) always proceeds the continuative (which mutates to -nab- medially), which in turn proceeds the potential markers (which becomes -yn if following a consonantal ending).

ni      laggiken.
ni      lagg- i-  ke-  n
1.S.NOM bleed-IMP-EMPH-POT
I could be bleeding!

ni      laggikenabyn.
ni      lagg- i-  ke-  nab- yn
1.S.NOM bleed-IMP-EMPH-CONT-POT
I could still be bleeding!

Thus, the basic morphemic structure is-

[verbal root]-([ASPECT]-[optative marker]-{[NEGATIVE]-[irrealis marker]-[emphatic marker]-[continuative marker]-[potential marker]})

Modifier Morphology

There is no superlative, but rather, the comparative - which is formed by taking an adjective and adding the suffix -sá (mutation form -sag-).

ni      sê.
ni      se(l)
1.S.NOM full
I'm full.

ni      selsá.
ni      sel- sá.
1.S.NOM full-COMP
I'm fuller/the fullest.

Obviously, just as with nouns, underlying phonemes to the end of a modifier appear when medial, because of the additional suffixes.

Additionally, modifiers take a copula form (-si, which also preserves medial sections) to express past modification (as opposed to pure elision for present existance (as in the earlier example). For example:

ni      selsi.
ni      sel- si
1.S.NOM full-PRF
I was full.

This follows any additional suffixes. For instance:

ni      selsagsi.
ni      sel- sag- si
1.S.NOM full-COMP-PRF
I was fuller/the most full.

(More complex moods, negation, and other forms are expressed differently with a helper verb.)

Derivational Morphology

To make a modifier from a noun or a verb, all that is required is to add the suffix -lí (mutation form -lig-).

lá (lag) - bleeding, to bleed
laglí - bloody
lagligsá - bloodier, bloodiest

The distinction between the verb-noun (roots such as lá - to bleed but also bleeding) functioning as a verb and functioning as a "experience" noun (the event of said action) is purely syntactic. But to agentize said root, lhen-, is prefixed to it. To patientize said root, however, -lhen (-len for voiced consonant mutation forms) is suffixed to it.

lhenlá - bleeder, one who bleeds
laglen - discharge (from a wound), puss, expelled blood, vomit, what is bled

Syntax

Noun Phrase

As part of the Measceineafh Sprachbund, it's only natural for the noun phrase to mix right branching and left branching elements almost equally - with a special emphasis on quantifiers in opposition to qualifiers.

Basic Structures

Lotá is obviously SV. It's default form is SVO, although SOV is a secondary word order for stressing direct objects.

Lexicon

b

BA (bâ) - n shawl, scarf

d

DAQ (dak) - wolf/wolves

DAQ (dap) - merchant

DETLHY (detlhi-) - two, double, doubly

DÓ (dob-) - fruit(s)

DÓ (dog-) - pig(s)

DONY (done-) - bone(s), starving, to starve (transitive)

g

GAZ - second person, singular, oblique pronoun

GEQ (gek-) - giving, to give

GITLHY (gitlha-) - salt, to barter

k

KANÎ - new

KI - towards, to

KIQ (kik-) - this (demonstrative and modifier)

KOVY (kovo-) - tongue, to speak, speaking/speech

KY (ki-) - death, to die

l

LAQ (lak-) - shoe(s)

LÁ (lag-) - bleeding, to bleed

LOOSY (looso-) - any insect or small animal

LOTÁ (lotad-) - lotá person or language

lh

LHÉ (lhed-) - tooth, teeth, to nibble, to chomp, to bite

LHENY (lhena-) - one, early

LHENY (lhene-) - sun

LHEZY (lheze-) - water, to provide water for (transitively), to be rained upon (intransitively)

LHIÂ (lhialh-) - drop(s)

LHÎ (lhil-) - finger(s)

LHÎ (lhilh-) - waste

LHÌ (lhiv-) - exchange, trade, to exchange, to trade

LHÌ (lhiz) - gem(s)

LHIK (lhiklh-) - ear(s)

LHÓ (lhod-) - egg(s), to raise (from childhood)

LHONZY (lhonze-) - hand(s)

n

NOZ (nos-) - nose

NAKLHY (naklha-) - name, to call (to attract attention)

NI - first person, singular, nominative pronoun

NINQ (nink-) - moon

s

SAQ (sak-) - eye(s)

SE (sel-) - full, filled

SEZ (ses-) - fish(es)

SIQ (sik-) - nominative interrogative pronoun

SOVYN (sovom-) - pain, discomfort

SOVYN (sovon-) - horn

t

TALDIZ (taldis-) - wind, to fan

TOLY (tole-) - bottom, rear, last, end, to finish, finishing

TONY (tono-) - knowing, to know

z

ZATNA (zatnalh-) - stone(s)

ZEKLHY (zeklha-) - year, to become older (intransitive)

ZELY (zele-) - fire(s), to destroy