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Emeigu (Emeigu: The language of Eigu) is a largely isolating nominative-dechticaetiative language spoken in Tarbaithenu.
Emeigu (Emeigu: The language of Eigu) is an isolating-fusional ergative-dechticaetiative language.  
 


== Phonology ==
== Phonology ==
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-Unstressed vowels, and stressed vowels in closed syllables, tend to be realised as lax [ɪ ɛ ɐ ɔ ʊ], except after a palatal, where /a/ tends to be realised as [æ].
-Unstressed vowels, and stressed vowels in closed syllables, tend to be realised as lax [ɪ ɛ ɐ ɔ ʊ], except after a palatal, where /a/ tends to be realised as [æ].


==Syntax==
Emeigu is quite strongly isolating, and has often been accused of being a 'word soup' language, and syntactic rules can be a bit complicated.
===Syntactic Categories and Parts of Speech===
Emeigu is generally considered to distinguish three types of speech: Nouns, Verbs, and Particles. The majority of adjectives or adverbs are actually either nouns (e.g '''fawas''' - strenght, strong), or stative verbs (like '''mran''' - (to be) afraid), whilst some fall under the (rather nebulous, really) particles category, such as '''seu''' - other, or '''ei''' - too, also.
===Basic Word Order===
The basic word order in Emeigu is Subject-Verb-Object (SVO), as in English:
<pre>
Ari dau shono
Man look dog
the man looks/looked/will look at the dog
</pre>
and
<pre>
Ari kimdi
Man eat
The man eats/ate/will eat
</pre>
Adverbial phrases can occur in two possible positions: immediately after the verb they modify, or at the end of the clause, so '''SVX1OX2''' is our word order when non-core arguments are included. Generally, simple time phrases such as '''imah''' ''today'' and '''braya''' ''soon''; adverbial particles such as ''ei'' ''too, also'' and '''a''' ''thus''; simple directional particles such as '''risi''' ''here'', and dechticaetiative formations occur in X2 position, whereas more complex temporal and locative phrases occur in X1. Verbal particles occur directly after X1. Thus:
<pre>
Ari dau shono imah
Man look dog today
The man looked at the dog today
Ari dau u srahi shono
Man look in town dog
The man looked at the dog in town
Ari dau u srahi shono yam
Man look in town dog already
The man has already looked at the dog in town
</pre>
Prepositions in the X1 position can often be dropped, especially if there is a verbal particle to demarkate it from the object:
<pre>
Ari dau srahi thi shono
Man look town PERF dog
The man saw the dog in town
</pre>


==Morphology==
==Verbal Morphology==


Emeigu has very little nominal or verbal morphology, being a largely isolating language. It does have a richer derivational morphology and word compounding system, however
Emeigu verbs are conjugated for voice, mood, tense and transitivity.


===The Verbal Noun===


===Plurality===
The verbal noun is the citation form of the verb. It is formed by '''-ni''', '''-ini''' after a consonant: '''kimini''' ''eat'', '''nauni''' ''say'', '''namani''' ''bite''. The only verbal inflection which may occur before the verbal noun is for voice, e.g. '''namuni''' ''bite something'', '''kimasini''' ''eat oneself''.


Emeigu has a plural morpheme, '''-u''' ('''-yu''' after /i u/). However, when plurality is marked by a number or a word such as '''jana''' ''many'', the noun is always left unmarked.
===Voice===


Tanemantin verbs are marked for one of three voices: Default, Antipassive, and Reflexive.


===Derivational Morphology===
The default is the unmarked voice: '''kim-''', '''nau-''', '''nama-'''.


Emeigu uses a mix of compounding and derivational affixes to derive new words. Some derivational affixes are not standalone morphemes, for example:
The antipassive is marked by '''-u''' after plain stem, which displaces any final '''a''' or '''e'''. After monosyllabic stems ending in a vowel and after '''i o e''', it is '''-yu''': '''kimu-''', '''nauyu-''', '''namu-'''.


The prefix '''en-''' produces an inaminate agent or tool from a verb or adjective:  
The reflexive is marked by '''-(a)s''' after the stem: '''kimas-''', '''naus-''' '''namas-'''.
'''maru''' ''to pierce'' - '''emmaru''' ''thorn''  ; '''jau''' ''black'' - '''enjau''' ''ink''


Similarly, '''y(e)-''' means 'one who does X':
===Mood===
'''tirni''' ''to dance'' - '''yetirni''' ''dancer'';  '''amem''' ''to know'' - '''yamem''' ''savant, scholar''


Abstractions of nouns are made with '''kei-''' (verbs can be abstract nouns, too):
Emeigu verbs
'''yat''' ''farmer'' - '''keiyat''' '' agriculture'' but '''gamne''' ''to die, death'' ; '''arbai''' ''to join, joint, alliance''


A place is formed with '''was-''':
[[Category: Conlangs]]
'''wasyat''' ''farm'' ; '''wajau''' ''the underworld''

Latest revision as of 11:03, 17 July 2011

Emeigu (Emeigu: The language of Eigu) is an isolating-fusional ergative-dechticaetiative language.

Phonology

Phoneme Inventory

Emeigu distinguishes the following consonants:

Labial Dental Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Plosive/Affricate p /p/ b /b/ t /t/ d /d/ č /ʨ/ k /k/ g /g/
Fricative s /s/ š /ɕ/ h /h/
Nasal m /m/ n /n/ ny /ɲ/ ng /ŋ/
Liquid w /w/ r /ɾ/ l /l/ y /j/


There are five vowel phonemes, /i e a o u/, represented by i e a o u, as well as five diphthongs, all falling: /ai au ei eu oi ou/, ai au ei eu ou. In native words, /o u/ only occur in closed syllables.

Orthographically, the diphthongs are distinguished from two discrete vowel nuclei with an apostrophe, e.g. tai /tai/ ta'i /ta.i/. /ng/ is distinguished from /ŋ/ the same way.

Syllable Structure

Emeigu has a simple (C)V(m n t s) syllable structure, with the caveat that coda s only occurs after /a/.

Allophony

-/n/ assimilates to the point of articulation of any following consonant /ankas/ [ɐŋ'kas]

-Unstressed vowels, and stressed vowels in closed syllables, tend to be realised as lax [ɪ ɛ ɐ ɔ ʊ], except after a palatal, where /a/ tends to be realised as [æ].


Verbal Morphology

Emeigu verbs are conjugated for voice, mood, tense and transitivity.

The Verbal Noun

The verbal noun is the citation form of the verb. It is formed by -ni, -ini after a consonant: kimini eat, nauni say, namani bite. The only verbal inflection which may occur before the verbal noun is for voice, e.g. namuni bite something, kimasini eat oneself.

Voice

Tanemantin verbs are marked for one of three voices: Default, Antipassive, and Reflexive.

The default is the unmarked voice: kim-, nau-, nama-.

The antipassive is marked by -u after plain stem, which displaces any final a or e. After monosyllabic stems ending in a vowel and after i o e, it is -yu: kimu-, nauyu-, namu-.

The reflexive is marked by -(a)s after the stem: kimas-, naus- namas-.

Mood

Emeigu verbs

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