User:Masako/nkala

Word order

• SOV
• Attributes follow the words that they modify.

Phonology

Syllable structure is (C)V

Consonants

	Labial	Coronal	Dorsal
Nasal	m	n
Plosive	p	t	k
Fricative		s
Approximant	w	l	j

Clusters

• Nasalized: /ᵐp ⁿt ᵑk/
• Labialized:/pʷ kʷ mʷ nʷ ʃʷ t͡ʃʷ/
• Palatalized: /pʲ kʲ mʲ ɲ/

• the cluster tl is /t͡ɬ/ or /t͡l/

Vowels

• /a i u a: i: u:/

a i u á í ú

Nouns

Classifiers

• kwá- - person; human
• kwí- - food
• tlá- - male
• tsá- - tool
• wí- - abstract
• yá- - inanimate; material; stuff
• yí- - female

Determiners

• kí- - other; different
• ná- - this [by me]
• ní- - that [by you]
• nú- - that [over there]
• nyí- - same
• sá- - sort; kind of
• pwí- - so-called
• lá- - next
• tí- - last

Number

Nouns are marked for various quantities:

• ká- - plural; several
• má- - many; much; a lot
• mú- - group; collection; mass of
• mwá- - all; every
• nwá- - one; a
• pá- - pair of; both
• tsí- - few; little
• yú- - piece of

Qualifiers

• á- - venerated [honorific]
• mí- - good; pleasant; "regular"
• pí- - small; diminutive; dear
• sú- - bad; unpleasant
• tá- - big
• tsú- - lacking respect; damn

Pronouns

	singular	dual	plural
1	wa-	pwa-	kwa-
2	ni-	(m)pi-	(n)ki-
3	u-	pu-	ku-

Verb arguments (i.e. subject, direct object, indirect object) are indicated with pronominal affixes which are added to verb stems. The pronominal affixes are inflected according to number (singular, dual, and plural) and person (1st, 2nd, etc.).

subject	object	verb	tense / aspect / mood
ku-	wa-	kup	-i
3pl	1sg	harm	PST
kuwakupi
They harmed me.

Verbs

Tense

Verbs are either non-past or past.

• wa-kwit-a

1sg-eat-NPST

I eat. / I am eating. / I will eat.

• wa-kwit-i

1sg-eat-PST

I ate.

Lexicon

Lexical entries are listed in root form.

• kit - collect; gather; group
• kum - tooth; bite; plough; dig
• kup - harm; hurt; corrupt
• kwit - eat; nourish; bread
• matl - antelope; buck
• may - front; face; ahead
• mik - narrow; thin; squeeze
• muk - spend; waste; drain
• mus - reptile; sinuous; crawl
• mut - clean; bathe; polish
• n - see; seem; visual
• nam - habit; mode; custom
• nat - layer; shave; slice; film
• nay - loud; noise; roar
• nits - recoil; react; spring
• nul - limit; wall; city
• nup - absurd; trivial; vain; abstract
• nyak - fire; burn; light
• nyim - beauty; adorn; fair
• pal - document; book; read
• pit - seep; latent; numb
• sak - flesh; blood
• sal - form; shape; type
• sim - horn; shell; crust
• sun - grain; seed
• tan - bell; ring; jangle
• tim - hold; contain
• tlas - excess; flood; too
• tliy - order; arrange; series
• tsin - yes; assent
• tsup - profit; gain; reap
• tul - advise; prompt; urge
• tun - soft; pile; cushion
• wak - invite; host; guest
• wap - rhythm; pulse; meter
• wat - plan; object; intend
• wip - disgust; loathe; shame
• wis - oil; grease; flatter
• wiy - acid; bitter; sarcasm
• y - have; belong; get
• yam - delight; happy; toy; glad
• yat - change; turn; or
• yin - cone; horn; wedge
• yip - cord; tense; thin
• yis - pause; hover; hesitate
• yits - notch; dent; crack