Lotá

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 sh zh l lh c j ch jh ng k g x 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 sh shh zh l lh c j jj ch jh ng k g gg x 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: u u:/
  • Romanized as "a aa e ee i ii o oo u uu"

Word Terminal Vowels

• /ə ɒ: ɛ: ɪ: ɔ: ʊ: ə~ ɒ:~ ɛ:~ ɪ:~ ɔ:~ ʊ:~ a_H e_H i_H o_H u_H a:_H e:_H i:_H o:_H u:_H a_L e_L i_L o_L u_L a:_L e:_L i:_L o:_L u:_L a_M e_M i_M o_M u_M a:_M e:_M i:_M o:_M u:_M/
  • Romanized as "y â ê î ô û yn an en in on un á é í ó ú áa ée íi óo úu à è ì ò ù àa èe ìi òo ùu a e i o u aa ee ii oo uu"

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
seson - 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 produced:

daq - wolf/wolves - nominative
dakon - accusative
dakty - nominative

daq - merchant(s) - nominative
dapon - accusative
dapty - nominative

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.

sovon - horn(s) - nominative
sovonon - accusative
sovony - oblique

sovon - pain(s) - nominative
sovomon - accusative
sovomy - oblique

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

lhi - ear(s) - nominative
lhilon - accusative
lhily - oblique

lhi - waste - nominative
lhilhon - 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
dogon - accusative
dogy - oblique

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

lotá - lotá person(s) or the lotá language - nominative
lotadon - 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
lhizon - accusative
lhizy - oblique

A seventh declension, formed by earlier *-aad' or *-aat' roots also exists, but it is highly irregular.

lá - blood -nominative
laggon - accusative
lakty - 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 gek (to give):

ni      geki     ki gáz
ni      gek- i   ki gáz
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/. Another example with lag (to bleed):

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      geksiatna     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!

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.