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

Nouns

Classifiers

• na- - person; human
• nya- - tool; device; vehicle
• tsa- - color of ~
• la- - object; thing [generic noun]
• lu- - abstract idea
• tla- - masculine; male [MASC]
• tli- - food
• ya- - inanimate; material; stuff
• yi- - feminine; female [FEM]

Determiners

• ti- - last
• tu- - so-called; reportative [REP]
• mi- - other; different
• mwa- - this; near me [PROX]
• nyi- - self; reflexive [REFL]
• nyu- - next
• sa- - sort; kind of
• wi- - that; near you [MED]; over there [DIST]

Number

Nouns are marked for various quantities:

• pa- - dual; pair of; both [DU]
• ka- - plural [PL]
• ma- - many; much
• mu- - group; collection; mass of
• nu- - one; a
• tsi- - few; little [quantity]
• li- - all; every
• yu- - piece of

Qualifiers

• a- - venerated [honorific]
• ta- - big; large
• kwi- - good; regular; normal
• si- - small; diminutive; dear
• su- - bad; unpleasant
• tsu- - 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-yim-a

1sg-eat-NPST

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

• yi-yim-i

FEM-eat-PST

She ate.

Other verb modifiers

aspect

• al- - repetitive; frequentative [FREQ]
• itl- - finished [perfect]
• utl- - progressive; continuing [CONT]

conjunctive

• ak- - equally; also; as much as [CONJ]
• an- - instead; rather; but
• ats- - so long as
• im- - so that; in order to; because; since
• imp- - then; thereafter
• ip- - unless
• its- - instead of
• ul- - then; therefore
• uts- - if [possible]

modals

• am- - question [Q]
• amy- - ability [ABIL]
• ank- - like to
• any- - try to; attempt [ATT]
• ap- - want [VOL]
• atl- - possibility; potential [POT]
• aw- - be allowed [PERM]
• ay- - to intend to [VOL]
• ik- - suggestive [SUG]
• il- - necessity [NEC]
• iy- - stop oneself; cease [not prevent]
• uk- - negative; no; not [NEG]
• umy- - obligation
• unk- - hate to
• uny- - begin; become [INCEP]

temporal

• as- - while [DUR]
• in- - previously; already
• iw- - until; before
• us- - always
• ut- - to be about to

others

• amp- - as if; seem to
• amw- - causative [CAUS]
• ant- - more
• at- - augmentative [AUG]; intensifier
• imy- - to undo
• ink- - well; enough
• iny- - diminutive [DIM]
• is- - too little; not enough
• it- - too much
• um- - suddenly
• un- - less
• up- - if [but not] irrealis
• uy- - probably; likely

Stems

• kam - symbol; write; mark
• kop - harm; hurt; corrupt
• kwit - eat; nourish; bread
• mak - want; desire; love
• mal - speak; talk
• n - know; see
• natl - sleep; rest; relax
• nay - loud; noise; roar
• nyak - fire; burn; light
• t - be; exist [COP]
• tlil - bathe; wash
• wap - rhythm; pulse; meter
• way - go; move; walk
• y - have; belong; get
• yam - delight; happy; toy; glad
• yap - be green; foliage; plant

Examples

• upuni

u-pu-n-i

3sg-3du-see-PST

He saw them (two).

• nkinatlami

nki-natl-am-i

2pl-sleep-Q-PST

Did you two sleep?

• ma kuwaya

ma ku-way-a

Q 3pl-walk-NPST

Where are they going?

notes

for word generator:

C=ptkmnswlyqxcf
V=aáàiíìuúù
P=aiu

c|ts
f|ny
x|tl
q|kw
n[nml]|n
np|mp
wu|wa