Terzemian

Overview

Terzemian is an IE-derived conlang located along the west coast of the Caspian Sea. It is a satem language (the word for hundred is xündo /xyndo/), with some retention of laryngeals. Other salient features are the use of the ruki rule, Grassman's law, Slavic depalatalization, z/r alternation, a three-group vowel harmony system, and two phases of lenition (the first word-final, and the second approximately intervocalic).

Writing System

Roman Alphabet	Cyrillic	IPA
A a	А а	a
Å å	Ω ω	ɒ
B b	Б б	b
C c	Ц ц	ts
Č č	Ч ч	tʃ
D d	Д д	d
E e	Э э	e
F f	Ф ф	f
G g	Г г	ɡ
Ǧ ǧ	Ғ ғ	ɣ
H h	Һ һ	h
I i	И и	i
K k	К к	k
L l	Л л	l
M m	М м	m
N n	Н н	n
Ň ň	Ң ң	ŋ
O o	О о	o
Ö ö	Ө ө	ø
P p	П п	p
R r	Р р	ɾ
S s	С с	s
Š š	Ш ш	ʃ
T t	Т т	t
U u	У у	u
Ü ü	Ү ү	y
V v	В в	v
W w	Ў ў	w
X x	Х х	x
Y y	Й й	j
Z z	З з	z
Ž ž	Ж ж	ʒ

The table above follows the Latin alphabet order. The correct order of the Cyrillic alphabet for Terzemian is

• А Б В Г Ғ Д Ж З И Й К Л М Н Ң О Ө П Р С Т У Ў Ү Ф Х Ц Ч Ш Э Һ Ω

Sound Changes

• Possibly-useful Special Characters: ḱǵʷʰʕʔeoéóēōḗṓu̯i̯m̥n̥r̥l̥ƀđǥƕːʴʲˠǫõŏoͥoͧoͣъыьᵊ∅→

ḱ > k / s _

ǵ > g / s _

ǵʰ > gʰ / s _

ḱ > x

ǵ > ɣ

ǵʰ > ɣʰ

R̥ > ыR / # _ C , C _ C

R̥ > Rы / C _ #

Kʷы > Kъ

s > ʃ / r,u,k,i _ , _ r,u,k,i

Morphosyntax

Verbs

Agreement

Terzemain nouns mark two or less of three core cases, notionally representing the semantic roles INITIATOR, UNDERGOER, and TARGET. For ease of reference, these will be marked with the traditional A, P, and O labels used in discussing Ergative/Accusative marking.

Terzemian is Split-S, with Ergative or Accusative style marking determined lexically by the class of the verb.

Tense and Evidentiality

• There are two verb tenses, the past and non-past.

• In the past tense, there are three evidentiality/reality markings:
  • direct realis, indicating first-hand observational (i.e. "eye witness") knowledge
  • indirect realis, indicating knowledge that is informed, inferred, supposed, or otherwise not personal
  • irrealis, making no overt statement about the reality of the VP, but inferring a lesser degree of certainty than either realis marking

• In the non-past, only the realis (in the same form as the past indirect realis) and the irrealis exist.

Past tense marking has its origin in the PIE ablaut, though the modern system is not as transparent.