Mahabhadhuphu

Mahabhadhuphu (Mamanuphian: Mahaφξaθξoπξo) is a language isolate. It is an ergative-absolutive language, leading some scholars to surmise that it may be related to Basque.

Alphabet

The Mamanuphian alphabet (w'arewebhethu, f-aρefeφξedξo) is based on ancient Etruscan, and has somewhat of a look of a mixture of Greek (Garekhey, Xaρecξeq) and Latin (Rumadhey, Ρomaθξeq) alphabets. Until 1945, the alphabet had no minuscule letters. In an effort to modernize the alphabet, the letters were given their closest Latin or Greek shapes. This process was based totally on the shape of the original letter, and thus some letters have different sounds than their Greek or Latin counterparts. If the majuscule was the same in both Latin and Greek, the Latin minuscule form won out.

Aa

Cc

Dd

Ee

Ff

Hh

Θθ

Mm

Nn

ξ

Oo

Ππ

Qq

Ρρ

Vv

Xx

Φφ

A

K

T

E

W

H

D

M

N

*

U

P

Y

R

Ng

G

B

Arew

Kabhu

Terethu

Epheru

Waw

Hethu

Dethu

Mu

Nu

Hu

Ubhekheru

Pu

Yuphu

Ru

Ngepheru

Gu

Bu

*The letter ξ is used to show aspiration of the previous stop consonant (eg., b > bʰ, p > pʰ, etc.) It may also be written as a circumflex (^ rutheghu, ρodξexξo) over the letter. Since current morphology requires that all stop consonants are aspirated intervocalically, the hu or rutheghu is often left out as redundant. For example, the name of the language, Mahaφξaθξoπξo (Mahabhadhuphu) is often spelt Mahaφaθoπ0o, but φξaqaπξav (bhayaphang: island) would still be spelt φξaqaπav (with the initial ξ after the φ remaining). This guide will use official spelling with the ξ left in tact. ξ has no majuscule.

Orthography

Mamanuphian orthography is very basic. Words may begin with either a consonant or a vowel and follow the rule of consonant-vowel-consonant-vowel. Words may end in either a vowel or nasal (M, N or Ng). Nasala are not allowed internally in a word, and change according to this pattern: M>Bh, N>Dh, Ng>Th.

Nouns

Masculine

mahu, man	Absolutive case	Ergative case	Genitive case	Dative case
Singular	mahu, maho	maheru, maheρo	mahey, maheq	maham, maham
Plural	maheng, mahev	mahetheru, mahedξeρo	mahethey, mahedξeq	mahetham, mahedξam

dukhaw, tree	Absolutive case	Ergative case	Genitive case	Dative case
Singular	dukhaw, θocξaf	dukharu, θocξaρo	dukhay, θocξaq	dakham, θocξam
Plural	dukhang, θocξav	dukhatheru, θocξadξeρo	dukhathey, θocξadξeq	dukhatham, θocξadξam

Feminine

kurang, woman	Absolutive case	Ergative case	Genitive case	Dative case
Singular	kurang, coρav	kurew, coρef	kurey, coρeq	kuram, coρam
Plural	kuraw, coρaf	kurew, coρef	kurawey, coρafeq	kurawam, coρafam

Articles

There is no indefinate article in Mamanuphian. The definate article is a prefix: wa- (fa). Eg., mahu, maho: man, a man; wabhahu faφξaho. The m changes to bh according to the rules of Mamanuphian morphology. This sometimes causes problems as it creates groups of two or three homonyms: bhahu, φξaho (cow) and bahu, φaho (candle) both also become wabhahu, faφξaho