User:Masako/nkala

Introduction

This is more of a thought experiment than a fully fleshed-out constructed language. The working name of the language is kamalu (meaning "words" (PL-speech-NOM)). The foundation of kamalu is CVC stems that cover a broad semantic spectrum. Meaning, that one stem can be used in a multitude of ways through derivation - with the use of an array of affixes - and compounding. Example:

yim-

Stem	Use	Example	English	Gloss
yim	verb	wayima	I eat	1s-eat-NPST
yim	verb	yiyimi	She ate	FEM-eat-PST
yim	noun	yimu	food	eat-NOM

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-

Possession

Possession is marked by the nominal suffix -u and a pronominal prefix are affixed to a stem.

• kwamalu - 1pl-speak-NOM - our word
• tlayimu - MASC-eat-NOM - his food
• pupatu - 3du-be.aware-NOM - their awareness

Pronominal prefixes

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
• kup- - harm; hurt; corrupt
• lum- - sleep; rest; relax
• mak- - want; desire; love
• mal- - speak; talk
• n- - know; see
• nay- - loud; noise; roar
• nyak- - fire; burn; light
• pat- - be awake; aware; focused
• 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
• yat- - hand; five; grab
• yim- - eat; nourish; bread

Examples

• wana

wa-n-a

1s-see-NPST

I see.

• kukami

ku-kam-i

3pl-write-PST

They wrote.

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