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Mahabhadhuphu

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

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

There are five classes of nouns in Mamanuphian:

Type one: Human (gephey: xeπξeq)

Related to humans. Usually ends in -u or -e in the absolutive and ergative cases.

conjugation Absolutive case Ergative case Genitive case Dative case
man mahu, maho maheru, maheρo mahey, maheq maham, maham
woman kure, coρe kurere, coρeρe kurey, coρeq kuram, coρam
king haru, haρo hareru, haρeρo harey, haρeq haram, haρam
human (being) gephe, xeπξe gephere, xeπξere gephey, xeπξeq gepham, xeπξam

Type two: Animals and plants (theng teheng radhaheng: dξev dehev ρaθξahev)

Type two nouns end in e -eng in the absolutive and ergative cases.

conjugation Absolutive case Ergative case Genitive case Dative case
tree dukheng, θocξev dukhereng, θocξeρev dukhey, θocξeq dukham, θocξam
plant radhaheng, ρaθξahev radhahereng, ρaθξaherev radhahey, ρaθξaheq radhaham, ρaθξaham

Feminine

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

Pronouns

pronouns I you he/she/it
me ru wu gu
you ram wam gam
him/her/it