Terzemian

Overview

Terzemian
Pronounced:	tɜ˞ˈzɛj.mjən
Timeline and Universe:	Possible LLL candidate
Writing system:	Latin, Cyrillic, Arabic, UTA
Genealogy:	Unique PIE, influences from Kartvelian, Turkic, Persian, Uralic and Slavic
Typology
Morphological type:	Mixed
Morphosyntactic alignment:	Lexically Split-S
Basic word order:	VSO
Credits
Creator:	Paul.w.bennett

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 šündo (шүндо, şyndo, شَِنداَ /ʃyndo/), 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).

Phonology

Consonants

p b			t d			k g
	f v		s z	ʃ ʒ		x ɣ	h
			ts	tʃ
		w			j
			l
m			n			ŋ
			ɾ

Vowels

i	y		u
e	ø		o
a		ɑ	ɒ

Writing System

Terzemian has been written in a variety of scripts. In the modern era, a modified Latin alphabet is used. During the Soviet era, Cyrillic was used, and can still be found. Before the Soviet era, a form of the UTA was used alongside Arabic. The latter can still be found in some particularly isolated areas.

Logical Layout

The following tables illustrate the writing systems with a layout that is in accordance with the Phonology tables above.

Modern Latin

p b			t d			k g
	f v		s z	š ž		x ǧ	h
			c	č
		w			y
			l
m			n			ň
			r

i	ü		u
e	ö		o
ä		a	å

UTA

p b			t d			k g
	f v		s z	ş ƶ		x ƣ	h
			c	ç
		w			j
			l
m			n			ŋ
			r

i	y		u
e	ɵ		o
ə		a	ɔ

Cyrillic

п б			т д			к г
	ф в		с з	ш ж		х ғ	һ
			ц	ч
		ў			й
			л
м			н			ң
			р

и	ү		у
э	ө		о
ә		а	ɔ

Arabic

پ ب			ت د			ك گ
	ف ڒ		س ز	ژ ش		خ غ	ه
			څ	چ
		و			ي
			ل
م			ن			ڽ
			ر

هِ	هَِ		هَ
اِ	اَِ		اَ
اٍ		ا	اً

Alphabetical Orders

The tables above approximately follow the IPA layout for the sounds of Terzemian. The correct orders of the writing systems of Terzemian are:

• Latin: A Ä Å B C Č D E F G Ǧ H I K L M N Ň O Ö P R S Š T U Ü V W X Y Z Ž
• Cyrillic: А Ә Б В Г Ғ Д Е Ж З И Й К Л М Н Ң О Ө П Р С Т У Ў Ү Ф Х Ц Ч Ш Щ Ъ Ы Ь Э Ɔ Ю Я
• UTA: A Ə B C Ç D E F G Ƣ H I J K L M N Ŋ O Ɵ Ɔ P R S Ş T U V W X Y Z Ƶ
• Arabic: ا ب ت پ ح خ څ چ د ر ز ژ س ش غ ف ك گ ل م ن ڽ ه و ۆ ي هِ هَِ هَ اِ اَِ اَ اٍ اً

Notes:

• The Cyrillic letters Щ, Ъ, and Ь are not used in native words.
• The Cyrillic letters Е, Ю, and Я are occasionally used in native words.
• The Arabic characters هِ هَِ هَ use the letter ه as a base character for illustration. The actual vowels are written as just the diactrics, attached to the preceeding consonant.

Sound Changes

• Possibly-useful Special Characters: ḱǵʷʰʕʔeoéóēōḗṓu̯i̯m̥n̥r̥l̥ƀđǥƕːʴʲˠǫõŏoͥoͧoͣъыьᵊ∅→

Slavic depalatalization + satemisation

ḱ > k / s _

ḱ > ʃ

ǵ > g / s _

ǵ > ʒ

ǵʰ > gʰ / s _

ǵʰ > ʒʰ

Split the labiovelar series

C[+labiovelar] > C[+bilabial] / _ (V,H)[+front]

C[+labiovelar] > C[+bilabial] / (V,H)[+front] _ #

C[+labiovelar] > C[+velar] / _ (V,H)[+round]

C[+labiovelar] > uC[+velar] / _ #

C[+labiovelar] > C[+velar]u

Insert weak vowel before syllabic liquids

> ы / C _ NC

Harmonize the weak vowel

ы > ъ / V[+round]+ .* _

ы > ъ / _ V[+round]+ .*

ы > ь

I, A, or U umlaut goes here

Finals softening

(bʰ,dʰ,gʰ) > (w,z,ʒ) / _ #

(b,d,g) > (bʰ,dʰ,gʰ) / _ #

(p,t,k) > (d,b,g) / _ #

r > / _ #

l > w / _ #

z > r / _ #

s > z / _ #

Ruki

s > ʃ / (r,u,k,i) _ , _ (r,u,k,i)

z > ʒ / (r,u,k,i) _ , _ (r,u,k,i) </nowiki>

Morphosyntax

Vowel Harmony

Root Vowel	Proclitic Vowel	Suffix Vowel (Dictionary Form)
		i	ü	e	ö	ä	a
i	e	i	ü	e	ö	ä	a
ü	ö	ü	u	ö	o	ä	a
u	ö	ü	u	ö	o	a	å
e	e	i	ü	e	ö	ä	a
ö	ö	ü	u	ö	o	ä	a
o	ö	ü	u	ö	o	a	å
ä	e	e	ö	ä	å	ä	a
a	a	e	ö	ä	å	ä	a
å	a-	e	ö	ä	å	ä	a

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.

The main classes are as follows:

Class	Required	Optional	Description
1 a	A		Intransitive Active verbs
1 b	P	A (causitive)	Intransitive Stative verbs
2	AP		Transitive Active verbs

Ablaut Patterns

Class	Root Vowel	Present R	Past R	Present Ir	Past Ir
1 a/b	i	i	e	ü	iy
	ü	ü	ö	u	üy
	u	u	o	uw	wo
	e	e	ä	ö	ye
	ö	ö	a	o	yo
	o	o	å	ow	öü
	ä	ä	äh	a	e
	a	a	ah	ay	ey
	å	å	åh	åw	ow
2	i	i	ü	e	ö
	ü	ü	u	ö	o
	u	u	uw	o	ow
	e	e	ö	ä	å
	ö	ö	o	å	a
	o	o	ow	å	a
	ä	ä	a	äɧ	aɧ
	a	a	å	aɧ	åɧ
	å	å	åw	åɧ	åwɧ

The symbol ɧ represents an assimilatory fricative, as follows:

Next Consonant	p,b,m,f,v,w	t,d,n,s,z,l,r	č,š,ž,y	k,g,x,ǧ	h
Outcome	f	s	š	x	∅

If there is no next consonant in the root, ɧ assimilates to the previous consonant.

If there is no next consonant and no previous consonant in the root, ɧ becomes h.

Agreement prefixes

Class	Argument	1st Person	2nd	3rd
I	A	ǧ-	z-, d-	y-, i/ü/e-
II	A	-	sm-, smü/smu/smo-	s-
II	P	m-	yü/yu/yo-	-

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. This is marked by the Past Realis ablaut plus a prefix of e-, a-, or ö- (depending on harmony).
  • indirect realis, indicating knowledge that is informed, inferred, supposed, or otherwise not personal. This is marked by the Past Realis ablaut, according to the class of the verb in question.
  • irrealis, making no overt statement about the reality of the VP, but inferring a lesser degree of certainty than either realis marking. This is marked by the Irrealis ablaut.

• In the non-past, only the Present Realis and the Irrealis are distinguished, marked by their respective ablauts.