Conlang Relay 17/Feayran
by David Edwards
The text
Korhruktukákt
Ulkáuth elàeruholikuktuvá. Úk mishlóahulukun kukánoholùikurhr. Rhrúk akuktukúlkirhr. Ùulukturár rhrúk aìnàininú ulkáauth kuktùuránuìlkura karhruktùushúlki. Mú ulkuktukúlkiret. Théokai toèrrukúlkik.
Smooth English
The elk did evil
An elk was friends with a man. But the elk's blood burned toward the man. Then the elk attacked the man. The elk called out, and then twelve twelves of twelve elks went there and chased the man. The first elk bit the man many times. At that time the man was killed.
Interlinear gloss
Ulkáuth elàeruholikuktuvá. ulk<áu>th elàer<u-h-ol<i>ku-kt;u-v-á> elk<DIR.LEAD.S> friend<LEAD-Ø-male<INS.FOLLOW>-CLS(large_prey_animal);LEAD.S-STAT-INTRS.IND> Úk mishlóahulukun kukánoholùikurhr. <ú>k mishl<óa-h-ul<u>k-u>n k<u-k-á-n;o-h-ol<ùi>ku>rhr CONTRAST<LEAD> blood<DIR.INAN.S-Ø-CLS(large_prey_animal)<LEAD>-Ø> fire<LEAD-PERF-INTRS.IND-CLS(water);INAN.S-Ø-CLS(male)<LAT.FOLLOW>> Rhrúk akuktukúlkirhr. rhr<ú>k ak<u-kt;u-k-ú-lk;i>rhr next<LEAD> attack<LEAD-CLS;LEAD.S-PERF-TRNS.IND-CLS(male);FOLLOW.S> Ùulukturár rhrúk aìnàininú ulkáauth kuktùuránuìlkura karhruktùushúlki. ùul<u-kt;u-r-á>r rhr<ú>k aìnàinin<ú> ulk<áau>th k<u-kt;ùu-r-á-n<uì>lku>ra karhr<u-kt;ùu-sh-ú-lk;i> call<LEAD-CLS;LEAD.S-PUNC-INTRS> next<LEAD> 1,728<LEAD> elk<DIR.LEAD.S> go<LEAD-CLS;LEAD.P-PUNC-INTRS.IND-CLS(foreign_land)<LAT.FOLLOW>> chase<LEAD-CLS;LEAD.P-IMPF-TRNS.IND-CLS;FOLLOW.S> Mú ulkuktukúlkiret. m<ú> ulk<u-kt;u-k-ú-lk;i>ret much<LEAD> bite<LEAD-CLS;LEAD.S-PERF-TRNS.IND-CLS;FOLLOW.S> Théokai toèrrukúlkik. th<éo>kai toèrr<u-k-ú-lk;i>k time_in_the_past<LOC.INAN.S> death<LEAD-PERF-TRNS.IND-CLS;FOLLOW.S>
Notes
The feayr do not domesticate or ride on animals; the closest parallel I could find for "horse" was "elk," and I chose to translate the relationship between man and steed as "friendship."
Grammar
Noun morphology: (pre-stem) + STANCE.CASE.NUMBER + (incorporated GEN) + (post-stem)
The STANCE.CASE.NUMBER affix always carries a high tone, marked with an acute accent (e.g., á).
Noun affixes
áu - direct case (for agents and patients), singular, leading stance áau - direct case, plural, leading stance óa - direct case, inanimate referent
éo - unincorporated locative case, singular, inanimate referent
i - incorporated locative or instrumental case, following stance u - incorporated locative or instrumental case, leading stance ùi - incorporated lative case, following stance
Note on incorporation: when an incorporated noun begins with a vowel, an h- is added to the front.
Qualifier affixes
ú - leading stance
Verb morphology: (pre-stem) + STANCE + (incorp. ABL) + (AGENT) + ASPECT + VOICE + (PATIENT) + (incorp. LOC/LAT) + (post-stem)
The VOICE affix always carries a high tone.
STANCE affixes
u - leading stance
AGENT/PATIENT affixes
ktu - large prey noun class, singular, leading stance no - water/emotion noun class, singular, inanimate lki - masculine noun class, singular, following stance ktùu - large prey noun class, plural, leading stance
ASPECT affixes v - stative/descriptive k - perfective action r - punctual, also implies immediacy or haste sh - imperfective action
VOICE affixes ú - transitive á - intransitive
There is also one instance of tone sandhi: Rising tones (marked in the form àa) become falling tones (marked aà) after high tones (marked á).
