Siye

I know this is a mess graphically, but I thought it would be a courtesy to post this information for Relay 20 starts.

Siye Cheat Sheet

Phonology and Orthography

Phonology

/m/ [m], > [ⁿ]/V_#, V_C

/n/ [n]

/p/ [p], > [pʰ]/#_, [f]/_u, [ç]/_i

/t/ [t], > [tʰ]/#_, [ʦ]/_u, [ʦʰ]/#_u

/k/ [k] > [kʰ]/#_, [x]/_u, [ʧ]/_i, [ʧʰ]/#_i

/s/ [s] > [ʃ]/_i

/w/ [v]

/y/ [j]

/l/ [l]

/h/ [placeholder after ⁿ]

/i/ [i]

/im/ [ɪⁿ]

/e/ [e]

/em/ [ɛⁿ]

/a/ [a]

/am/ [aⁿ]

/o/ [o]

/om/ [ɔⁿ]

/u/ [u]

/um/ [ʊⁿ]

Vowel Dominance

Siye Vowel Dominance indicates which vowel will dominate in a vowel-vowel sequence (nasalization of vowels does not affect this). The Vowel Dominance hierarchy is listed below: /u/ > /o/ > /a/ > /e/ > /i/

The 3rd person animate subject prefix of the verb is -i- and therefore vanishes most of the time after the object prefixes. It is, however, present in /yi-/ and /umhi-/.

Nominal Morphology

Cases

Cases:

1. NOMINATIVE (NOM): -0 NOM: Pronouns, Personal Names

The Nominative Case is used for the subject of an intransitive clause and the subject of a transitive clause, provided that the noun is either a pronoun or a personal name.

2. ABSOLUTIVE (ABS): -0 ABS: Everything Except Pronouns and Personal Names

The Absolutive Case is used for the subject of an intransitive clause and the object of a transitive clause, provided that the noun is not a pronoun or a personal name.

3. ACCUSATIVE (ACC): -a

The Accusative Case is used for the object of a transitive clause, provided that the noun is either a pronoun or personal name.

4. ERGATIVE (ERG): -ya, -na

The Ergative Case is used for the subject of a transitive clause, provided that the noun is not a pronoun or a personal name.

5. GENITIVE (GEN): -ne

The Genitive Case is used to describe alienable possession or an accidental characteristic of a object.

6. POSSESSIVE (POSS): -me

The Possessive Case is used to describe inalienable possession or an essential characteristic of an object. The Possessive Case, unlike the other Cases, precedes rather than follows the grammatical number suffix.

7. ABLATIVE (ABL): -sum

The Ablative Case is used to describe motion away from a point or origin from a particular location.

8. LOCATIVE (LOC): -kem

The Locative Case is used to describe a location, or, in ditransitive clauses, the object being transferred or the price of the object in the Absolutive Case (more rarely, Accusative Case).

9. (AL)LATIVE/DATIVE (ALL): -su ALL: Inanimates

The Dative Case is used for the inanimate indirect object of a main clause, the inanimate indirect object of a Causative Construction clause when the verb of the Causative Construction clause is in the imperfective aspect, and the inanimate direct object of a Causative Construction clause when the verb of the Causative Construction clause is in the perfective aspect.

10. DATIVE (DAT): -tu DAT: Animates

The Dative Case is used for the animate indirect object of a main clause, the animate indirect object of a Causative Construction clause when the verb of the Causative Construction clause is in the imperfective aspect, and the animate direct object of a Causative Construction clause when the verb of the Causative Construction clause is in the perfective aspect.

11. INSTRUMENTAL (INS): -ki

The Instrumental Case is used to describe the means by which something is done. This case is only used with Inanimate nouns; therefore it is rude to use the Instrumental Case with an Animate nouns.

12. ADVERBIAL (ADV): -ku

The Adverbial Case converts roots into adverbs. The Guild of Scholars treats this as a case rather than a separate part of speech.

13. EQUATIVE (EQ): -pu

The Equative Case is used to describe the second noun or adjective in predicate statement.

14. COMITATIVE (COM): -ni

The Comitative Case is used to describe accompaniment. It also serves as the primary nominal form of 'and', thus contrasting with the primarily verbal form -(a)m.

Grammatical Number

Grammatical Numbers:

NULL (NL): -ku, -hu, -u

The Null Number refers to the absence of a particular thing. When used with an adjective, the Null Number changes an adjective to its opposite.

SINGULAR (SG): -0, -pu

The Singular Number is used with singular nouns, some abstract nouns, and mass nouns.

DUAL (DU): -so

The Dual Number is used to refer to exactly two things. Although pairs of items, such as eyes, are in the Dual Number, the Dual Number does not inherently indicate a pair.

PAUCAL (PC): -ke

The Paucal Number refers to a group, smaller than that of Plural Number but more than the Dual Number.

PLURAL (PL): -lo

The Plural Number refers to a group, larger than that of Paucal Number. This is the generic plural in Siye.

PANTIC (PN): -ka

The Pantic Number refers to all of a certain thing. It is also used as a tribal designation.

Structure: ROOT-NUMBER-CASE, except if there is a Possessive Case, in which case it is ROOT-CASE-NUMBER.

NP → N Mod, N Art, Num N

Verb and Participle Structure

Verb Structure

Verb Structure

1. Object Prefix

le-, la-: 1st person

pe-, sa-: 2nd person

i-, ya-: 3rd person animate

e-, a-: 3rd person inanimate

mu-: 3rd person indefinite

um-: reflexive

2. Subject Prefix

le-: 1st person

pe-: 2nd person

i-: 3rd person animate

e-: 3rd person inanimate

mu-: 3rd person indefinate

3. Root

4. Grammatical Number

-ku: null number

-pu: singular number (also indefinite)

-so: dual number

-ke: paucal number

-lo: plural number

-ka: pantic number (i.e., all)

-pi: exclusive marker (replaces dual, paucal, plural)

The exclusive marker -pi- may replace the dual, paucal, or plural number if and only if the dual, paucal, or plural number is marked on the noun with which the verb agrees in number.

5. Causative

-sum: causative

6. Derivatives

[I may have forgotten one here, and this is a semi-open category. Fair warning.]

-ka: 'intend to X'

-me: 'stop X-ing'

-nam: 'begin to X'

-tam: 'continue to X'

-te: 'want to X'

-to: negative imperative 'do not X'

-wi: positive imperative 'do X'

-yam: 'able to X'

7. Directionals

-ki: 'in place'

-na: 'up'

-nu: 'down'

-su: 'away from'

-tu: 'towards'

8. Aspect

-me: imperfective

-ne: perfective

9. Mode

-a: positive realis

-e: irrealis

-u: negative realis

10. Relational

-(a)me: 'who/what/which/that'

-(a)mo: interrogative (creates a question)

-(e)ki: 'so that', 'with the result that'

-(e)kem: 'when'

-(e)su: 'then'

-(e)sum: 'if'

-(e)ya: 'because'

11. Coordinative

-(h)(a)m: 'and'

12. Negative (floater)

-ku: negative

Positions 1 and 2 often combine due to Vowel Dominance. There are two conjugations, yi-conjugation and ya-conjugation. The ya-conjugation is object-prominent. Position 3 is often suppletive depending on aspect (Position 8). Position 4 reflects the subject if the verb is imperfective, the object if the verb is perfective. It is mandatory even in the singular number. Position 5 is often derivational and triggers the Causative (Syntactical) Construction in originally transitive verbs. Position 6 is derivational; each suffix may be associated with a particularly aspect. Position 6 triggers the Causative Construction in specific cases. Position 7 is sometimes derivational, sometimes not, usually mandatory. Position 8 and 9, usually combine into one syllable. Position 10 usually indicates a subordinate clause or a matrix clause in a conditional statement. Position 11 indicates parallel clauses and may combine with Position 8/9 or Position 10. Position 12 is a mobile suffix used to disambiguate certain negative statements or strengthen an already negative statement.

Participle Structure

1. Root

2. Causative

3. Derivatives

4. Directionals

5. Aspect

6. Mode

7. Nominalizer

-ki: passive, instrumental

-kim: locative

-yam: active, ergative

8. Grammatical Number

9. Case

Positions 2, 3, and 4 are only present if necessary. Position 7 has three variants, active, passive, and locative. A participle lacks the Object and Subject Prefixes of a verb in a relative clause.

Syntax

Syntax

Basic syntax is SOV, with a yi-conjungation verb. The indirect object and other non-core arguments precede the Direct Object. If the Direct Object is fronted, the verb changes from yi-conjugation to ya-conjugation. If the Subject is placed after the verb, the verb remains yi-conjugation. Pronouns are mandatory in formal Siye. Examples:

'I sold the bird to the girl'

Le layeketu tupi iletompusuna.

Kili le layeketu yaletompusuna.

Layeketu kili iletompusuna le.

Causative Construction

If the causative suffix is added to a transitive verb, the cases of the core arguments from the original clause are governed by the aspect of the verb. If the verb is imperfective, the originally nominative or ergative subject of the original clause becomes dative or allative, while the originally accusative or absolutive object of the original clause remains accusative or absolutive. If the verb is perfective, the opposite occurs. Position 6 suffixes take the Causative Construction except when the Object of the Causative Construction is the same as the Subject of the Causative Construction. Thus “I wanted you to see the book” (le kenosu sa eleyemputena) uses the Causative Construction, while “I wanted to see the book” (le keno eleyamputena) does not.

NP → N Adj Gen Relative-Clause Possessive Numeral Case

PP → N P