User:Masako/nkala

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 e i o/

a e i o

Nouns

Classifiers

• na- - person; human
• nya- - tool; device; vehicle
• tla- - masculine; male [MASC]
• tli- - food
• wi- - abstract
• ya- - inanimate; material; stuff
• yi- - feminine; female [FEM]

Determiners

• la- - this; near me [PROX]
• li- - that; near you [MED]
• lu- - that; over there [DIST]
• mi- - other; different
• nyi- - self; reflexive [REFL]
• nyu- - next
• pwi- - so-called
• sa- - sort; kind of
• ti- - last

Number

Nouns are marked for various quantities:

• ka- - plural [PL]
• ma- - many; much
• mu- - group; collection; mass of
• mwa- - all; every
• nwa- - one; a
• pa- - dual; pair of; both [DU]
• tsi- - few; little [quantity]
• yu- - piece of

Qualifiers

• a- - venerated [honorific]
• kwi- - good; regular; normal
• si- - small; diminutive; dear
• su- - bad; unpleasant
• ta- - big; large
• tsu- - lacking respect; damn

Pronouns

	singular	dual	plural
1	wa-	pwa-	kwa-
2	ni-	(m)pi-	(n)ki-
3	o-	po-	ko-

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
ko-	wa-	kop	-i
3pl	1sg	harm	PST
kowakopi
They harmed me.

Verbs

Tense

Verbs are either non-past or past.

• wa-kwit-a

1sg-eat-NPST

I eat. / I am eating. / I will eat.

• wa-kwit-i

1sg-eat-PST

I ate.

Other verb modifiers

• ak - equally; also; as much as [CONJ]
• al - repetitive; frequentative [FREQ]
• am - question [Q]
• amp - as if; seem to
• amw - causative [CAUS]
• amy - diminutive [DIM]
• an - instead; rather; but
• ank - like to
• ant - more
• any - try to; attempt [ATT]
• ap - want [VOL]
• as - while [DUR]
• at - augmentative [AUG]
• atl - possibility; potential [POT]
• ats - because; since
• aw - be allowed
• ay - to intend to [VOL]
• ik - suggestive [SUG]
• il - necessity [NEC]
• im - so that; in order to
• imp - then; thereafter
• imy - to undo
• in - previously; already
• ink - well; enough
• iny - ability [ABIL]
• ip - unless
• is - too little; not enough
• it - too much
• itl - finished [perfect]
• its - instead of
• iw - until; before
• iy - stop oneself; cease [not prevent]
• uk - negative; no; not [NEG]
• ul - then; therefore
• um - suddenly
• ump - so long as
• umy - obligation
• un - less
• unk - hate to
• unt - intensifier
• uny - begin; become [INCEP]
• up - if [but not] irrealis
• us - always
• ut - to be about to
• utl - progressive; continuing
• uts - if [possible]
• uy - probably; likely

Stems

• kam - symbol; write; mark
• kup - harm; hurt; corrupt
• kwit - eat; nourish; bread
• mak - want; desire; love
• mal - speak; talk
• n - know; see
• natl - sleep; rest; relax
• nay - loud; noise; roar
• nyak - fire; burn; light
• 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

Examples

• upuni

u-pu-n-i

3sg-3du-see-PST

He saw them (two).

• kiwayuka

ki-way-uk-a

2pl-go-NEG-NPST

You (all) are not going.

• kunatlinyuki

ku-natl-iny-uk-i

3pl-sleep-ABIL-NEG-PST

They were unable to sleep.

• kwamali

kwa-mal-i

1pl-speak-PST

We spoke.

• nitamati

ni-t-am-at-i

2sg-COP-Q-AUG-PST

Were you long ago?

• pinyitlilika

pi-nyi-tlil-ik-a

2du-REFL-wash-SUG-NPST

You [two] should wash yourselves.

• wana yapu

wa-n-a yap-u

1sg-see-NPST be.green-NOM

I see [the] plant.

notes

for word generator:

C=ptkmnswlyqxcf
V=aáàiíìuúù
P=aiu
V=aeioäëïö

c|ts
f|ny
kw[uúù]|kwa
n[nml]|n
np|mp
q|kw
tl[uúù]|tla
w[uúù]|wa
x|tl

c|ts
f|ny
x|tl
q|kw
n[nml]|n
np|mp
w[öo]|wa