Siye Dialects
None of the dialects participate in the recent (2248/49) voicing changes of Standard Siye
Siye (Susu)
The dialect of Siye dismissively known as Susu has as its principal feature the collapse of the affricates into the fricatives. This creates surprisingly few problems, so much so that some broad-minded Simayamka consider Susu 'barely a dialect' (a compliment). The main grammatical feature of Susu is the replacement of the directional suffix /tu/ [su], now homophonous with the directional suffix /su/ [su], with [sa].
[tʃ] > [ʃ] /kilu/ 'fortress', Standard [ʧʰi.lu], Susu [ʃi.lu]
[ts] > [s] /kutum/ 'hudzu-priest', Standard [xu.dzʊⁿ], Susu [xu.sʊⁿ]
[tç] > [ç] /pimuyamka/ 'wisemen', Standard [tçʰi.mu.jæⁿ.ka], Susu [çi.mu.jæⁿ.ka]
Siye (Tsishi)
The Tsishi dialect features the coalescence of the high vowels and the creation of new phonemes from allophones.
l > ʎ/_i /lusili/, 'town, city' Standard [lu.ʃi.li], Tsishi [li.ʃi.ʎi]
n > ɲ/_i /omnuni/ 'lustful(ly)', Standard [ɔⁿ.nu.ni], Tsishi [ɔⁿ.nu.ɲi]
u > i
Changes in Tsishi
Recent (2250) changes in the Tsishi dialect have produced geminate consonants and closed oral syllables.
ʧ > ʃʃ [-ʃʃi] INS vs [-ʃi] INCL
ʦ > ss [-ssi] DAT vs [-si] ALL vs [-s◌̃ɪ] ABL
ʎ > ll [ʃilli] 'house', [ʧili] 'fort' [liʃillisi] 'to the town'
ɲ > nn [-nni] COM [-ni] DIR.SUB
Siye (Tsushi)
Tsushi is a newly (2250) recorded dialect or sub-dialect of Tsishi. Hypercorrection of the consonants preceding Tsishi i < u, i has resulted in:
[xi] for /ki/ [tʃi]
[ɸi] for initial /pi/ [tç]
[ʃu] for non-initial /pu/ [ɸu]
[si] for /si/ [ʃi]
Ye
Ye has two variations, rural and urban. Urban Ye has restored the Standard Siye vowels, but Rural Ye has kept the original vowel changes.
| Cases | Case Number | Case Suffix | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative-Absolutive | 1, 1a | -0 | |
| Accusative | 2 | -[ɔ] | |
| Ergative | 3 | -[nɔ] | |
| Vocative | 20 | -i | |
| Genitive | 4 | -[ne] | |
| Possessive | 5 | -[me] | |
| Ablative | 6 | -[◌̃ɛ], -0 | |
| Locative | 7 | -[k◌̃æ][kæ◌̃] | |
| Allative-Dative | (8) 9 | -[θi] | |
| Instrumental | 10 | -[xi] | |
| Comitative | 13 | -[ni] | |
| Elative | 15 | -[k◌̃ɛ] | LOC + ABL |
| Inessive | 16 | -[k◌̃æxi] | LOC + LOC |
| Illative | 17 | -[k◌̃æθi] | LOC + ALL |
| Abessive | 18 | -[nito] | COM + to |
| General Directionals | Abbreviation | Meaning | Example | Translation | Example | Translation | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -[xi]- | DIR.STAT | in place | ||||||
| -[nɔ]- | DIR.SUPER | up | ||||||
| -[ni]- | DIR.SUB | down | Older [ny] | |||||
| -[i]-, -[0]- | DIR.ABL | away from | Older [y], [hy]; Ye absence of Directional implies DIR.ABL | |||||
| -[θi]- | DIR.ALL | towards | Older [θy] |
Urban Ye
s, ɸ, ʃ > h
tʃ > ʃ
ts > s
tç > ç
w, j > 0 /kiwa/ 'red' Standard [ʧʰi.ʋɑ], Urban Ye [xɑ:], Rural Ye [xɔ:]
h > 0 /eleyemputsuma/, Standard [e.le.jɛⁿ.ɸu.tsu.mɑ], Urban Ye [e.lɛⁿ:.ʔu.θu.mɑ], Rural Ye [e.lɛⁿ:.ʔy.θy.mɔ]
ʃ > x /kilusu/ 'towards the fortress' Standard [ʧʰi.lu.su], Urban Ye [xi.lu:]
s > θ /kamsutu/ 'cloak', Standard [kæⁿ.su.tsu], Urban Ye [kʰæⁿ.ʔu.θu]
ç > s /pitake/ 'beast', Standard [tçʰi.tɑ.ke], Urban Ye [si.tɑ.ke], Rural Ye [si.tɔ.ke]
Rural Ye
ɛⁿ > æⁿ /-kem/ loc., Standard [gɛⁿ], Rural Ye [gæⁿ]
ɑ > ɔ /pala/ 'what?', Standard/Urban Ye [pɑ.lɑ], Rural Ye [pɔ.lɔ]
æⁿ > ɪɘⁿ Mostly found in local words of pre-Siye origin - Rural Ye /ansa/ 'Martian duck' [ɪɘⁿ.sjɘⁿ]
Cæⁿ > Cjɘⁿ /kamsutu/ 'cloak', Standard [kæⁿ.su.tsu], Rural Ye [kʰjɘⁿ.y.θy]
ɔⁿ > ɒⁿ /omnum/ 'ecstasy', Standard [ɔⁿ.nʌⁿ], Rural Ye [ɒⁿ.nɛⁿ]
u > y /kilu/ 'towards the fortress', Standard [ʧʰi.lu.su], Rural Ye [xi.ly:]
ʌⁿ > ɛⁿ /omnum/ 'ecstasy', Standard [ɔⁿ.nʌⁿ], Rural Ye [ɒⁿ.nɛⁿ]
