Þolb
Language is ergative:
absolutive: no ending ergative: -eþ
adjective ending -r
there are no prepostions. these are done with adverbs.
Word order: V-E-A
- Walm gelþ kolm halbeþ melmr.
- (past) walk house man toward
- The man walked into the house.
- Walm gelþ kolm balþteþ grûmpr.
- The girl walked inside the house.
Overview
Þolb is an ergative-absolutive language. Word order is generally Patient-Verb-Agent.
Nouns - ðâpþtpontek
Nouns are divided into several classes, depending on the type of item. Each class has a special set of pronouns. Ony classes one and two have a first person pronoun. Several of the classes have special words that may belong only to those classes, as well as special affixes. Some words may fall into several classes.
Nouns have four cases: Ergative, absolutive, genetive and dative.
1. Divine/humans of a higher status - twilmerd
This class is used to describe the divine as well as those of a higher social status than oneself, usually royalty. This is the smallest class of nouns.
Pronouns
- First person = waþelb
- Second person = nurlemp
- Third person = klondrempt
Special words
- kþeltomp - man or woman, person
- þmeltilb - God
- þkwelmport - King
- twilmerd - important person/VIP
2. Humans
Pronouns
- First person absolutive= telm
- Second person abs = meþt
- Third person abs = dwamp
- First person ergative= þkwâm
- Second person erg = klont
- Third person erg = primb
Special words
3. Animals/plants/the natural world
4. Tools/buildings/Inanimate objects
5. Places
Verbs - ðâpþthempt
Compared to the complex class system of nouns, verbs are relatively simple. Verbs fall into two types, transitive and intransitive.
There is no tense in the language, but aspect. Aspect and mood are expressed by a word at the beginning of the sentence. These words may be combined together, with a hyphen.
| verbs | perfective | continuous | habitually | negative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| imperative | þkek | ∅ | hem | lâmp |
| would | mâr | þâr | hâr | lâr |
| negative | mek | þek | hek | lek |
| positive | milk | þilk | hilk | lilk |
| want | milþ | þilþ | hilþ | lilþ |
| must | mump | þump | hump | lump |
| can | muþ | þuþ | huþ | luþ |
| need | menð | þenð | henð | lenð |
| become | morm | þorm | horm | lorm |
| make | meþt | þeþt | heþt | leþt |
Alphabet - kormpbarþt
a â b d ð e g h k l m n ng o p r t þ u û w y
Examples
Darm halb remp. The man has arrived.
