Lotá

Lotá is a language spoken slightly inland from the coast opposite the Timereitah. The speakers were typically involved in trade negotiations between continental merchants (specifically the Faraneih, but also Raj and a few other groups) and the coastal fishermen (specifically the Tnusjakt speakers).

Phonology

Word Initial Consonants

• /p b f v m t d s z n ʃ ʒ l ɬ c ɟ ç ? ɲ k g x ɣ ʟ/
  • Romanized as

Word Medial Consonants

• /p b b: f v m t t: d d: s s: z n ʃ ʃ: ʒ l ɬ c ɟ ɟ: ç ? ɲ k g g: x ɣ ʟ/
  • Romanized as

Word Terminal Consonants

• /v z ? ɣ ʔ/
  • Romanized as <v z jh gh q>

General Vowels

• /a a: e e: i i: o o: u u:/
  • Romanized as <a aa e ee i ii o oo u uu>

Word Terminal Vowels

• /ə ɒ: ɛ: ɪ: ɔ: ʊ: ə~ ɒ:~ ɛ:~ ɪ:~ ɔ:~ ʊ:~ a_H e_H i_H o_H u_H a:_H e:_H i:_H o:_H u:_H a_L e_L i_L o_L u_L a:_L e:_L i:_L o:_L u:_L a_M e_M i_M o_M u_M a:_M e:_M i:_M o:_M u:_M/
  • Romanized as <y â ê î ô û yn an en in on un á é í ó ú áa ée íi óo úu à è ì ò ù àa èe ìi òo ùu a e i o u aa ee ii oo uu>

Morphology

Nominal Morphology

There are three cases: nominative, accusative, and oblique. Accusative forms by nasalizing an exposed, terminal vowel (why lacks an underlying consonant which is now expressed by tonality terminally), or if there is a terminal consonant or a non-reduced vowel with an underlying phoneme, adding a /ə~/. Oblique is formed by adding -/tə/ regardless.

sovon - horn - nominative
sovonon - accusative
sovonty - oblique

dó - pig - nominative
dokon - accusative
dokty - oblique

A third declension, formed by earlier *-aad' or *-aat' roots also exists, but it is highly irregular.

lá - blood -nominative
laggon - accusative
lakty - oblique

Lotá Pronouns are somewhat more complex, as they distinguish number and proximity (or failing that inclusiveness and exclusiveness).

Verbal Morphology

There are two main verbal declensions, which (for ease) will be referred to as the first and second declension. The first declension is highly regular and clearly defines the root and affixes of the verb. For example, with gek (to give):

ni      geki     ki gáz
ni      gek- i   ki gáz
1.S.NOM give-IMP to 2.S.OBL
I'm giving you (something).

ni      geksi     ki gaz
ni      gek- si   ki gaz
1.S.NOM give-PRF  to 2.S.OBL
I gave you (something).

The second declension, on the other hand, has the final consonant of the root voice if unvoiced and geminate. Virtually all of them end with /g/ or /k/. Another example with lag (to bleed):

ni      laggi
ni      lag(g)-i
1.S.NOM bleed- IMP
I'm bleeding.

ni      lagsi
ni      lag-  si
1.S.NOM bleed-PRF
I bled.

Once the root and the tense/aspect marker have been added, another series of suffixes can be dumped at the end of the verb. The next one is to mark for mood - the optative marker, either present and marking or absent and non-optative.

ni      geksindi     ki gaz
ni      gek- si- ndi ki gaz
1.S.NOM give-PRF-OPT to 2.S.OBL
I should have give you (something).

Next, one of various negative markers can follow. These do not compete with the optative marker. For example:

ni      geksiatna     ki gaz
ni      gek- si- atna ki gaz
1.S.NOM give-PRF-NEG  to 2.S.OBL
I didn't give you (something).

ni      geksindiatna      ki gaz
ni      gek- si- ndi-atna ki gaz
1.S.NOM give-PRF-OPT-NEG  to 2.S.OBL
I shouldn't have give you (something).

There are two main negative markers: -atna, and -lhia. The first is used for verbs that usually take solid objects or a variety of objects. The second is for verbs that typically take fluid or no object.

ni      laggilhia
ni      lag(g)-i-  lhia
1.S.NOM bleed- IMP-NEG
I'm not bleeding.

ni      zivoilhia
ni      zivo-i  -lhia
1.S.NOM age- IMP-NEG
I'm not getting older.

Syntax

Noun Phrase

As part of the Measceineafh Sprachbund, it's only natural for the noun phrase to mix right branching and left branching elements almost equally - with a special emphasis on quantifiers in opposition to qualifiers.

Basic Structures

Lotá is obviously SV. It's default form is SVO, although SOV is a secondary word order for stressing direct objects.