Terzemian

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Terzemian
Pronounced: tɜ˞ˈzɛj.mjən
Timeline and Universe: Possible LLL candidate
Writing system: Latin, Cyrillic, Arabic, UTA
Genealogy: Unique PIE, influences from Kartvelian, Turkic, Persian, Uralic and Slavic
Typology
Morphological type: Mixed
Morphosyntactic alignment: Lexically Split-S
Basic word order: VSO
Credits
Creator: Paul.w.bennett

Overview

Terzemian is an IE-derived conlang located along the west coast of the Caspian Sea. It is a satem language (the word for hundred is šündo (шүндо, şyndo, شَِنداَ /ʃyndo/) that uses the ruki rule, Grassman's law, Slavic-type depalatalization, z/r alternation, r/n alternation, a three-group vowel harmony system, and two phases of lenition (the first word-final, and the second approximately intervocalic).

Phonology

Consonants

p b     t d       k g kʷ gʷ q ɢ ʔ
  f v   s z ʃ ʒ ɬ ɮ   x ɣ xʷ ɣʷ χ ʁ h
      ts dz tʃ dʒ tɬ dɮ          
    w     l j        
m     n       ŋ ŋʷ    
      ɾ ɹ              


Vowels

i y ɯ u
e &nbsp   o
    ɑ  


Writing System

Terzemian has been written in a variety of scripts. In the modern era, a modified Latin alphabet is used. During the Soviet era, Cyrillic was used, and can still be found. Before the Soviet era, a form of the UTA was used alongside Arabic. The Arabic script can still be found in general use in certain areas, as well as among the Muslim population throughout the region. Despite (or perhaps because) the fact that the move to the Latin script was a deliberate process to reflect post-Soviet independence, there is also a small folkish movement to return to the UTA script. In short, the learner of Terzemian should concentrate on learning the Latin script, but should be prepared to encounter Cyrillic, UTA, and Arabic on a more or less daily basis.

Logical Layout

The following tables illustrate the writing systems with a layout that is in accordance with the Phonology tables above.

Modern Latin

p b pʼ     t d tʼ       k g kʼ k˚ g˚ k˚ʼ ḳ ġ ḳʼ ʼ
  f v fʼ   s z sʼ š ž šʼ ł ł̣ łʼ   x ǧ xʼ x˚ ǧ˚ gx˚ʼ x̣ ǧ̇ x̣ʼ h
      c cʼ č čʼ tł dł̣ tłʼ          
    w wʼ     l lʼ y yʼ        
m mʼ     n nʼ       ň ňʼ ň˚ ň˚ʼ    
      ṛ r rʼ              


i ü   u
e ö   o
ä   a å


UTA

p b pʼ     t d tʼ       k g kʼ kъ gъ kъʼ ķ g̓ ķʼ q
  f v fʼ   s z sʼ ş ƶ şʼ ł ľ łʼ   x ƣ xʼ xъ ƣъ xъʼ x̧ ƣ̓ x̧ʼ h
      c cʼ ç çʼ tł dľ tłʼ    
    w wʼ     l lʼ j jʼ    
m mʼ     n nʼ       ŋ ŋʼ ŋъ ŋъʼ
      r ř řʼ        


i y   u
e ɵ   o
ə   a ɔ


Cyrillic

п б пӀ     т д тӀ     к г кӀ къ гъ кӀъ қ ӷ қӏ ӏ
  ф в фӀ   с з сӀ ш ж шӀ ӆ ԓ ӆӏ х ғ хӀ хъ ғъ хӀъ ҳ ӷ̵ ҳӏ һ
      ц цӀ ч чӀ тӆ дԓ тӆӏ      
    ў ўӏ     й йӏ    
      л лӏ        
м мӏ     н нӏ     ң ңӏ ңъ ңӏъ  
      р ʀ ʀӏ        


и ү   у
э ө   о
ә   а ɔ


Arabic

پ ب     ت د     ك گ  
  ف ڒ   س ز ژ ش   خ غ ه
      څ چ      
    و     ي    
      ل        
م     ن     ڽ  
      ر        


هِ هَِ   هَ
اِ اَِ   اَ
اٍ   ا اً


Alphabetical Orders

The tables above approximately follow the IPA layout for the sounds of Terzemian. The correct orders of the writing systems of Terzemian are:

  • Latin: Aa Ää Åå Bb Cc Čč Dd Ee Ff Gg Ǧǧ Ġġ Ǧ̇ǧ̇ Hh Ii Kk Ll Łł Mm Nn Ňň Oo Öö Pp Rr Ṛṛ Ss Šš Tt Uu Üü Vv Ww Xx X̣x̣ Yy Zz Žž ˚ ʼ
  • Cyrillic: Аа Әә Бб Вв Гг Ғғ Ӷ̵ӷ̵ Дд Ее Жж Зз Һһ Ии Йй Кк Лл Ӆӆ Ԓԓ Мм Нн Ңң Оо Өө Пп Рр Rʀ Сс Тт Уу Ўў Үү Фф Хх Ҳҳ Цц Чч Шш Щщ Ъъ Ыы Ьь Ээ Ɔɔ Юю Яя ӏ
  • UTA: Aa Əə Bb Cc Çç Dd Ee Ff Gg Ƣƣ Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Ŋŋ Oo Ɵɵ Ɔɔ Pp Rr Ss Şş Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz Ƶƶ Qq Ъъ
  • Arabic: ا ب ت پ ح خ څ چ د ر ز ژ س ش غ ف ك گ ل م ن ڽ ه و ۆ ي هِ هَِ هَ اِ اَِ اَ اٍ اً

The following chart shows the other writing systems in the latin order:

Latin Aa Ää Åå Bb Cc Čč Dd Ee Ff Gg Ǧǧ Ġġ Ǧ̇ǧ̇ Hh Ii Kk Ll Łł Mm
Cyrillic Аа Әә Ɔɔ Бб Цц Чч Дд Ээ Фф Гг Ғғ Ӷ̵ӷ̵ ??? Һһ Ии Кк Лл Ӆӆ / Ԓԓ Мм
Latin Nn Ňň Oo Öö Pp Rr Ṛṛ Ss Šš Tt Uu Üü Vv Ww Xx X̣x̣ Yy Zz Žž ˚ ʼ            
Cyrillic Нн Ңң Оо Өө Пп Rʀ Рр Сс Шш Тт Уу Үү Вв Ўў Хх Ҳҳ Йй Зз Жж Ъъ ӏ Щщ Ыы Ьь Юю Яя Ее


Notes:

  • The Cyrillic letters Щ, Ъ, and Ь are not used in native words.
  • The Cyrillic letters Е, Ю, and Я are occasionally used in native words.
  • The Arabic characters هِ هَِ هَ use the letter ه as a base character for illustration. The actual vowels are written as just the diactrics, attached to the preceeding consonant.

Sound Changes

See the Sound Changes subarticle.

Morphosyntax

Harmony

Vowels

Root Vowel Prefix Vowel Suffix Vowel
i u a i ü e ö ä a
i i ü e i ü e ö ä a
ü i ü e ü u ö o ä a
u ü u o ü u ö o a å
e i ö ä i ü e ö ä a
ö ü o å ü u ö o ä a
o ö å a ü u ö o a å
ä e å a e ö ä å ä a
a e o a e ö ä å ä a
å ä åɧ aɧ e ö ä å ä a


Fricative

The metasymbol ɧ represents an assimilatory fricative, as follows:

Next Consonant p,b,m,f,v,w t,d,n,s,z,l,r č,š,ž,y k,g,x,ǧ h
Outcome f s š x ∅

If there is no next consonant in the root, ɧ assimilates to the previous consonant.

If there is no next consonant and no previous consonant in the root, ɧ becomes h.

Verbs

Agreement

Terzemain nouns mark two or less of three core cases, notionally representing the semantic roles INITIATOR, UNDERGOER, and TARGET. For ease of reference, these will be marked with the traditional A, P, and O labels used in discussing Ergative/Accusative marking.

Terzemian is Split-S, with Ergative or Accusative style marking determined lexically by the conjugation of the verb.

The conjugations are as follows:

Conj. Required Optional Description
1 a A   Intransitive Active verbs
1 b P A (causitive) Intransitive Stative verbs
2 AP   Transitive Active verbs

Ablaut Patterns

Conj. Root Vowel Non-P R Past R Non-P Ir Past Ir
1 a/b i i e ü iy
ü ü ö u üy
u u o uw wo
e e ä ö ye
ö ö a o yo
o o å ow öü
ä ä äh a e
a a ah ay ey
å å åh åw ow
2 i i ü e ö
ü ü u ö o
u u uw o ow
e e ö ä å
ö ö o å a
o o ow å a
ä ä a äɧ aɧ
a a å aɧ åɧ
å å åw åɧ åwɧ


Agreement prefixes

Conj. Argument 1st Person 2nd 3rd
1 A ǧ- z- i-
1 P - yu- c-
2 A - smu- s-
2 P m- yu- -

Tense and Evidentiality

There are two verb tenses, the past and non-past.

  • In the past tense, there are three evidentiality/reality markings:
    • direct realis, indicating first-hand observational (e.g. "eye witness") knowledge. This is marked by the prefix e-, in addition to ablaut.
    • indirect realis, indicating knowledge that is informed, inferred, supposed, or otherwise not personal. This is marked by ablaut alone.
    • irrealis, making no overt statement about the reality of the VP, but inferring a lesser degree of certainty than either realis marking.
  • In the non-past, only the realis and irrealis are distinguished.

Aspect, Mood, Intensity, and Attitude

Additional verb characteristics are expressed in suffixes, including the following.

  • Aspect
    • Inceptive
    • Abortive
    • Completitive -åǧ
    • Participle -önz
    • Perfect -gäv
  • Mood
    • Imperative (use bare root)
    • Negative -nä
    • Optative/Hortative/Jussive -zün
    • Causative/Volition (A -> P, Cause -> A)
  • Intensity
    • More Intense -siz
    • Less Intense -(d)e (NB: same as nominal diminutive)

Suffixes may be chained in a head-modifier (right-branching) manner.

Example: ävåwsezzönnä - I certainly did not want to soundly beat him.

Nouns

All nominal morphology is accomplished via suffixes, except

  • the prefix ay-, indicating possession by the subject of the sentence
  • pluralization, which uses ablaut and/or schwebeablaut and/or suffixing, based on the declension of the noun in question.

Suffixes

  • Spatial Cases
    • Commitative -be
    • Locative
    • Dative -(h)äz
    • Ablative -ben
    • Perlative
    • Circumlocative -invi
    • Pertingent
    • Orientative
  • Relational Cases
    • Benefactive/Malefactive
    • Instrumental
    • Genitive
  • Modificational Cases
    • Diminutive -de
  • Derivational Cases
    • X-posessing -önz (N -> Adj derivation)
    • X-inhabiting/X-using -änž (N -> Adj derivation)

Suffixes may be chained in a head-modifier (right-branching) manner.

Ablaut

Decl. Gender Root Vowel Singular Plural Collective
1 Animate i i wi iɧ
ü ü yu üɧ
u u yo uɧ
e e ey ö
ö ö yo oɧ
o o ya oɧ
ä ä ew a
a a yå aɧ
å å åɧ wo


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