Siye

Siye
Pronounced:	['ʃi.je]
Timeline and Universe:	EJW Universe, Near Future
Species:	Indigenous Martian Humanoid
Spoken:	Mars
Total speakers:	20,000,000 (est.)
Writing system:	syllabic
Genealogy:	Tide:* Tiye Siye
Typology
Morphological type:	Agglutinating/Polysynthetic
Morphosyntactic alignment:	Split Ergative
Basic word order:	SOV
Credits
Creator:	Linguarum Magister

Phonology and Orthography

Phonology

/m/ [m], > [ⁿ]/V_#, V_C

/n/ [n]

/p/ [p], > [pʰ]/#_, [f]/_u, [ç]/_i

/t/ [t], > [tʰ]/#_, [ʦ]/_u, [ʦʰ]/#_u

/k/ [k] > [kʰ]/#_, [x]/_u, [ʧ]/_i, [ʧʰ]/#_i

/s/ [s] > [ʃ]/_i

/w/ [v]

/y/ [j]

/l/ [l]

/h/ [placeholder after /m/ [ⁿ]]

/i/ [i]

/im/ [ɪⁿ]

/e/ [e]

/em/ [ɛⁿ]

/a/ [a]

/am/ [aⁿ]

/o/ [o]

/om/ [ɔⁿ]

/u/ [u]

/um/ [ʊⁿ]

Vowel Dominance

Siye Vowel Dominance indicates which vowel will dominate in a vowel-vowel sequence (nasalization of vowels does not affect this). The Vowel Dominance hierarchy is listed below: /u/ > /o/ > /a/ > /e/ > /i/

The 3rd person animate subject prefix of the verb is -i- and therefore vanishes most of the time after the object prefixes. It is, however, present in /yi-/ and /umhi-/ and /tumhi-/.

Stress Placement

A Siye noun receives a primary accent on the first syllable. Thus /laye silime/ receives primary accents on /la/ and /si/. A Siye verb receives a primary accent on the first syllable of the verb root. Thus /pelekopuyamma/ receives a primary accent on /ko/. If the root is monosyllabic, the number suffix does not receive stress, If the root is polysyllabic, the number suffix does receive stress. From the number suffix onward, secondary accents occur every other syllable, with the caveat that only the first syllable of a suffix can receive an accent. Thus /ekepunemena/ is stressed /eKEpuNEmeNA/ but /epomipunemena/ is stressed /ePOmiPUnemeNA/ not */ePOmiPUneMEna/.

Isoglosses

The Valley in which Siye is spoken stretches halfway across the Martian equator, so there are variations in speech along its length. The primary isogloss is the boundary line between nouns that use the Nominative and Accusative and those that use the Ergative and Absolutive. In Standard Siye, the dialect of the City in the Central Province and the variety on which this article is based, only pronouns and personal names can use Nominative and Accusative forms. As one travels east the range of the Nominative decreases; as one travels west towards the Mountain, the opposite occurs. Thus, all varieties of SIye use /le, la/ for the first person pronouns. All but the Far Eastern Province and the Lake use /pe, sa/ for the second person pronoun. The Mid-Eastern Province and points west place all pronouns, regardless of number, in the Nominative category. Standard Siye, from the Central Province, adds personal names to the Nominative category. The Near Western Province requires that nouns denoting humans must be in the Nominative category, reducing the number of complex cases in the spoken version of the western dialects. The Mid-Western Province treats all animate nouns as Nominative, and the Far Western Province is full nominative under the "contamination" of Ulok.

Nominal Morphology

Cases

1. NOMINATIVE (NOM): -0 NOM: Pronouns, Personal Names

The Nominative Case in Standard Siye is used for the subject of an intransitive clause and the subject of a transitive clause, provided that the noun is either a pronoun or a personal name. Where a Siye dialect draws the line between Nominative/Accusative and Absolutive/Ergative, in other words, where the split of the split-ergative occurs, is the primary isogloss between Siye dialects.

2. ABSOLUTIVE (ABS): -0 ABS: Everything Except Pronouns and Personal Names

The Absolutive Case is used for the subject of an intransitive clause and the object of a transitive clause, provided that the noun is not a pronoun or a personal name.

3. ACCUSATIVE (ACC): -a, -0, -ha

The Accusative Case is used for the object of a transitive clause, provided that the noun is either a pronoun or personal name. -ha occurs after syllables containing a nasal vowel. The Accusative Case is vulnerable to the depredations of vowel dominance, and therefore has a -0 surface form. See the section on complex cases to understand the interactions of this case with others that may precede it.

4. ERGATIVE (ERG): -ya, -na

The Ergative Case is used for the subject of a transitive clause, provided that the noun is not a pronoun or a personal name. -na follows a syllable contained a nasal consonant or a nasal vowel; -ya follows otherwise. Some have suggested that this is a relic of the days when the Lake-dwellers were the primary speakers of Siye.

5. GENITIVE (GEN): -ne

The Genitive Case is used to describe alienable possession or an accidental characteristic of a object.

6. POSSESSIVE (POSS): -me

The Possessive Case is used to describe inalienable possession or an essential characteristic of an object. The Possessive Case, unlike the other Cases, precedes rather than follows the grammatical number suffix.

7. ABLATIVE (ABL): -sum

The Ablative Case is used to describe motion away from a point or origin from a particular location.

8. LOCATIVE (LOC): -kem

The Locative Case is used to describe a location, or, in ditransitive clauses, the object being transferred or the price of the object in the Absolutive Case (more rarely, Accusative Case).

9. (AL)LATIVE/DATIVE (ALL): -su ALL: Inanimates

The Dative Case is used for the inanimate indirect object of a main clause, the inanimate indirect object of a Causative Construction clause when the verb of the Causative Construction clause is in the imperfective aspect, and the inanimate direct object of a Causative Construction clause when the verb of the Causative Construction clause is in the perfective aspect.

10. DATIVE (DAT): -tu DAT: Animates

The Dative Case is used for the animate indirect object of a main clause, the animate indirect object of a Causative Construction clause when the verb of the Causative Construction clause is in the imperfective aspect, and the animate direct object of a Causative Construction clause when the verb of the Causative Construction clause is in the perfective aspect.

11. INSTRUMENTAL (INS): -ki

The Instrumental Case is used to describe the means by which something is done. This case is only used with Inanimate nouns in Standard Siye; therefore it is rude to use the Instrumental Case with an Animate nouns.

12. ADVERBIAL (ADV): -ku

The Adverbial Case converts roots into adverbs. The Guild of Scholars treats this as a case rather than a separate part of speech.

13. EQUATIVE (EQ): -pu

The Equative Case is used to describe the second noun or adjective in a predicate statement. It is also used as a vocative external to the core arguments of the clause.

14. COMITATIVE (COM): -ni

The Comitative Case is used to describe accompaniment. It also serves as the primary nominal form of 'and', thus contrasting with the primarily verbal form -(h)(a)m.

Complex cases

Complex cases occur when Suffixaufnahme place an Accusative -a after another case suffix which ends in a vowel.

5. ACCUSI-GENITIVE (AGEN): -na (<-ne-a)

6. ACCUSI-POSSESSIVE (APOSS): -ma(< -me-a)

7. ACCUSI-ABLATIVE (AABL): -sumha (< -sum-a)

8. ACCUSI-LOCATIVE (ALOC): -kemha (< -kem-a)

9. ACCUSI-(AL)LATIVE/DATIVE (AALL): -su (< -su-a)

10. ACCUSI-DATIVE (ADAT): -tu (<-tu-a)

11. ACCUSI-INSTRUMENTAL (AINS): -ka (<-ki-a)

12. ACCUSI-ADVERBIAL (AADV): -ku (<-ku-a)

13. ACCUSI-EQUATIVE (AEQ): -pu (<-pu-a)

14. ACCUSI-COMITATIVE (COM): -na (<-ni-a)

Grammatical Number

Grammatical Numbers:

NULL (NL): -ku, -hu, -u

The Null Number refers to the absence of a particular thing. When used with an adjective, the Null Number changes an adjective to its opposite.

SINGULAR (SG): -0

The Singular Number is used with singular nouns, some abstract nouns, and mass nouns.

DUAL (DU): -so

The Dual Number is used to refer to exactly two things. Although pairs of items, such as eyes, are in the Dual Number, the Dual Number does not inherently indicate a pair.

PAUCAL (PAUC): -ke

The Paucal Number refers to a group, smaller than that of Plural Number but more than the Dual Number.

PLURAL (PL): -lo

The Plural Number refers to a group, larger than that of Paucal Number. This is the generic plural in Siye.

PANTIC (PAN): -ka

The Pantic Number refers to all of a certain thing. It is also used as an ethnic or group designation.

Structure: ROOT-NUMBER-CASE, except if there is a Possessive Case, in which case it is ROOT-CASE-NUMBER.

Definiteness and Numeral Placement

Siye nouns are inherently definite.

tupi-ya the bird

An indefinite noun requires a following /tum/.

tupi tum-na a bird

Adjectives follow the noun.

tupi tuki-ya the white bird

tupi tuki tum-na a white bird

The demonstrative /me/ provides fruther definition.

tupi tuki me-na this/that white bird

The numeral one, as all numerals do, precedes the verb.

tum tupi-ya one bird

so tupi-so-ya two birds

ko tupi-lo-ya five birds

Pronouns

le, la: 1st person

pe, sa: 2nd person

i, ya: 3rd person animate

e, a: 3rd person inanimate

mu: 3rd person indefinite

tum: 3rd person indefinite (before subject prefix (h)i-)

m-: 3rd person indefinite (before verb root beginning with a vowel)

The second form is exclusively Accusative; all other case suffixes attach to the Nominative form.

Non-standard pronouns

peya, pe: 2nd person (Far Eastern Province, Lake)

iya, i: 3rd person animate (Eastern Provinces, Lake)

eya, e: 3rd person inanimate (Far Eastern Province, Mid-Eastern Province, Lake)

muna, mu: 3rd person indefinite (Far Eastern Province, Mid-Eastern Province Lake)

Verb and Participle Structure

Verb Structure

Verb Structure

1. Object Prefix

The last prefix in each list is the ya-conjugation form. The others are yi-conjugation forms.

le-, la-: 1st person

pe-, sa-: 2nd person

i-, y-, ya-: 3rd person animate

e-, a-: 3rd person inanimate

mu-: 3rd person indefinite

tum-: 3rd person indefinite

um-: reflexive

2. Subject Prefix

-le-: 1st person

-pe-: 2nd person

-y-, -(h)i-: 3rd person animate

-e-: 3rd person inanimate

-mu-, -m-: 3rd person indefinite

3. Root

Many basic Siye roots are suppletive and correspond with a particular aspect. CHANGE: Others, such as /-im-/, have irregular object and subject prefixes. Most verbs, however, have the same form for both perfective and imperfective verbal forms.

4. Grammatical Number

-ku: null number

-pu: singular number (also indefinite)

-so, -s-: dual number

-ke: paucal number

-lo, -l-: plural number

-ka: pantic number (i.e., all); sometimes ethnic

-pi: exclusive marker (replaces dual, paucal, plural)

The exclusive marker -pi- may replace the dual, paucal, or plural number if and only if the dual, paucal, or plural number is marked on the noun with which the verb agrees in number.

5. Causative

-sum: causative

66. Derivatives

This is a semiproductive category and Terrestrial researchers are discovering new ones

-hi, -nam: 'begin to X'. -hi- occurs after -sum-; -nam occurs everywhere else.

-(h)u-,-tam: 'continue to X'. -u occurs after -s- and -l-; -hu occurs after -sum-; -tam occurs everywhere else.

-ka: 'intend to X'

-neme: 'stop X-ing'

-te: 'want to X'

-teka- 'should/must X' (+me, +meku)

-to: negative imperative 'do not X'. -to- must combine with a negative aspect/polarity/tense marker.

-ulu: tense marker. -ulu- plus perfective aspect suffix -n- creates a definite past tense; -ulu- plus imperfective aspect suffix -m- creates strong future tense.

-wi: positive imperative 'do X'

-yam: 'able to X'

7. Directionals

-ki: 'in place'

-na: 'up'

-nu: 'down'

-su: 'away from'

-tu: 'towards'

The other suffixes are fairly self-explanatory, but -ki- probably requires some clarification. The suffix -ki- places emphasis on the stationary nature of the verb. Examples:

eletomtuna I bought it

eletomsuna I sold it

eletomkina I kept it in stock

8 & 9. Aspect (8) & Polarity (9)

-ma-: imperfective positive realis

-na-: perfective positive realis

-me-: imperfective positive subjunctive

-meku-: imperfective negative subjunctive

-ne-: perfective positive contrafactual

-neku-: perfective negative contrafactual

-mu-, -mew-: imperfective negative realis. -mew- occurs before the coordinative suffix -am.

-nu-, -new-: imperfective negative realis. -new- occurs before the coordinative suffix -am.

10. Relational

-(a)me: Relative 'who/what/which/that'

-(e)ki: Purpose, 'so that', Result, 'with the result that'

-(e)kem: Temporal, 'when'

-(e)su: Apodotic, 'then'

-(e)sum/-(e)sunam: Conditional, 'if

-(e)ya: Explanatory, 'because'

-umo: positive interrogative (dial. -(a)mo, Eastern Provinces, Lake)

-ukumo: negative interrogative (dial. -(a)mo, Eastern Provinces, Lake)

These suffixes and the coordinative suffix are clause final, rather than verb-final. A sentence with OVS word order, i.e., one in which the subject is the final word, will take these suffixes even though the nouns retains its original case.

11. Coordinative

-(h)(a)m: 'and'. The coordinative suffix is -ham after a syllable containing a nasal consonant; -am after a syllable ending in the vowels -i or -e; -m after a syllable containing ending in vowel -u. The expected form -sum 'then and' is homophonous with -sum 'if', so the Standard Siye form of 'then and' is -sunam (< -su-ni-am). A pronominal root combined with a coordinative suffix is considered in Siye grammar to be a special form of pronoun.

12. Negative (floater)

-ku: negative

Positions 1 and 2 often combine due to Vowel Dominance. There are two conjugations, yi-conjugation and ya-conjugation. The ya-conjugation is object-prominent. Position 3 is often suppletive depending on aspect (Position 8). Position 4 reflects the subject if the verb is imperfective, the object if the verb is perfective. It is mandatory even in the singular number. Position 5 is often derivational and triggers the Causative (Syntactical) Construction in originally transitive verbs. Position 6 is derivational; each suffix may be associated with a particularly aspect. Position 6 triggers the Causative Construction in specific cases. Position 7 is sometimes derivational, sometimes not, usually mandatory. Position 8 and 9, usually combine into one syllable. Position 10 usually indicates a subordinate clause or a matrix clause in a conditional statement. Position 11 indicates parallel clauses and may combine with Position 8/9 or Position 10. Position 12 is a mobile suffix used to disambiguate certain negative statements or strengthen an already negative statement.

Participle Structure

1. Root

2. Causative

3. Derivatives

4. Directionals

5. Aspect

6. Mode

7. Nominalizer

-ki: passive, instrumental

-kim: locative

-yam: active, ergative

8. Grammatical Number

9. Case

Positions 2, 3, and 4 are only present if necessary. Position 7 has three variants, active, passive, and locative. A participle lacks the Object and Subject Prefixes of a verb in a relative clause.

Syntax

Syntax

Basic syntax is SAOV and uses a yi-conjugation verb. The indirect object and other non-core arguments precede the Direct Object.

(le) lesupusuma. I will leave.

(le) yete iluluwepuma. I will find the fruit.

le layeketu tupiso iletomsosuna. I sold the two birds to the girl.

If the Direct Object is fronted, shifting the word order to OASV, the verb changes from yi-conjugation to ya-conjugation.

yete (le) yaluluwepuma. The fruit is what I will find.

tupiso le layeketu yaletomsosuna. The two birds are what I sold to the girl.

If the Indirect Object is fronted, the verb remains yi-conjugation and the word order changes to IOSV..

layeke metu yetelo le iletomlosuna. That girl, she's the one to whom I sold the fruit.

If the Subject requires more prominence, the verb remains yi-conjugation, but the subject follows the verbs.

lesupuwisuma lam (<le-am) petampuwisuma. 'Tis I must go, and you must bide.

yete iluluwepuma le. 'Tis I who will find the fruit.

layeketu tupiso iletomsosuna le. 'Tis I who sold the two bird to the girl.

neneka yiyokanana tupisoyam (< tupisoya-am) 'Twas the birds that ate the bugs.

As the forms /lam/ and /tupisoyam/ illustrate, the postponing of the subject results in clause-final suffixes affixing to the subject rather than the verb.The explanatory suffix -ya is the most misleading of these.

nusu laye imelo yikoputemu i. He does not want to see his sisters.

nusu laye imelo yikoputemu iya ... because he does not want to see his sisters.

Basic Word Order and the Coordinative Suffix

Spoken Siye usually strings together clauses using the relational suffixes or the coordinative suffix.

Transcript from a tale from the marketplace.

“(Le) amakimsu letuputunam (la) um lumsa tumna layempumam letu i eyekena ... “

“So, I went to the market, and a foreigner spotted me, and he said ...”

Line from a folktale (adapted):

Ya ilekepununa le i laye lemepu ekimputekakimekuya.

I have murdered her because she would not be my bride.

Relative Clauses

The core vocabulary of Siye is extremely small. Relative clauses, formed with the relative suffix -(a)me, are a method of expanding a noun phrase. The nominalized noun phrase derives from a composite structure of Verb + Relative Suffix + Resumptive Pronoun. The nominalized noun phrase is always singular, but takes its animacy from the head noun of the relative clause.

Laye (ya) le yalekemputuname ilekepununa le.

I have murdered the woman I loved.

/yalekemputuname/ has no overt case marking because the noun phrase is in the absolutive case.

Laye ya (le) yaliputumameya leya umsatu tumhitumpusumtuna.

The woman I love has married another man.

The verb /yaliputumameya/ ends in /ya/, not /na/, because it derives from /yaliputuma-ame-iya/. The resumptive pronoun /iya/ has no nasal component, and therefore takes as the ergative suffix /-ya/ rather than /-na/. /yaliputumaya/, without the relative clause suffix /-(a)me/, derives from /yaliputuma-(e)ya/, the explanatory suffix.

Laye yaliputumaya leya umsatu ya iletumpusumkatuna (yaletumpusumkatuna)

Because I love the woman, I have resolved that she not marry another manl

Causative Construction

The causative suffix is -sum-.

If -sum- is added to a transitive verb, the cases of the core arguments from the original clause depend on the aspect of the verb.

If the verb is imperfective, the originally nominative or ergative subject of the original clause becomes dative or allative, while the originally accusative or absolutive object of the original clause remains accusative or absolutive.

If the verb is perfective, the opposite occurs. Position 6 suffixes take the Causative Construction except when the Object of the Causative Construction is the same as the Subject of the Causative Construction.

The causative form of a verb often translates into a different English verb than the basic form. Some Siye causative forms are lexicalized and treated as separate from the basic form; others are not, where the meaning of the Siye basic form is simply broader than that of English. The above comments apply to either type.

Examples with -sum-=

(Le) lusili elekopuma. I see the city.

Le lusili eleyempuma. I saw the city.

(Le) petu lusili elekopusumma. I showed you the city.

Le lusilisu (sa) pelekopusumna. I showed you the city.

Examples with -te- and -ka-

(Le) keno elekoputema. I want to see the book.

Le keno eleyempukana. I have resolved to see the book.

(Le) petu keno elekoputema. I want you to see the book.

Le kenosu (sa) peleyempukana. I have resolved that you see the book.

Examples with -yam-

(Le) sa peleyopuyammu. I cannot hear you.

Le like layeke peme (sa) peleyopusumyamna. I can tell you about the death of your sister.

Kumayam ya isupusumtuyamma. The chief may able to summon him.

Postpositions

When cases are insufficient, Siye uses postpositions. Postpositions are nouns that have been grammaticalized and therefore have a limited assortment of case suffixes. The noun is in the Genitive Case, less commonly, the Possessive Case, depending on factors such as alienability and saliency. Locative postpositions are the most common. Although the postpositions refine the ablative-locative-allative trinity of the case system, the endings on the postpositions are -tu/-kim/-sum.

Postpositions: -tu/-kim/-sum

Cases: -su/-kem/-sum

Directional Suffixes: -tu/-ki/-su

ekiwa pewakine emkimpu ekimpukima. The heart is inside the body.

Le silisu letuputuna. I went to the house.

Le siline emtu letuputuna. I went inside the house.

Le silisum letupusuna. I came from the house.

Le siline emsum letupusuna. I came out of the house.

Purpose and Result Clauses

Both purpose and result clauses use verbs ending in -(e)ki. Purpose clauses, however, are embedded within the matrix clause, while result clauses follow the matrix clause.

Susumsuyam lusilisu itupusuna.

The messenger went to the city.

Susumsuyam lusilisu i kumayam yikopumeki itupusuna.

The messenger went to the city to see the chief.

(The purpose of the trip was to see the chief)

Susumsuyam lusilisu itupusuna i kumayam yikopumeki.

The messenger went to the city and saw the chief.

(The purpose of the trip was not to see the chief, but it was a result of the messenger going to the city).

The result clause is similar in meaning to the following Siye sentence.

Susumsuyam lusilisu itupusunam i kumayam yiyempuna.

The messenger went to the city and saw the the chief.

Of these three compound statements, the first indicates intention, but not necessarily result; the second indicates result, but not intention; the third indication a connection between the two clauses but leaves the nature of that connection vague.

Temporal Clauses

A clause with a verb ending in -(e)kem usually precedes the matrix clause.

Le layeke ekimpukimakem, le laye lu lemetu eleyepusumkina: pala lekimpumumo?

When I was a little girl, I asked my mother: what will I become?

Explanatory Clauses

A clause with a verb ending in -(e)ya may precede or follow the matrix clause.

I la nimuku leyepusumkinaya, le itu a elemupusuna.

Because he asked nicely, I gave it to him.

Itu a le elemupusuna, la nimuku leyepusumkinaya i.

I gave to him (not you) because he asked nicely.

Conditional Clauses

In a conditional statement, the protasis clause with a verb ending in -(e)sum precedes the apodosis clause with a verb ending in -(e)su or -(e)sunam.

Peso yete upepome ipelisonamesum, pelisosumnumasu.

If you two eat the fruit of the tree, you will die.

Conditional clauses can use both aspects and both polarities of Position 8 & 9

Ya pe yapeyempunesum, pe ya ipekemputunesu.

If you had seen her, you would have loved her.

I me enupumusum, ya le yalelipusumnumasu.

If he does not do this, I will kill him.

Pe kumayamlo epesipunumesum, sa ilo sasisumtumesu.

If you insult bosses, they will take you to court.

Multiple clauses ending in -sum and -su may be strung together using the coordinating suffix -(h)(a)m.

Le lusilike mesum lesupusumasumham lusilisu lesuputumasum, le tunamaki eluluwepumesu.

If I leave this village and go to the big city, I might find success.

Interrogative Clauses

A clause ending -umo or -ukumo (dial. -(a)mo) is always the final clause.

Direct Speech

To report speech, Siye uses 'eyekena' followed by the direct quote. A quote is always considered a few words, irrespective of actual length. There are numerous examples of this in the text section.

Siye Texts