Ngiæra
Geography
Ngiæra is a language spoken on the Mermish world in the Polycosm by the local version of humans – these humans would strike the natives of Earth-Prime as a bit batrachid. Ngiæra speakers live in the hills to the south of the Great Gulf, ever since the People of the Wave (another human tribe) came from the islands and drove them from the shore.
Phonology
Ngiæra has nine consonants, and five vowels. There is no current information on the consonantal allophones.
Consonants
Labial Coronal Velar
[m] /m/ [n] /n/ [ŋ] /ng/
[p] /p/ [t] /t/ [k] /k/
[s] /s/
[j] /i/ [R\] /r/1
Vowels
Front Back High i /i/, /j/
Mid e /e/ o /o/, /o_a/ Low æ /æ/ a /a/. / ɐ /
Syntax
Ngiæra is a AVP split-ergative language divided along SAP lines. Unlike many such languages, the SAP split is between the second singular and the second plural.
Transitive Sentence With Nouns
The transitive sentence with nouns is AVP.
Ngir tean mær.
man see woman
The man sees the woman.
Iiar tean mær.
1sg see woman.
I see the woman.
Ngir tean iiar.
Man see 1sg.
The man sees me.
Pronouns
Ngiæra pronouns are divided into two categories: nominative and ergative.
1sg iiar [jiɐr], iæik [jæjk] 1excl iot [jot] 1incl ioor [jwor]
2sg iook [jwok] 2pl iei [jej]
3sg ioæon [jwæwn] 3pl ioap [joɐp]
The nominative personal pronouns are /iiar/, /iæik/, /iot/, /ioor/, and /iook/. The ergative personal pronouns are /iei/, /ioæon/, and /ioap/ - names and common nouns are classified as ergative. With transitive verbs, the pronouns behave identically, but the detransitivized verb reveals the nominative/ergative distinction.
The detransitive marker /næim/ [næjm], which comes before the verb, causes two changes. If the agent of the transitive verb is ergative, the agent becomes an absolutive subject and shifts to the end of the clause, while the verb becomes antipassive voice. If the patient of the transitive verb is accusative, the patient becomes a nominative subject and shifts to the front of the clause, while the verb becomes passive voice.
Ngir tean mær.
man see woman
The man sees the woman
Næim tean ngir.
ANTIPASS see man
The man sees.
Tean mær.
See woman
The woman is seen.
Iei tean ngir
2pl see man
You see the man
Næim tean iei
ANTIPASS see 2pl
You see
Tean ngir
see man
The man is seen.
Ngir tean ioor
man see 1incl
The man sees us.
Ioor næim tean
1incl PASS man
We are seen.
Iook tean ioor
2sg see 1incl
You see us.
Iook tean
1incl see
You are seen.
Phonotactics
Ngiæra roots (also known as a First Form) all have the shape C1(G1)V(G2)C2. C may be any consonant native to Ngiæra. V may be any vowel. G1 may be /i/, /o/ or /r/. G2 may be /i/, /o/, or /a/. Ngiæra roots are divided into nominal and verbal roots – these classes are lexically determined. Nominal roots include the categories of pronoun, man/woman, directions, family members, colors, geography, beauty, and sufficiency. Verbal roots include verbs of motion, copular verbs, verbs of expectation, possession, do/make, and 'bear (children)'.
A First Form nominal (f4) is a stative or abstract noun, while a First Form verbal (f1) is usually a transitive verb. The Second Form is derived from the First Form by taking G2 and reduplicating it as a vowel called V2, after C2. If there is no G2, V provides the vowel. The Second Form derives a noun of agent or action from the First Form verbal and and an adjective from the First Form Nominal. V2 is identical to V with the following exception: the V2 of /æ/ is /a/. Thus the name of the language, Ngiæra is the Second Form (f2) of /ngiær/, 'to speak', while the word for masculine, /ngiri/, is the Second Form (f5) of /ngir/ 'man'. The Third Form derives V2 from G1 (or V if there is no G1), and prefixes it to the First Form. V2 is identical to V with the following exception: the V2 of /r/ is /a/. The Third Form (f3) derives an adverb or preposition from a verb, and a stative, intransitive, or 'applicative' verb (f6) from a noun. An adverb in Ngiæra covers English adverbs and prepositions. Thus the Third Form (f3) of /tean/, 'to see', /etean/, is the evidential marker, and the Third Form (f3) of /ngiæar/, 'to give', /ingiæar/, is the indirect object marker 'to'. The Third Form (f6) of /ngræs/, 'greenness', /angræs/, is intransitive and means 'to flourish'. The Third Form (f6) of /rooop/, 'criminal', /orooop/, is transitive and means 'to commit a crime (of type X)' where type X is the direct object of the verb.
Tenses
Tense in Ngiæra is optional and generally indicated by a specific time word.
Near Future
An auxiliary verb /ngoær/, 'to wait', follows the noun or pronoun and precedes the verb.
Iook ngoær saak rooop.
2sg wait find criminal.
You (sg) will find the criminal.
Futurue
Future tense may also be indicated by the word /itin/ 'tomorrow' preceding the noun or pronoun.
Itin iook saak rooop.
Tomorrow 2sg find criminal
You will find the criminal.
Past
Past tense may be indicated by the word /omot/ 'yesterday' preceding the noun or pronoun.
Omot iook saak rooop.
Yesterday 2sg find criminal
You found the criminal.
Copula
The copula in Ngiæra is /miii/.
Mær miii poongo.
Woman COP wife
The woman is a wife.
Iook miii kiein.
2sg COP child You are a child.
The Copula with Second and Third Form Nominals
If the subject of the copula is a pronoun and the predicate is a Second Form nominal, a special conjugation is used, derived from the Third Form nominals.
Iiiar poongo. I am a wife.
- Aiæik poongo. I am a wife.
Oiook poongo. You (sg) are a wife.
Oioæon poongo. (S)he is a wife.
Oiot poongo. We (excl.) are wives.
Oioor poongo. We (incl.) are wives.
Iiei poongo. You (pl) are wives.
Oioap poongo. They are wives.
With a Third Form nominal as the predicate, the pronoun is a First Form nominal.
Iæik iting. I am sad.
- Iiar iting. I am sad.
Iook iting. You (sg) are sad
Ioæon iting. (S)he is sad.
Iot iting. We (excl.) are sad.
Ioor iting. We (incl.) are sad.
Iei iting. You (pl) are sad.
Ioap iting. They are sad.
- indicates an illegitimate form
Noun and Adjective Order
Modifiers, including the optional plural marker, follow their heads.
Ngir moanga miii rooop (moanga).
Man many COP criminal many
Many men are criminals.
Poongo iiara miii mær neopo.
Wife 1sg COP woman beautiful
My wife is a beautiful woman.
Reduplication
Reduplication indicates indefinite plurality
Omot kroapa meim rooop rooop
Yesterday judge hang criminal criminal
The judge has hanged all sorts of criminals.
Concultural Note: 'hanged' here does not mean 'ordered someone else to hang them'. The judge is truly judge, jury, and executioner.
Third Person Pronouns as Demonstratives
The 3rd person pronouns /ioæon/ and /ioap/ can be used as demonstratives in their Second Forms (f5).
Omot rooop ioapa orooop etean nepe.
Yesterday criminal 3pl commit.crime.of.type.X EVID taker
These criminals clearly committed the crime of taking.
These criminals are thieves.
Prepositional Phrases
Prepositions precede their modifiers. Indirect objects take the preposition /ingiæar/:
Iæik mres ioap ingiæar kroapa.
I give 3pl IO judge
I give them to the judge.
I hand them over to judge.
Kroapa kroap ioap oroæk koæon.
Judge judge 3pl toward death. The judge sentenced them to death.
Negative Particles
Negative particles follow the verb.
Ioæon kroap ioap eker akæong koæon (ioapa).
3sg judge 3pl NEG away.from death 3pl
He did not pardon them from their death sentences.
Expressions of Time
The use of time nouns as past and future markers has encouraged the use of reduplication to indicate precise times. Note that Ngiæra is also pro-drop!
Isik isik meim ioap.
morning morning hang 3pl
In the morning (the judge) hanged them.
Nominal Possession
Possession is indicated by the preposition /epek/, from /pek/,' to possess'
Poongo sanga epek rooop iting otom
wife lack GEN criminal be.sad be.excessive
The widows of the criminals were very sad.
Direct Speech
Direct speech is reported as it was originally said.
Poongo sanga ioæono ngiær ingiæar kroapa.
Wife lack 3sg speak to judge.
This widow said to the judge
Kese iæiki okoæon.
Husband 1sg be.dead
“My husband is dead.
Iæik miar eker ngiæar seim ingiæar kiein iæiki.
1Sg can NEG give food to child 1sg
I cannot feed my children.
Conditional Statements
To form a conditional statement, the Third Form of /teng/, 'to do' is placed before each clause.
Kroapa ngiær ingiæar ioæon.
judge speak to 3sg
The judge said to her.
Poongo iæiki miar eker poong.
wife 1sg can NEG bear.children
My wife cannot bear children.
Eteng iook roong miii mær mii iook poong,
if 2sg make be woman REL 2sg bear.children,
If you become my mistress,
eteng iæik ngiæar seim ingiæar kiein iooko.
then 1sg give food to child 2sg
I will feed your children.
Optative Mood
The optative mood is indicated by the First Form verbal of /nrir/:
Poongo sanga ngiær ingiæar ioæon.
Wife lack speak to 3sg
The widow said to him.
Iæik nrir eker roong miii mær iooko.
1sg can NEG make be woman 2sg
I do not want to be your mistress.
Eteng iook nrir ngiæar otom seim ingiæar kiein mæra moanga iæiki,
if 2sg want give very food to child woman many 1sg
If you want to feed my daughters,
eteng ioap roong miii anrir maer mii ioap poong.
then 3pl make be OPT woman REL 3sg bear.children
let them become your mistresses.
Eteng iook teng ioæon, iæik miar ngiæar seim ingiæar iæik.
if 2sg do 3sg, 1sg can give food to 1sg
If you do this, I can feed myself.
Dictionary of Defined Roots
Nominal
iæik [jæjk]– 1st person singular (NOM); my, mine
ieat [jevt] - 1st cousin
iei [jej] - 2nd person plural
iiar [jivr] - 1st person singular (NOM); my, mine
ioæon [jwæwn] - 3rd person singular
ioap [jovp] - 3rd person plural
iook [jwok] - 2nd person singular (NOM)
ioor [jwor] - 1st person plural inclusive (NOM)
iot [jot] - 1st person plural exclusive (NOM)
kaom [kawm] – West; west; 3
kæong [kæwŋ]– back; back; away from
kiang [kivŋ] [kjaŋ] – life; alive; be alive
kiein [kjejn] – child; 2; 3
koæon [kwæwn] – death; dead; be dead
mær [mær] – woman
mii [mij] – who; whose; 3
mioii [mjojj] – scarcity; few; 3
moang [movŋ] [mwaŋ] – plenty (n); many, plural marker; 3
neop [newp] – beauty (n); beautiful; 3
ngaop [ŋawp] – uncle, aunt; 2; 3
ngæot [ŋæwt] – brother, sister; 2; 3
ngim [ŋim] – East; east; 3
ngir [ŋir] – man; masculine; 3
ngon [ŋon] – blood, redness; red; 3
ngræs [ŋræs] – greenness; green; to flourish
noat [novt] [nwat] – hill country; of the hill country; be narrow
nrik [nrik] – drink; 2; 3 [MISCATEGORIZED]
piaeai [pjaevj] – a plain; of the plain; be broad
pios [piws] [pjos] – region, country; regional; 3
ræn [ræn] – ugliness; ugly; 3
ræip [ræjp] – nephew, niece; 2; 3
reak [revk]– happiness; happy; be happy
rieang [rjevŋ] – North; north; 3
rioi [rjoj] – darkness, blackness; dark, black; 3
riop [riwp] [rjop] – South; south; 3
roæk [rwæk] – front; front; towards
rooop [rwowp] – criminal (n); criminal (adj); to commit a crime (of X type)
saep [saep] – grandparent; 2; 3
seim [sejm] - food
siaot [sjawt] – light (n); light, white; 3
soiar [swivr] – father, mother; 2; 3
soor [sowr] [swor] – greyness, dimness; grey; 3
ting [tiŋ] – sadness; sad; be sad
toaing [twajŋ] – grandchild; 2; 3
toaok [twawk] – insufficiency; insufficient; be insufficient, not quite enough
toip [tojp] [twip] – son, daughter; 2; 3
tom [tom]– excess; excessive; be excessive, very
Verbal
irep [jrep] – lose; 2; 3
kar [kar] – come towards
ker [ker] – to not be; 2; negative particle
kes [kes] – beget (children); husband; 3
koong [kowŋ] [kwoŋ] – go back; 2; 3
kroap [krovp] – judge (v); judge (n); 3
meim [mejm] – hang; 2; 3
miar [mivr] [mjar] – to be able to; 2; 3
miii [mjij] – copula; 2; 3
miing [mijŋ] [mjiŋ] – go forward; 2; 3
moor [mowr] [mwor] – find; 2; 3
mot [mot] – remember; 2; yesterday
mres [mres] – give; 2; 3
næim [næjm] – detransitive marker
nep [nep] – take; taker;
ngear [ŋevr] – set, go down; 2; night
ngiæar [ŋjævr] – give; 2; indirect object marker
ngiær [ŋjær]– speak; Ngiæra - Ngiæra language; 3
ngoær [ŋwær]– wait, future auxiliary verb; 2 ; 3
nrir [nrir]– want; 2; optative marker
peit ]pejt]– come up; 2; 3
pek ]pek]– possess; 2; genitive marker
poong [powŋ] [pwoŋ] – bear (children); wife; 3
rion [riwn] [rjon]– come back; 2; 3
roong [rowŋ] [rwoŋ]- make
saak [savk] – find
sang [saŋ] – lack; one who lacks; abessive marker
sik [sik] – rise, go up; 2 ; morning
sreok [srewk]– live, dwell; inhabitant; 2
tan [tan]– go; 2; 3
tep [tep]– come down; 2; 3
tean [tevn] – see; 2 ; etean – evidential marker
tek [tek] – come; 2; 3
teng [teŋ]– do; 2; if, then
tin [tin] – expect; 2; tomorrow
List of Unidentified Roots
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