Mahabhadhuphu

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Mahabhadhuphu (Mamanuphian: Mahaφξaθξoπξo) is a language isolate. It is an ergative-absolutive language, leading some scholars to surmise that it may be related to Basque.

Alphabet

The Mamanuphian alphabet (w'arewebhethu, f-aρefeφξedξo) is based on ancient Etruscan, and has somewhat of a look of a mixture of Greek (Garekhey, Xaρecξeq) and Latin (Rumadhey, Ρomaθξeq) alphabets. Until 1945, the alphabet had no minuscule letters. In an effort to modernize the alphabet, the letters were given their closest Latin or Greek shapes. This process was based totally on the shape of the original letter, and thus some letters have different sounds than their Greek or Latin counterparts. If the majuscule was the same in both Latin and Greek, the Latin minuscule form won out.

Aa Cc Dd Ee Ff Hh Θθ Mm Nn Ξξ Oo Ππ Qq Ρρ Vv Xx Φφ
A K T E W H D M N * U P Y R Ng G B
Arewu Kam Teretu Epheru Waw Hethu Dethu Mu Nu Hu Ubhekheru Pu Yuphu Ru Ngepheru Gu Bu
  • The letter ξ is used to show aspiration of the previous stop consonant (eg., b > bʰ, p > pʰ, etc.) It may also be written as a circumflex (^ rutheghu, ρodξexξo) over the letter. Since current morphology requires that all stop consonants are aspirated intervocalically, the hu or rutheghu is often left out.

Nouns

Masculine

mahu, man Absolutive case Ergative case Genitive case Dative case
Singular mahu, maho maheru, maheρo mahey, maheq maham, maham
Plural maheng, mahev mahetheru, mahedξeρo mahethey, mahedξeq mahetham, mahedξam
dukhaw, tree Absolutive case Ergative case Genitive case Dative case
Singular dukhaw, θocξaf dukharu, θocξaρo dukhay, θocξaq dakham, θocξam
Plural dukhang, θocξav dukhatheru, θocξadξeρo dukhathey, θocξadξeq dukhatham, θocξadξam

Feminine

kurang, woman Absolutive case Ergative case Genitive case Dative case
Singular kurang, coρav kurew, coρef kurey, coρeq kuram, coρam
Plural kuraw, coρaf kurew, coρef kurawey, coρafeq kurawam, coρafam