Conlang Relay 20/Doayâu

by Jan Strasser

Doayâu text

Íyesàmulugo ìrè tsa kea gákù sòmau sítàní tsótùmaugo yarùla. Dàma tsugoaguretêa ìrì yarù buríyesarìne giri, “Gitù yeogusèsùlutá, Kâugàtsa? Reagimauritsé yairi nufìmàyù?” Gataibarirea naure giri, “Nà tumeagìlau nùyèmeagìna.” Dadirìne giri, “Nìnàmâugoamá, tumeagìla ga rìyau ànùyèmí mayai baibaitúputsilàgàgo.” Gataibarirea, “Tumeagìlau yeogúfàpùgo na, tsugoagúfàpùgo yasu figai tsógo kea.”

Gatáyesùgàgoa fà ìrì ayesirité tsa sìgetsègùrea, “Fainibáfùmaugòne nai tsógo kea.” Ìrì furá fà gáku tsugoagurùpùyetêa keogùmá. Burirìne yâi ìraure giri, “Misitamautá. Àtsatágúgoké tai tsógo kea?”, gataibarirea tsa dú ngaima, “Figai, gitàyòpùri.”

Translation

English

A woman and a man have come in order to stay at a house beside the shore. As the woman is about to walk away from that place, I ask her, “Why are you leaving, Kâugàtsa? Do you want to hear my advice?” She answers, “We are guests of the family.” I say, “As far as I know, the family always causes disagreement among their guests.” She replies, “I will not leave the family, nor will the man go away from the family.”

And then the woman apparently meets her host and announces, “I don't want to know the man.” However, then she walks away from the house together with him. In the end I ask the woman, “You will want to speak. Do you love the man?”, and she answers, “Indeed, so it is.”

English translation of previous text

(Alurhsa, by Tony Harris)

A woman and a man have come in order to stay at a house beside the shore. When the woman is at the end of her walk, I ask her, “Why are you leaving, Káwkultsá? Would you want my opinion?”

She answers, “We are guests of the family.” I say, “In my opinion, the family causes arguments.”

She says, “I will not leave the family, nor will the man go away from the family.”

The woman visits her host and says, “I don't want to know the man.”

However, the woman and the man leave the house. I have asked the woman, “Do you love the man?”, and she answers, “Yes, so it is.”

Interlinear gloss

Íyesàmulugo

íyesə-mu-lu-go

come-TEL-EVID-I.ABS

ìrè

ìrè-Ø

woman-ABS.SG

tsa

tsa

and

kea

kea-Ø

man-ABS.SG

gákù

gáku-ù

[house-OBL.SG

sòmau

sòmau

[near

sítàní

síta-Ø=ní

shore-ABS.SG]=on]

tsótùmaugo

tsótu-mau-go

rest-OPT-I.ABS

yarùla.

yari-ù=la

SUB-OBL=in_order_to

A woman and a man have come in order to stay at a house beside the shore.

Dàma

dàma-Ø

that_place-ABS.SG

tsugoaguretêa

tsuga-agu-ri-eatá-a

walk-away-SENS-III.ABS-3.ERG

ìrì

ìrè-ì

woman-ERG.SG

yarù

yari-ù

SUB-OBL

buríyesarìne

buri-yesə-Ø-ri-ne

ask-towards-DIR-IV.ABS-1.ERG

giri,

gi-ri-Ø

TOP-IV-ABS

As the woman is about to walk away from that place, I ask her this,

“Gitù

gitù

why

yeogusèsùlutá,

yeogu-sèsì-lu-tá

leave-MIR-EVID-2.ABS

Kâugàtsa?”

Kâugàtsa-Ø

NAME-ABS.SG

“Why are you leaving, Kâugàtsa?”

“Reagimauritsé

rea-gí-mau-ri-tsé

hear-Q-OPT-IV.ABS-2.ERG

yairi

yairi

maybe

nufìmàyù?”

ni-fìmàyù-Ø

1SG:POSS-advice-ABS.SG

“Do you want to hear my advice?”

Gataibarirea

gataiba-ri-ri-a

answer-SENS-IV.ABS-3.ERG

naure

na-ù=re

1SG-OBL.SG=to

giri,

gi-ri-Ø

TOP-IV-ABS

“Nà

nà

1PL:ABS

tumeagìlau

tumeagìla-ù

family-OBL.SG

nùyèmeagìna.”

nùyèmi-ayV-Ø-na

guest-STAT-DIR-1.ABS

She answers, “We are guests of the family.”

Dadirìne

dadi-Ø-ri-ne

say-DIR-IV.ABS-1.ERG

giri,

gi-ri-Ø

TOP-IV-ABS

I say,

“Nìnàmâugoamá,

ni-nàmâu-ù=amá

1SG:POSS-knowledge-OBL.SG=by

tumeagìla

tumeagìla-Ø

family-ABS.SG

ga

ga

but

rìyau

rìyau

among

ànùyèmí

a-nùyèmi-´

3SG:POSS-guest-ABS.PL

mayai

mayai

always

baibaitúputsilàgàgo.”

baibai-túpə-tsilə`-gù-go

rivalry-EMPH:FACT-ITER-REP-I.ABS

“As far as I know, the family always causes disagreement among their guests.”

Gataibarirea,

gataiba-ri-ri-a

answer-SENS-IV.ABS-3.ERG

She replies,

“Tumeagìlau

tumeagìla-ù

family-OBL.SG

yeogúfàpùgo

yeogu-fə-pù-go

leave-NEG-AFF-I.ABS

na,

na-Ø

1SG-ABS

tsugoagúfàpùgo

tsuga-agu-fə-pù-go

walk-away-NEG-AFF-I.ABS

yasu

yasu

nor

figai

figai

indeed

tsógo

tsé-go-Ø

that-I-ABS.SG

kea.”

kea-Ø

man-ABS.SG

“I will not leave the family, nor will the man go away from the family.”

Gatáyesùgàgoa

gatáyesə-gù-go-a

meet-REP-I.ABS-3.ERG

fà

fà

and_then

ìrì

ìrè-ì

woman-ERG.SG

ayesirité

a-yesiri-té-Ø

3SG:POSS-receive-AGT-ABS.SG

tsa

tsa

and

sìgetsègùrea,

sìgetsè-gù-ri-a

declare-REP-IV.ABS-3.ERG

And then the woman apparently meets her host and announces,

“Fainibáfùmaugòne

fainiba-fə-mau-go-ne

recognize-NEG-OPT-I.ABS-1.ERG

nai

na-ì

1SG-ERG

tsógo

tsé-go-Ø

that-I-ABS.SG

kea.”

kea-Ø

man-ABS.SG

“I don't want to know that man.”

Ìrì

ìrè-ì

woman-ERG.SG

furá

furá

however

fà

fà

and_then

gáku

gáku-Ø

house-ABS.SG

tsugoagurùpùyetêa

tsuga-agu-ri-pù-eatá-a

walk-away-SENS-AFF-III.ABS-3.ERG

keogùmá.

kea-ù=má

man-OBL.SG=with

However, then she walks away from the house together with him.

Burirìne

buri-Ø-ri-ne

ask-DIR-IV.ABS-1.ERG

yâi

yâi

eventually

ìraure

ìrè-ù=re

woman-OBL.SG=to

giri,

gi-ri-Ø

TOP-IV-ABS

In the end I ask the woman,

“Misitamautá.”

misitá-mau-tá

speak-OPT-2.ABS

“You will want to speak.”

“Àtsatágúgoké

àtsatá-gí-go-tsé

love-Q-I.ABS-2.ERG

tai

ta-ì

2SG-ERG

tsógo

tsé-go-Ø

that-I-ABS.SG

kea?”,

kea-Ø

man-ABS.SG

“Do you love the man?”,

gataibarirea

gataiba-ri-ri-a

answer-SENS-IV.ABS-3.ERG

tsa

tsa

and

dú

dú

thus

ngaima,

ngaima

QUOT

“Figai,

figai

indeed

gitàyòpùri.”

gitá-ayV-Ø-pù-ri

correct-STAT-DIR-AFF-IV.ABS

and she answers, “Indeed, so it is.”

Vocabulary

Prefixes

morpheme	class	meaning	notes
ni-/nu-	prefix	(1st person singular possessor)	becomes nu- before a labial consonant
a-	prefix	(3rd person singular possessor)

Suffixes

morpheme	class	meaning	notes
-Ø	suffix	(absolutive case singular)
-´	suffix	(absolutive case plural)	raises tone of preceding vowel
-ì-	suffix	(ergative case singular)	becomes -i- after /a/
-ù-/-gù-	suffix	(oblique case singular)	combines with preceding /e a o/ into -au-, deletes other preceding monophthongal vowels, becomes -gù- after diphthongs
-ne-	suffix	(agreement 1st person ergative)	lowers tone of preceding vowel
-tsé-/-ké-	suffix	(agreement 2nd person ergative)	becomes -ké- after /u o/
-a-	suffix	(agreement 3rd person ergative)	changes preceding /i u/ into /e o/
-na-	suffix	(agreement 1st person absolutive)	lowers tone of preceding vowel
-tá-	suffix	(agreement 2nd person absolutive)
-go-	suffix	(agreement noun class 1: humans, gods, spirits, birds, tools)	changes preceding /i e/ into /u o/
-etê-	suffix	(agreement noun class 3: limited areas, settlements, buildings, boats)	becomes -yetê- after /u/ or a diphthong and replaces other preceding vowels
-ri-	suffix	(agreement noun class 4: food, ideas, unlimited areas, mass nouns)
-Ø-	suffix	(evidential: direct participation)
-ri-	suffix	(evidential: sensory perception)
-lu-	suffix	(evidential: inferred from physical or situational evidence)	changes preceding /i e/ to /u o/
-gù-/-gà-	suffix	(evidential: hearsay, fiction)	lowers tone of preceding vowel; becomes -gà- before a syllable with a back vowel
-gí-	suffix	(interrogative)	typically replaces evidential marking
-mau-	suffix	(optative; imperative when combined with 2nd person agreement)	typically replaces evidential marking; lowers tone of preceding vowel
-fu-/-fa-	suffix	(negation)	goes between evidential and participant marking; raises tone of preceding vowel; becomes -fa- before a syllable with a back vowel
-pù-	suffix	(affirmative emphasis)	goes between evidential and participant marking; lowers tone of preceding vowel and changes preceding /i e/ to /u o/
-agi-	suffix	(forms stative verbs)	changes preceding /i u/ into /e o/
-agu-	suffix	(indicates motion away from focus)
-mu-	suffix	(forms telic or perfective verbs)	lowers tone of preceding vowel and changes preceding /i e/ into /u o/
-sèsì-	suffix	(indicates unexpected information)
-túpu-	suffix	(forms factitive or causative verbs)
-tsilà-	suffix	(iterative)
-yesa-	suffix	(indicates motion towards focus)	raises tone of preceding vowel
=la	pp.	so that, in order to, for the purpose of	postclitic, governs oblique case
=má	pp.	with, by, using	postclitic, governs oblique case; combines with preceding /u/ into =oamá
=ní	pp.	on, at, near, in contact with	postclitic, governs oblique case; lowers tone of preceding vowel
=re	pp.	to, towards	postclitic, governs oblique case

Independent morphemes

morpheme	class	meaning	notes
àtsatá-	v.tr	like very much, be in love with
baibai	n.4	disagreement, conflict, rivalry, feud
buri-	v.it	ask, pose a question
dadi-	v.tr	say sth.
dàma	n.3	there, that place
dú	adv.	so, thus, therefore, in this way
fà	cj.	also, and then, next, afterwards
fainiba-	v.tr	recognize, be familiar with
figai	adv.	really, indeed, definitely
fìmàyù	n.4	fact, hint, good advice
furá	adv.	however, by contrast
ga	cj.	but, yet
gáku	n.3	house, building (made of brick or stone)
gataiba-	v.tr	answer, reply
gatáyesu-	v.tr	meet, visit, spend time with
gi-	pron.	(topic pronoun)	takes noun class agreement
gitàyo-	v.it	be appropriate, be true, be correct
gitù	pron.	why, what for (interrogative pronoun)
ìrè	n.1	woman, wife
íyesa-	v.it	come, get to, arrive, achieve
Kâugàtsa	n.1	(a proper name)	lit. “like a lover”
kea	n.1	man, husband	oblique case singular: keogù
mayai	adv.	always, forever
misitá-	v.it	speak, talk
na	pron.	(1st person singular)
nà	pron.	(1st person plural)
nàmâu	n.4	knowledge, wisdom, experience
nùyèmi	n.1	guest, visitor
ngaima	adv.	(quotative particle)
rea-	v.tr	hear, listen
rìyau	pp.	among, between, within
sìgetsè-	v.tr	announce, declare, insist
síta	n.3	shore, coastline, riverbank
sòmau	pp.	near, close to, adjacent to
ta	pron.	(2nd person singular)
tumeagìla	n.1	family, clan
tsa	cj.	and, with
tsé-	pron.	(medial demonstrative pronoun)	takes noun class agreement
tsótu-	v.it	lie down, rest, settle, stay
tsugo-	v.it	go, walk
yâi	adv.	in the end, eventually, as a result
yairi	adv.	maybe, possibly
yari	pron.	(subordinating pronoun)
yasu	cj.	nor
yeogu-	v.it	leave, depart, go away
yesirité	n.1	host, landlord, innkeeper

Grammar notes

Doayâu is morphologically ergative, suffixing and agglutinative.

Nominal morphology

• There are seven noun classes, which are cross-referenced on verbs and deictic pronouns.
• Nouns inflect for three cases (absolutive, ergative, oblique) and two numbers (singular, plural)
• Possession is indicated with prefixes that show number and person of the possessor.
• There are no 3rd person pronouns. Instead, demonstratives are used, which inflect for noun class, case, and number.

Verbal morphology

• Verbs are mandatorily marked for evidentiality and (absolutive) participant agreement (in this order).
• Absolutive 3rd person arguments are tracked on the verb by noun class, but not by number.
• Transitive verbs are also marked for their ergative arguments (after the absolutive marker). Ergative arguments are tracked only by person and number, not by noun class.
• In addition, verbs can take a large array of derivational suffixes, which may pile up before the evidential suffix. Some of these suffixes can also create verbs from nominal stems.

Syntax

• Noun phrases are mostly head-initial, with genitives, participles and relative clauses following their head. However, demonstratives precede the head noun if both are present in the same NP.
• Adpositional phrases occur both with free-standing prepositions and with clitic postpositions. The latter attach to the oblique case of the noun and can be thought of as an extended case system. Note that if a prepositional phrase is nested within a postpositional phrase, the postpositional clitic attaches to the object of the nested preposition.
• The unmarked sentence order is VSO.
• Other sentence orders are often used for pragmatic purposes. Notably, subclauses tend to have SOV order, sentence topics are often fronted, and focused elements typically appear clause-finally.
• Pronouns in the absolutive or ergative case are often omitted, and left in only for emphasis (i.e. Doayâu is a pro-drop language).
• Adverbs and conjunctions are usually placed after the head of the first constituent in a clause (Wackernagel's position).

Links

• Doayâu grammar sketch