/Preliminary description/
Phonology
Consonants
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|
Bilabial
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Labiodental
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Alveolar
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Retroflex
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Palatal
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Velar
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Uvular
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| Nasal
|
m
|
|
n
|
ɳ
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ŋ~ɴ
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| Plosive
|
p
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|
t
|
ʈ
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k
|
q
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| Affricate
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|
p͡f
|
t͡s
|
ʈ͡ʂ
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|
k͡x
|
q͡χ
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| Fricative
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|
f v
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θ̠ ð̠
|
ʂ ʐ
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|
x~χ ɣ~ʁ
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| Trill
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|
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r
|
r͡ɽ
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|
|
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| Lateral approximant
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|
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l
|
ɭ
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| Approximant
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|
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j
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- p t ʈ k q /p t ṭ k q/
- p͡f t͡s ʈ͡ʂ k͡x q͡χ /pf ts ṭs kh qh/
- f θ̠ ʂ x~χ /f s ṣ h/
- v ð̠ ʐ ɣ~ʁ /v z ẓ ḥ/
- m n ɳ ŋ~ɴ /m n ṇ ŋ/
- l ɭ /l ḷ/
- r r͡ɽ /r ṛ/
- j /j/
Vowels
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|
Front
|
Central
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Back
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| Short
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Long
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Short
|
Long
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Short
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Long
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| Close
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i
|
iː
|
ɨ
|
ɨː
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u
|
uː
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| Mid
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|
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ə
|
əː
|
|
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| Open
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|
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ä
|
äː
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|
|
- iː ɨː uː /í ý ú/
- əː /é/
- äː /á/
- i ɨ u /i y u/
- ə /e/
- ä /a/
Phonotactics
(C)(C)V(ː)(R)(C)
Accent
- penultimate primary acute accent
- ultimate secondary gravis accent
Grammar
Nouns
- noun class system (preffixal): Animate (Masculine vs Feminine), Inaminate (Abstractive vs Objective)
- nominative-genetive alignment
- 3-way agent secundative ditransitive alignment (S/A = Nominative, D = Pegative P/R = Genetive, T = Instrumental)
- cases (suffixal): Nominative, Pegative, Genitive, Instrumental, Vialis, Ablative, Lative, Locative, Benefactive
- number (suffixal): singular, plural
- definiteness (phrasal clitic): definite proper, definite distant, indefinite
Noun class + Root + Root extension(s) + Case + Number + Definiteness
Noun class
| Animate
|
Masculine
|
t- / te-
|
tamen
|
man
|
| Feminine
|
j- / je-
|
jamen
|
woman
|
| Inanimate
|
Abstractive
|
ṇ- / ṇe-
|
ṇamen
|
humanity
|
| Objective
|
-
|
qtem
|
stone
|
Declension
| Nominative
|
-
|
tkára
|
wolf
|
subject of intransitive clauses, agent of transitive clauses
|
| Pegative
|
-s / -es
|
tkáras
|
wolf
|
donor of a ditransitive clauses
|
| Genitive
|
-n / -en
|
tkáran
|
wolf, of wolf, to wolf
|
possessor, patient of transitive clauses, recipient of ditransitive clauses
|
| Instrumental
|
-li
|
tkárali
|
by / with wolf
|
instrument, method, accompaniament
|
| Vialis
|
-ema / -ma
|
tkárama
|
through wolf
|
way, vial direction
|
| Ablative
|
-t / -et
|
tkárat
|
from wolf
|
separation, starting point
|
| Lative
|
-ví
|
tkáraví
|
to / at wolf
|
purposive direction
|
| Locative
|
-uṣ / -ṣ
|
tkáraṣ
|
in / on / under wolf
|
spatial or temporal location
|
| Benefactive
|
-ur / -r
|
tkárar
|
for wolf
|
destination, destinative recipient
|
Number
| Singular
|
-
|
qtem
|
stone
|
| Plural
|
-k / -yk
|
qtemyk
|
stones
|
Definiteness
| Neutral
|
-
|
jamen
|
woman
|
| Indefinite
|
-me
|
jamenme
|
a woman
|
| Definite proper
|
-tsa
|
jamentsa
|
the woman
|
| Definite distant
|
-kxy
|
jamenkxy
|
yonder woman
|
Verbs
- aspects (suffixal): Imperfective, Perfective (Punctual Perfective), Conclusive (Durative-Perfective), Habitual
- voices (infixal): Active vs Middle + Direct vs Causative
- noun class preffixes
- tense-moods (suffixal): Past visual, Past non-visual, Present, Future, Conditional, Jussive
- polarity (phrasal clitic): affirmative, negative
- subjective and objective persons
[Modal particle] + [Modal verb] + [Noun class + (Root + Voice) + Root extension(s) + Aspect + Tense / Mood + Subject + Object / Theme + Polarity]
Aspect
| Imperfective
|
-
|
vláq
|
to speak
|
| Habitual / Iterative
|
-ja-
|
vláqja
|
to speak many times / regularly
|
| Conclusive (Durative-Perfective)
|
-ny-
|
vláqny
|
to say (after long time of the action)
|
| Perfective (Punctual-Perfective)
|
-su-
|
vláqsu
|
to say (in short moment)
|
Voice
|
|
Direct
|
Causative
|
| Active
|
-
|
ŋáv
|
to see
|
-ra-
|
ŋárav
|
to show
|
| Middle
|
-sí-
|
ŋásív
|
to see self
|
-ḥú-
|
ŋáḥúv
|
to show self
|
Tense-moods
| Past visual
|
-ṛ-
|
át-ṛ-
|
to go (action in past, visible by subject)
|
| Past non-visual
|
-z-
|
át-z-
|
to go (action in past, non-visible by subject and unconfirmed to him)
|
| Present
|
-
|
át
|
to go (now)
|
| Future
|
-mu-
|
át-mu-
|
to go (future action)
|
| Conditional
|
-fý-
|
át-fý-
|
would to go
|
| Jussive
|
-ḷá-
|
át-ḷá-
|
should to go
|
Person
Subject
|
|
Singular
|
Plural
|
| 1.
|
-al
|
qával
|
I am living
|
-avy
|
qávavy
|
we are living
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| 2.
|
-if
|
qávif
|
thou art living
|
-ify
|
qávify
|
you are living
|
| 3.
|
-a
|
qáva
|
he / she / it is living
|
-ak
|
qávak
|
they are living
|
| 4.
|
-
|
qáv
|
someone / something is living
|
Object
|
|
Singular
|
Plural
|
| 1.
|
-la
|
tsýlla
|
to let me
|
-va
|
tsýlva
|
to let us
|
| 2.
|
-fi
|
tsýlfi
|
to let thee
|
-fe
|
tsýlfe
|
to let you
|
| 3.
|
-t
|
tsýlt
|
to let him / her / it
|
-ta
|
tsýlta
|
to let them
|
| 4.
|
-
|
tsýl
|
to let someone / something
|
Theme
|
|
Singular
|
Plural
|
| 1.
|
-je / -j
|
ṭṣáje
|
give to me
|
-ma / -m
|
ṭṣáma
|
give to us
|
| 2.
|
-he / -h
|
ṭṣáhe
|
give to thee
|
-ṣa / -ṣ
|
ṭṣáṣa
|
give to you
|
| 3.
|
-tsu
|
ṭṣátsu
|
give to him / her / it
|
-tsuk
|
ṭṣátsuk
|
give to them
|
| 4.
|
-ṇi
|
ṭṣáṇi
|
give to someone / something
|
Polarity
| Affirmative
|
-
|
kxín
|
to know
|
| Negative
|
-aŋ / -ŋ
|
kxínaŋ
|
don't to know
|
Adjectives and adverbs
- three degrees: positive, comparative, superlative
| Positive
|
Comparative
|
Superlative
|
| -
|
-ány
|
good
|
-kxe / -ekxe
|
-ánykxe
|
better
|
-rta / -erta
|
-ányrta
|
best
|
| -pfaŋkx
|
strong
|
-pfaŋkxekxe
|
stronger
|
-pfaŋkxerta
|
strongest
|
| -ḥárpfis
|
equine
|
-ḥárpfiskxe
|
more equine
|
-ḥárpfiserta
|
most equine
|
Pronouns
- obviative
- subjugating hierarchy (suffixal)
- plural roots
Adpositions
- postpositions and prepositions (mixed system)
- conjugable by subjective person
Syntax
