Phonology
Vowels
Amjati has a typical 5 vowel system.
There are a series of vowel movements related to case and tense marking.
It is an asymmetrical system best described by this table:
The only vowel that cannot be adjacent to other vowels is /o/. It will 'eat' nearby vowels.
Ex: Zok
zo-ak → zoak → zok
All other neighboring vowels will be separated by hiatus.
/ ai ea ei eu ia ie iu ua ue ui /
Consonants
The most notable feature of Amjati consonants is a distinctive palatalization. All stops have a palatalized version. However with the alveolar stop they have become affricates.
*/j/ is included under the trill because it considered to be the palatal realization of /r/.
Consonant clusters beginning with fricatives must agree in palatalization.
For example: /zl/ and/ʑʎ/ are acceptable but /zʎ/* /ʑl/* /sl/* and /ɕʎ/* are invalid.
Syllables
(C)(C)V(C)(C)
Word Initial:
/ pr br dv kl kr sk zr zl vr /
/ *r /
Word Final:
/ sk st zm /
/ *ʎ /
Processes
Length Palatalization:
CVV → CʲV
O Deletion:
oV / Vo → o
Pronouns
All pronouns mark for number. Gender is distinguished in the second and third person with familiarity only being relevant in the second person. In addition, pronouns are inflected for five different cases – Absolutive, Ergative, Dative, Genitive and Reflexive.
There is also a set of attached pronouns which can appear on the verb. These always indicate the subject of a verb. Attached pronouns are less specific in that they do not indicate number Using both the attached form and the free form to indicate the subject is ungrammatical as is using neither.
First person and third person attached pronouns have both a prefix and suffix form. The prefix form for the first person are used when the verb is in the simple present, past and future tenses. The suffix form is used when the verb is the potential present, past and future tenses. The third person prefix is used with the simple present and past. In all other cases the suffix form is used.
The second person male formal is the only time an attached pronoun does not exist. The free pronoun must always be used in this case.
Nouns
Cases
Amjati nouns can take one of four cases with the fifth reflexive case being reserved only for pronouns.
Absolutive
This case marks the subject of a intransitive or the object of transitive sentence.
Ergative
This case marks the subject of a transitive sentence.
Reflexive
This case is used when the subject is both the agent and patient of an action. When used with an object it can also be used to distinguish intention. RLX-ABS is intentional. ERG-ABS is accidental/unintentional. This case is only marked on pronouns.
Dative
Genitive
This case is used to mark the possessor of an object. The possessor always comes after the possessed. In addition the possessed object is always marked with the definite article.
Definiteness
All nouns are marked as definite or indefinite. The indefinite article comes before the noun is modifies. The definite article is attached as a suffix to the noun. Articles must agree in gender with the noun and mark for case.
Number
All unmarked nouns are singular. For masculine nouns the plural is indicated with the suffix -i and for feminine nouns it is marked with the suffix -el. Plural suffixes come before the definite suffix.
Verbs
Amjati verbs have three moods – simple, potential and imperative. The simple is an imperative sentence and the potential is used for both subjunctive and conditional meanings. In addition there are also three tenses – present, past and future. Verbs conjugate for tense, mood, person and number, but not for familiarity.
The potential is an irrealis mood that can translate roughly into a subjunctive or conditional.
There are two nonfinite forms. The first is formed by suffixing '-al' and is used as the infinite after the main verb. The second is formed by using 'al' as a particle before the verb.
Full Verb Conjugation - Skolal - To Ask
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