For the purposes of this document, phonetic examples are given as would be spoken moreso by the women of the Village. The exception to this is in the giving of examples specifically to exemplify features not present in the typical female pronunciation. Such pronunciations will be marked with an asterisk (*).
Thanks for dropping in and I hope you enjoy the language.
P H O N O L O G Y
- Consonants -
Code: Select all
Lab Cor Dor Glo
Nas m n ⟨m n⟩
Plos p t k ʔ ⟨p t k ʔ⟩
Aff tʃ kx ⟨ṭ ḳ⟩
Fric v ð ɣ h ⟨b d g h⟩
LApr l ⟨l⟩Code: Select all
Front Back
High i · i: u · u: ⟨i í u ú⟩
Mid ə · ə: ⟨o ó⟩
Low æ · æ: ɑ · ɑ: ⟨e é a á⟩(C)V(C)
- The consonants /m n v ð ɣ h l/ can be syllabic, either appearing as a syllable on their own or as the rime of a preceding onset. Examples:
· iṭm /itʃm̩/ "cooked sweet potato"
· gḳóʔ /ɣ̍kxə:ʔ/ "speech"
- /h/ becomes [ s]when syllabic or in coda position. Examples:
· muh /muh/ [mos] "son"
· gḳóʔ /ɣkxə:ʔ/ [ɯ̽kxə:ʔ] "speech" - /v/ becomes [ʋ] when syllabic or after a consonant. Example: unbála [onʋɑ:lɑ] "from the flower"
- /n/ becomes [ə̃] when syllabic. Example: nkéiṭe [ə̃kæ:etʃæ] "(felt by) the girl"
- /l/ becomes [ɬ] after a /t/ or /n/. Example: muhlo déhatlo ina [moslə ðæ:hɑtɬə enɑ] "good son of the village"
- (predominantly women) /ɣ/ becomes [ɯ̽] when syllabic or in coda position. Example: peg [pæɯ̽] "how?"~"what?"
- (predominantly women) /i/ and /u/ become [e] and [o] respectively unless they appear after a consonant at the end of a word. This does not apply to their long counterparts (/i:/ and /u:/). Examples:
· hái [hɑ:e] "shine, glimmer"
· ṭuk [tʃok] "pig" - (predominantly men) /i/ and /u/ become [ɪ] and [ʊ] in closed syllables. Examples:
· húnim [hu:nɪm]* "child, offspring"
· muhṭe [mʊstʃæ]* "boy" - (predominantly men) /ɣ/ is pronounced as [j] in all environments. Example: geb [jæv]* "strike"
- Sentence -
A sentence is made up of arguments (optional) followed by a predicate.
Arguments
The first word of an argument (almost always a noun) has a prefix attached to indicate its role in the predicate.
AGENT · m-
An argument is considered the agent if it is the perpetrator of an action and that action is undertaken deliberately. For example, a woman who picks up a baby in order to feed them is an agent as she is the deliberate perpetrator. If the wind blows a tree over it is not an agent as the wind is not considered to be capable of thought.
mkamṭe bála gebi
m-kamṭe ∅-bála ∅-geb-i
AGENT-baby PATIENT-flower ATEL-hit-EPIS
The baby hits the flower.
FORCE · ki-
An argument is marked as a force if it is an external, uncontrollable force. This mostly constitutes natural forces such as wind and rain but can also be used in cases where people are forced to do something.
kiméda hol nḳíʔi
ki-méda ∅-hol n-ḳíʔ-i
FORCE-wind PATIENT-tree TEL-fall-EPIS
The wind caused the tree to fall.
PATIENT · ∅-
An argument is marked as the patient if it undergoes or is affected by the action directly.
iʔiṭe alídki
∅-iʔiṭe n-lídk-i
PATIENT-mashed_sweet_potato TEL-eat-APIS
The mashed sweet potato was eaten.
mṭuk iʔiṭe alídki
m-ṭuk ∅-iʔiṭe n-lídk-i
AGENT-pig PATIENT-mashed_sweet_potato TEL-eat-APIS
The pig ate the mashed sweet potato.
STIMULUS · ha-
An argument is marked as stimulus when it is not partaking in the action per se, but rather existing as something that is being experienced. For example, when looking at a painting the painting is not doing anything other than existing as the object being experienced. This is the stimulus. The idea of experience applies to sensory and cognitive functions such as touch, taste, sight, hearing and thought amongst others. It also does not need to be being actively experience, only existing in some form that could allow it to be experienced. See the second example below for an example of this specific scenario.
habála nmuhṭe núhi
ha-bála n-muhṭe ∅-núh-i
STIMULUS-flower EXPERIENCER-boy ATEL-see-EPIS
The boy sees the flower.
habála núhi
ha-bála ∅-núh-i
STIMULUS-flower ATEL-see-EPIS
The flower is visible.
(lit. "The flower is [can be] seen")
It could refer to some unspecified person seeing or just being visible in general. It's all context.
EXPERIENCER · n-
The experiencer is the argument at the other end of the stimulus. It is used when an argument is experiencing some form of stimulus (whether stated or not). Again, this can be sensory or cognitive.
haleog nṭuk núhi
ha-leog n-ṭuk ∅-núh-i
STIMULUS-sun EXPERIENCER-pig ATEL-see-EPIS
The pig sees the sun.
nahtiklo kál pa núheh
n-ahtik=lo kál pa ∅-núh-eh
EXPERIENCER-wise_woman=of old NEG ATEL-see-GNO
The wise old woman is blind.
(lit. "she does not see")
Other argument forms (examples to be added)
- recipient (do-)
- beneficiary (de-)
- manner (lá-)
- location (ká-)
- direction (il-)
- source (un-)
- purpose (tih-)
- cause (boa-)
· E X A M P L E S for your delectation ·
e! muhlo háimṭe! háimadimlo ḳálo tá ḳeabeh.
[æ moslə hɑ:emtʃæ | hɑ:emɑðemlə kxɑ:lə tɑ: kxæɑvæs]
e muh=lo háimṭe | háimadim=lo ḳá=lo tá ḳe-ab-eh
o! son=of spirit | guidance=of one=of 1SG that-COP-EPIS
O Son of Spirit! My first counsel is this: ...
(rest of the verse to come soon! haven't translated it fully yet)
unbó mṭág háimadloa detá nháolmi
[unʋə: m̩tʃɑ:ɯ̽ hɑ:emɑðləɑ ðætɑ: ə̃hɑ:əlmi]
un-bó m-ṭág ∅-háimadloa de-tá n-háolm-i
SOURCE-2SG AGENT-thing PATIENT-heaven BENEFICIARY-1SG TEL-ignite-EPIS
Something in you lit up heaven in me
YET TO BE COVERED IN THIS OR FOLLOWING POSTS
- Predicates (gnomic/episodic & telicity)
- lo construction (see ezafe for a vague idea of how this works)
- Derivation
- Pronouns
- é subordination
- Syntax (for a vague idea, it's arguments-first predicate-last and the arguments in any order but the first one(s) are more emphasised/prominent)
[:D], 
[;)], 
[:D], 
[:|], 
[:(], 
[:'(]
