Zɛŋhkõgǎŋ

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Shemtov
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Zɛŋhkõgǎŋ

Post by Shemtov »

Zɛŋhkõgǎŋ /zɛ̃˩.kʰo̰˦˥.gã̃˩˧/, is a sister language to my Qíʳ Bȁˀ language complex (AKA Qíʳ Bȁˀ Gàˀⁿ AKA Kyirbatic), and thus a part of the wider Kano-Kyirbatian Family, being of the Kyirbato-Zenkokian branch; Note the family is based on Sino-Tibetan, Kanic being a Chinese equivalent, Kyirbatian being a Bodic/Tibetic equivalent and Zɛŋhkõgǎŋ being based on Burmese).
Zɛŋhkõgǎŋ is the majority language of the Kingdom of Zenko (Zɛŋhkõ), based in the Zeng (Zɛŋ) River valley northwest of the Kiruhatsu Mountains. Other Kyirbato-Zenkokian languages are spoken as minority languages in the kingdom, as are various Boroccidental languages and various isolates, and in the south, some Ziḥanic languages (Transdesert Ziḥanic)

Phonetics:
/p pʰ b t tʰ d t͡ʃ t͡ʃʰ d͡ʒ k kʰ g/ <p hp b t ht d c hc j k hk g>
/m ʰm mʱ n ʰn nʱ ɲ ʰɲ ɲʱ ŋ ʰŋ/ <m hm mh n hn nh ny hny nyh ng hng>
/θ ð s z ʃ ʒ x h/ <th dh s z sh zh kh h>
/l j w/ <l y w>

/i u e o ɛ ɔ a/ <i u e o ɛ ɔ a>
/i: oi ɛi ai/ <ii oi ei ai>
/u: eu ɔu au/ <uu eu ou au>
All vowels may be nasalized, shown by an <ŋ> after the vowel.

/V˩ V˥ V˩˧ V˥˧ V̰˦˥/ <V V́ V̌ V̂ Ṽ>
Note that /V˩˧/ is realized as such only in isolation, the begining of an utterance, or after /V˩ V˩˧/, otherwise it is [V˧˥]. Similiarly, /V̰˦˥/ is realized as [V̰˩˧] after /V˩ V˩˧/, thus sometimes the distinction is based on plain vs creaky voice, not on pitch.
Phonotactics: (C)(j/w)V
/j/ can only follow labials. /w/ cannot follow post-alveolars or palatals.
Nasal vowels cannot have the falling tone, except after an initial /w/, and diphthongs and long vowels can only have low and high tone (Yes, I know that's weird, but there is a diachronic explanation, given the exact history of tonogenesis).

Nouns:
Plurals:
Plurality is shown in three ways:
On humans of equal or higher social standing, by -hpóŋ
Wii "Woman" Wiihpóŋ "Women"
On humans of lower social standing, by reduplicating the rime, with an initial hp:
Wii "Woman" Wiihpii "Lower-class women"
On non-humans, by reduplicating the initial consonant with the rime -óŋ:
Hcã "War-Club" Hcãhcóŋ "War-clubs"
Many children make up, or begin to make up, imaginary languages. I have been at it since I could write.
-JRR Tolkien
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Re: Zɛŋhkõgǎŋ

Post by Shemtov »

Zɛŋhkõgǎŋ has noun-phrase final case clitics. These are:
Nominative: ∅
Accusative: Ã
Dative-Lative: La
Genitive-Ablative: Ma
Locative: Móu

To show that these are clitics, I will use an example:
Zɛŋcũŋ mha Hnɔ̂nâŋshãcúŋ ma lwaŋ mha shãŋjúŋ la
Zɛŋ-cũŋ mha Hnɔ̂nâŋshãcúŋ ma lwaŋ mha shãŋjúŋ la
Zeng-valley and CITYNAME GEN king and lord DAT
"To the King and Lord of the Zeng River Valley and Hnonanshachung"


Numbers 1-10:
1. Ǐ
2. Jé
3. Thǎŋ
4. Thíi
5. Shû
6. Lì̌
7. Shẽ
8.Bâ
9. Jou
10. Shí
Many children make up, or begin to make up, imaginary languages. I have been at it since I could write.
-JRR Tolkien
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