An unnamed conlang

[Omzinesý]

Edit: Once this was a Uralic a-posteriori lang. Now it's a-priori again.

Consonant phonemes
p t k <p t k>
t͡s t͡ʃ t͡ɕ <c č ć>
s ʃ ɕ <s š ś>
m n ŋ <m n ng>
l r ʀ <l r g>
ʋ j <v j>

Vowel phonemes
i i: iˀi u u: uˀu
e e: eˀe ə o o: oˀo
a a: aˀa

[TBPO]

I love /ɕ/ in conlangs.

[Omzinesý]

There are only two cases: Nominative and Genitive-Accusative. They work syntactically as expected, no weird alignments.

Nominative is the basic stem of nouns.


The rules of Genitive-Accusative formation

A) If the noun ends in a stop (p, t, k), the stop changes to the corresponding nasal.

B) If the noun ends in an affricate (c, č, ć), the affricate lenites to a corresponding fricative and weak n is added before it. The n is rather realizes as nasalization of the preceding vowel than a real consonant. (á la Afrikãs).

C) All other final consonants stay unchanged.

(I'm thinking if there should be a nasal version of /l/, which would also nasalize the preceding vowel.)

D) Vowel-final words do not change either.
Most vowel-final nouns end in -e in Nominative (compare with German). In Genitive-Accusative, the final -e changes to -a.

[Omzinesý]

Verb pattern

preverb - valency derivation - stem - TAM - person


Preverbs resemble prepositions,but they bear the stress of the word. When added to
1) motion verbs, they code the direction of the motion.
2) non-motion verbs, they code additional movement (to go and verb, to come and verb, etc.)
3) nouns, they derive verbs (with-N -> 'use N', to-N -> 'go to N', etc.)

TAM
- two tenses (past, nonpast)
- two aspects (nonhabitual, habitual) - The habitual form is an action nominalization and does not inflect like a verb.
- some subjunctive/imperative
-subject agreement

[Omzinesý]

ćnap- ’to build’

ćnapus 'builder'

This is a zero-copula language in present third person. So ćnapus also means 'to be a builder' and it's usually used in habitual and iterative meanings. So ćnapus means 'usually builds'.


I have some problems forming the non-habitual (progressive and perfective) paradigm for persons and numbers. I think Latvian and Lithuanian could give some inspiration.

[Creyeditor]

ćnapus looks beautifully faux-Latin.

[Omzinesý]

ćnapus looks beautifully faux-Latin.

It's easy. Just add -us.

[Ælfwine]

ćnapus looks beautifully faux-Latin.

It's easy. Just add -us.

kramp > krampus?

[Creyeditor]

Well crampus looks Latin to me.

[Omzinesý]

The latest attempt for the verb

vul 'to say'

vul-te 'I say'
vul-ve 'you (sg.) say'
vul 'say(s)'
vul-ā-te 'we (excl.) say'
vul-ā-ge 'we (incl.) say'
vul-ā-ve 'you (pl.) say'
vul-ā 'they say (impersonal)'

vuj-ti 'I said'
vuj-vi 'you (sg.) said'
vuj 'said'
vul-ā-ti 'we (excl.) said'
vul-ā-gi 'we (incl.) said'
vul-ā-ve 'you (pl.) said'
vul-ā-j 'they said (impersonal)'

ji-vul-te 'says to me'
ji-vul-ve 'says to you'
...
vul-ge 'I say to you'
ji-vul-ge 'you say to me'

When there is an associated motion prefix, ji- also expresses venitive 'comes and Vs'. After a vowel, it simplifies to j-.

se-j-vuj-ti 'I came and said' ~ 'X went and said to me'

[Creyeditor]

Looks almost Baltic to me. And I like the associated motion and clusivity. Gives a unique vibe.

[Omzinesý]

On prepositions and preverbs

The same morphemes can be used before nouns and verbs. Because preposition is a more familiar concept, I start from using them it before nouns.

Each of them has two deictic forms, which are suppletive but alike. The only preposition/preverb I have atm is s(e)- or si-.


Use as preposition

It is the generic locative preposition. It rather means being in a place or institution where something can be done rather than specifying the location very strictly. It is best translated as 'at' or 'to'.

s kòv 'at home'
se vterme 'at the station'
s miik 'at the age of five'

Like most locational prepositions, it codes goal when attached to an Accusative noun and location when attached to a Nominative noun. The two cases are often formally alike.

se vteme 'at the station'
se vtema 'to the station'

Si is the preximal form. It codes that the speaker or the focus place is also there.
Se is the distal form. It often shortens to s.
Prepositions do not bear stress.

I think the se will have other uses too. Maybe as a dative. Maybe the object of 'to become', idk yet.

Use as a verbal derivational prefix.

Prepositions are unstressed proclitics. When attached to a noun as a stressed prefix, it derives denominal verbs. The process is very productive but the new derived verb has many interpretations which cannot be fully inferred formally.

Se-/si- expresses going to a referent of the noun or becoming such. Usually, it the referent is a place the movement interpretation is natural. When the referent is a person, the transformation interpretation is natural. When the referent is abstract state, an inchoative interpretation is natural.

gegke 'a medical doctor'
-> segegke 'to become a doctor'

kòv 'home'
-> sekòv 'to go home'
-> sikòv 'to come home'

emmer 'happy'
-> seemmer 'to get happy'

Although the preposition also expresses location, the derived verb is always dynamic. It does not mean 'to be home/happy/doctor'. States are never(?) expressed with verbs.


Use as a goal marker in motion verbs

When these morphemes are prefixed to motion verbs, they code goal or source. Se- of course means 'going there' and si- means 'coming here'.

Se-mać-ti se vtema.
SE-go.PST-SG1.PST to stadion.ACC
'I went to the stadion.'

Motion verbs without the prefix don't express goal. It's just 'going about'.

Motion verbs of this language (I should find up a name), are much similar to those in Slavic languages, but there are some differences in nuances.
As in Slavic languages, some of those prefixed motion verbs have extra meanings as non-motion verbs, like Russian перевести (lead over) 'to translate'.


Use as an associated motion marker

When se-/si- is prefixed to a non-motion verb, it codes associated motion. That is, movement happens simultaneously or just before/after the event coded by the verb.

Si-vuj
SI-say.PST.SG3
'S/he came and said.'

Se-vuj
SE-say.PST.SG3
'S/he went and said.'

[Omzinesý]

Palatalization patterns

t/c/č -> ć
k -> š
s/š -> ś
l -> j
n -> ŋ

Labials p m v
palatals ć ś j ŋ
rhotics r g
don't palatalize.