Verse:Mwail/Bjeheond

Rostherian /rɒʃˈtɛriən/ (erhbaerostherim 'The Rostherian language') is a Talmic language spoken in East Cuadhlabh. It is head-initial and polysynthetic.

Numbers

• 1: pêm
• 2: tiłuar
• 3: narhg
• 4: lôb
• 5: selił
• 6: thiam
• 7: ruad
• 8: lored
• 9: barh
• 10: ghîr
• 11: hunaes?
• 12: naes

Phonology

Among Talmic languages, Rostherian is notable for having retroflex consonants and multiple liquids.

Consonants

		Labial	Dental/Alveolar		Retroflex		Velar	Uvular	Glottal
			central	lateral	central	lateral
Nasal		m /m/	n /n̪/		nh /ɳ/		[ŋ]	[ɴ]
Stop	voiceless	p /p/	t /t̪/		th /ʈ/		c /k/	q /q/
	voiced	b /b/	d /d̪/		dh /ɖ/		g /g/
Continuant	voiceless		s /s/	ł /ɬ/	sh /ʂ/	łh /ɬʵ/			h /h/
	voiced	w /v~w/	r /r/	l /l/	rh /ʐ~ɻ~ɭ/			gh /ʁ/

evidentials, quasi-polysynthetic

Vowels

i i: u u: e e: ə ə: o o: a a: ai ei iə eu uə oi iu

⟨i î u û e ê y ŷ o ô a â ae ei ia eu ua oe iu⟩

Sound changes

The most significant changes characterizing Rostherian are coalescing and altering of consonant clusters.

• *ā > ia (*nā > nia 'I'); *ō > ua; *au > ô; *ou > û; *ū > î
• *qʷ > /χʷ/ > /ɧ/ > sh; *ʁʷ > /ζ/ > rh
  • ʁʷelinə ("6 parts [of 12]") > rhelin 'half'
• *nw, tw, dw, sw, łw, lw, rw > nh, th, dh, sh, łh, rh, rh /ɳ, ʈ, ɖ, ʂ, ɬ̠, ʐ~ɻ~ɭ, ʐ~ɻ~ɭ/
  • gʷałwā > bâłhi 'neck, throat' ~ Thn. gaθuā 'throat (also language)'
• *sl-, sm-, sn- > rh-, m-, nh-
• *sɸ-, sr-, sw- > sh-, rh-, sh-
• *st, sk > t-/st, th-/sth-
  • stas- > tatsil 'gathering' (~ Thn. Stasnyssōs)
  • skəttā > thytti 'body' ~ Thn. scyttā
  • *bastom > bast 'king' ~ Thn. bastom 'head'
• *sb, sd, sg > rhb, rhdh, rhg
  • *nasg- > narhg '3'
• *φn, tn, φl, tl > /ːn, ts, ːɬ, tɬ/
  • łnāgin > tłiagin 'I believe' ~ Thn. θnāginis
  • oφlutsus > ôłus 'wave'
• *kt, qt > /jt, :ʈ/
  • *tektə > teit /teit/ 'child'
  • *neqtə > nêth /neːʈ/ 'cloud'
• *kn, gn, qn, ql, qr > /jn, jn, :ɳ, :ɻ, :ɻ/ (with **/uj/ > /uː/ )
  • sφugnus > shûn 'root' ~ Thn. sφugnus
  • leqnos > lênh 'river' ~ Thn. leānos?
  • qrīdis > rhîd 'knife' ~ Thn. ȝrīdis 'edge'
• *φj, tj, kj, qj > pt ss ts gh
• *φ-, j-, s- > h-
• *skj, stj > th-/sth, s-/ss
• final short vowels lost; final -m, -s, -t lost; final long vowels shorten (ia, ua > i, u)

Morphology

Nouns

Nouns are marked with a singular-plural distinction (like Welsh), and may also take possessive suffixes.

Masculine nouns

wein 'brother'

Singular	Plural
wein	weinin

loer 'bird'

Singular	Plural
loer	loeron

rhîd 'knife'

Singular	Plural
rhîd	rhîdin

Feminine nouns

qutria 'blood'

Singular	Plural
qutria	qutriar

bondia 'person'

Singular	Plural
bondia	bondiar

Verbs

Subject affixes

Present tense

Person	Suffix	tłiagin "I believe"
1SG	-n	tłiagin
2SG	-r	tłiagir
3SG.M	-m	tłiagim
3SG.F	-s	tłiagis
3SG.N	-0	tłiagi
1EX	-me	tłiagime
1IN	-nt	tłiagint
2PL	-sh	tłiagish
3PL	-t	tłiagit