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
- *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. However, they typically do not agree for the formal grammatical gender.
"Masculine" nouns
wein 'brother'
| Singular
|
Plural
|
| wein |
weinin
|
loer 'bird'
| Singular
|
Plural
|
| loer |
loeron
|
rhîd 'knife'
| Singular
|
Plural
|
| rhîd |
rhîdin
|
"Feminine" nouns
qutri 'blood'
| Singular
|
Plural
|
| qutri |
qutriar
|
bondi 'person'
| Singular
|
Plural
|
| bondi |
bondiar
|
Some feminines are in -e, -u and have plurals in -êr, -uar.
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
|
Syntax