Introduction
Phonology
Orthography
Consonants
|
Labial |
Dental |
Alveolar |
Lateral |
Postalveolar |
Palatal |
Velar |
Glottal
|
| Voiceless Stop/Affricate |
p /pʰ/ |
t /tʰ/ |
ts /ts/ |
tσ /tɬ/ |
tj /tʃ/ |
|
k /kʰ/ |
|
| Voiced Stop/Affricate |
b /p~b/ |
d /t~d/ |
dz /dz/ |
dλ /dɮ/ |
dj /dʒ/ |
|
g /k~g/ |
|
| Voiceless Fricative |
f /f/ |
th /θ/ |
s /s/ |
σ /ɬ/ |
sj /ʃ/ |
|
ch /x/ |
h /h/
|
| Voiced Fricative |
v /v/ |
dh /ð/ |
z /z/ |
λ /ɮ/ |
zj /ʒ/ |
|
gh /ɣ/ |
|
| Nasal |
m /m/ |
n /n/ |
|
|
|
|
ng /ŋ/ |
|
| Approximant |
|
|
|
l /ɫ/ |
r /ɹ̱/ |
y /j/ |
w /w/ |
|
Vowels
| Vowel |
IPA
|
| a |
/a/
|
| æ |
/ɛ/
|
| e |
/ɘ/ or /ə/ depending on dialect
|
| i |
/ɪ/
|
| o |
/ɔ/
|
| ø |
/ɵ/
|
| u |
/ʉ/
|
Lenition
| Normal |
p |
t |
ts |
s |
tσ |
σ |
tj |
sj |
k |
b |
d |
dz |
z |
dλ |
λ |
dj |
zj |
g
|
| Lenited |
f |
th |
s |
h |
σ |
h |
sj |
h |
ch |
v |
dh |
z |
0 |
λ |
0 |
zj |
0 |
gh
|
| Normal |
m |
n |
ng |
w |
l |
r |
y
|
| Lenited |
w |
n |
w |
w |
w |
r |
y
|
Prosody
Stress
Stress is on the first syllable, not counting prefixes.
Intonation
Phonotactics
Morphophonology
Morphology
Nouns
Nouns have 2 genders (masculine, feminine) and 11 cases (nominative, genitive, accusative, dative, locative, exlocative, instrumental, abessive, equative, anti-equative, and vocative).
Feminine nouns
Most nouns are feminine and decline as follows:
| Header text |
Indefinite Singular |
Indefinite Plural |
Definite Singular |
Definite Plural
|
| Nominative |
[nom stem] |
[nom stem]+me |
[nom stem]+næ |
[nom stem]+nø
|
| Genitive |
[gen stem] |
[nom stem]+men |
[nom stem]+nær |
[nom stem]+nør
|
| Accusative |
[acc stem] |
[nom stem]+meth |
[nom stem]+næth |
[nom stem]+nøth
|
| Dative |
æn+[gen stem] |
æn+[nom stem]+men |
æn+[nom stem]+nær |
æn+[nom stem]+nør
|
| Locative |
me+[lenited gen stem] |
me+[lenited nom stem]+men |
me+[lenited nom stem]+nær |
me+[lenited nom stem]+nør
|
| Exlocative |
ow+[lenited gen stem] |
ow+[lenited nom stem]+men |
ow+[lenited nom stem]+nær |
ow+[lenited nom stem]+nør
|
| Instrumental |
rø+[lenited gen stem] |
rø+[lenited nom stem]+men |
rø+[lenited nom stem]+nær |
rø+[lenited nom stem]+nør
|
| Abessive |
tsø+[lenited gen stem] |
tsø+[lenited nom stem]+men |
tsø+[lenited nom stem]+nær |
tsø+[lenited nom stem]+nør
|
| Equative |
λø+[lenited gen stem] |
λø+[lenited nom stem]+men |
λø+[lenited nom stem]+nær |
λø+[lenited nom stem]+nør
|
| Anti-equative |
ød+[lenited gen stem] |
ød+[lenited nom stem]+men |
ød+[lenited nom stem]+nær |
ød+[lenited nom stem]+nør
|
| Vocative |
[lenited nom stem] |
[lenited nom stem]+me |
[lenited nom stem]+næ |
[lenited nom stem]+nø
|
- [nom stem] is the dictionary form of a noun.
- [gen stem] is the genitive stem, formed by adding -e if the noun ends in a consonant and -n if the noun ends in a vowel.
- [acc stem] is the accusative stem, formed by adding -eth if the noun ends in a consonant and -th if the noun ends in a vowel.
Here are two examples:
| erim 'tail' |
Indefinite Singular |
Indefinite Plural |
Definite Singular |
Definite Plural
|
| Nominative |
erim |
erimme |
erimnæ |
erimnø
|
| Genitive |
erime |
erimmen |
erimnær |
erimnør
|
| Accusative |
erimeth |
erimmeth |
erimnæth |
erimnøth
|
| Dative |
ænerime |
ænerimmen |
ænerimnær |
ænerimnør
|
| Locative |
menerime |
menerimmen |
menerimnær |
menerimnør
|
| Exlocative |
ownerime |
ownerimmen |
ownerimnær |
ownerimnør
|
| Instrumental |
rønerime |
rønerimmen |
rønerimnær |
rønerimnør
|
| Abessive |
tsønerime |
tsønerimmen |
tsønerimnær |
tsønerimnør
|
| Equative |
λønerime |
λønerimmen |
λønerimnær |
λønerimnør
|
| Anti-equative |
ødnerime |
ødnerimmen |
ødnerimnær |
ødnerimnør
|
| Vocative |
nerim |
nerimme |
nerimnæ |
nerimnø
|
| neσa 'rope' |
Indefinite Singular |
Indefinite Plural |
Definite Singular |
Definite Plural
|
| Nominative |
neσa |
neσame |
neσanæ |
neσanø
|
| Genitive |
neσan |
neσamen |
neσanær |
neσanør
|
| Accusative |
neσath |
neσameth |
neσanæth |
neσanøth
|
| Dative |
ænneσan |
ænneσamen |
ænneσanær |
ænneσanør
|
| Locative |
meneσan |
meneσamen |
meneσanær |
meneσanør
|
| Exlocative |
owneσan |
owneσamen |
owneσanær |
owneσanør
|
| Instrumental |
røneσan |
røneσamen |
røneσanær |
røneσanør
|
| Abessive |
tsøneσan |
tsøneσamen |
tsøneσanær |
tsøneσanør
|
| Equative |
λøneσan |
λøneσamen |
λøneσanær |
λøneσanør
|
| Anti-equative |
ødneσan |
ødneσamen |
ødneσanær |
ødneσanør
|
| Vocative |
neσa |
neσame |
neσanæ |
neσanø
|
Syntax
Constituent order
Noun phrase
Verb phrase
Sentence phrase
Dependent clauses
Example texts
Other resources