Proto-Mevian

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Ceresz
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Proto-Mevian

Post by Ceresz »

This is the first sketch of what will eventually solidify as the Proto-Mevian language, for use in the mass project over at the ZBB.

All comments are more than welcome!

Phonology
Consonants

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Nasal    : m n
Plosive  : p t k q
           b d g
Fricative: f s ɕ x h
           v z ʑ ɣ
Tap      : ɾ
Lateral  : l ɬ
Glide    : j
/k/ is written as <c>
/ɕ/ and /ʑ/ are written as <ṣ> and <ẓ> respectively
/x/ and /ɣ/ are written as <ch> and <gh> respectively
/ɾ/ is written as <r>
/ɬ/ is written as <ḷ>
/j/ is written as <y>

Vowels

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Close: i u
Mid  : ɛ ɔ
Open : a
/ɛ/ and /ɔ/ are written <e> and <o> respectively

/ai/ and /ɔi/ (written <ae> and <oe>) are the only diphthongs.

Long vowels only occur in stressed syllables, but just because a syllable is stressed it doesn't mean that the vowel has to be long. This isn't marked in the orthography, but one can assume that the vowel is long if there is no double consonant following it.

Long consonants are marked in writing by doubling the consonant: <nn> = [n:].

Stress
Stress generally falls on the penultimate syllable, but when irregular stress occurs it is marked with an acute accent.

Syllable structure
Syllable structure is (C)(C)V(C).

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Allowed onset clusters are: Plosive  + v, y, l, lh or r
                            Fricate* + v, y, l, lh or r
                            s or v   + v, y, l, lh or r

Allowed medial cluster are: Nasal    + any consonant**
                            Onset clusters
* except for /f/
** works both ways

Allophones
When /n/ meats with /k/ or /g/ it is realized as [ŋk] and [ŋg]
When /n/ meats with /y/ it is realized as [ɲ]
Vowels following a cluster containing a nasal are realized as nasal vowels.

Morphology
Subject and object
The Mevian language is verb heavy, and a lot of sentence can be expressed using verbs alone.

The subject and object markers for verbs are:

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  SUBJECT « OBJECT
1 -voe    « -navv-
2 -yoq    « -niq-
3 -bat    « -nib-
Plural is shown by adding the suffix -ta.

Tense

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PRESENT: Ø
PERFECT: -go
PAST   : -nna
FUTURE : -iḷ
Temporal modifiers
Used with future tense:

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LATER TODAY: -nagi
SOON       : -qeru
Used with past tense:

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JUST       : -avya
Mood

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INDICATIVE   : Ø
DUBITATIVE   : -ha
INTERROGATIVE: -qa
CAUSATIVE    : -rae
CONDITIONAL  : -oe
IMPERATIVE   : -fi
OPTATIVE     : -del
JUSSIVE      : -vaẓ
Indicative is the standard mood of a verb and it is used to describe facts and beliefs which are facts to you etc.
Dubitative is used to indicate uncertainty or doubt.
Interrogative is used to form questions, and is always placed last in a verb structure.
Causative is used when English would normally use "because"; I'm not hungry because I just ate.
Conditional is used where English would normally use "if"; If it rains, I'm not comming.
Imperative is used to form commands.
Optative is used to express hope or desire.
Jussive is is used to express pleading, insistence, and basically to form a wish; Please eat with me.

Other verbal modifiers

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WELL     : -ul
ALTHOUGH : -aqa
EXCESSIVE: -evi
MAYBE    : -yamm
NOT      : -mae
Nouns and adjectives
The plural suffix is -ta, just as it is with the verbal pronouns. Adjectives precede the nouns they modify and have to agree in number and tense.

Case:

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NOM: Ø
ACC: Ø
DAT: -enyi
GEN: -céṣ*
* becomes -ceṣ when a word contains a long vowel.

Suffixes for adjectives only:

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ATTRIBUTIVE: -agh
PREDICATIVE: -ence
COMPARATIVE: -yi
SUPERLATIVE: -raḷ
The suffixes for comparative and superlative are placed after the attributive and predicative suffixes.

Determiners are expressed as suffixes that attach to nouns:

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This: -in
That: -es
The determiner suffixes always follow the case suffixes. If plural is marked it is always placed last.

Derivation

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ADJECTIVE-TO-VERB  : -coe
ADJECTIVE-TO-ADVERB: -si
NOUN-TO-ADJECTIVE  : -haq
NOUN-TO-VERB       : -anga
VERB-TO-NOUN       : -udir
VERB-TO-ADJECTIVE  : -elne
Word order
The basic word order is SVO.

Hiatus
The glide /j/ is inserted between vowels to avoid hiatus, and /i/ is inserted between consonant clusters that aren't allowed.

Svabatoeyeviḷnagi fadvoeyiḷmae.
If it rains too much later today, I won't hunt.

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Sva  -bat oe -yev       -iḷ -nagi
rain 3    if  excessive  FUT later today

fad  -voe -yiḷ -mae 
hunt 1    FUT  NEG
Last edited by Ceresz on 22 Nov 2010 15:03, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Proto-Mevian

Post by Micamo »

I don't read ZBB, what's the mass project?
My pronouns are <xe> [ziː] / <xym> [zɪm] / <xys> [zɪz]

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Re: Proto-Mevian

Post by Ceresz »

Basically, we're working on a conworld together. This is the Proto-lang for my conpeople.
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Re: Proto-Mevian

Post by Micamo »

Ceresz wrote:Basically, we're working on a conworld together.
This cannot end well.
My pronouns are <xe> [ziː] / <xym> [zɪm] / <xys> [zɪz]

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Re: Proto-Mevian

Post by Ceresz »

Micamo wrote:
Ceresz wrote:Basically, we're working on a conworld together.
This cannot end well.
Haha, yeah :lol: We'll see how it goes, but right now it's working smoothly. Maybe because we're still in the initial stages. Any interaction between everybody's conpeople has yet to occur.
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Re: Proto-Mevian

Post by Micamo »

If the participants are as vain and self-centered as I am, I don't forsee the project lasting long.

By the way, what's "lh?" Possibly from a now-obsolete orthography?
My pronouns are <xe> [ziː] / <xym> [zɪm] / <xys> [zɪz]

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Re: Proto-Mevian

Post by Ceresz »

Yes, that should be <ḷ> :oops:.

Any other comments?
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Re: Proto-Mevian

Post by Micamo »

So many fricatives o.o

Not that I'm any better but what do you plan to do with those?
My pronouns are <xe> [ziː] / <xym> [zɪm] / <xys> [zɪz]

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Ceresz
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Re: Proto-Mevian

Post by Ceresz »

I like fricatives :-D.

I'm not sure, but some of them will probably change once I start playing around with sound changes. Right now I need to complete the basic morphology and do some syntax and then start creating a decent word list.
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Re: Proto-Mevian

Post by Micamo »

Well, it is a proto-lang after all. It'd probably be a good idea to let what kind of changes you want to see start melding in your mind.
My pronouns are <xe> [ziː] / <xym> [zɪm] / <xys> [zɪz]

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Ceresz
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Re: Proto-Mevian

Post by Ceresz »

Yeah, I'll try to think about that. But first things first, I need to flesh out the verbs a bit more, work on conjunctions, relative clauses and stuff like that :-D.
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Re: Proto-Mevian

Post by Ceresz »

Another test sentence:

Griyoevoe svayudir, svayoedrebat ha ghem anyaẓoefalbat.
I would love the rain, if it stopped raining and the sun started shining.

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Gri     -yoe  -voe svayudir sva     -yoe -dre -bat 
to love CON   1    rain     to rain CON  stop 3   
to love would I    rain     to rain if   stop it

ha  ghem anyaẓ    -oe -fal  -bat
and sun  to shine CON start 3
and sun  to shine if  start it
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