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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
/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
/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
** 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-
Tense
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PRESENT: Ø
PERFECT: -go
PAST : -nna
FUTURE : -iḷ
Used with future tense:
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LATER TODAY: -nagi
SOON : -qeru
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JUST : -avya
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INDICATIVE : Ø
DUBITATIVE : -ha
INTERROGATIVE: -qa
CAUSATIVE : -rae
CONDITIONAL : -oe
IMPERATIVE : -fi
OPTATIVE : -del
JUSSIVE : -vaẓ
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
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*
Suffixes for adjectives only:
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ATTRIBUTIVE: -agh
PREDICATIVE: -ence
COMPARATIVE: -yi
SUPERLATIVE: -raḷ
Determiners are expressed as suffixes that attach to nouns:
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This: -in
That: -es
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
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