Nkulambe: poly-conlang with Bantu-ish phonology

[taylorS]

I had trouble sleeping last night because this kept popping into my head all night!

Phonology

/m n ŋ ŋʷ/ <m n ŋ ŋw/mw>
/p t k kʷ / <p t k kw/pw>
/b d g gʷ/ <b/v d/l g gw/bw/w>
/ⁿp ⁿt ⁿk ⁿkʷ/ <mp nt nk nkw/mpw>
/ⁿb ⁿd ⁿg ⁿgʷ/ <mb nd ng ngw/mbw>
/s z/ <s z>

/a e i o u/ <a e i o u>
Long vowels indicated by doubling vowel

Syllable structure is a simple (C)V.

/b d g gʷ/ are realized as [β l ɣ w] between vowels.

The siblants are palatalized to [ʃ ʒ] before /i u/.

Plain velar consonants are realized as palatal when followed by /i e/.

The labialized velars are realized as labialized labials before /u/.

Grammar Basics

Nkulambe is a moderately polysythetic language, meaning it has polypersonal agreement and noun incorporation, but does not have synthesis to the extreme degree like found in, say, the Athabaskan languages. Word Order is SOV. Nouns are unmarked for number. Plurality and Definiteness ARE marked on the verb. Morphosyntax is Split-Ergative. Nouns have 4 cases:, Nomative-Absolutive, Accusative, Ergative, and Oblique. Verbs indicate tense, aspect, mood, and evidentiality.

[taylorS]

The Noun Phrase

The basic word order of the Nkulambe noun phrase is: Numbers, Adjectives, Noun, Possessive pronoun clitic, Demonstratives, Negative particle, Determiners. Nouns, adjectives, numbers, and demonstratives have case agreement.

Postpositional phrases and subordinate clauses precede the nouns they modify, as is typical in SOV languages.

Indirect objects precede the direct object.

There are 4 noun cases:

The Nominative-Absolutive case is unmarked. It is used as the subject in all sentences when the verb is in the imperfective aspect and is used as the subject of transitive verbs when the verb is in the perfective aspect.

The Accusative case is -kwa. It is used as the direct object of a transitive sentence when the verb is in the imperfective aspect.

The Ergative case is -me. It is used as the subject of an intransitive sentence or as the direct object of a transitive sentence when the verb is in the perfective aspect.

The Oblique case is -ntu. It is used as a Dative or Benefactive indirect object and is used for the object of the postposition. It is also used as a Vocative.

Adjective Comparison

The Comparative is formed by reduplicating the adjective root. The Superlative is identical except with the suffix -mbo-. The diminutive is formed by the suffix -niti.

The diminutive gives a meaning akin to "slightly", "nearly", or "barely" to the adjective. So if something is okwa, "good", something that is okwaniti is just "OK".

[roninbodhisattva]

Interesting, I want to see more!

[taylorS]

Interesting, I want to see more!

I'm having a bit of an ideas blank, right now. I want to make a genuinely polysynthetic language that doesn't look ripped off from one particular natlang.

I'm imagining this language as a language isolate somewhere in central Africa.

[thaen]

Will there be more?

[Incorruptus]

Interesting, I want to see more!

I'm having a bit of an ideas blank, right now. I want to make a genuinely polysynthetic language that doesn't look ripped off from one particular natlang.

I'm imagining this language as a language isolate somewhere in central Africa.

Good idea to take a mulligan. But, please, not too long. I recall with an earlier project waiting for bomb-ass ideas. The problem is that true originality really is a pipe dream. Try making a language where misunderstandings in phonation are desiredly impossible. It's not language. Perfect ideas are hard to do, period. Try effecting the order of morphemes to make it original.

[thaen]

Interesting, I want to see more!

I'm having a bit of an ideas blank, right now. I want to make a genuinely polysynthetic language that doesn't look ripped off from one particular natlang.

I'm imagining this language as a language isolate somewhere in central Africa.

Good idea to take a mulligan. But, please, not too long. I recall with an earlier project waiting for bomb-ass ideas. The problem is that true originality really is a pipe dream. Try making a language where misunderstandings in phonation are desiredly impossible. It's not language. Perfect ideas are hard to do, period. Try effecting the order of morphemes to make it original.

[Incorruptus]

The way I figure it is that Nkulambe should grow itself. Mine has. Forget originality and remember that it's original 'cause it is coming OUT OF you...and seemingly from nowhere.

[taylorS]

Thanks, guys!