User:Chrysophylax/Sketches/caer

From Linguifex
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Caer (caer [qæɪ̯ʐ] or caeryn [ˈqæjɪˌʐjəǀ] is the ceremonial sacred language of the Vá people. Its use is nowadays primarily restricted to the rituals of lyaa ('libation') and yayaq (‘divination’) although historically it saw much more use. It is remarkable for being typologically dissimilar to Vánic language with differing morphosyntactic agreement and word order.

Phonology

Caer has an interesting phonological system, completely lacking rounded and back vowels; dental, bilabial and velar plosives; or any of the common nasals.

Consonants

The incredibly sparse consonantal system includes a few uvular consonants, one alveolar sibilant, a voiced retroflex and two clicks.

c~q nn h r s t y l v n

q ɴ χ ʐ sˡ θ j ʟ ʘ ǀ

Vowels

There are three phonemic vowels in Caer: a /æ/, e /ɪ/, y /ə/. However, there are some who posit six vowels, three long (/æ:/, /ɪ/, /ə:/) and three short.

Vowel phonemes in Caer
Front Central
Near-close e /ɪ/
Mid y /ə/
Open a /æ/

Pitch

Each word in Caer can optionally take one of two pitch contours: falling (t₁) or rising (t₂). The falling contour (t₁) ends with creaky voice. Although lexically and grammatically important, it is not indicated in the orthography.

A common minimal pair given in literature is: yayaq [ˈjæˌə̯æ̰q˥˩] ‘divination’ and yayaq [ˈjæˌə̯æq˩˥] ‘calamity’.

Phonotactics

Orthography

Digraph ⟨x⟩ for /χsˡ/, ⟨y⟩ does double duty, etc.

Morphology

Verbal morphology

A Caer verb is usually composed of a base, an aspect suffix, a voice suffix, and a number prefix. Depending on inflection, the verb requires marking for object and agent.

(1.)

catannyvexaseaq
ca-tanny-ve-xa-se-aq
pl-feel-ext-caus-alter-ipse
‘I make you grieve’[1]

Number

Number is obligatorily marked on the verb and distinguishes between a singular (sg) and a plural (pl) depending on the amount of 'referents' for the verb. Thus one observes the distinction between actor and undergoer blurring in Caer when it comes to number.

Aspect

There are three aspects: imperfective (ipfv), perfective (pfv), extemporaneous (ext). These are morphologically and obligatorily marked on verbs using a set of affixes which follow the base. They are however completely optional if the verb in question follows a previously marked verb sharing the same aspect.

(2.)

arsila atehavenn, aneatyr arsila, veleran
arsila a-teha-ve-nn a-nea-Ø-tyr arsila veler-an
man.abs sg-chase-ext-antipass sg-die-ext-refl man.abs life-erg
‘Man hunts. Man dies. Such is life.’[2]
Imperfective

The imperfective is marked with the suffix -ta /θæ˥˩/.

Perfective

The perfective is marked with the suffix -va /ʘæ˥˩/.

Extemporaneous

The extemporaneous, alternatively called the universal, gnomic or indefinite. Most often, it is used to express general truths. It is marked with the suffix -ve /ʘɪ/.

Voice

Caer distinguishes morphologically between four voices (active, causative, reflexive-reciprocative, antipassive) which are indicated on the verb after the aspect-inflected base.

Active

The most basic is the unmarked active which is used for sentences with a transitive verb and an object.

(3.)

valcaxan cavaertase
valcaxa-an ca-vaer-ta-Ø-se
Maker-erg pl-strike-ipfv-act-alter
‘You are cursed with ill-fortune’ (lit. maker strikes you)

Personal affixes

Caer verbs can optionally take two verb affixes (ipse vs. alter) slotted in either the object or agent position, though in some older analyses the terms ‘ego’, ‘1~3P’, or ‘self’, ‘non-topic’ are sometimes encountered. These terms are now recommended against by most language experts.

Ipse

The so-called ipse (ipse) marker -aq refers usually to the most salient previously mentioned NP. If there is no specific NP it is automatically assumed to refer to the speaker, i.e. it then corresponds to what other languages would call the first person.

(4.)

annataq
a-nna-ta-aq
sg-eat-ipfv-ipse
‘I was eating.’

In a transitive sentence with two NPs. Here, the agent is marked ipse.

(5.)

arsila catannyvexaseaq veleran
arsila ca-tanny-ve-xa-se-aq veler-an
man.abs pl-feel-ext-caus-alter-ipse life-erg
‘Life causes man grief.’
Alter

Likewise, the equivalent alter (alter) marker -se refers usually to the second least salient NP. If there is no specific NP to pair with, it is either assumed to refer to the listener or an unspecified grouping of people depending on context or the non-first person.

In a transitive sentence.

(6.)

arsila catehatase nnahan
arsila ca-teha-ta-se nnaha-an
man.abs pl-chase-ipfv-alter woman-erg
The woman woos the man.


(7.)

catehataqse nnahan
ca-teha-ta-aq-se nnaha-an
pl-chase-ipfv-ipse-alter woman-erg
The woman woos me.

Nominal morphology

Possession

Caer extraordinarily includes a third-person suffix -yn (divposs) which is marked on the possessum. The affix bears connotations of transitivity when the inflected word is combined with a head noun or phrase. Finally, it is only utilised when referring to deities.

Determiners

Personal pronouns

Phrasal clitics

A distinction between proximal (prox) and distal (dist) is optionally added to the end of a phrase to express spatial, temporal or emotional distance from the speaker, sometimes even a form of evidentiality.[3]

Derivational morphology

Syntax

Constituent order

Caer is OVS. However, agent-verb word order is also common in transitive sentences where the verb is marked for object. [4]

Possessive constructions

Inalienable possession

Divine possession

The possesum follows the possessor and is also marked by the third person suffix -yn (divposs).

lyaa-yn
libation-divposs
Their/His/Her libation.
valcaxa caer-yn
Maker secret-divposs
The Maker's given secret.

References

  1. ^ Sammina, Karolyna. (2011). Yneaqyn: Songs of the Vá
  2. ^ Sammina, Karolyna. (2011). Yneaqyn: Songs of the Vá
  3. ^ Hayan, Abd ibn. (2012). Kajirsiskans klitiska partiklar: ett samtida perspektiv.
  4. ^ Schlanger, Josef Maria. (1985). In der Nacht wandert ein Drache : Wortfolge in der Sprache der Kajirsen.