Old Nurian
Old Nurian is a descendent of Primitive ǃZoom, inspired by Old Irish.
Introduction
Phonology
Old !Zoom has a large phoneme inventory:
Vowels:
a ɛ e i o u y a: e: eɪ i: o: oʊ u: ø: øʏ y: a ä e i o u ü á é ei í ó ou ú ő öü ű
Non-clicks:
Labials: p pʰ b bʰ m mʰ p ph b bh m mh
Dentals: t tʰ d dʰ n nʰ l lʰ t th d dh n nh l lh
Velars: k kʰ g gʰ ŋ ŋʰ k kh g gh ŋ ŋh
Labiovelars: kʷ kʷʰ gʷ gʷʰ ŋʷ ŋʷʰ kw kwh gw gwh ŋw ŋwh
Dental affricates: ts tsʰ dz dzʰ c ch z zh
Lateral affricates: tɬ tɬʰ dɮ dɮʰ ξ ξh λ λh
Palatal affricates: tʃ tʃʰ dʒ dʒʰ č čh j jh
Other consonants: f s ɬ ʃ h f s σ š h
Clicks:
ʘ ʘʰ gʘ gʘʰ ŋʘ ŋʘʰ pk pkh bg bgh bŋ bŋh
! !ʰ g! g!ʰ n! n!ʰ tk tkh dg dgh dŋ dŋh
| |ʰ g| g|ʰ n| n|ʰ ck ckh zg zgh zŋ zŋh
ǁ ǁʰ gǁ gǁʰ nǁ nǁʰ ξk ξkh λg λgh λŋ λŋh
ǂ ǂʰ gǂ gǂʰ nǂ nǂʰ čk čkh jg jgh jŋ jŋh
+ labialized counterparts of the above clicks: pkw, pkwh, bgw, bgwh, ...
Morphology
Nouns and adjectives
Old !Zoom evolved from Primitive !Zoom via syncope, umlaut and resulting clusters becoming clicks. Only nasal+C clusters are allowed in Old Zoom; it also has evolved a distinctive Old Irish-like stress pattern.
Nouns and adjectives in Old Zoom:
Like Primitive !Zoom, Old !Zoom is a fusional language with Austronesian alignment. Nouns and adjectives have two numbers, singular and plural, and three cases: direct, indirect and "genitive" (used after prepositions).
Construct state is used for possessive noun phrases, which are head-initial; unusually, case is marked on the LAST noun in a construct noun phrase.
Case is often marked by a definite article which triggers mutations on the noun, as in Irish. There are two kinds of mutations: click mutation, nasal mutation and h-prothesis (h-prothesis only occurs in vowel-initial words).
Adjectives agree with nouns in the kind of mutation that they take.
(Note: A buffer [ə] may be added between two clicks.)
A masculine noun: pódŋh /po:ŋ!ʰ/ "stone"
Singular:
dir: pódŋh /po:ŋ!ʰ/ < pônkha /'po:nkʰa/
ind: pődŋh /pø:ŋ!ʰ/ < pônkhi /'po:nkʰi/
gen: pódŋh-N /po:ŋ!ʰ/ < pônkhaŋ /'po:nkʰaŋ/
const: pődŋh-H /pø:ŋ!ʰ/ < pônkhih /'po:nkʰah/
Plural:
dir: pódŋha-C /'po:ŋ!ʰa/ < pônkhâk
ind: pódŋhe-C /'po:ŋ!ʰe/ < pônkhêk
gen: pódŋhi /'po:ŋ!ʰi/ < pônkhai
const: pódŋhu /'po:ŋ!ʰu/ < pônkhau
A feminine noun: tíjŋ = a species of songbird
Singular:
dir: tíjŋ-C /ti:ŋǂ/ < tîŋičak
ind: tíjŋ-H /ti:ŋǂ/ < tîŋičah
gen: tíjŋa /'ti:ŋǂa/ < tîŋičâ
const: tíjŋe /'ti:ŋǂe/ < tîŋičê
Plural:
dir: tíjŋa-N /'ti:ŋǂa/ < tîŋičâŋ
ind: tíjŋe-N /'ti:ŋǂe/ < tîŋičêŋ
gen: tíjŋi /'ti:ŋǂi/ < tîŋičai
const: tíjŋu /'ti:ŋǂu/ < tîŋičau
With a definite article and an adjective this becomes:
(Masculine example: ca pódŋh dún "the good stone")
Singular:
dir: ca pódŋh dún /tsa po:ŋ!ʰ(ə) du:n/ < ca pônkha dûnu
ind: ci pődŋh dún /tsi pø:ŋ!ʰ(ə) du:n/ < ci pônkhi dûnu
gen: ci bódŋh nún /tsi bo:ŋ!ʰ(ə) nu:n/ < caŋ pônkhaŋ dûnuŋ
const: pődŋh dún /pø:ŋ!ʰ(ə) du:n/ < pônkhih dûnuh
Plural:
dir: kha pkódŋha dgúnu /kʰa 'ʘo:ŋ!ʰa 'g!u:nu/ < khak pônkhâk dûnûk
ind: khi pkódŋhe dgúnu /kʰe 'ʘo:ŋ!ʰe 'g!u:nu/ < khik pônkhêk dûnûk
gen: khi pódŋhi dúni /kʰi 'po:ŋ!ʰi 'g!u:ni/ khai pônkhai dûnai
const: pódŋhu dúnu /'po:ŋ!ʰu 'g!u:nu/ pônkhau dûnau
(Feminine example: ca tkíjŋ dgún "the good tíjŋ")
Singular:
dir: ca tkíjŋ dgún /tsa !i:ŋǂ(ə) g!u:n/ < cak tîŋičak dûnuk
ind: ca tíjŋ dún /tsa ti:ŋǂ(ə) du:n/ < cah tîŋičah dûnuh
gen: ca tíjŋa dúnu /tsa 'ti:ŋǂa 'du:nu/ < câ tîŋičâ dûnû
const: ce tíjŋe dúnu /tse 'ti:ŋǂe 'du:nu/ < cê tîŋičê dûnû
Plural:
dir: kha díjŋa núnu /kʰa 'di:ŋǂa nu:nu/ < khaŋ tîŋičâŋ dûnûŋ
ind: khi díjŋe núnu /kʰe 'di:ŋǂe nu:nu/ < khiŋ tîŋičêŋ dûnûŋ
gen: khi tíjŋi dúnu /kʰi 'ti:ŋǂi du:nu/ < khai tîŋičai dûnû
const: tíjŋu dúnu /'ti:ŋǂu du:nu/ < tîŋičau dûnû
Verbs
Syntax
Constituent order
Word order is Verb + Direct case NP + Indirect case NP.