Sharqi

Sharqi (native: Af Sharqi) is an Ethio-Semitic language.

Introduction

Sharqi is an Ethiopian Semitic language heavily inspired by Somali.

Morphology

Pronouns

Personal Pronouns

Af Sharqi personal pronouns

	Independent		Clitic		Possessive
	Stressed	Unstressed	Subject	Object	Independent	Dependent
1S	aníga	an(í)	aan	-ni	káy(ga)/táy(da)	-ay/ya
2S	adíga	ad(í)	aad	-(a)g	kág(ga)/tág(ta)	-(a)g
3SM	nisága	nis(á)	uu	-aw/-hu	káw(ga)/táw(da)	-aw/hu
3SF	nisáda	nisá	ay	-(h)aa	káa(ga)/táa(da)	-(h)aa
1P	innága	inná	ayn/aan	-(a)n	kán(na)/tán(na)	-(a)n
2P	idínka	idín	aydin/aad	-kúun	kugúun(na)/tugúun(na)	-uguún/kuún
3P	nisínka	nisín	uu	-(h)úun	kúun(na)/túun(na)	-(h)úun
IMP	–	–	sow	–	–	–
REF	–	–	–	nis	–	–

Verbs

Stem 1

Stem 1 is the base form of a verb. The citation form is the 3rd person singular masculine perfect.

• FCL is used as the generic verb (with qadal "kill" as the example verb).
  • F: first root consonant
  • C: second root consonant (for geminated or quadriliteral verbs, this represents the middle two consonants)
  • L: third root consonant
  • (vowel): vowel that is usually dropped unless it violates phonotactics. Sometimes unpredictable.
• Before a suffix beginning in a vowel, the a in -aL in the perfect and imperfect is dropped (if applicable and allowed). This is represented with square brackets (i.e. [a]).
• The (a/i) after F is dropped if possible, even if phonotactics require the F to be changed - e.g. katab "he wrote", ay tigtib "do not write". On the other hand, the (a/i) or [a] after C is generally dropped only if that will lead to no consonant changes - e.g. yikatabuu "they write" (not *yikadbuu).

e.g. sabar "he broke" + -ag "you (object)" → sabrag "he broke you" (not *sabarag)

BUT baddal "he changed" + -ag → baddalag "he changed you" (*baddlag violates phonotactics).

• Some verbs have aa after the first root consonant instead of a - e.g. baarag "bless". In this case, it is never dropped. Any high tones that would apply to a are applied to the second a of aa (i.e. aá).
• The infinitive takes the form FáCL(i) if the cluster CL is not forbidden (with the -i inserted if C is not y or w). If it is forbidden, the infinitive takes the form FáCaL.

Stem 1

Infinitive (m.)					FáC(a)L(i)				qádli
Verbal Noun (f.)					máF(a)CaL/FaCLíd				máqdal/qadlíd
Agent (m.)					FaCaáli				qadaáli
Agent (f.)					FaCaalíd				qadaalíd
	Imperfect		Subjunctive		Perfect		Gerundive		Imperative		Jussive
1S	iFáC[a]L	iqád[a]l	iF(i)CíL	iqdíl	FaCaLku	qadalku	FaCiLay	qadilay	íF(a)CaL	íqdal	íF(a)CaL	íqdal
2S	tiFáC[a]L	tiqád[a]l	tiF(i)CíL	tiqdíl	FaCaLka	qadalka	FaCiLag	qadilag	FíCaL	qídal	tíF(i)CaL	tíqdal
3SM	yiFáC[a]L	yiqád[a]l	yiF(i)CíL	yiqdíl	FaC[a]L	qad[a]l	FaCiLaw	qadilaw	yíF(a)CaL	yíqdal	yíF(a)CaL	yíqdal
3SF	tiFáC[a]L	tiqád[a]l	tiF(i)CíL	tiqdíl	FaC(a)Lad	qadlad	FaCiLaa	qadilaa	tíF(a)CaL	tíqdal	tíF(a)CaL	tíqdal
1P	niFáC[a]L	niqád[a]l	niF(i)CíL	niqdíl	FaCaLna	qadalna	FaCiLan	qadilan	níF(a)CaL	níqdal	níF(a)CaL	níqdal
2P	tiFaC(a)Lúu	tiqadlúun	tiF(i)CiLúun	tiqdilúun	FaCaLkúun	qadalkúun	FaCiLkúunn	qadilkúun	FíC(i)Lu	qídlu	tiF(i)CiLúun	tiqdilúun
3P	yiFaC(a)Lúun	yiqadlúún	yiF(i)CiLuú	yiqdilúun	FaC(a)Lúun	qadlúun	FaCiLúun	qadilúun	yiF(i)CiLúun	yiqdilúun	yiF(i)CiLúun	yiqdilúun

There are various modifications depending on the root consonants:

• If F is:-
  • w: i becomes u before w, with iw becoming uu - e.g. yuwadad "he loves" (from *yiwadad).
  • y: iy becomes ii - e.g. al tiibas "she/it does not dry" (from *tiybas).
  • '/Ø: i is dropped - e.g. yaaman "he believes" (from *yi(')aaman).
• If C is:-
  • w, wC, or Cw:
    • aw(a)/wa becomes oo - e.g. koon "he was/became" (from *kawan).
    • wi becomes uu (and makes preceding i into u) - e.g. ay tukuun "do not become" (from *tikwin).
    • awi becomes oy - e.g. koynaw "him being" (from *kawinaw)
  • y, yC, or Cy:
    • ay(a)/ya becomes ee - e.g. keed "he walked/went" (from *kayad).
    • yi becomes ii - e.g. ay tikiid "do not walk/go" (from *tikyid).
    • ayi becomes ay - e.g. kaydaw "him walking/going" (from *kayidaw).
• If L is:-
  • y:
    • (a)ya becomes ay - e.g. sallayd "she prayed" (from *sallayad).
    • Final iy becomes ii - e.g. silli "pray" (from *silliy).
    • The gerundive takes the base FaCiy- (FaCii- before a consonant).
  • w:
    • (a)wa becomes aw - e.g. cafawd "she forgave" (from *cafwad).
    • Final iw becomes u (and makes preceding i into u) - e.g. cufu "forgive" (from *cifiw).
    • The gerundive takes the base FaCuw- (FaCuu- before a consonant).
• Normal sandhi rules apply - e.g. sallaygu "I prayed" (from *sallay-ku).
• For quinquiliteral verbs, replace C with CaCC/CiCC (with the vowel corresponding to the bracketed one) - e.g. dhamastar, yidhamástar, yidhimistír "complete". If one of the consonants is w or y, the aforementioned simplifications apply and the unnecessary a/i is not added - e.g. targoon, yitargóon, yuturguún "translate" (from *taragwam, *yitarágwam, *yitirigwim). In forms where no simplifications can take place, however, the extra vowel is added - e.g. taragwaámi "translator".

Syntax

Constituent order

Primarily SOV