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Seggeynni: Difference between revisions
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Seggeynni is another conlang spoken in my far-future Antarctican conworld. It developed from language contact, when [[Kämpya]] speakers settled in lands where [[ | Seggeynni is another conlang spoken in my far-future Antarctican conworld. It developed from language contact, when [[Kämpya]] speakers settled in lands where [[Nwuemer]] was spoken. Kämpya speakers were more technologically advanced than Nwuemer speakers, and Kämpya was definitely the prestige language, forming the superstrate. Most of Seggeynni's vocabulary and grammar come from Kämpya. On the other hand, Kämpya speakers intermarried extensively with the Nwuemer speaking community, and Nwuemer has exhibited a very heavy substrate effect. | ||
The language documented here is spoken approximately a century after the initial migration. The vast majority of speakers are mixed-race descendents of Kämpya and | The language documented here is spoken approximately a century after the initial migration. The vast majority of speakers are mixed-race descendents of Kämpya and Nwuemer speakers. In addition to Seggeynni, almost all have a passive command of both Nwuemer (still a common trade language in the region) and Kämpya (a liturgical language). | ||
Like | Like Nwuemer, there are many consonants which contrast secondary articulations, which affect the quality of adjacent vowels. Additionally, Seggeynni is characterised by an underlying simple syllable structure at the phonemic level, however many speakers "drop" vowels, so that consonant clusters are heard in the spoken language. For example, phonemically the name of the language is /ˈséʕkə̀jə̀nə̀jə̀/, but, except when speaking extremely carefully, most speakers pronounce it as [ˈséɠə̀iɲːì]. | ||
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===Vowels=== | ===Vowels=== | ||
The vowel system is quite similar to | The vowel system is quite similar to Nwuemer. In stressed syllables, there are 6 vowel phonemes /iː/, /uː/, /e/, /o/ and /aː/ and /ə/. | ||
As in | As in Nwuemer, the length of the vowel is more important than the quality in contrasting /iː/ and /uː/ vs. /e/ and /o/. Secondary articulation on surrounding consonants "pulls" the vowels around a fair bit. | ||
In unstressed syllables, the language has a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical_vowel_system Vertical Vowel System], only contrasting /a/ and /ə/ (however other vowels such as [i], [e], [o] and [u] are heard as allophones of /ə/, depending on the surrounding consonants). | In unstressed syllables, the language has a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical_vowel_system Vertical Vowel System], only contrasting /a/ and /ə/ (however other vowels such as [i], [e], [o] and [u] are heard as allophones of /ə/, depending on the surrounding consonants). | ||
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===Consonants=== | ===Consonants=== | ||
The consonant inventory is very similar to | The consonant inventory is very similar to Nwuemer. Kämpya's aspirated consonants became velarised in Seggeynni. | ||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
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==Telicity== | ==Telicity== | ||
Due to contact with | Due to contact with Nwuemer, Seggeynni has developed a grammatical [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telicity telicity] contrast. Atelic verbs are unmarked, and in Tone Class 1. Telic verbs are in Tone Class 2, are usually take the suffix /ɕə́ŋə́/ (usually pronounced [ɕíⁿ]). This is a grammaticalised form of the verb /ˈɕéʔŋə̀/ - "to become". | ||
For example: | For example: | ||
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/ˈjḛ̂ɲə̀mə̀ xə́ˈʎíːʔpə̀/ | /ˈjḛ̂ɲə̀mə̀ xə́ˈʎíːʔpə̀/ | ||
[ˈjîʢɲìⁿ | [ˈjîʢɲìⁿ χɘ́ˈʎíəɓə̀] | ||
enemy sleep.ATEL | enemy sleep.ATEL | ||
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/ˈjḛ̂ɲə̀mə̀ xə́ˈʎìːʔpə́-ɕə́ŋə́/ | /ˈjḛ̂ɲə̀mə̀ xə́ˈʎìːʔpə́-ɕə́ŋə́/ | ||
[ˈjêʢɲìⁿ | [ˈjêʢɲìⁿ χɘ́ˈʎìəɓíɕíⁿ] | ||
enemy sleep-TEL | enemy sleep-TEL | ||
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This (and many other similar semantic shifts) are clearly attributable to influence from | This (and many other similar semantic shifts) are clearly attributable to influence from Nwuemer, which inflects the verb root /səʔˈʎiːpə/ into atelic /səʔˈʎiːpə/ to mean "sleep", and telic /mʲaɲəʔ-səʔˈʎiːpə/ to mean "die". In Kämpya (which does not mark telicity), the verb /hléiʔp/ (cognate with /xə́ˈʎíːʔpə̀/) is only used to mean "sleep". There is a separate verb root /dôṵ/ to mean "die". However in Seggeynni, the cognate to this word /dʷḭ̂ː/ means to die insane. | ||
==Pronouns== | ==Pronouns== | ||
Like Kämpya, Seggeynni has tripartite alignment in pronouns. There is also a distinction between emphatic and non-emphatic forms of pronouns. Unlike Kämpya, there is no proximate / obviate distinction in 3rd person pronouns (null pronouns are used when Kämpya would use a proximate pronoun). | Like Kämpya, Seggeynni has tripartite alignment in pronouns. The emphatic pronouns and the ergative pronouns (also used for alienable possession) are independent words, but the others are proclitics. There is also a distinction between emphatic and non-emphatic forms of pronouns. Unlike Kämpya, there is no proximate / obviate distinction in 3rd person pronouns (null pronouns are used when Kämpya would use a proximate pronoun). | ||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
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| Accusative Emphatic || /mə́ˈjà̰/ || /ˈʎè̤sə́/ || /tɕḛ̀/ || /sə́́wə́ˈjà̰/ || /cḛ̀/ | | Accusative Emphatic || /mə́ˈjà̰/ || /ˈʎè̤sə́/ || /tɕḛ̀/ || /sə́́wə́ˈjà̰/ || /cḛ̀/ | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Genitive Inalienable || /májə́/ || / | | Genitive Inalienable || /májə́/ || /jáfə́/ || /ɥə́/ || /ⱱə́jə́/ || /jə́fə́/ | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Genitive Alienable / Ergative || /mḭ̂ː/ || /jṵ̂ː/* || /ɥô̰/ || /ⱱə́ˈjáʔ/ || /çṳ̀ː/ | | Genitive Alienable / Ergative || /mḭ̂ː/ || /jṵ̂ː/* || /ɥô̰/ || /ⱱə́ˈjáʔ/ || /çṳ̀ː/ | ||
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* /ˈɥô̰mə̀/ - used by a cleric to a layperson | * /ˈɥô̰mə̀/ - used by a cleric to a layperson | ||
* /ˈmʲṵ̂ːŋə̀/ - used by a senior cleric to refer to a junior cleric | * /ˈmʲṵ̂ːŋə̀/ - used by a senior cleric to refer to a junior cleric | ||
* / | * /tɕə́ˈjṵ̂ːdʑə̀n/ - literally "student", used by a teacher to a student | ||
* /kə́ˈçə̰̂də̀/ - literally "child", used by an adult to a child | * /kə́ˈçə̰̂də̀/ - literally "child", used by an adult to a child | ||
* /wṳ̀ː/ - literally "wife", used by a husband to a wife | * /wṳ̀ː/ - literally "wife", used by a husband to a wife | ||
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Most of these are derived from nouns, and indeed they pattern like nouns, not prononus. Notably, they take ergative-absolutive marking (with the enclitic /-zə̀wə̀/ or /-ɽə̀wə̀/ used to mark ergative case) rather than tripartite marking. | Most of these are derived from nouns, and indeed they pattern like nouns, not prononus. Notably, they take ergative-absolutive marking (with the enclitic /-zə̀wə̀/ or /-ɽə̀wə̀/ used to mark ergative case) rather than tripartite marking. | ||
==Noun Phrases== | |||
Most of the noun phrase grammar is very similar to Kämpya. This section will only discuss the differences. | |||
===Articles and Demonstratives=== | |||
Unlike Kämpya, Seggeynni has no articles. | |||
The demonstrative system is also somewhat simplified. The specialised demonstratives for something uphill or downhill from the speaker have been lost (perhaps because Seggeynni is spoken in an area that is much less hilly than Kämpya. There are now only three degrees of distance, like Japanese, or English when it still used "yonder". | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
|- | |||
! !! This !! That !! That over there | |||
|- | |||
| Pronominal || dâ̰ː || fṵ̂ː || xə́ˈɫà̤ːnə̀ | |||
|- | |||
| Adnominal (Places) || dá || *xáwə́ || *xə́ˈɫánə́ | |||
|- | |||
| Adnominal (Other cases) || dà̰ː || fṵ̀ː || xə́ˈɫà̤ːnə̀ | |||
|} | |||
* When demonstratives beginning with /x/ are used adnominally to describe places, the /x/ changes to /ʔ/ if there is another spirant phoneme in the word e.g. ˈmʲúːʔnànə̀/ [ˈmʲʉ́ən̰àⁿ] - "mountain" -> /xáwə́=ˈmʲúːʔnànə̀/ [χɑ́uˈmʲʉ́ən̰àⁿ] - "that mountain", but /ˈfò̤ɥə̀/ [ˈfòy̤ː] - "forest" -> /ʔáwə́=ˈfò̤ɥə̀/ [ʔáuˈfòy̤ː] - "that forest", not */xáwə́=ˈfò̤ɥə̀/. | |||
===Possession=== | |||
Possession is marked by the enclitic /jə/, which undergoes tonal change to indicate alienable and inalienable possession just like Kämpya /ja/ e.g. | |||
/ˈdò̰gə́=jə́ báˈwə̂nə̀/ | |||
[dò̰ʢgə́i ˈbâṵnə̀] | |||
dog=GEN.INALIENABLE bone | |||
"The dog's bone" (in it's body) | |||
vs. | |||
/ˈdô̰gə̀=jə̀ báˈwə̂nə̀/ | |||
[dô̰ʢgə̀i ˈbâṵnə̀] | |||
dog=GEN.ALIENABLE bone | |||
"The dog's bone" (e.g. that it's chewing on, burying etc.) | |||
==Mood/Evidentiality== | |||
This also works in the exact same way as Kämpya, with particles that are mostly cognate. These have reduced forms which are used as clitics to mark a sentence for mood/evidentiality, and also full forms which are responses to polar questions. | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
|- | |||
! Mood / Evidential !! Clitic Form !! Full Form !! Etymology | |||
|- | |||
| Negative || ɲawə || náˈwə̰̂ || English "no" | |||
|- | |||
| Necessitative || gʷa || góʔ || English "gotta" | |||
|- | |||
| Optative || wana || ˈwóʔnà || English "wanna" | |||
|- | |||
| Conditional || wədə || ˈwə̰̂də̀ || English "would" | |||
|- | |||
| Hypothetical || fəjə || fə́ˈjə̰̂ || English "if" | |||
|- | |||
| Direct || Unmarked || Repeat Verb || N/A | |||
|- | |||
| Reportative || sfajə|| sˤáˈjə̰̂ || English "say" | |||
|- | |||
| Inferential || ɟə || ɟè̤ || English "guess" | |||
|- | |||
| Assumptive || matə || mà̤tə̀ || English "must" | |||
|- | |||
| Interrogative || dəwə || də́ˈwə̰̂ || English "do" | |||
|- | |||
| Challenging a presupposition || N/A|| páˈwə̤̀ || Thai /plàu/ | |||
|} | |||
==Verb Subordination== | |||
This is done in the same way as Kämpya. The particles used are: | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
|- | |||
! Particle !! Normal !! Emphatic | |||
|- | |||
| Intransitive || səjə || jə̤̀tə̀ | |||
|- | |||
| Accusative || nə || nô̰ | |||
|- | |||
| Ergative || nəja || ɲâ̰ː | |||
|} | |||
==Comparative Constructions == | |||
This is done exactly the same as Kämpya, using the postpositional clitic /tfapə/ (often shortened to [tfaʔ]), meaning "above". | |||
[[Category:Languages]] | |||
[[Category:Seggeynni]] | |||