Far East Semitic

Inspiration: Old Chinese, Heleasic

Family tree

• Proto-Far East Semitic (~ 500 AD)
  • literally read Hmoob gib, possibly with tones? (greeting: Schlaub lag!)
  • hyperconservative Far East Semitic

Phonology

Consonants:

• p b t ṭ d k q g ħ ʕ -> pʰ b tʰ t d kʰ k g x ɣ~ɢ
• m n l r w y -> m n l r w y
• θ θ̣ ð s ṣ z ś ṣ́ š x ɣ h -> θ θ ð s ts z~dz l̥ l̥~ts (from koineization) š qʰ q h

Vowels: i ɨ u e ə o a

Grammar

Verbs

As in English, Far East Semitic verbs are analytic with some vestigial ablaut; participial and verbnoun forms are common, as in modern Aramaic dialects.

Derivations that correspond to binyanim in other Semitic languages are more concatenative:

• G-stem: xtab, xtib
• D-stem: kʰətʰab
• N-stem: nə·xtab
• S-stem: šə·xtab
• t-stems: tə·xtab

the pa'al / pi'el distinction surfaces as initial clusters vs minor syllables

particles for aspects like Wdm (mɨn for perfect tense etc)

Inflection

bə xtib an = I write

min xtib an = I wrote

ðia xtib an = I will write