User:Ceige/Proto-Kamut: Difference between revisions

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(Added two sets of numerals)
(→‎Late Proto-Kamut Spacial Cases: added some more cases coz #yolo. Also explained equative vs essive.)
 
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==== Late Proto-Kamut Spacial Cases ====
==== Late Proto-Kamut Spacial Cases ====
This case system arose through the agglutination of case markers; this specific set survives in the core Kamut branch. There existed more beyond these, like those in the Ayut branch (-əməiənəu and -əməiənət; -minu and -minta). These are just examples.
This case system arose through the agglutination of case markers; this specific set survives in the core Kamut branch. There existed more beyond these, like those in the Ayut branch (-minu and -minət; -minu and -minta). These are just examples.


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
Line 50: Line 50:
! Case !! Singular !! Dual !! Plural !! Usage
! Case !! Singular !! Dual !! Plural !! Usage
|-
|-
| Locative || -əməi || -ikəməi || -itəməi || at
| Locative || -mi || -ikmi || -itmi || at
|-
|-
| Ablative || -əmət || -ikəmət || -itəmət || from
| Ablative || -mət || -ikmt || -itmt || from
|-
|-
| Inessive || -əməiən || -ikəməiən || -itəməiən || in
| Inessive || -min || -ikmin || -itmin || in
|-
|-
| Illative || -əməiənən || -ikəməiənən || -itəməiənən || into
| Illative₁ || -minu || -ikminu || -itminu || into
|-
|-
| Instrumental || -əməiək || -ikəməiək || -itəməiək || by means of
| Elative₁ || -minət || -ikminət || -itminət || outwards
|-
|-
| Dative || -əməu || -ikəməu || -itəməu || to, for, at
| Illative₂ || -minən || -ikminən || -itminən || into
|-
|-
| Allative || -əməuət || -ikəməuət || -itəməuət || to, towards
| Instrumental || -mik || -ikmik || -itmik || by means of
|-
|-
| Exessive || -əməuən || -ikəməuən || -itəməuən || out, outside of
| Dative || -mu || -ikmu || -itmu || to, for, at
|-
|-
| Elative || -əməuənən || -ikəməuənən || -itəməuənən || outwards
| Allative || -mut || -ikmut || -itmut || to, towards
|-
|-
| Prosecutive || -əməuək || -ikəməuək || -itəməuək || by way of
| Exessive || -mun || -ikmun || -itmun || out, outside of
|-
| Elative₂ || -munən || -ikmunən || -itmunən || outwards
|-
| Prosecutive || -muk || -ikmuk || -itmuk || by way of
|-
| Equative || -tut || -iktut || -ittut || like, as
|-
| Essive || -tun || -iktun || -ittun || to be
|-
| Abessive || -tək || -iktək || -ittət || without, -less
|}
|}
Some etymological notes on -tut vs -tun: it is believed that -tut was used basically to say "to the party, [I am] from (related to) it", while -tun was used to say "to the party, [I am] of (part of it) it", where "party" means "a selection made using the partitive case". Thus, the mechanics are essentially to make a selection, use -u (dative) to point to it, and then state one's affiliation to it (-t-u-(t/n)).
With time, however, the meanings drifted, with -tut becoming an equative and giving an impression of similarity or being a member of a larger group, and with -tun becoming an essive and giving an impression of essence.


==== Additional Cases ====
==== Additional Cases ====

Latest revision as of 14:38, 19 October 2014

Grammar

Nouns

Early Proto-Kamut Abstract Cases

Case Singular Dual Plural Semantic Range
Absolutive -ikə -itə [nom/abs]
Objective -əm -ikəm -itəm [acc/dat]
Genitive -ən -ikən -itən [gen/nom]
Nominative -əp -ikəp -itəp [nom/erg]
Partitive -ət -ikət -itət [abl/par/gen/top]
Instrumental -ək -ikək -itək [ins/loc]
Locative -əi -ikəi -itəi [loc/ins]
Dative -əu -ikəu -itəu [dat/all]

Late Proto-Kamut Abstract Cases

Case Singular Dual Plural Semantic Range
Absolutive -ik -it [nom/abs]
Objective -əm -ikəm -itəm [acc/dat/ben]
Genitive -ən -ikən -itən [gen/nom/ben]
Topic -ət -ikət -itət [nom/erg]
Nominative -əpə -ikəpə -itəpə [nom/erg]
Ablative -ətə -ikətə -itətə [abl/par/gen/ben]

Late Proto-Kamut Spacial Cases

This case system arose through the agglutination of case markers; this specific set survives in the core Kamut branch. There existed more beyond these, like those in the Ayut branch (-minu and -minət; -minu and -minta). These are just examples.

Case Singular Dual Plural Usage
Locative -mi -ikmi -itmi at
Ablative -mət -ikmt -itmt from
Inessive -min -ikmin -itmin in
Illative₁ -minu -ikminu -itminu into
Elative₁ -minət -ikminət -itminət outwards
Illative₂ -minən -ikminən -itminən into
Instrumental -mik -ikmik -itmik by means of
Dative -mu -ikmu -itmu to, for, at
Allative -mut -ikmut -itmut to, towards
Exessive -mun -ikmun -itmun out, outside of
Elative₂ -munən -ikmunən -itmunən outwards
Prosecutive -muk -ikmuk -itmuk by way of
Equative -tut -iktut -ittut like, as
Essive -tun -iktun -ittun to be
Abessive -tək -iktək -ittət without, -less

Some etymological notes on -tut vs -tun: it is believed that -tut was used basically to say "to the party, [I am] from (related to) it", while -tun was used to say "to the party, [I am] of (part of it) it", where "party" means "a selection made using the partitive case". Thus, the mechanics are essentially to make a selection, use -u (dative) to point to it, and then state one's affiliation to it (-t-u-(t/n)).

With time, however, the meanings drifted, with -tut becoming an equative and giving an impression of similarity or being a member of a larger group, and with -tun becoming an essive and giving an impression of essence.

Additional Cases

These cases do not follow symmetry or fit in a traditional paradigm.

Case Singular Dual Plural Usage
Locative-Genitive -mien -ngien -nien of a place, hailing from

The additional cases are more derivational than inflectional. While they can be used inflectionally, cases like the LOG/GEN -mien are lessed used in inflection where the genitive or locative would be better, and are instead used in things like adjectives and nouns more often (-mien in particular might translate to -ian or -ese).

Combined Cases

Case Singular Dual Plural Usage
Absolutive -V -(i)k -(i)t [nom/abs]
Objective -(e)m -(i)k(em) -(i)t(em) [acc/dat/ben]
Genitive -(e)n -(i)ken -(i)ten [gen/nom/ben]
Nominative -(e)p -(i)kep -(i)tep [nom/erg]
Dialectal Nominative -(e)pa -(i)ppa/kka -(i)ppa [nom/erg]
Ablative -(e)ta -(i)kka -(i)tta [abl/par/gen/ben]
Locative -mi -ngi -ni at, with
Ablative -mit -ngit -nit from
Inessive -min -ngin -nin in
Illative -minen -nginen -ninen into
Instrumental -mik -ngik -nik by means of
Dative -mu -ngu -nu to, for, at
Allative -mut -ngut -nut to, towards
Exessive -mun -ngun -nun out, outside of
Elative -munen -ngunen -nunen outwards
Prosecutive -muk -nguk -nuk by way of
Locative-Genitive -mien -ngien -nien of a place, hailing from

In total, there are approximately 15-17 cases (45-51 declension items), depending on who is describing the language.

Nominalisation of Phrases

An entire phrase in Kamut can be nominalised using -(a)no. This has been noted as a similarity between Kamut and Japanese (-no), although others have explained it as being an ablauted emphatic form of the Genitive ending.

Thus, kamungunen ano (bear-du-obl-ela nmz) = "the thing about exiting the two bears".

Alternatively, -(u)va exists, although this is used as a quotation and question marker amongst other uses. This can be clarified by prosody (questions have a change in pitch) or by context and judgement calls by the listener.

Kamunienami va... = "as for that thing you said about being with the Kamut people...".

Verbs

The default form of the verb is tyically given an aorist-indicative TAM assignment.

Personal Endings

Person Singular Dual Plural Usage
First Person Strong -mi -miik -miit
First Person Weak -mi -viik -viit
First Person Proximal -kə -kəik -kəit
Non-First Person Person Strong -tə -təik -təit
Non-First Person Person Medial -sə -səik -səit
Fourth Person Traditioanl -nə -nəik -nəit
Third Person Distal -ənə -ənəik -ənəit

Vocabulary

Numerals

Apart from the singular, dual and plural numbers, the proto-language also possessed multiple sets of numerals for counting. These were suffixed variously, with -ti and -ma being popular. Furthermore, these suffixes could be combined with the partitive, both for simply counting individuals, and for making note of how many individuals formed a collective. This thus yielded -tit and -mat.

The two main attested sets of numerals are called the "Herder" and "Traveller" numerals respectively. The defining characteristics of the two are that Herder numerals can be quite long and rhythmic, while Traveller numerals are often two to three morae long, and having more patterns; however, both sets of numbers appear to share a tendency to internally derive new numbers and avoid unique roots.

It became common in later stages of the proto-language to mix number sets with each other and with loaned number sets too.

Herder Numerals

Numeral Proto-Form Later forms Etymology Explanation
1 (s)in- sinni, simma si-(i)n- "one"
2 n(i)ik- niksi, ninga (i)n-ik- "two ones"
3 til- tilli, tilma (i)t-il-* "with plural"
4 tuk- tuksi, tunga tu-k- "with two"
5 intukak- innukaksi, innukanga (s)in-tuk-ək- "one with four"
6₁ tilik- tiliksi, tilinga til-ik- "two threes"
6₂ n(i)ikitil- niitilli, niitilma n(i)ik-i-til- "three by two"
7 tiltuk- tilluksi, tillunga til-tuk- "three-four"
8 tukik- tukiksi, tukinga tuk-ik- "two fours"
9₁ inəkänlä ingälläsi, ingälläma (s)in-ək-än-lä (nikikək)- "(ten) not with one"
9₂ inətək- innaksi, innanga (s)in-ət-ək- (nikikək)- "(ten) without one"
10 nikikək- niikaksi, niikanga n(i)ik-i-((s)in-tu)k-ək- "five by two"

Numerals beyond 5 are less regularly attested.

Traveller Numerals

Numeral Proto-Form Explanation
1 ipti ipsi "one"
2 (i)pikti (i)piksi "two-ones"
3 mitti mitsi "three"
4 jotti jotsi "four"
5 tipti tipsi "five"
6 maikti maiksi "two-threes"
7 nopti nopsi "seven"
8 jaukti jauksi "two-fours"
9 qapti qapsi "nine"
10₁ tipikti tipiksi "ten"
10₂ tupukti tuuksi "ten"

References and Notes