Sharqi

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

Introduction

Sharqi is basically a Semitic Somali. More accurately, it 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	TBD	TBD	TBD	-aw/-hu	káw(ga)/táw(da)	-aw/hu
3SF	TBD	TBD	TBD	-(h)aa	káa(ga)/táa(da)	-(h)aa
1P	nixna (?)	TBD	aan	-(a)n	kán(na)/tán(na)	-(a)n
2P	TBD	TBD	aad	-kun	kugún(na)/tugún(na)	-kun
3P	TBD	TBD	TBD	-(h)un	kún(na)/tún(na)	-(h)un
IMP	–	–	so	–	–

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.
• 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) after C is 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.

(Note: The tones in the perfect and imperfect will most likely be removed, but I'm leaving them here for now in case I decide to keep them)

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	FaCáLku	qadálku	FaCiLay	qadilay	íF(a)CaL	íqdal	íF(a)CaL	íqdal
2S	tiFáC[a]L	tiqád[a]l	tiF(i)CíL	tiqdíl	FaCáLka	qadálka	FaCiLag	qadilag	FíCaL	qídal	tíF(i)CaL	tíqdal
3SM	yiFáC[a]L	yiqád[a]l	yiF(i)CíL	yiqdíl	FáC[a]L	qád[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)Lád	qadlád	FaCiLaa	qadilaa	tíF(a)CaL	tíqdal	tíF(a)CaL	tíqdal
1P	niFáC[a]L	niqád[a]l	niF(i)CíL	niqdíl	FaCáLna	qadálna	FaCiLan	qadilan	níF(a)CaL	níqdal	níF(a)CaL	níqdal
2P	tiFaC(a)Luú	tiqadluú	tiF(i)CiLuú	tiqdiluú	FaCaLkuú	qadalkuú	FaCiLkun	qadilkun	FíC(i)Luu	qídluu	tiF(i)CíLuu	tiqdíluu
3P	yiFaC(a)Luú	yiqadluú	yiF(i)CiLuú	yiqdiluú	FaC(a)Luú	qadluú	FaCiLun	qadiilun	yíF(i)CiLuu	yíqdiluu	yiF(i)CíLuu	yiqdíluu

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, yidhamastar, 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, yitargoon, yuturguún "translate" (from *taragwam, *yitaragwam, *yitirigwim). In forms where no simplifications can take place, however, the extra vowel is added - e.g. taragwaámi "translator".

Syntax

Constituent order

Primarily SOV