Ossamic

Ossamic
Օսըշահմմը, Ōsəšahmmə
Pronunciation	[o.sə.ˈʃaːm.mə]
Created by	Melinoë
Date	June 9th, 2026
Native to	Armenia: Lori, Tavush Georgia: Kvemo Kartli Azerbaijan: Gazakh, Aghstafa, Tovuz
Ethnicity	Ossamics
Native speakers	755 thousand (2022)
Language family	Indo-European Para-Germanic Chlesamnic High Polovic languages Ossamic
Early forms	Proto-Chlesamnic Old Thadic Ossamic
Writing systems	Armenian Latin
Official status
Recognised minority language in	Armenia Georgia
Language codes
ISO 639-3	sish

Ossamic (/ˈəʊ̯.sɑ.mɪk/; Autonym: Օսըշահմմը or Ōsəšahmmə, all /o.sə.ˈʃaːm.mə/) is a Chlesamnic language of the High Polovic branch spoken at the intersection of Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, though it is entirely unintelligible with Caucasian Polovic.

Etymology

The English name is from Byzantine /ossamiˈkos/, from /ossaˈmia/, which is from Old Ossamic Օսըշահմմը (Ōsəšahmmə), which is a compound of օսըմ (ōsəm) ("lip") + -(ը)շահմ (-(ə)šahm) (abstract noun affix)+ -մը (-mə) ("our").

Phonology

Consonants

		labial	alveolar	palatal	velar
nasal		m ⟨մ, m⟩	n ⟨ն, n⟩
stop	unvoiced	p ⟨պ, p⟩	t ⟨տ, t⟩		k ⟨ի, k⟩
	aspirated	pʰ ⟨փ, pʻ⟩	tʰ ⟨թ, tʻ⟩		kʰ ⟨ք, kʻ⟩
	voiced	b ⟨բ, b⟩	d ⟨դ, d⟩		g ⟨գ, g⟩
fricative	unvoiced	f ⟨ֆ, f⟩	s ⟨ս, s⟩	ʃ ⟨շ, š⟩	x ⟨խ, x⟩
	voiced	v ⟨վ, v⟩	z ⟨զ, z⟩	ʒ ⟨ժ, ž⟩	ɣ ⟨ղ, ġ⟩
affricate	unvoiced		t͡s ⟨ծ, c⟩	t͡ʃ ⟨ճ, č⟩
	aspirated		t͡sʰ ⟨ց, cʻ⟩	t͡ʃʰ ⟨չ, čʻ⟩
	voiced		d͡z ⟨ձ, j⟩	d͡ʒ ⟨ջ, ǰ⟩
approximant			l ⟨լ, l⟩	j ⟨յ, y⟩
trill			r ⟨ռ, ṙ⟩
tap			ɾ ⟨ր, r⟩

Vowels

	front				central		back
	unround		round
	short	long	short	long	short	long	short	long
High	i ⟨ի, i⟩	iː ⟨իհ, ih⟩	y ⟨իւ, iw⟩	yː ⟨իւհ, iwh⟩			u ⟨ու, u⟩	uː ⟨ուհ, uh⟩
Mid-high	e ⟨է, ē⟩	eː ⟨էհ, ēh⟩	ø ⟨էւ, ēw⟩	øː ⟨էւհ, ēwh⟩	ə ⟨ը, ə⟩	əː ⟨ըհ, əh⟩	o ⟨օ, ō⟩	oː ⟨օհ, ōh⟩
Mid-low	ɛ ⟨ե, e⟩	ɛː ⟨եհ, eh⟩	œ ⟨եւ, ew⟩	œː ⟨եւհ, ewh⟩			ɔ ⟨ո, o⟩	ɔː ⟨ոհ, oh⟩
Low							ɑ ⟨ա, a⟩	ɑː ⟨ահ, ah⟩

Morphology

Ossamic makes a clear distinction between roots and stems, with roots being the shortest common piece of any term between all its forms, whereas stems are the shortest forms of a word used directly in inflection, to make this distinction clearer, an example is խըռնենըմ, with the root խըռն֊, and the stem խըռնե֊, the root is general and is used as the basis of all forms, whereas the stem is specific to the verbal forms and derivatives therefrom.

Nouns

Ossamic nouns decline on several categories, those being case, number, and possessor. Some nouns can take marking for animacy, using ըմ֊ (əm-) to mark the inanimate.

Components

Possession

Nouns decline for possessor, with the possessor being marked through a clitic pronoun that declines according to an irregular ə-type pattern.

Possessive markers

	singular	plural
1st	֊մը -mə	֊միւ -miw
2nd	֊զը -zə	֊զիւ -ziw
3rd	֊սը -sə	֊սիւ -siw

ə/iw-type

	singular	plural
nominative	֊ը -ə	֊իւ -iw
accusative	֊ըմ -əm	֊ընիւմ -əniwm
allative	֊ըհռ -əhṙ	֊ընիւհռ -əniwhṙ
genitive	֊ուտ -ut	֊ընիւտ -əniwt
ablative	֊իճ -ič	֊ընայճ -ənayč
dative	֊ըհ -əh	֊ընիւհ -əniwh
instrumental	֊ու -u	֊ընիւ -əniw
comitative	֊ոմ -om	֊ընեւմ -ənewm

Endings

There are two main patterns, the ə-type and the i-type.

Ə

ə-type endings

	singular	plural
nominative	֊ը -ə	֊ընե -əne
accusative	֊ըմ -əm	֊ընեմ -ənem
allative	֊ըհռ -əhṙ	֊ընեհռ -ənehṙ
genitive	֊ուտ -ut	֊ընիւտ -əniwt
ablative	֊իճ -ič	֊ընայճ -ənayč
dative	֊ըհ -əh	֊ընեհ -əneh
instrumental	֊ու -u	֊ընիւ -əniw
comitative

ə-type

	վիլֆը (vilfə)		յիգը (yigə)		խիւնզը (xiwnzə)		endings
	singular	plural	singular	plural	singular	plural
nominative	վիլֆը vilfə	վիլֆընե vilfəne	յիգը yigə	յիգընե yigəne	խիւնզը xiwnzə	խիւնզընե xiwnzəne
accusative	վիլֆըմ vilfəm	վիլֆընեմ vilfənem	յիգըմ yigəm	յիգընեմ yigənem	խիւնզըմ xiwnzəm	խիւնզընեմ xiwnzənem
allative	վիլֆըհռ vilfəhṙ	վիլֆընեհռ vilfənehṙ	յիգըհռ yigəhṙ	յիգընեհռ yigənehṙ	խիւնզըհռ xiwnzəhṙ	խիւնզընեհռ xiwnzənehṙ
genitive	վիլֆուտ vilfut	վիլֆընիւտ vilfəniwt	յիգուտ yigut	յիգընիւտ yigəniwt	խիւնզուտ xiwnzut	խիւնզընիւտ xiwnzəniwt
ablative	վիլֆիճ vilfič	վիլֆընայճ vilfənayč	յիգիճ yigič	յիգընայճ yigənayč	խիւնզիճ xiwnzič	խիւնզընայճ xiwnzənayč
dative	վիլֆըհ vilfəh	վիլֆընեհ vilfəneh	յիգըհ yigəh	յիգընեհ yigəneh	խիւնզըհ xiwnzəh	խիւնզընեհ xiwnzəneh
instrumental	վիլֆու vilfu	վիլֆընիւ vilfəniw	յիգու yigu	յիգընիւ yigəniw	խիւնզու xiwnzu	խիւնզընիւ xiwnzəniw
comitative	վիլֆոմ vilfom	վիլֆընեւմ vilfənewm	յիգոմ yigom	յիգընեւմ yigənewm	խիւնզոմ xiwnzom	խիւնզընեւմ xiwnzənewm	֊ոմ -om	֊ընեւմ -ənewm

I-type

i-type endings

	singular	plural
nominative	֊ի -i	֊այնի -ayni
accusative	֊իմ -im	֊այնիմ -aynim
allative	֊իհռ -ihṙ	֊այնիհռ -aynihṙ
genitive	֊իտ -it	֊այնիտ -aynit
ablative	֊իճ -ič	֊այնիճ -aynič
dative	֊եհ -eh	֊այնեհ -ayneh
instrumental	֊ի -i	֊այնի -ayni
comitative	֊եմ -em	֊այնեմ -aynem

i-type

	ըվի (əvi)		սինի (sini)		մըռի (məṙi)
	singular	plural	singular	plural	singular	plural
nominative	ըվի əvi	ըվայնի əvayni	սինի sini	սինայնի sinayni	մըռի məṙi	մըռայնի məṙayni
accusative	ըվիմ əvim	ըվայնիմ əvaynim	սինիմ sinim	սինայնիմ sinaynim	մըռիմ məṙim	մըռայնիմ məṙaynim
allative	ըվիհռ əvihṙ	ըվայնիհռ əvaynihṙ	սինիհռ sinihṙ	սինայնիհռ sinaynihṙ	մըռիհռ məṙihṙ	մըռայնիհռ məṙaynihṙ
genitive	ըվիտ əvit	ըվայնիտ əvaynit	սինիտ sinit	սինայնիտ sinaynit	մըռիտ məṙit	մըռայնիտ məṙaynit
ablative	ըվիճ əvič	ըվայնիճ əvaynič	սինիճ sinič	սինայնիճ sinaynič	մըռիճ məṙič	մըռայնիճ məṙaynič
dative	ըվեհ əveh	ըվայնեհ əvayneh	սինեհ sineh	սինայնեհ sinayneh	մըռեհ məṙeh	մըռայնեհ məṙayneh
instrumental	ըվի əvi	ըվայնի əvayni	սինի sini	սինայնի sinayni	մըռի məṙi	մըռայնի məṙayni
comitative	ըվեմ əvem	ըվայնեմ əvaynem	սինեմ sinem	սինայնեմ sinaynem	մըռեմ məṙem	մըռայնեմ məṙaynem

Adjectives

Adjectives must agree fully for case and number, and must match the stem type.

positive

Positive	ə-type		i-type
	singular	plural	singular	plural
nominative	֊ե -e	֊եհնե -ehne	֊այ -ay	֊այհնայ -ayhnay
accusative	֊եմ -em	֊եհնեմ -ehnem	֊այմ -aym	֊այհնայմ -ayhnaym
allative	֊եհռ -ehṙ	֊եհնեհռ -ehnehṙ	֊այհռ -ayhṙ	֊այհնայհռ -ayhnayhṙ
genitive	֊եսուտ -esut	֊եհնեսուտ -ehnesut	֊եշիտ -ešit	֊այհնեշիտ -ayhnešit
ablative	֊եշէճ -ešēč	֊եհնեշէճ -ehnešēč	֊եշիճ -ešič	֊այհնեշիճ -ayhnešič
dative	֊եսոհ -esoh	֊եհնեսոհ -ehnesoh	֊եշոհ -ešoh	֊այհնեսոհ -ayhnesoh
instrumental	֊եսու -esu	֊եհնեսու -ehnesu	֊եշի -eši	֊այհնեշի -ayhneši
comitative	֊եսոմ -esom	֊եհնեսոմ -ehnesom	֊եշոմ -ešom	֊այհնեսոմ -ayhnesom

comparative

Positive	ə-type		i-type
	singular	plural	singular	plural
nominative	֊եշե -eše	֊եշեհնե -ešehne	֊եշայ -ešay	֊եշայհնայ -ešayhnay
accusative	֊եշեմ -ešem	֊եշեհնեմ -ešehnem	֊եշայմ -ešaym	֊եշայհնայմ -ešayhnaym
allative	֊եշեհռ -ešehṙ	֊եշեհնեհռ -ešehnehṙ	֊եշայհռ -ešayhṙ	֊եշայհնայհռ -ešayhnayhṙ
genitive	֊եշեսուտ -ešesut	֊եշեհնեսուտ -ešehnesut	֊եշեշիտ -ešešit	֊եշայհնեշիտ -ešayhnešit
ablative	֊եշեշէճ -ešešēč	֊եշեհնեշէճ -ešehnešēč	֊եշեշիճ -ešešič	֊եշայհնեշիճ -ešayhnešič
dative	֊եշեսոհ -ešesoh	֊եշեհնեսոհ -ešehnesoh	֊եշեշոհ -ešešoh	֊եշայհնեշոհ -ešayhnešoh
instrumental	֊եշեսու -ešesu	֊եշեհնեսու -ešehnesu	֊եշեշի -ešeši	֊եշայհնեշի -ešayhneši
comitative	֊եշեսոմ -ešesom	֊եշեհնեսոմ -ešehnesom	֊եշեշոմ -ešešom	֊եշայհնեշոմ -ešayhnešom

superlative

Positive	ə-type		i-type
	singular	plural	singular	plural
nominative	֊եծե -ece	֊եծեհնե -ecehne	֊եծայ -ecay	֊եծայհնայ -ecayhnay
accusative	֊եծեմ -ecem	֊եծեհնեմ -ecehnem	֊եծայմ -ecaym	֊եծայհնայմ -ecayhnaym
allative	֊եծեհռ -ecehṙ	֊եծեհնեհռ -ecehnehṙ	֊եծայհռ -ecayhṙ	֊եծայհնայհռ -ecayhnayhṙ
genitive	֊եծեսուտ -ecesut	֊եծեհնեսուտ -ecehnesut	֊եծեշիտ -ecešit	֊եծայհնեշիտ -ecayhnešit
ablative	֊եծեշէճ -ecešēč	֊եծեհնեշէճ -ecehnešēč	֊եծեշիճ -ecešič	֊եծայհնեշիճ -ecayhnešič
dative	֊եծեսոհ -ecesoh	֊եծեհնեսոհ -ecehnesoh	֊եծեշոհ -ecešoh	֊եծայհնեշոհ -ecayhnešoh
instrumental	֊եծեսու -ecesu	֊եծեհնեսու -ecehnesu	֊եծեշի -eceši	֊եծայհնեշի -ecayhneši
comitative	֊եծեսոմ -ecesom	֊եծեհնեսոմ -ecehnesom	֊եծեշոմ -ecešom	֊եծայհնեշոմ -ecayhnešom

Verbs

Verbs have evolved to a predominantly agglutinative state, and have simplified greatly from what Old Thadic is thought to have had.

Aspect

Aspects are determined by the specific verbal affix used to form the stem of the verb. Ossamic has three main aspects, these being perfective, imperfective, and causative. These endings will be given in the infinitive forms.

perfective	֊ինըմ -inəm
imperfective	֊ըժինըմ -əžinəm
causative	֊ըհնըմ -əhnəm

The imperfective and causative can be paired together, though rarely, to form the imperfective causative, marked by ֊(ը)ժըհնըմ (-(ə)žəhnəm)

The perfective aspect has two main patterns, the ay-type and the i-type.

Tense

Ossamic has four main tenses, being present, near past, general/far past, and future, though occasionally an imperfect does show up. Classical Ossamic also carries a perfect marker, though this has largely been dropped in favor of auxiliary verbs.

	plain	perfect
present	֊∅֊ -∅-	֊∅(զ)ը֊ -∅(z)ə-
near past	֊զի֊ -zi-	֊զի(զ)ը֊ -zi(z)ə-
(far) past	֊զու֊ -zu-	֊զու(զ)ը֊ -zu(z)ə-
future	֊ճի֊ -či-	֊ճի(զ)ը֊ -či(z)ə-

The imperfect is marked through the suffix ֊մի֊ (-mi-), with the perfect being ֊մի(զ)ը֊ (-mi(z)ə-).

The distinction between the near past and the past is typically one of distance, with the plain past acting more as a far past, though occasionally it acts as a general past and thus for the near past too.

The similarity between the far past and the perfect marker is due to the etymology of both, having come from a common *-δουο (*-δʷo), but the perfect affix evolved irregularly.

Voices

Ossamic has two voices, though the intransitive formations are also treated as a voice grammatically. The two true voices are the active and the passive. The active voice goes unmarked, being the default, while both the passive and intransitive are explicitly marked with ֊ըռ (-əṙ) and ֊նե֊ (-ne-) respectively. The intransitive forms solely exist in ambitransitive verbs, while the passive can exist in any verb that can be transitive. This can be seen using three different verbs:

• խըռնայնըմ (xəṙnaynəm) ("to hurt", ambitransitive):
  • active: խըռնե (xəṙne)
  • passive: խըռնեռ (xəṙneṙ)
  • intransitive: խըռնենե (xəṙnene)
• վէլնըմ (vēlnəm) ("to want", transitive):
  • active: վէլե (vēle)
  • passive: վէլեռ (vēleṙ)
• [Term?] ("", intransitive):
  • active: [Term?]

Mood

Ossamic has two moods, the indicative and subjunctive, though an imperative once existed.

indicative	֊∅֊ -∅-
subjunctive	֊մ -m
imperative†	֊սիւ -siw

Person markers

Ossamic marks subject person through a series of clitics that are identical to the clitics used for noun possession, though these are unrelated and are only identical due to inter-influence.

Subject markers

	singular	plural
1st	֊մը -mə	֊միւ -miw
2nd	֊զը -zə	֊զիւ -ziw
3rd	֊սը -sə	֊սիւ -siw

Object markers

	singular	plural
1st	ըմ֊ əm-	իւմ֊ iwm-
2nd	ըզ֊ əz-	իւզ֊ iwz-
3rd	ըս֊ əs-	իւս֊ iws-