Sharqi

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

Introduction

Sharqi is an Ethiopian Semitic language heavily inspired by Somali.

Morphology

Pronouns

Personal Pronouns

Af Sharqi personal pronouns

	Independent		Clitic		Possessive
	Stressed	Unstressed	Subject	Object
1S	aní(ga)	an(i)	aan	ni	káy(ga)/táy(da)
2S	adí(ga)	ad(i)	aad	ki	kaág(a)/taág(a)
3SM	nusú(ga)	nus(u)	aw	—	kaẃ(ga)/taẃ(da)
3SF	nisá(da)	nis(a)	ay	—	kaád(a)/taád(a)
1P	inná(ga)	inna	ayna/aan	na	kaán(a)/taán(a)
2P	idín(ka)	idin	aydin/aad	kin	kiín(a)/tiín(a)
3P	nisín(ka)	nisin	awn/aw	—	kuún(a)/tuún(a)

Additionally, there is an impersonal subject pronoun sow used to form the pseudopassive, and a reflexive object pronoun nis used to form the reflexive and reciprocal.

Nis can also be used emphatically, in which case it takes possessive suffixes - e.g. niskayga "myself".

Verbs

Stem 1

Stem 1 is the base form of a verb. The citation form is the 3rd person singular masculine perfect.

• F-C-L 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. Sometimes unpredictable.
• 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) or [a] after C is generally dropped only if that will lead to no consonant changes - e.g. yikatabúu "they write" (not *yikadbúu).

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.

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	iFaC[a]L	iqad[a]l	iF(i)CíL	iqdíl	FaCaLku	qadalku	FaCíiLay	qadíilay	íF(a)CaL	íqdal	íF(a)CaL	íqdal
2S	tiFaC[a]L	tiqad[a]l	tiF(i)CíL	tiqdíl	FaCaLka	qadalka	FaCíiLag	qadíilag	FíCaL	qídal	tíF(i)CaL	tíqdal
3SM	yiFaC[a]L	yiqad[a]l	yiF(i)CíL	yiqdíl	FaC[a]L	qad[a]l	FaCíiLaw	qadíilaw	yíF(a)CaL	yíqdal	yíF(a)CaL	yíqdal
3SF	tiFaC[a]L	tiqad[a]l	tiF(i)CíL	tiqdíl	FaC(a)Lad	qadlad	FaCiiLaád	qadiilaád	tíF(a)CaL	tíqdal	tíF(a)CaL	tíqdal
1P	niFaC[a]L	niqad[a]l	niF(i)CíL	niqdíl	FaCaLna	qadalna	FaCíiLan	qadíilan	níF(a)CaL	níqdal	níF(a)CaL	níqdal
2P	tiFaC(a)Lúun	tiqadlúun	tiF(i)CiLúun	tiqdilúun	FaCaLkúun	qadalkúun	FaCiiLkúun	qadiilkúun	FíC(i)Lu	qídlu	tiF(i)CiLúun	tiqdilúun
3P	yiFaC(a)Lúun	yiqadlúún	yiF(i)CiLuú	yiqdilúun	FaC(a)Lúun	qadlúun	FaCiiLúun	qadiilúun	yiF(i)CiLúun	yiqdilúun	yiF(i)CiLúun	yiqdilúun

There are various modifications depending on the root consonants:

• If F is:-
  • w: i becomes u before w, with uw becoming uu before a consonant - e.g. yuwadad "he loves" (from *yiwadad).
  • y: iy becomes ii before a consonant - e.g. al tiibís "she/it does not dry" (from *tiybís).
  • Ø: preceding i becomes a in the imperfect and lengthened in the subjunctive/jussive - e.g. yaahal "it is enough" (from *yiØahal), ay yiíhal "let it not be enough" (from *yíØhal).
  • A guttural letter (G: ', h, c, x): when intervocalic, preceding short vowel assimilates to following vowel - e.g. yaxamal "he carries" (from *yixamal).
• If C is:-
  • y, yC, or Cy:
    • ay(a)/ya becomes ee - e.g. keed "he walked/went" (from *kayad).
    • yi(i) becomes ii - e.g. al tikiíd "you do not walk/go" (from *tikyíd).
    • ayii becomes ey - e.g. kéydaw "him walking/going" (from *kayíidaw).
  • w, wC, or Cw:
    • aw(a)/wa becomes oo - e.g. koon "he was/became" (from *kawan).
    • wi(i) becomes uu (and makes preceding i into u) - e.g. al tukuún "she does not become" (from *tikwín).
    • awii becomes oy - e.g. kóynaw "him being" (from *kawíinaw).
  • Ø, ØC, or CØ:
    • aØ(a)/Øa becomes aa - e.g. laag "he sent" (from *laØag).
    • Øi(i) becomes ii - e.g. al tiliíg "she doesn't send" (from *tilØíg).
    • aØii becomes ay - e.g. láygaw "him sending" (from *laØíigaw).
  • G:
    • aGii in gerundive becomes iGii - e.g. mixíiraw "him being kind/merciful"
    • When intervocalic, preceding short vowel assimilates to following vowel.
• If L is:-
  • y:
    • (a)ya becomes ay - e.g. sallayd "she prayed" (from *sallayad).
    • Final iy becomes i (ii before a consonant) - e.g. silli "pray" (from *silliy).
    • yuu becomes uu after a consonant - e.g. yinasúun "they forget" (from *yinasyúun).
    • The gerundive takes the base FaCíy- (FaCíi- before a consonant).
  • w:
    • (a)wa becomes aw - e.g. cafawd "she forgave" (from *cafwad).
    • Final iw becomes u (uu before a consonant) and makes preceding i into u - e.g. cufu "forgive" (from *cifiw).
    • wuu becomes uu after a consonant - e.g. yacafúun "they forgive" (from *yicafwúun).
    • awuu becomes ow - e.g. yiqandhówn "they get a fever" (from *yiqandhawúun).
    • iwuu becomes uu e.g. ay ticfúun "do not forgive (pl.)" (from *ticfiwúun)
    • The gerundive takes the base FaCúw- (FaCúu- before a consonant).
  • Ø:
    • aØ(a)/Øa becomes aa - e.g. nashaad "she took/lifted" (from *nashaØad).
    • Final iØ becomes i (ii before a consonant) - e.g. nishi "take/lift" (from *nishiØ).
    • Øuu becomes uu after a consonant - e.g. yinashúun "they take/lift" (from *yinashØúun).
    • aØuu becomes ow - e.g. yuwaddówn "they finish" (from *yiwaddaØúun)
    • iØuu becomes uu e.g. al tinshúun "you (pl.) do not take/lift" (from *tinshiØúun)
    • The gerundive takes the base FaCíy- (FaCíi- before a consonant).
  • G: Preceding short vowel assimilates to following vowel.
• 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, targúumaw "translate" (from *taragwam, *yitaragwam, *yitirigwím, *taragwíimaw). In forms where no simplifications can take place, however, the extra vowel is added - e.g. taragwaámi "translator".

Tenses

Compound tenses

• Present progressive: Imperfect (minus suffixes) + Perfect of -(ah)alaw - e.g. yikeed(ah)alaw "he is walking/going".
  • This is derived from the defective verb halaw "he is present" (notice that it has present meaning despite the perfect form)
• Past progressive: Imperfect (minus suffixes) + Perfect of nabar "he was present" - e.g. yikeed nabarúun "they were walking/going".

Syntax

Constituent order

Primarily SOV