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 stem (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.
• 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. yikatabúun "they write" (not *yikadbúun).
• If the vowel in the bracket has an acute accent, that means it takes the accent if it is present, otherwise the preceding vowel (indicated with a grave accent) takes the accent.
• 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.
• In the second person plural imperfect, sandhi applies to -k-.

Stem 1

Infinitive (m.)					FáC(a)L(i)				qádli
Verbal Noun (f.)					màF(á)CaL/FaCLíd				máqdal/qadlíd
Agent (m.)					FaCaáli				qadaáli
Agent (f.)					FaCaalíd				qadaalíd
	Imperfect		Subjunctive		Perfect affirm.		Perfect neg.		Imperative		Jussive
1S	iFaCaL	iqadal	iF(i)CiL	iqdil	FaC(a)Lay	qadlay	FaC(a)Lan	qadlan	ìF(á)CaL	íqdal	ìF(á)CaL	íqdal
2S	tiFaCaL	tiqadal	tiF(i)CiL	tiqdil	FaC(a)Lag	qadlag			FíCaL	qídal	tìF(á)CaL	tíqdal
3SM	yiFaCaL	yiqadal	yiF(i)CiL	yiqdil	FaC(a)Law	qadlaw			yìF(á)CaL	yíqdal	yìF(á)CaL	yíqdal
3SF	tiFaCaL	tiqadal	tiF(i)CiL	tiqdil	FaC(a)Lad	qadlad			tìF(á)CaL	tíqdal	tìF(á)CaL	tíqdal
1P	niFaCaL	niqadal	niF(i)CiL	niqdil	FaC(a)Lan	qadlan			nìF(á)CaL	níqdal	nìF(á)CaL	níqdal
2P	tiFaC(a)Lúun	tiqadlúun	tiF(i)CiLúun	tiqdilúun	FaCaLkúun	qadalkúun			FìC(á)Lo	qídlo	tiF(a)CaLúun	tiqdalúun
3P	yiFaC(a)Lúun	yiqadlúun	yiF(i)CiLúun	yiqdilúun	FaC(a)Lúun	qadlúun			yiF(a)CaLúun	yiqdalúun	yiF(a)CaLúun	yiqdalúun

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. al yuudid "he does not love" (from *yiwdid).
    • The sequence uwa is further simplified to oo - e.g. yoodad "he loves" (from *yuwadad < *yiwadad).
  • y:
    • iy becomes ii before a consonant - e.g. al tiibis "she/it does not dry" (from *tiybis).
    • The sequence iya is simplified to ee - e.g. teebas "she/it dries" (from *tiyabas).
  • 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. keedaw "he walked/went" (from *kaydaw).
    • yi(i) becomes ii - e.g. al tikiid "you do not walk/go" (from *tikyid).
  • w, wC, or Cw:
    • aw(a)/wa becomes oo - e.g. koonaw "he was/became" (from *kawnaw).
    • wi(i) becomes uu (and makes preceding i into u) - e.g. al tukuun "she does not become" (from *tikwin).
  • Ø, ØC, or CØ:
    • aØ(a)/Øa becomes aa - e.g. laagay "I sent" (from *laØgay).
    • Øi(i) becomes ii - e.g. al tiliig "she doesn't send" (from *tilØig).
    • When intervocalic, preceding short vowel assimilates to following vowel.
• If L is:-
  • y:
    • (a)ya becomes ay - e.g. sallayd "she prayed" (from *sallayad)
    • (a)yay becomes eey - e.g. salleey "I prayed" (from *sallayay).
    • 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).
  • w:
    • (a)wa becomes aw - e.g. cafawd "she forgave" (from *cafwad).
    • (a)way becomes ooy - e.g. cafooy "I forgave" (from *cafway).
    • 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)
  • Ø:
    • aØ(a)/Øa becomes aa - e.g. nashaad "she took/lifted" (from *nashaØad).
    • Final iØ becomes i (ii before a consonant) - e.g. níshi "take/lift" (from *níshiØ).
    • 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)
  • G: Preceding short vowel assimilates to following vowel.
• Normal sandhi rules apply - e.g. sallaygúun "you (pl.) prayed" (from *sallay-kúun).
• For quinquiliteral verbs, replace C with CaCC/CiCC (with the vowel corresponding to the bracketed one) - e.g. dhamastar, yidhamastar, yidhimistir "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, yuturguun, targoomaw "translate" (from *taragwam, *yitaragwam, *yitirigwim, *taragwamaw). 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 and with final accent) + Perfect of -(ah)alaw - e.g. yikeéd(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 and with final accent) + Perfect of nabar "he was present" - e.g. yikeéd nabrúun "they were walking/going".

Syntax

Constituent order

Primarily SOV. However, clitic object pronouns follow the verb.