Qino

Qino (native: Qino afka /ɠíno afka/) is a Cushitic conlang.

Introduction

Qino is a Cushitic language. The phonology is largely inspired by Hadda. The syntax and verbal morphology are most similar to Saho-Afar.

Morphology

Nouns

Case

Nouns (and pronouns) are declined by case.

• Absolutive: Citation form, used for the direct object of a verb, the object of most adpositions, and predicative nouns. Personal pronouns have a distinct accusative form that is used for direct objects.
• Nominative: Used for the subject of a verb. Formed as follows:
  • Absolutive ending in consonant, -a, or -o: -ú - e.g. nama "person" → namú
  • Absolutive ending in -e or -i: -í - e.g. shimmírti "bird (sing.)" → shimmirtí
  • Absolutive ending in a long vowel or -á: -n
• Genitive: Used for possession ("of") and the object of some adpositions.
  • Absolutive ending in consonant or -a: –́ i - e.g. nama → námi
  • Absolutive ending in other vowel: penultimate high tone - e.g. qino → qíno
• Dative: Used for recipient, benefactor, purpose ("to" or "for").
  • Absolutive ending in consonant or -a: -oó - e.g. nama → namoó
  • Absolutive ending in other short vowel: lengthen final vowel + final high tone - e.g. shimmírti → shimmirtií
  • Absolutive ending in long vowel: -wo
  • Independent form: oó
• Ablative: Used for source ("from").
  • Absolutive ending in consonant: -áh
  • Absolutive ending in vowel: –́ h
  • Independent form: áh
• Instrumental: Used for instrument, means, agent, cause, time.
  • Absolutive ending in consonant: -ás
  • Absolutive ending in vowel: –́ s
  • Independent form: ás
• Comitative: Used for accompaniment ("in company with").
  • Absolutive ending in consonant: -ál
  • Absolutive ending in vowel: –́ l
  • Independent form: ál
• Locative: Used for location. For more specific location, postpositions are used.
  • Absolutive ending in consonant: -ád
  • Absolutive ending in vowel: –́ d
  • Independent form: ád

Number

The citation form is unmarked for number. The singulative is formed with suffixes such as -sha, -ha, -ka, -iccha, -ta (masculine) or -ti, -itti (feminine). The plural is formed with suffixes such as -oota, -ani, -aani, -ooni, -ooCi, etc.

Pronouns

Personal Pronouns

Qino independent personal pronouns

	Absolutive	Nominative	Accusative	Genitive	Dative	Ablative	Instrumental	Comitative	Locative
1S	ana	anú	kiisha	kiíshi	kiishoó	kiisháh	kiishás	kiishál	kiishád
2SM	ata	atú	kaaha	kaáhi	kaahoó	kaaháh	kaahás	kaahál	kaahád
2SF	ati	atí	taati	taáti	taatií	taatíh	taatís	taatíl	taatíd
3SM	usa	usú	keesha	keéshi	keeshoó	keesháh	keeshás	keeshál	keeshád
3SF	ishi	ishí	teeti	teéti	teetií	teetíh	teetís	teetíl	teetíd
1Ex	una	unú	keena	keéni	keennoó	keenáh	keenás	keenál	keenád
1Inc	anáni	ananí	kiina	kiíni	kiinoó	kiináh	kiinás	kiinál	kiinád
2P	atáni	ataní	siina	siíni	siinoó	siináh	siinás	siinál	siinád
3P	isáni	isaní	koota	koóti	kootií	kootíh	kootís	kootíl	kootíd

Qino clitic personal pronouns

	Subject	Accusative 1	Accusative 2	Dative	Ablative	Instrumental	Comitative	Locative
1S	an	yi	kii	yoó	yáh	yás	yál	yád
2SM	at	ku	kaa	kuú	kúh	kús	kúl	kúd
2SF	at	tu	taa	tuú	túh	tús	túl	túd
3SM	us	ka	keesh	koó	káh	kás	kál	kád
3SF	ish	ta	teet	toó	táh	tás	tál	tád
1Ex	un	na	keen	noó	náh	nás	nál	nád
1Inc	anan	yin	kiin	yinoó	yináh	yinás	yinál	yinád
2P	atan	sin	siin	sinoó	sináh	sinás	sinál	sinád
3P	isan	tin	koot	tinoó	tináh	tinás	tinál	tinád
REF	–	ís	–	isoó	isáh	isás	isál	isád
REC	–	ol	–	oloó	oláh	olás	olál	olád

Notes:

• When there is one accusative object pronoun, either the "accusative 1" or "accusative 2" forms can be used. When there are multiple clitic objects, the final one takes the "accusative 2" form and the rest the "accusative 1" form.
• Third person clitic pronouns are often omitted. When the this occurs in oblique cases, the corresponding free postposition forms are used (oó, ák, ás, ál, and ád respectively).

Verbs

Suffix Conjugation

Most consonant-initial verbs fall into this category. Example: sheeníni "to bring".

Suffix conjugation

Infinitive					-íni				sheeníni
Active Participle					-áa				sheenáa
Passive Participle1					-án-				sheenán-
	Present Affirmative		Present Subordinate		Past Affirmative		Past Negative		Jussive/Imperative Aff.		Jussive/Imperative Neg.
1S	-á	sheená	-ó	sheenó	-é	sheené	-íne	sheeníne	-́u	sheénu	-ínu	sheenínu
2S	-tá	sheentá	-tó	sheentó	-té	sheenté	-ínte	sheenínte	-́u	sheénu	-ínu	sheenínu
3SM	-á	sheená	-ó	sheenó	-é	sheené	-íne	sheeníne	-́u	sheénu	-ínu	sheenínu
3SF	-tá	sheentá	-tó	sheentó	-té	sheenté	-ínte	sheenínte	-́tu	sheéntu	-íntu	sheeníntu
1P	-ná	sheenná	-nó	sheennó	-né	sheenné	-ínne	sheenínne	-́nu	sheénnu	-ínnu	sheenínnu
2P	-taána	sheentaána	-toóna	sheentoóna	-teéni	sheenteéni	-inteéni	sheeninteéni	-́aa	sheénaa	-ínaa	sheenínaa
3P	-aána	sheenaána	-oóna	sheenoóna	-eéni	sheeneéni	-ineéni	sheenineéni	-́aa	sheénaa	-ínaa	sheenínaa

Notes:

¹ Conjugates as an adjective.

² -t- and -n- are affected by sandhi.

Prefix Conjugation

Vowel-initial verbs. Example verb: arkíni "to see".

Prefix conjugation

Infinitive					-íni				arkíni
Active Participle					-áa				arkáa
Passive Participle					-án-				arkán-
	Present Affirmative		Present Subordinate		Past Affirmative		Past Negative		Jussive/Imperative Aff.		Jussive/Imperative Neg.
1S	-á	arká	-ó	arkó	-é	arké	-íne	arkíne	-́u	árku	-ínu	arkínu
2S	t-á	tarká	t-ó	tarkó	t-é	tarké	t-íne	tarkíne	-́u	árku	-ínu	arkínu
3SM	y-á	yarká	y-ó	yarkó	y-é	yarké	y-íne	yarkíne	y-́u	yárku	y-ínu	yarkínu
3SF	t-á	tarká	t-ó	tarkó	t-é	tarké	t-íne	tarkíne	t-́u	tárku	t-ínu	tarkínu
1P	n-á	narká	n-ó	narkó	n-é	narké	n-íne	narkíne	n-́u	nárku	n-ínu	narkínu
2P	t-aána	tarkaána	t-oóna	tarkoóna	t-eéni	tarkeéni	t-ineéni	tarkineéni	-́aa	árkaa	-ínaa	arkínaa
3P	y-aána	yarkaána	y-oóna	yarkoóna	y-eéni	yarkeéni	y-ineéni	yarkineéni	y-́aa	yárkaa	y-ínaa	yarkínaa

Syntax

Constituent order

SOV

Noun phrase

• Modifiers come before the noun being modified.
• Case endings and postpositions come at the end of a noun phrase, which often ends in a noun but may not. If it does not end in a noun, independent forms are used.