Suwáá/Wordlist

From Linguifex
Revision as of 03:06, 30 December 2015 by IlL (talk | contribs) (→‎Verbs)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

The Azzanic languages are a family of consonantal-root languages spoken on the Wiebian subcontinent, as well as on a set of islands off of the North Wiebian Sea, including Tergetian, ʔAškāsīnių (čegānų ʔAškāsīnių) and Rozzino. This family is speculated to have been part of a sprachbund connected to the Talsmic languages. They are descended from Proto-Azzanic (PAzz).

Origin

The Azzanic languages bear the name of the legendary hero Azàn, reconstructed as *ʔAzzānum, to whom Tergetians and ʔAškāsīnians trace their descent.

Phylogeny

ʔAškāsīnių in particular is extremely conservative, distinguishing between all 28 consonants of Proto-Azzanic.

Phonology

Consonants

Proto-Azzanic is reconstructed with 28 consonants.

Proto-Azzanic reconstructed consonants
Labial Denti-alveolar Retroflex Palatal Velar Uvular Glottal
central lateral
Nasal *m *n
Plosive plain *p *t *ṭ *k *q
voiced *b *d *ḍ *g
Fricative voiceless *þ *s *h
voiced *ð *z
Affricate plain *c
voiced *ʒ́
Approximant *w *y
Liquid *r *l

Consonant correspondences

PAzz *p *b *t *d *s *z *c *ʒ́ *ṭ *ḍ *k *g *q *m *n *l *r *y *w *h
Tergetian p b t d t d s z s z ś ź ŧ đ c g q ġ m n l r ˀ, coloring f, coloring ˀ ˀ
Rozzino p b t d f v s ż z ż sci sgi ci gi ci gi c(h) g(h) qu gu m n l r gi, coloring v, coloring [ʔ] h [ʔ]
ʔAškāsīnių f b t d þ ð s z c dz š ž č k g q ʕ m n l r j v ʔ h

Vowels

Similar to Baltic:

Front Back
Close *i *ī *u *ū
Mid
Open *e *ē *a *ā
Diphthongs *ey *ew *ay *aw

Suprasegmentals

Stress fell on the first heavy (CVː or CVC) syllable (the last syllable was disregarded); in the absence of a heavy syllable, the stress fell on the first syllable.

Phonotactics

Grammar

Proto-Azzanic had Philippine alignment as does Rozzino and ʔAškāsīnių. Verb-initial clauses were the norm as in Semitic and Austronesian languages.

Nouns

Nouns and adjectives declined for three cases: direct, indirect and genitive.

Verbs

Verbs had an extensive trigger system marked by various binyanim. Verbs also inflected for the tense and subject (the argument in the direct case).

Syntax