Tsimulh languages

From Linguifex
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Tsimulh languages/Lexicon

The Tsimulh languages (Eevo: bo brits Tsimyx, Rhythoed: fi imbrits Tsimăł, from Sacred Swutsim ciməσ, 'tribe', pl. of ʔiməσ 'tribesman') are a Trician language family mainly spoken in Txapoalli. The proto-language is Proto-Tsimulh, which is inspired by Bantu, Old Chinese, and the Salish languages.

Todo

  • -s: past tense, genitive
  • -əσ: some adjectival suffix
  • t-...-t for abstract nouns
  • -iyad = augmentative
  • Reduplication
  • relativizer/relative forms for verbs
  • m n > Sf. v dh? (-tsiv in Talman Swutsim ~ Tsimulh?)
  • N.tugəŋ = water (as a liquid) - Sf. tüdjo
  • k.tugəŋ = body of water - Sf. tjtüdjo
  • Work on Talman Swutsim first
  • Some Tsimulh langs should gain liquids only to lose them again

Phylogeny

Urheimat

Somewhere in Txapoalli

Phonology

Phonotactics

Tsimulh phonotactics is dominated by CV syllables. Coda consonants are only allowed word-finally.

Any vowel may occur in roots, while vowels in prefixes and suffixes are restricted to /a ə i u/.

Consonants

A lot of consonants, but no liquids!

Bilabial Alveolar Palatal Velar Uvular Glottal
central lateral plain labialized plain labialized
Nasal m n ŋ
Stop plain p t k q ʔ
voiced b d g ɢ ɢʷ
ejective kʷʼ qʷʼ
Affricate plain c ξ
voiced z
ejective ξʼ
Fricative s σ h
Approximant y w

Vowels

4 vowels

i u ə a /i u ə a/ (+ nasal vowels?)

Tone

Proto-Tsimulh was a tonal language: Every syllable had either high or low tone. The low tone is marked with a grave accent.

Morphology

Nouns

Noun classes

Proto-Tsimulh had a noun class system like the Bantu languages. There were 12 noun classes, which are numbered as follows:

  1. ʔə́-, pl. cə́- = humans, spirits
  2. bú-, pl. də́- = animals and other things that move on their own
  3. pà-, pl. pí- = plants and mushrooms; things that grow, food
  4. sə̀-, pl. sì- = collections or large things
  5. sù-, pl. σə́- = roughly round, compact objects
  6. má-, pl. wə́- = long objects; tools, instruments, devices, food item
  7. kə̀-, pl. bí- = places, locations, slots
  8. gú-, pl. nə̀- = various... including fluids (powder, water, liquids, fire, light, waves, wind, ...)
  9. σí-, pl. wí- = time periods; events; things that are temporary (e.g. ice)
  10. tì- = abstractions, manner, way
  11. t’ímə̀- = infinitives, verbal nouns
  12. pə̀dá- = -ness, -hood

In Proto-Tsimulh, verbs and determiners agreed with their head nouns in number and noun class. The descendant Tsimulh languages can be divided into 5 types depending on the type of agreement system they have:

  • Type A: Traditional, strictly formal (e.g. Sacred Swutsim)
  • Type B: Traditional with general animate concords (e.g. Pelhyys)
  • Type C: Animacy-based SG/PL-marking (e.g. Talman Swutsim)
  • Type D: SG/PL-marking only
  • Type E: No concords at all

Cases

  • Nominative: -0
  • Genitive: -s

Possession

(Same as verbal concord affixes)

  • I = kʷə-
  • you (sg) = xʷə-
  • we = wə-
  • you (pl) = cu-
  • Noun class prefixes:
  1. ʔə́-, pl. cə́- = humans, spirits
  2. bú-, pl. də́- = animals and other things that move on their own
  3. pà-, pl. xə̀- = plants and mushrooms; things that grow
  4. sə̀-, pl. dú- = collections or large things: scʼaσ 'forest'
  5. sù-, pl. σə́- = roughly round, compact objects
  6. má-, pl. wə́- = long objects; tools, instruments, devices
  7. kə̀-, pl. yí- = places, locations, slots
  8. gú-, pl. nə̀- = various... including fluids (powder, water, liquids, fire, light, waves, wind, ...)
  9. σí-, pl. wí- = time periods; events; things that are temporary (e.g. ice)
  10. tì- = abstractions, manner, way
  11. t’ímə̀- = infinitives, verbal nouns
  12. pə̀dá- = -ness, -hood

Verbs

Noun class prefixes

TODO: Some of the class markers should be different from class markers on nouns.

  • I = kʷə-
  • you (sg) = xʷə-
  • we = wə-
  • you (pl) = cu-
  • Noun class prefixes:
  1. ʔə́-, pl. cə́- = humans, spirits
  2. bú-, pl. də́- = animals and other things that move on their own
  3. pà-, pl. xə̀- = plants and mushrooms; things that grow
  4. sə̀-, pl. dú- = collections or large things: scʼaσ 'forest'
  5. sù-, pl. σə́- = roughly round, compact objects
  6. má-, pl. wə́- = long objects; tools, instruments, devices
  7. kə̀-, pl. yí- = places, locations, slots
  8. gú-, pl. nə̀- = various... including fluids (powder, water, liquids, fire, light, waves, wind, ...)
  9. σí-, pl. wí- = time periods; events; things that are temporary (e.g. ice)
  10. tì- = abstractions, manner, way
  11. t’ím- = infinitives, verbal nouns
  12. pə̀dá- = -ness, -hood

Tense affixes

Some verbal infix, like n

Numbers

The numerals 1-9 inflected for noun class; 10 and higher units did not.

(Sacred Swutsim)

1: *-an

2: *-xʷiš

3: *-ʔiyəm

4: *-udzuq

5: *-t'uŋ

6: *-čayədz

7: *-buč'əŋ

8: *-gwiməʔ

9: *-anay

10: *-kʷ'in