Peshpeg

Introduction

The Peshpeg language, or Agalaion Kirmon Peshpega ("the way true humans speak"), is a seriously endangered language in the valleys of the Kilmay Rī Mountains and the prefectures of south-central Minhay. The language is considered moribund: according to the last census, only about ninety fluent speakers remain, all older than sixty years. Younger generations speak only Minhast, from either the Wolf Speaker, Stone Speaker, or City Speaker dialects. Efforts to revitalize the language have been largely unsuccessful; with the exception of the City Speakers, most Minhast are either apathetic or even actively hostile to revitalization efforts. Social and economic discrimination towards the Peshpegs has only accelerated the decline of the language.

Peshpeg is classified as a language isolate. Any similarities to the Minhast language are due to language contact, with most of the influences being unidirectional; only a handful of Peshpeg words, most of them related to the fauna and flora of their original homeland, have been adopted by the Wolf Speaker and Stone Speaker dialects. However, Minhast has had an enormous impact on the Peshpeg language; close to 70% of the Peshpeg lexicon come from Minhast, the original base-10 numerical system has been supplanted by the vegisimal system of the dominant language, and the loss of certain phonemes and adoption of new ones are due to Minhast pressure on the Peshpeg language. Even the root kirm- (language) in Kirmon Peshpega is of Minhast origin. Some linguists have explored the possibility of a relationship with Golahát, another endangered, non-Minhast language, but plausible evidence for such a relationship has not been demonstrated.

Morphology

Nouns

Peshpeg nouns fall into one of four declensions, based on the shape and/or behaviour of the nominal root. Four cases are recognized, although the second and fourth declensions are defective. Irregularities are common.

Case	Noun Classes
	First Declension		Second Declension		Third Declension		Fourth Declension
	Singulative	Plural	Singulative	Plural	Singulative	Plural	Singulative	Plural
Direct	peshpegas	peshpega	nafos	nafon	paefnes	paefne	kirs	kirm
Construct	peshpegas	peshpegan	nafnes	nafnen	pefes	pefen	kirmos	kirmon
Dative	peshpeganas	peshpegana	nafnesi		pefnas	pefna	kirmok
Oblique	peshpegas	peshpega	nafnis	nafnik	pifnis	pifnik
Meaning	man, human being		bone		tree		speech

The plural form is the unmarked form, whereas the Singulative is marked with the suffix -s. Often this suffix elides the final consonant of the noun root.

Second declension nouns characteristically lose their final root vowel in the non-Direct cases.

Ablaut in the non-Direct cases is a feature of third declension nouns. Generally the root vowel of the noun changes to an /e/ or /ɪ,i/ if the root vowel is /a, /æ/; nevertheless, in the majority of cases the ablaut patterns must be memorized.

For all cases, the Oblique case marker is -k, or in the case of first declension nouns, -ka, but a preceding /g/ causes the affix to elide to it, as in the case of peshpega (not *peshpegka).

The fourth declension is associated with abstract nouns. Note that the Dative has merged with the Oblique.

Syntax

Constituent order

Old and Middle Peshpeg exhibited VSO order, but the modern language is now an SOV language due to Minhast influence. Because the nominative and accusative cases have merged into the direct case, word order is strict.