Togarmite
Togarmite | |
---|---|
yn Tėrmit | |
Pronunciation | [/ən thermith/] |
Created by | – |
Setting | Irta |
Afro-Asiatic
|
Togarmite or Thermite (yn Tėrmit /ən θermiθ/ or yn lysėn Tėrmi) is a "stem-Canaanite" Semitic language. It is inspired by Hebrew, Lithuanian, Germanic languages (particularly Icelandic), Greek and Alashian, another stem-Canaanite conlang.
Modern Togarmite retains the Semitic root-and-pattern morphology of Old Togarmite, but has undergone some phonological and grammatical restructuring:
- loss of grammatical gender
- loss of the passive binyanim
- loss of the suffix conjugation except in a few verbs
- the use of the w-form (inherited from the Old Togarmite waw-consecutive) for the present progressive, mirroring English -ing < PIE *-nd-kwe
- the development of a productive concatenative verb paradigm used to form verbs from other words, analogous to Germanic weak verbs
Todo
- Dalet tet tav > ð d t (d = /d~t/, t aspirated); more of a Hivantish/Spanish/Tsarfati Hebrew aesthetic
- hað, šnejn, šlėš, arva3, mes, setš, sev3e, šmėn, teš3e, 3ešre
- Should have initial w- > j- like Hebrew and Aramaic
- Should be western European?
- A few verbs derived from historical passive binyanim, analogized so they're weak verbs
- Gzarot
- Syntax
- Declensions
- Lots of triconsonantified Greek words
- A bit more arabic isoglosses / semantic shifts in a general Arabic direction
- Much less of an English relex: more consistent do-support, progressive forms used for imperfectives and VSO as in Welsh? Most "Englishy" bits should be literal translations of idioms, phrasal verbs and pragmatics, loss of grammatical gender, intense dialectal mixing in the early modern period with what appears to be occasional random unpredictable changes, and some vocabulary and affixes
- Relex Modern Greek in places where it differs grammatically from English: yn before proper names?
- Prepositional pronouns
- more binyanim like syfȝel, asøfȝel, þasøfȝel and þystyfȝel?
- Taxonomic names get calqued into Greek
- CiCV:C > CyCVC, CaCV:C > CCVC
History
The Old Togarmite name for the language, Θėgarmīθ, is thought to have been borrowed from a pre-Togarmite source *Tāgarma. The name Togarmah from the same source is also attested in the Hebrew Bible. (The Greeks and the Romans called the Togarmite people Θηγαρμικοί and Thegarmici respectively.) The name of the language shows the Togarmite shift of Proto-Semitic ā to ė /e:/, mirroring the Canaanite shift ā > ō occuring in its close relative Hebrew.
Phonology
Consonants
Togarmite has 24 consonants, 22 of them inherited from Proto-Semitic. It gained /p=/ during the Old Togarmite stage by adapting loans from Greek, Aramaic and Persian, e.g. barkes 'to act', from Ancient Greek praxis. It also merged Old Togarmite ħ /ħ/ and h /h/ into h /h/, OTog č /tʃ/, ž and j into ž.
- m n /m n/ (PSem *m *n)
- b d g ' /p= t= k= ʔ/ ((not in PSem) *T *q *2)
- t k /th kh/ (*t *k)
- v ð γ /v ð γ/ (*b *d *g)
- f s š h /f s ʃ h/ (*p *s/*š *þ/*ś *h/*H/*x)
- z ž ȝ /z ʒ (Philly L)/ (*z *ð/*D/*Z *3/*ğ)
- c č /ts= tʃ=/ (*S (not in PSem))
- w l r j /w l r j/ (*w *l *r *w-/*j)
Vowels
Modern Togarmite has 9 vowels in stressed syllables.
a e ė i o ø u y /ɑ ɛ e i o ø u (ə)/
ei au /ɛi ɔu/
Contrastive vowel length is present from elision of h in colloquial Togarmite: møþyhanan = [mø'θa:nan] instead of /møθə'hanan/
Stress
Stress in native words is on the first syllable after the last non-word-final y.
Orthography
In addition to the Latin and Greek alphabets, Togarmite uses an abugida (a form of cursive linear Hangul) based on the Phoenician alphabet, called yn alvėt (after the first 2 letters).
The abjadi letter names: al, vėt, γam, ðal, hė, wau, zėn, žėn, dėt, jøð, kaf, lam, mėm, nun, ȝėn, fė, bė, cað, čað, gøf, rėš, sin, šin, tau
Traditional Romanization
The traditional romanization of Togarmite is very unphonetic.
- aCe for ė
- English style unetymological OSL gone crazy
- the orthography should also be templatic, gemination in weird places i.e. not necessarily related to Old Togarmite gemination
- two scripts, Latin and Greek? works like hiragana and kanji
- v for the vowel /ø/!
Dialects
Ethiopian dialect
some different vocab e.g. þėþ instead of wyhėb for 'give', døbrėn instead of þėma for 'topic'
some words can have different meanings in Ethiopian and Levantine leading to some funny misunderstandings
phonological differences ("ear" -> ødny)
a e ė i o ø u y [a e̞ ɛi i ɔ ɵ u (ə)]
ei au [ɒi ø:~øo]
a broad Ethiopian accent in Togarmite has random variation in some words like heno, šamo, šydo etc are pronounced hena, šama, šyda
-an -> -en is common in a broad Ethiopian accent (darxan -> darxen); this should typically happen only with agentives, otherwise møsaxen / møsaxan would be mixed up (that would be one of the telltale signs of a non-Ethiopian faking an accent)
Indian dialect
a e ė i o ø u y /a: e~ɪ ɛ: i o: ʊ u: ə/
ei au /ai ɔ:/
New World dialect
a e ė i o ø u y /a e ɪə i o ø u ə/ ei au /ɛi ɔu/
Pronouns
Personal
Modern Togarmite pronouns work similarly to modern Hebrew pronouns. The accusative pronouns derive from inflected foms of Old Togarmite ʔiθ (emphasis particle and accusative, related to Hebrew et and Arabic iyya-). The possessive pronouns are derived from inflected forms of Old Togarmite la-. The reflexive pronouns come from inflected forms of af 'nose'.
The semantics of hu, hi and že work like in West Country English. (Clarify)
I | thou (m.) | thou (f.) | he | she | it | we | you (pl, polite) | they | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nominative/Conjunctive | nėx | aþ | eþ | hu | hi | že | nan | aþøm | høm |
Objective/Disjunctive | þi | þax | þex | þau | þa | þež | þanė | þaxøm | þaum |
Possessive | li | lax | lex | lau | la | lež | lanė | laxøm | laum |
Reflexive/Intensive | afi | afax | afex | afau | afa | afež | afnė | afxøm | afaum |
The plural pronouns aþøm and høm can be used as gender-neutral pronouns in the singular, like English they.
Demonstrative
who? | what? | which? | where? | whither? | whence? | when? | how? | why? | how much? | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
this | žinė (sg); elinė (pl) | hė | heno | me hė | ȝeþo | hėx | ež | xėrab | ||
that | ži (sg); eli (pl) | šam | šamo | me šam | šøm | |||||
what | man | ma | ėjo | ein | eino | men ein | møran | xeix | maž | xma, marby |
all; every | xølšar | xølbar; xøl | xøl | xølein | xøleino | me xølein | xølam | xøl ør | - | - |
any | nuxšar | nuxbar | nux | nuxein | nuxeino | me nuxein | xølam | nux ør | me nux sebt | - |
some | bilšar | bilbar | bil | bilein | bileino | me bilein | ly zman; bil zman | bil ør | me bil sebt | - |
none | lėmšar | lėmbar | lėm | lėmein | lėmeino | me lėmein | lėfȝam | lėm ør | me lėm sebt | - |
Demonstratives come after nouns.
- beiþ žinė 'this house'
- kawi eli 'those lines'
Nouns
In some ways declension has simplified: Like Cubrite, Modern Togarmite has lost grammatical gender. The construct state has been lost, and the Old Togarmite definite state ʔan- has been reanalyzed as a separate definite article yn. Yn becomes ym before /m p b/.
However, declension has become more complicated in other ways. For example, Modern Togarmite has innovated more declension paradigms.
Regular declension
Most nouns have a regular plural in -i, from a conflation of Middle Togarmite absolute -in and construct -ė.
Example: ȝėlam 'world'
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
indefinite | ȝėlam | ȝėlami |
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
indefinite | lysėn | lysėni |
Segolates
These nouns come from CVCC nouns in Proto-Semitic and thus are related to segolates in Hebrew.
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
indefinite | xalb | xlabi |
Nisba nouns
An important declension class is comprised of nouns with the nisba suffix -i:
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
indefinite | þėgami | þėgamin |
Singulative-collective nouns
These nouns have a marked singular in -t.
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
indefinite | šeȝart | šeȝar |
Former feminines
This class consists of nouns that were feminine in Old Togarmite, which typically end in -t or -þ and take a plural in -ėþ:
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
indefinite | friþ | frijėþ |
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
indefinite | galt | glatėþ |
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
indefinite | þyxþøbt | þyxþøbėþ |
-a nouns
These are mainly Greek and Aramaic words.
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
indefinite | apoloža | apoložes |
Greek ending in -ma can have a plural in -mata:
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
indefinite | þėma | þėmes / þėmata |
By analogy, even native words ending in -a are declined this way:
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
indefinite | heta | hetes |
Irregulars
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
indefinite | bennės | nės |
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
indefinite | ašt | nysi |
Adjectives
Adjectives do not decline.
Degree
Adjectives have a comparative form in yn-/ym- and a superlative in xøl-:
- yn-xbur = bigger
- xølxbur = biggest
A dedicated particle šøm (cognate to Arabic þumma) is used for 'than'.
Verbs
- Past = (eroded) suffix conjugation that became analogized with the prefix present
- The y- prefix is only used when the verb directly follows the subject pronoun: nėx yxþøb 'I wrote', nėx lė xþøb 'I didn't write'.
- Present = from the bare w-form
- Imperative
- The imperative is negated with al: Xþøb! 'write!', Al xþøb! 'don't write!'
- w-form = w + stem from the 3ms suffix conjugation in the f3øl binyan, past tense but with w- for the prefix in other binyanim
- Infinitive
- Participles
- Progressive lu from *ȝalė-hu, c.f. wrthi in Welsh
The suffix conjugation does not survive unlike in most other Semitic languages, except in certain irregular verbs like fė 'to be'.
The citation form is the 2nd person singular imperative.
Binyanim
Modern Togarmite inherits all 8 binyanim of Old Togarmite. The þy- of Binyan 7 (þyfaȝel) verbs has become a productive derivational prefix, however.
Binyan 1: fȝøl
This binyan can take -ø- (e.g. xþøb 'to write'), -e- (sen 'to sleep') or -a- (tȝam 'to choose') as the theme vowel.
→ Person ↓ Tense |
1sg | 2sg | 3sg | 1pl | 2pl | 3pl |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
past; conditional | nėx yxþøb | aþ/eþ yxþøb | hu/hi xþøb | nan xþøb | aþøm xþøb | høm xþøb |
past imperfective; past subjunctive | nėx fiþ wyxþab | aþ/eþ fiþ wyxþab | hu/hi fė wyxþab | nan fu wyxþab | aþøm fu wyxþab | høm fu wyxþab |
present | nėx wyxþab | aþ/eþ wyxþab | hu/hi wyxþab | nan wyxþab | aþøm wyxþab | høm wyxþab |
present progressive | nėx lu wyxþab | aþ/eþ lu wyxþab | hu/hi lu wyxþab | nan lu wyxþab | aþøm lu wyxþab | høm lu wyxþab |
present subjunctive | nėx yxþøban | aþ/eþ yxþøban | hu/hi xþøban | nan xþøban | aþøm xþøban | høm xþøban |
future | nėx bė xþėb | aþ/eþ bė xþėb | hu bė xþėb | nan bė xþėb | aþøm bė xþėb | høm bė xþėb |
perfect | li xþub | lax/lex xþub | lau/la xþub | lanė xþub | laxøm xþub | laum xþub |
imperative | xþøb! | |||||
active participle | xėþeb | |||||
passive participle | xþub | |||||
w-form | wyxþab | |||||
infinitive | xþėb |
→ Person ↓ Tense |
1sg | 2sg | 3sg | 1pl | 2pl | 3pl |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
past; conditional | nėx ynum | aþ/eþ ynum | hu/hi num | nan num | aþøm num | høm num |
past progressive; past subjunctive | nėx fiþ wynaum | aþ/eþ fiþ wynaum | hu/hi fė wynaum | nan fu wynaum | aþøm fu wynaum | høm fu wynaum |
present | nėx wynaum | aþ/eþ wynaum | hu/hi wynaum | nan wynaum | aþøm wynaum | høm wynaum |
present progressive | nėx lu wynaum | aþ/eþ lu wynaum | hu/hi lu wynaum | nan lu wynaum | aþøm lu wynaum | høm lu wynaum |
present subjunctive | nėx ynuman | aþ/eþ ynuman | hu/hi numan | nan numan | aþøm numan | høm numan |
future | nėx bė nwėm | aþ/eþ bė nwėm | hu/hi bė nwėm | nan bė nwėm | aþøm bė nwėm | høm bė nwėm |
perfect | li num | lax/lex num | lau/la num | lanė num | laxøm num | laum num |
imperative | num! | |||||
active participle | nėwem | |||||
passive participle | num | |||||
w-form | wynaum | |||||
infinitive | nwėm |
Binyan 2: faȝel
This binyan comes from the Proto-Semitic D-stem (related to Hebrew pi33el and Arabic fa33ala)
→ Person ↓ Tense |
1sg | 2sg | 3sg | 1pl | 2pl | 3pl |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
past; conditional | nėx ysaxen | aþ/eþ ysaxen | hu/hi saxen | nan saxen | aþøm saxen | høm saxen |
past progressive; past subjunctive | nėx fiþ wysaxen | aþ/eþ fiþ wysaxen | hu/hi fė wysaxen | nan fu wysaxen | aþøm fu wysaxen | høm fu wysaxen |
present | nėx wysaxen | aþ/eþ wysaxen | hu/hi wysaxen | nan wysaxen | aþøm wysaxen | høm wysaxen |
present progressive | nėx lu wysaxen | aþ/eþ lu wysaxen | hu/hi lu wysaxen | nan lu wysaxen | aþøm lu wysaxen | høm lu wysaxen |
present subjunctive | nėx ysaxenan | aþ/eþ ysaxenan | hu/hi saxenan | nan saxenan | aþøm saxenan | høm saxenan |
future | nėx bė saxun | aþ bė saxun | hu bė saxun | nan bė saxun | aþøm bė saxun | høm bė saxun |
perfect | li møsaxan | lax/lex møsaxan | lau/la møsaxan | lanė møsaxan | laxøm møsaxan | laum møsaxan |
imperative | saxen! | |||||
active participle | møsaxen | |||||
passive participle | møsaxan | |||||
w-form | wysaxen | |||||
infinitive | saxun |
For 4-letter verbs such as parkes 'to act', the present tense is formed with the stem -C₁C₂ėC₃eC₄, like nėx yprėkes 'I act'.
Binyan 3: fėȝel
→ Person ↓ Tense |
1sg | 2sg | 3sg | 1pl | 2pl | 3pl |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
past; conditional | nėx ydėber | aþ/eþ ydėber | hu/hi dėber | nan dėber | aþøm dėber | høm dėber |
past progressive; past subjunctive | nėx fiþ wydėber | aþ/eþ fiþ wydėber | hu/hi fė wydėber | nan fu wydėber | aþøm fu wydėber | høm fu wydėber |
present | nėx wydėber | aþ/eþ wydėber | hu/hi wydėber | nan wydėber | aþøm wydėber | høm wydėber |
present subjunctive | nėx ydėberan | aþ/eþ ydėberan | hu/hi dėberan | nan dėberan | aþøm dėberan | høm dėberan |
future | nėx bė dėbur | aþ bė dėbur | hu bė dėbur | nan bė dėbur | aþøm bė dėbur | høm bė dėbur |
perfect | li mødėbar | lax/lex mødėbar | lau/la mødėbar | lanė mødėbar | laxøm mødėbar | laum mødėbar |
imperative | - | dėber! | - | - | dėberu! | - |
active participle | mødėber | |||||
passive participle | mødėbar | |||||
w-form | wydėber | |||||
infinitive | dėbur |
Binyan 4: afȝel
This binyan comes from the Proto-Semitic Š-stems thus corresponds to Hebrew hif3il and Arabic ʔaf3ala.
→ Person ↓ Tense |
1sg | 2sg | 3sg | 1pl | 2pl | 3pl |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
past; conditional | nėx ažxer | aþ/eþ ažxer | hu/hi ažxer | nan ažxer | aþøm ažxer | høm ažxer |
past progressive; past subjunctive | fiti wažxer | fit wažxer | fė wažxer | finė wažxer | fitøm wažxer | fu wažxer |
present | nėx ažėxer | aþ/eþ ažėxer | hu/hi ažėxer | nan ažėxer | aþøm ažėxeru | høm ažėxeru |
present progressive | nėx še wažxer | aþ/eþ še wažxer | hu/hi še wažxer | nan še wažxer | aþøm šu wažxer | høm šu wažxer |
present subjunctive | nėx ažxeran | aþ/eþ ažxeran | hu/hi ažxeran | nan ažxeran | aþøm ažxeran | høm ažxeran |
future | nėx bė hažxur | aþ bė hažxur | hu bė hažxur | nan bė hažxur | aþøm bė hažxur | høm bė hažxur |
perfect | li mažxar | lax/lex mažxar | lau/la mažxar | lanė mažxar | laxøm mažxar | laum mažxar |
imperative | ažxer! | |||||
active participle | mažxer | |||||
passive participle | mažxar | |||||
w-form | wažxer | |||||
infinitive | ažxur |
Binyan 5: ftyȝel
This binyan comes from the Proto-Semitic t-stem and shares similarities with the Hebrew binyan hitpa33el and Arabic ifta3ala. It is characterized by the þ- prefix that comes from the *t infix.
Meanings:
- reflexive
- reciprocal
The prefix þ metathesizes with C1 when
- C1 = f x s š c h z ž ȝ: þf þx þs þš þh þz þž þȝ > ft xt st št ct ht zd žd ȝd
- C1 = d t þ: þd þt þþ > d t þ
→ Person ↓ Tense |
1sg | 2sg | 3sg | 1pl | 2pl | 3pl |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
past; conditional | nėx yþlymed | aþ/eþ yþlymed | hu/hi þlymed | nan þlymed | aþøm þlymed | høm þlymed |
past progressive; past subjunctive | fiti wyþlymed | fit wyþlymed | fė wyþlymed | finė wyþlymed | fitøm wyþlymed | fu wyþlymed |
present | nėx yþlėmed | aþ/eþ yþlėmed | hu/hi þlėmed | nan þlėmed | aþøm þlėmed | høm þlėmed |
present progressive | nėx še wyþlymed | aþ/eþ še wyþlymed | hu/hi še wyþlymed | nan še wyþlymed | aþøm šu wyþlymed | høm šu wyþlymed |
present subjunctive | nėx yþlymedan | aþ/eþ yþlymedan | hu/hi þlymedan | nan þlymedan | aþøm þlymedan | høm þlymedan |
future | nėx bė hyþlymud | aþ bė hyþlymud | hu bė hyþlymud | nan bė hyþlymud | aþøm bė hyþlymud | høm bė hyþlymud |
perfect | li møþlymad | lax/lex møþlymad | lau/la møþlymad | lanė møþlymad | laxøm møþlymad | laum møþlymad |
imperative | yþlymed! | |||||
active participle | møþlymed | |||||
passive participle | møþlymad | |||||
w-form | wyþlymėd | |||||
infinitive | hyþlymud |
Binyan 6: eþyfȝel
This binyan comes from the Nt-stem, with the mediopassive n- marker and the reflexive/reciprocal t-marker: the stem comes from *intap3il. cf. Hebrew nitpa33el, a variant of the hitpa33el binyan and the Arabic infa3ala binyan.
→ Person ↓ Tense |
1sg | 2sg | 3sg | 1pl | 2pl | 3pl |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
past; conditional | nėx eþygdel | aþ/eþ eþygdel | hu/hi eþygdel | nan eþygdel | aþøm eþygdel | høm eþygdel |
past progressive; past subjunctive | fiti weþygdel | fit weþygdel | fė weþygdel | finė weþygdel | fitøm weþygdel | fu waþygdel |
present | nėx eþygėdel | aþ/eþ eþygėdel | hu/hi eþygėdel | nan eþygėdel | aþøm eþygėdelu | høm eþygėdelu |
present progressive | nėx še weþygdel | aþ/eþ še weþygdel | hu/hi še weþygdel | nan še weþygdel | aþøm šu weþygdel | høm šu weþygdel |
present subjunctive | nėx eþygdelan | aþ/eþ eþygdelan | hu/hi eþygdelan | nan eþygdelan | aþøm eþygdelan | høm eþygdelan |
future | nėx bė heþygdul | aþ bė heþygdul | hu bė heþygdul | nan bė heþygdul | aþøm bė heþygdul | høm bė heþygdul |
perfect | li meþygdal | lax/lex meþygdal | lau/la meþygdal | lanė meþygdal | laxøm meþygdal | laum meþygdal |
imperative | - | heþygdel! | - | - | heþygdelu! | - |
active participle | meþygdel | |||||
passive participle | meþygdal | |||||
w-form | waþygdel | |||||
infinitive | heþygdul |
Binyan 8: styfȝel
This binyan comes from the Št-stem and is directly related to the binyan istaf3ala in Arabic and the very rare binyan hishtaf3el in Biblical Hebrew. Binyan 7 tends to form verbs involving conscious decision.
→ Person ↓ Tense |
1sg | 2sg | 3sg | 1pl | 2pl | 3pl |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
past; conditional | nėx ystytȝem | aþ/eþ ystytȝem | hu/hi stytȝem | nan stytȝem | aþøm stytȝem | høm stytȝem |
past progressive; past subjunctive | fiti wystytȝem | fit wystytȝem | fė wystytȝem | finė wystytȝem | fitøm wystytȝem | fu wystytȝem |
present | nėx ystytėȝem | aþ/eþ ystytėȝem | hu/hi stytėȝem | nan stytėȝem | aþøm stytėȝem | høm stytėȝem |
present progressive | nėx še wystytȝem | aþ/eþ še wystytȝem | hu/hi še wystytȝem | nan še wystytȝem | aþøm šu wystytȝem | høm šu wystytȝem |
present subjunctive | nėx ystytȝeman | aþ/eþ ystytȝeman | hu/hi stytȝeman | nan stytȝeman | aþøm stytȝemun | jystytȝemun |
future | nėx bė stytȝum | aþ bė stytȝum | hu bė stytȝum | nan bė stytȝum | aþøm bė stytȝum | høm bė stytȝum |
perfect | li møstytȝam | lax/lex møstytȝam | lau/la møstytȝam | lanė møstytȝam | laxøm møstytȝam | laum møstytȝam |
imperative | - | stytȝem! | - | - | stytȝemu! | - |
active participle | møstytȝem | |||||
passive participle | møstytȝam | |||||
w-form | wystytȝem | |||||
infinitive | stytȝum |
Concatenative verbs
The concatenative paradigm, analogous to Germanic weak verbs, is formed by adding prefixes and suffixes, without changing the stem. The past and imperative forms are formed by adding -i or -ji to the noun, when no other suffix is added.
It is used for recent loan verbs like maksimezi 'to maximize', but can also be used to derive verbs from native nouns:
- mydrasi 'to school' (from mydras 'school')
- þaxili 'to consume' (from þaxil 'consumption', itself from the root √ʔ-x-l 'to eat')
- žaxoji 'to entitle, to allow' (from žaxo 'right')
- ȝeini 'to eye' (from ȝein 'eye')
The endings are mainly derived from Middle Togarmite forms of 3-y verbs.
- [STEM]-i = active
- þy-[STEM]-i = re-
- mø- = active participle
- -ėþ = infinitive
→ Person ↓ Tense |
1sg | 2sg | 3sg | 1pl | 2pl | 3pl |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
past; conditional | nėx ymydrasi | aþ/eþ ymydrasi | hu/hi mydrasi | nan mydrasi | aþøm mydrasi | høm mydrasi |
past progressive; past subjunctive | fiti wymydrasi | fit wymydrasi | fė wymydrasi | finė wymydrasi | fitøm wymydrasi | fu wymydrasi |
present | nėx wymydrasi | aþ/eþ wymydrasi | hu/hi wymydrasi | nan wymydrasi | aþøm wymydrasi | høm wymydrasi |
present progressive | nėx lu wymydrasi | aþ/eþ lu wymydrasi | hu/hi lu wymydrasi | nan lu wymydrasi | aþøm lu wymydrasi | høm lu wymydrasi |
present subjunctive | nėx ymydrasan | aþ/eþ ymydrasan | hu/hi mydrasan | nan mydrasan | aþøm mydrasun | høm mydrasun |
future | nėx bė mydrasėþ | aþ bė mydrasėþ | hu bė mydrasėþ | nėbu mydrasėþ | aþøm bė mydrasėþ | høm bė mydrasėþ |
perfect | li mømydrasa | lax/lex mømydrasa | lau/la mømydrasa | lanė mømydrasa | laxøm mømydrasa | laum mømydrasa |
imperative | mydrasi! | |||||
active participle | mømydrasė | |||||
passive participle | mydrasa | |||||
w-form | wymydrasi | |||||
infinitive | mydrasėþ |
fe 'to be'
The verb fe 'to be' is perhaps the most irregular verb of the language; it uses the Proto-Semitic suffix conjugation in the past tense.
→ Person ↓ Tense |
1sg | 2sg | 3sg | 1pl | 2pl | 3pl |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
past; conditional | nėx fiþ | aþ fiþ | hu fė | nan fu | aþøm fu | høm fu |
past progressive; past subjunctive | nėx fiþ fė | aþ fiþ fė | hu fė fė | nan fu fė | aþøm fu fė | høm fu fė |
present | (nėx) | (aþ/eþ) | (hu/hi) | (nan) | (aþøm) | (høm) |
present progressive | nėx lu fė | aþ/eþ lu fė | hu/hi lu fė | nan lu fė | aþøm lu fė | høm lu fė |
present subjunctive | nėx yfijan | aþ yfijan | hu fijan | nan fijan | aþøm fijan | høm fijan |
future | nėx bė fėþ | aþ bė fėþ | hu bė fėþ | nan bė fėþ | aþøm bė fėþ | høm bė fėþ |
imperative | fe! | |||||
active participle | hėwi | |||||
passive participle | fuj | |||||
w-form | fė | |||||
infinitive | fėþ |
xėl 'can'
→ Person ↓ Tense |
1sg | 2sg | 3sg | 1pl | 2pl | 3pl |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
past; conditional | nėx yxel | aþ/eþ yxel | hu/hi xel | nan xel | aþøm xel | høm xel |
past subjunctive | nėx fiþ wėxel | aþ fiþ wėxel | hu fė wėxel | nan fu wėxel | aþøm fu wėxel | høm fu wėxel |
present | nėx wėxel | aþ wėxel | hu wėxel | nan wėxel | aþøm wėxel | høm wėxel |
present subjunctive | nėx yxelan | aþ/eþ yxelan | hu/hi xelan | nan xelan | aþøm xelan | høm xelan |
future | nėx bė xėl | aþ bė xėl | hu bė xėl | nan bė xėl | aþøm bė xėl | høm bė xėl |
active participle | - | |||||
passive participle | fuj wėxel | |||||
w-form | wėxel | |||||
infinitive | xėl |
høbė 'should; ought'
→ Person ↓ Tense |
1sg | 2sg | 3sg | 1pl | 2pl | 3pl |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
past | nėx fiþ høbė | aþ fiþ høbė | hu fė høbė | nan fu høbu | aþøm fu høbu | høm fu høbu |
present | nėx høbė | aþ/eþ høbė | hu/hi høbė | nan høbu | aþøm høbu | høm høbu |
ryšė 'to like'
→ Person ↓ Tense |
1sg | 2sg | 3sg | 1pl | 2pl | 3pl |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
past; conditional | nėx yrši | aþ yrši | hu yrši | nan yršu | aþøm yršu | høm yršu |
past subjunctive | nėx fiþ wyrši | aþ fiþ wyrši | hu fė wyrši | nan fu wyrši | aþøm fu wyrši | høm fu wyrši |
present | nėx ryšė | aþ/eþ ryšė | hu/hi ryšė | nan ryšu | aþøm ryšu | høm ryšu |
future | nėx bė ryšėþ | aþ bė ryšėþ | hu bė ryšėþ | nan bė ryšėþ | aþøm bė ryšėþ | høm bė ryšėþ |
w-form | wyrši | |||||
active participle | rėši | |||||
passive participle | ryšuj | |||||
infinitive | ryšėþ |
sėr 'to want'
→ Person ↓ Tense |
1sg | 2sg | 3sg | 1pl | 2pl | 3pl |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
past; conditional | nėx sør | aþ sør | hu sør | nan sru | aþøm sru | høm sru |
past subjunctive | nėx fiþ wasar | aþ fiþ wasar | hu fė wasar | nan fu wasar | aþøm fu wasar | høm fu wasar |
present | nėx wasar | aþ/eþ wasar | hu/hi wasar | nan wasar | aþøm wasar | høm wasar |
future | nėx bė sėr | aþ bė sėr | hu bė sėr | nan bė sėr | aþøm bė sėr | høm bė sėr |
w-form | wasar | |||||
active participle | sėr | |||||
passive participle | sur | |||||
infinitive | sėr |
The auxiliary bė
The defective auxiliary bė (inf. and w-form bė, past and imperative bu, passive participle buj; from the conflation of two roots, one a cognate of Hebrew בא 'to come' and the other a cognate of Hebrew אבה 'to be willing') is used to form dynamic passives (with the passive participle) and the future (with the infinitive).
- Yn galt lu bė fyþuh = The door is opening (being opened)
- Yn galt bu fyþuh = The door (was) opened
- Yn galt lež buj fyþuh = The door has been opened
- Yn galt fyþuh = The door is open (lit. opened)
- bė is not repeated for future + passive: both 'The door opens' and 'The door will open' are Yn galt bė fyþuh.
- Dawid bė fþėh yn galt = David will open the door
Gzarot
- Main article: Togarmite/Gzarot
In Semitic languages, gzarot (Hebrew גְּזָרוֹת, sg. gizra גִּזְרָה 'figure, form, pattern') are variations of an inflectional (especially verbal) paradigm that are determined by the choice of consonants in the consonantal root. Thus, a paradigm has not only a regular gizra but various irregular ones, which occur most commonly when
- the consonantal root contains a "guttural" (ʔ ȝ h) or a semivowel (j w);
- the consonantal root contains a n, since nC tends to assimilate into CC
- the consonantal root has 2 letters.
Because Togarmite only uses the prefix conjugation, modern Togarmite gzarot are in some ways less bad than Hebrew gzarot; most of the irregularities occur in binyan fȝøl. However, there are often so many irregularities even within each gizra, and cases of analogy between verbs of different gzarot, that the concept of gzarot in Modern Togarmite has been questioned: in Togarmite, a "gizra" just describes general tendencies of verbs with a certain root consonant.
Prepositions
Some prepositions:
- in 'in' [from PSem *ina], in yn > nyn
- ini, inax, inex, inau, ina, inė, inxøm, inaum
- ly (l' before V) 'of (possessive)'
- by (b' before V) 'by, at, with (instrumental), in (language)'
- bi, bax, bex, bau, ba, banė, baxøm, baum
- šyde 'out of' (from *śadiy-ah 'to the field')
- me (men before V) 'from'
- meni, menax, menex, menau, mena, menė, mexøm, menaum
- ȝem 'with (comitative)'
- 3emi, 3emax, 3emex, 3emau, 3ema, 3emnė, 3emxøm, 3emaum
- ȝal 'on'; with definite article ȝlėn/ȝlėm
- 3lei, 3lėx, 3lėx, 3lėju, 3lėja, 3lėnė, 3lėxøm, 3lėjøm
- lid 'to' (from *la-yad 'to the hand of')
- løb 'into, in' (from *la-libb)
- Nėx wamen løb žinė - I believe in this
- Hu þ'yheb løba - He fell in love with her
- ȝbar 'over'
- þat 'under'
- arþo 'down' (from *ʔarþ-ah "earthward")
- darxyn 'along'
- blėš 'without'
Syntax of prepositions
Numerals
Cardinal
0: cefry
1: hað
2: šnein / attributive šnė
3: šlėš (animate šlėšt)
4: yrvaȝ (animate yrvaȝt)
5: mes (animate mest)
6: setš (animate setšt)
7: savȝy (animate savȝyt)
8: šmėni (animate šmėnt)
9: tesȝy (animate tesȝyt)
10: ȝašry (animate ȝašryt)
11: ȝašry wy hað
12: ȝašry šnein
20: ȝešrin
30: šlėšin
40: yrvȝin
50: hymsin
60: setšin
70: syvȝin
80: šmėnin
90: tesȝin
100: met
101: met wy hað
200: metein
300: šlėš met
400: yrvaȝ met
1000: alf
2000: alfein
3000: šlėš alf
1000000: alfun
10^9: vėtfun
10^12: γamfun
etc.
Plural numerals usually take plural nouns. They used to take singular nouns, however this is considered archaic.
Numbers ending in digits "3" through "9" (thus ending in šlėš through tesȝy), or "10" (thus ending in ȝašry), have two forms depending on the animacy of the noun: hymes myrtemi 'five abacuses', but hymest ahwėt 'five sisters'. The animate forms come from the masculine forms (reverse polarity) marked with *-t in Proto-Semitic.
Ordinal
Ordinals are formed using the pattern CCuC; as in English, "1st" and "2nd" are irregular, from elatives *ʔaʕlay- 'topmost' and *ʔaʕqab- 'the immediately following' respectively. In compound numerals, the last number word is inflected to the ordinal form.
- 1st = olė
- 2nd = okab
- 3rd = šluš
- 4th = rbuȝ
- 5th = mus
- 6th = stuš
- 7th = sbuȝ
- 8th = smun
- 9th = þsuȝ
- 10th = ȝšur
- 11th = ȝašry w-olė
- 12th = ȝašry w-okab
- 13th = ȝašry šluš
etc.
Fractional
Fractional numerals are formed with the segolate pattern CøCCy (pl. CøCaCi). Compound numerals can be inflected as well, like in the case of ordinal numerals. The analogized form øhdy is used for numerals ending in "1".
- half = gøb (from *gunb- 'side')
- 3rd = šølšy
- 4th = røbȝy
- 11th = ȝašry w-øhdy
To express "m/n", Togarmite uses "m nths": "2/3" is šnė šølaši.
Syntax
Faulty accusative marker
The faulty accusative marker iþ is used. It behaves like the MSA accusative case and the Welsh soft mutation for direct objects: when there is a constituent separating the verb or predicate from a second constituent, iþ comes between the two constituents regardless of whether the second constituent is actually a direct object. Example:
- Halex wyfė li iþ šlėšt xlabi, wy ȝeþo lėš li iþ nux. = I used to have three dogs, and now I don't have any.
- Yn dėrest li ryšė li iþ ȝyšėþ rab þamuni beiþ. = My teacher wants me to do a lot of homework.
Questions
Yes-no questions require the question marker ha to be placed at the beginning of the sentence.
What-questions have a syntax similar to English.
Existentials
The word iš is used to indicate existence. It is also used with the preposition ly 'to' or the possessive pronouns to indicate possession. The negative of iš is lėš.
- Lėš mykėm ėn xølšar nyȝum. = There is no place where everyone is happy.
- Ha iš lex zman? = Do you (f. sg.) have time?
Clauses
- "if" = em
- "then" = šøm
- "though" = ax, xenax
Relative clauses
The relative pronoun žė is used for both relative and complement clauses. It may takes prepositional cases, just like English relative pronouns. The word žė is from PSem *ðā, the accusative singular form of the demonstrative *ðū; cf. Biblical Hebrew זו zu, Aramaic די dī.
For relative clauses whose heads are prepositional objects in the relative clause, there are three strategies:
- the relativizer is treated as a resumptive pronoun which takes the preposition, like English which: yn gabry lid žė nėx ohab ym mauhab, lit. 'the man to which I gave the gift'. This syntax arose from the influence of surrounding languages like English.
- the preposition goes to the end of the clause: yn gabry žė nėx ohab ym mauhab lid lit. 'the man which I gave the gift to'. This syntax arose from the native Semitic construction which used a resumptive pronoun on the preposition: after the resumptive pronoun lost the stress, the preposition lost its pronominal suffix and moved to the end of the clause.
- A combination of both strategies can be used: yn gabry lid žė nėx ohab ym mauhab lid, lit. 'The man to which I gave the gift to'. This is the most common strategy with the other two considered archaic.
Derivation
Noun and adjective patterns
- CaCCy(þ), CeCCy(þ), CøCCy(þ) = segolates
- CyCiC = adjective; -able
- CyCuC = adjective; color
- CyCėC = some adjectives
- CyCaCt, CyCeCt, CyCøCt
- CaCøCt = describes a condition
- CyCeCCaC = diminutive
- myCCaC(t), meCCaC(t), myCCėC: noun, often denoting place
- maCCaCt = causative version of myCCaC(t)
- myCCeC(t) = instrument
- maCCeCt = causative version of myCCeC(t)
- þyCCuC, þyCCiC, þyCCėC = action or process
- þyCCøCt (cognatized from Hebrew tiCCóCet) = system of things
- CaCėC = agentive
- xaþėb 'writer'
- CaCCan = agentive; -an is an agentive
- lamsan 'philanthropist' (felanþrøp is also common)
- CaCCėn, CeCCėn, and CøCCėn = nouns, often an augmentative
Affixes
- -an = forms agentives and adjectives
- -in = collectives
- lamusin 'charity'
- -uþ = abstract noun
- -i = forms adjectives
- -iþ = forms adverbs
- i- = non-, un-
- ibyšari 'incorporeal'
- iwøxli 'impossible'
- -yr = someone who is characterized by X (from English)
- wduȝyr 'know-it-all', from wduȝ 'knowledgeable'
- -ri = -ry (from English)
- kdėsri = sanctimoniousness, from kdės '(archaic) holy'
- xal'anri = double standard or hypocrisy, from the agentive xal'an 'hypocrite' of √x-l-ʔ 'double'
- afto- = self-
- e- = a- (from ʔiC-, an assimilated form of the OTog preposition ʔin 'in'); these adjectives can usually only be predicative
- e'est 'ablaze'
- edarxy 'away'
- eþal 'galore' (lit. a-mound)
- emein 'drowned, lost forever', lit. awater
- -byl = -able (from English -able and native abȝel 'to be able to')
- þy- 're-'
Phrasebook
some phrases in Togarmite:
- Slėm! - Hello! / Goodbye!
- Slėm ȝlėxøm! - Hello! (formal)
- Leilt tėb! / Num by tėb! - Good night! / Sleep well!
- Jaum tėb! - Good day!
- Exarus! / Exarus þax/þex/þaxøm! - Thanks!
- Ȝem ryšan - Please / You're welcome
- Þryhef þi - Excuse me, Pardon
- Nėx nyhum - I'm sorry
- Ma yn sem lax/lex/laxøm? - What's your name?
- Yn sem li [name] - My name is [name]
- Xeix wymar iþ [thing] in Þėgamiþ? - How do you say [thing] in Togarmite?
- H' aþ/eþ/aþøm wydėber [language]? - Do you speak [language]?
- Ȝem ryšan, mør že šėnėn - Please say it again
- Hė lax/lex/laxøm - Here you go! (i.e. I just granted your request) (the source of the English expression is misinterpreted Togarmite)
- Note: In Ethiopia it's spelled without the space.
- Yn ryhaft li hu myli ȝem clėfi - My hovercraft is full of eels
- En = Yes.
- Lė = No.
Sample texts
Schleicher
Yn xabš w' yn frasi
Xabš ly žė lė fė šamry ly jar frasi: had gor maȝrebt škul, had mol hemly xbur, wy had mol bennės by fiz. Yn xabš mar: "Mrur li yn leb, moran nėx wyrė bennės wyrxab frasi." Yn frasi mar: "Ažen, xabš! Mrur lanė yn leb moran nan wyrė žinė: bennės, ym bol, woši lid afau mylbast mum me šamry lyn xabš. Wy lėš lyn xabš iþ šamry." Moran yn xabš smaȝ žinė, hu mnaȝ lid yn šde.
Old Tog.:
An xabše wan φarasīn
Χabše, žė lė hawė šamre lawh, φarasīn yarʔe: yagōr ʔaħād marχabaθ šakūlaθ, wa-yaħmōl ʔaħād ħemle χabūr, wa-yaħmōl ʔaħād ħaφīzan ʔinės. Yāmār an χabše: Mār lī an lēb, bi-riʔėθī ʔinės rėχib φarasīn. Yāmārū an φarasīn: Sumaʕ an χabše! Mār lanė an lēb bi-riʔėθinė žīnė: ʔinės an baʕle yaʕšē lawh malbasaθ ħamūmaθ mēn šamre an χabšīn. Wa-lėš len-χabše šamre. Bi-šimėʕ an χabše žīnė, yamnāȝ ʔilė an šadi.
Hebrew:
Lysėn þėrmi, lysėn þlul
- Had arþ, rab arþi; had galt, rab galti!
- Jaumyn nėx wyxþab, amsyn nėx yxþøb; jaumyn nėx wytȝam, amsyn nėx ytȝøm!
A biology abstract
Nan wymdød yn þyglim efkarjotek meþycrer lyn irišt TSP3 in Bruxorjon sponerču. TSP3 wykadek kinas nahelan rėxes ly prøtezenjon, mykėma bym mikrospørelata køtoknėji lyn ribosøm posatedek, wy xahus ly TSP3 rahibyn ma'man ly fėþ ym mojan ly karčin køboþrøtek. In þyxþøbt žinė nan wystydrex wynkat þybhin xyli-ȝywur Rɪᴄᴇʀ-Jᴀʟɪɴꜱᴋɪ, žė ryxės TSP3 lid yn ȝaxuban føloxrøpsenas wykrė (p = 0.04) nyn øpotreløma ly køt Bruxorjon slim møran eþy'yfusi adenotoksen nyhuþ. Ly þymacu žinė bė fėþ ramuzi mø'abjunė lid yn drės ly desklørøma sømbrøxi.
We measure the nucleating eukaryotic folding of the TSP3 gene in Bruchorium sponercii. TSP3 encodes a protezine-binding receptor kinase located at the cytotubular microsporellata of the quanticular ribosome, and malfunction of TSP3 is commonly believed to be the source of cybothrotic cancer. In this paper we prove using a Rɪᴇᴛᴢᴇʀ-Yᴀʟɪɴꜱᴋʏ double-blind test that TSP3 binding to the phyllochrypsinase inhibitor occurs (p = 0.04) in the hypotrellome of a healthy Bruchorium cell when adenotoxin concentrations are low. This research will have significant implications for the study of symbrychous descloroma.
Newton's laws of motion
I: Dbar wyšbaþ by demi, o by ȝyþėk enomorf, lulė ydraȝ wyparkes ȝal þež.
I: An object stays at rest, or at a constant speed, unless a force acts on it.
II: Yn šanuj nyn þyȝþik ly bšar že myþxøni lid yn øþisi møþyfacar ȝlėm bšar; w' yn šanuj wykrė darxyn yn kau þykin ȝal žė øþisi ži bė møþyfacar ȝal.
II: The change in the momentum of a body is proportional to the force applied to the body; and the change occurs along the straight line on which that force is applied.
III: Iš ly xøl parkis iþ þyparkis is w' anteþet.
III: Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
O how quickly the sculpture of life
O! Xma fiziþ ym myklaȝ ly heiwėþ
Šaber in temaša zytarter!
Ym mgiluþ lym malx ȝlėn þrøn lau
Bė xliliþ gruf dax by gali bor.
Aþøm, žė waþė mancabta hė,
Ȝabry hen yn Ylėh lawani ȝlėn arþ.
Xøl lanė mødajan ȝal ym parkisi lanė;
Hamnė wyhėb lid yn ȝni, w' agaþeržijėþ lid hawdud.
O how quickly the sculpture of life
Shattered into tiny fragments!
The splendor of the king on his throne
Is completely swept away by sea-waves.
Ye who come hither stationed here,
By the grace of God ye are guests on earth.
All of us are judged according to our actions;
Let us give to the needy, and do charity towards one another.
Warming Up To You
Weþyhmem lidax
Xenax aþ bė mėþ in xlėþ,
Nėx yrþybec nym mimuþ lax,
Ym mimuþ žė azė'en yn hakranuþ,
Yn ȝyli lyn wedȝy;
Yn gant žė lax sþul in žinė rybuȝ admyþ
Wy žė aþ bė nyžėr lid dwari.
Stairway To Heaven
Maȝlyþ lid yn Symeiniþ
Iš bolt žė hi šur
Xøl žė nėher že žahab
Wy hi wykna maȝlyþ lid yn symeiniþ
UDHR
Xøl nės mewølad rur w' is in akšoprepja wy žyxawi. Høm møþyhanan by ložeki wy synidisi wy høbu parkus lid hawdud in ruh l'ahwuþ.