Burumbi

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Revision as of 22:41, 11 January 2013 by Mboso (talk | contribs) (→‎Cases)
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Background

Burumbi is made to sound how Anglophones think "African" languages sound. As I am rather unlearned when it comes to linguistics the result is likely to be sketchy and uninspiring to others, but it is mainly for generating names and short phrases.

Phonology

Consonants

Consonants
Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar
Plosive p b (p b) t d (t d) k g (k g)
Affricate ts (t͡s)
Fricative s z (s z)
Nasal m (m) n (n) ny (ɲ) ng (ŋ)
Approximant r l (ɹ l) y (j) w (w)

Vowels

Vowels
Front Central Back
Close i /i/ u /u/
Mid ə /ə/
Open mid e /ɛ/
Open a /ɑ/

In addition to these vowels the diphthong o () is used.


Orthography

Phonotactics

Syllables can take the following forms:

  • V(ŋ)
  • CV(ŋ)
  • NSV(ŋ)
  • SwV(ŋ)

where V = vowel, C = consonant, N = the nasal vowels /m n/, and S = a stop or the consonants /s z ts/. Stress always falls on the penultimate syllable except in the case of ə, in which case it falls on the following one.


Grammar

Nouns

Burumbi has four genders: three "animate" genders and one inanimate.

Genders
Gender Form Example Definition
Spiritual tsedə ghost
Animate -a daya midget
Vegetative -i burumbi language
Inanimate -o kakumo fort

The first gender is used for natural phenomena such as lightning and storms in addition to supernatural entities. The vegetative gender is for weakly animate nouns such as plants and things which can move in a metaphorical way, like words and ideas.

Cases

case prefix
Nominative Ø
Accusative tsa-
Locative ta-
Proximative ba-

Morphology

Syntax