Thulean

Introduction

Description

The Thulean language (endonym: Minegkaksi) has an agglutinative and polysynthetic morphology. Its morphosyntactic alignment is split intransitive with the fluid-S subtype. It is left-branching and double-marking. Thulean is a language isolate and has not been proven to belong to any established language family, although speculative suggestions of links between it and the Uralic or Uralo-Siberian families have been made in the past. It is spoken by the Selhat or Thuleans and has a total number of speakers exceeding 30 million.

The Thurse

Thurse is the collective name in English for the European pygmy phenotype. Thurse males and females are similar in stature and have an average height of between 135 to 140 cm. They are pale-skinned with a distinctive pattern of dark stripes for which their clade is best known and have straight or wavy hair. Red hair is more common among the Thurse than any other phenotypical group. High androgyny among Thurse males and high neoteny generally are also notable traits. The Thurse belong to several ethnic groups, the largest of which is the Selhat or Thuleans who occupy Thule (endonym: Telku) the northernmost of the British Isles. The Thurse phenotype is believed to have originated in the Hercynian forest zone of central Europe, diverging from other Palaeolithic populations in Europe approximately ten thousand years ago. The Thurse have no connection with the pygmy populations of the tropics.

Influences

The phonology is inspired by Finnish and Quenya phonaesthetics but twisted towards my sensibilities. I just love lateral obstruents, you know? And I'm not excessively fond of /f/ Also, the Samic languages have left their mark on Thulean's system of consonant gradation. The morphology is heavily influenced by Yupik and Inuktitut.

Goals

My intention is to create a polysynthetic elflang that is relatively easy for me to pronounce and which won't have a grammar too complex for me to use. We'll see how it goes.

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Phonology

Orthography

Thulean is written in the Latin script. The orthography is phonemic but does show the effects of sandhi and consonant gradation. The current alphabet was adopted in 1898 and underwent its last revision in 1965. The orthography is listed in the tables below:

1) Consonants

			Labial	Alveolar		Palatal	Velar		Glottal
				Central	Lateral		Plain	Labialised
Sonorant	Nasal	Fortis	mm	nn		nnj	gg	ggw
		Lenis	m	n		nj	g	gw
	Liquid	Fortis		rr	ll	llj
		Lenis		r	l	lj
Stop		Fortis	pp	tt	ttl	ttj	kk	kkw
		Lenis	p	t	tl	tj	k	kw	q
Fricative		Fortis		ss	ssl	ssj	xx	xxw
		Lenis		s	sl	sj	x	xw
Approximant			v			j	h	w

2) Vowels

		Front	Back
Monophthong	High	i	u
	Low	e	a
Diphthong		ai	au

Note that the glottal stop is not written word-initially.

Consonants

Thulean has 43 consonant phonemes which according to WALS is a large inventory. These are listed in the table below:

			Labial	Alveolar		Palatal	Velar		Glottal
				Central	Lateral		Plain	Labialised
Sonorant	Nasal	Fortis	/mb/	/nd/		/ɲʤ/	/ŋg/	/ŋgw/
		Lenis	/m/	/n/		/ɲ/	/ŋ/	/ŋw/
	Liquid	Fortis		/rd/	/ld/	/ʎʤ/
		Lenis		/r/	/l/	/ʎ/
Stop		Fortis	/pp/	/tt/	/ttɬ/	/ttʃ/	/kk/	/kkw/
		Lenis	/p/	/t/	/tɬ/	/tʃ/	/k/	/kw/	/ʔ/
Fricative		Fortis		/ss/	/ɬɬ/	/ʃʃ/	/xx/	/xxw/
		Lenis		/s/	/ɬ/	/ʃ/	/x/	/xw/
Approximant			/v/			/j/	/h/	/w/

Vowels

Thulean has 4 vowel phonemes which according to WALS is a small inventory. There are also 2 diphthongs. The consonant to vowel ratio is 10.75 which according to WALS is high. The vowels are listed in the table below:

		Front	Back
Monophthong	High	/i/	/u/
	Low	/ɛ/	/ɑ/
Diphthong		/ai/	/au/

Allophony

1) Fortis obstruents are realised as their corresponding lenis obstruents in intervocalic position.

2) Lenis stops are aspirated in word-initial position.

3) /p, t, ʧ, k, kʷ, s, ʃ, x, xʷ/ are voiced in intervocalic position.

4) /tɬ/ is realised as [dð] in intervocalic position.

5) /ɬ/ is realised as [θ] in onset position following a coda consonant of /n, r/.

6) /ɬ/ is realised as [ð] in intervocalic position.

7) /x/ is realised as [ʃ] in coda position.

8) /ɑ/ is realised as [ɔ] before a fortis liquid onset or a liquid coda.

Prosody

Stress

Thulean has stress accent. Primary stress falls within the root. Open syllables without a diphthong are light; open syllables with a diphthong or closed syllables are heavy. Fortis consonants close the syllable preceding them. If the first syllable of a root is heavy then the primary stress falls there otherwise it falls upon the second syllable of the root. In compound nouns, the primary stress falls within the second root.The stress placement within a root is fixed so is not affected by consonant gradation. Anomalous stress is indicated by an acute accent.

Intonation

Secondary stress falls upon every alternate syllable after the primary stress. This gives Thulean a broadly iambic rhythm. Thulean does not have phonemic tone.

Phonotactics

1) The syllable template in Thulean is CV(C).

2) Permitted syllable codas:

a) Morpheme-medial only: /ɲ, ŋ, r, l, ʎ, p, s/

b) Morpheme-medial and morpheme-final: /m, n, t, k, x/

3) Fortis consonants may not occur in word-initial position.

4) Fortis consonants may not occur in the onset of closed syllables.

5) Consonant clusters may have no more than two segments.

6) Consonant clusters may only occur across syllable boundaries.

7) But suffixes may begin with a consonant cluster.

8) Permitted consonant clusters as per table below:

	m	n	ɲ	ŋ	ŋʷ	r	l	ʎ	p	t	tɬ	ʧ	k	kʷ	ʔ	s	ɬ	ʃ	x	xʷ	v	j	h	w
m									mp						mʔ						mv
n										nt	ntɬ				nʔ	ns
ɲ												ɲʧ						ɲʃ
ŋ													ŋk	ŋkʷ	ŋʔ				ŋx	ŋxʷ			ŋh
r									rp	rt	rtɬ	rʧ	rk	rkʷ	rʔ	rs	rɬ	rʃ	rx	rxʷ	rv	rj	rh	rw
l									lp	lt			lk	lkʷ	lʔ	ls			lx	lxʷ	lv		lh	lw
ʎ												ʎʧ						ʎʃ
p																ps			px
t																ts			tx
t																ks			kx
s									sp	st	stɬ	sʧ	sk	skʷ
x									xp	xt	xtɬ	xʧ	xk	xkʷ

9) High vowels may not occur before a liquid coda.

10) /i/ may not occur after an onset of /j/.

11) /u/ may not occur after an onset of /w/.

12) Diphthongs may only occur in the first syllable of a root or in monosyllabic particles.

13) Diphthongs may not occur in a closed syllable.

14) Diphthongs may not precede a fortis consonant.

15) Diphthongs may not precede /j, w/.

Consonant Gradation

1) Consonant gradation is word-internal lenition that effects the following:

a) Fortis consonants

b) Lenis plosives following a sonorant coda or a vowel

2) Consonant gradation is triggered by the closing of a syllable which begins with the above classes of obstruents.

3) The sequences of consonant gradation are as per the tables below:

a) Fortis consonants, and lenis stops following a liquid:

GRADE I	GRADE II	GRADE III
mb	m
nd	n
ɲʤ	ɲ
ŋg	ŋ
ŋgʷ	ŋʷ
rd	r
ld	l
ʎʤ	ʎ
pp	p	v
tt	t	r
ttɬ	tɬ	l
tʧ	ʧ	j
kk	k	h
kkʷ	kʷ	w
ss	s
ɬɬ	ɬ
ʃʃ	ʃ
xx	x
xxʷ	xʷ

b) Lenis stops following a nasal:

GRADE I	GRADE II
mp	mb
nt	nd
ntɬ	ld
ɲʧ	ɲʤ
ŋk	ŋg
ŋkʷ	ŋgʷ

4) Consonant gradation occurs after /i/ epenthesis and metathesis from sandhi but before sandhi proper.

Sandhi

1) Sandhi is the term given to interactions between consonants at morpheme boundaries.

2) If a triconsonantal cluster should result from suffixation then an epenthetic /i/ is inserted after the first segment of the triconsonantal cluster.

3) All other sandhi interactions are resolved as per the table below:

	m	n	ɲ	ŋ	ŋʷ	r	l	ʎ	p	t	tɬ	ʧ	k	kʷ	ʔ	s	ɬ	ʃ	x	xʷ	v	j	h	w
m	mb	nd	ɲʤ	ŋg	ŋgʷ	rd	ld	ʎʤ	mp	nt	ntɬ	ɲʧ	ŋk	ŋkʷ	mʔ	ns	nθ	ɲʃ	ŋx	ŋxʷ	mv	ɲ	ŋh	ŋʷ
n															nʔ
t	nt		ɲʧ	nt	ŋkʷ	rt	tɬ	ʎʧ	pp	tt	ttɬ	tʧ	kk	kkʷ	tt	ts	tɬ	ʧ	tx	kkʷ	kʷ	ʧ	tx	kʷ
k	ŋk			ŋk		rk	lk								kk	ks			kx				kx
x	ŋx		nʃ	ŋx	ŋxʷ	rx	lx	ʎʃ	ʃp	ʃt	ʃtɬ	ʃʧ	ʃk	ʃkʷ	xʔ	ss	ɬɬ	ʃʃ	xx	xxʷ		ʃ	xx	xʷ

4) If owing to suffixation a high vowel should precede a fortis liquid onset or a liquid coda then it is lowered to its corresponding low vowel.

Morphology

General Notes

Thulean morphology has the following constituents:

1) Roots: these are divided into nominal and verbal roots. The latter are divided into transitive and intransitive categories.

2) Postbases: these are derivational or adjunctival suffixes which directly follow the root. They are scope-ordered.

3) Inflectional affixes: these bear functions such as case, number, possession, agent, patient, tense amongst others. The usual bread and butter, nuts and bolts stuff that inflection does.

4) Particles: Conjunctions, interjections and other miscellany that do not fit into the above categories.

Nominal Structure

1) Noun template:

case prefix + nominal or verbal root + postbase(s) + number suffix + possessive suffix or indefinite suffix + demonstrative suffix

2) A minimally inflected noun has a case prefix and a number suffix.

3) Postbases will be covered in the own separate section after verbs.

Cases

Nominal Case Declension

Case	Prefix	Function	Examples
Absolutive	Ø-	Marks the nominal citation form Marks the O argument of a transitive verb Marks the stative S argument of an intransitive verb Marks the recipient of a ditransitive verb
Ergative	a-	Marks the A argument of a transitive verb Marks the active S argument of an intransitive verb Marks the possessor of a possessive noun phrase
Instrumental	ki-	Indicates the use of an instrument or tool Marks the the focus of an intransitive verb of perception, cognition or affection of stative S arguments Marks direct causal arguments Marks the theme of a ditransitive verb
Locative	jet-	Indicates location or place Indicates time, event, or occasion Marks the locative comitative Marks infinite verbal forms in periphrastic constructions
Allative	nu-	Indicates direction, goal, or destination Marks the focus of an intransitive verb of perception, cognition or affection of active S arguments Encodes spatial or temporal relations in conjunction with terminative markers (e.g. up to, until, as far as) Marks the beneficiary of an action Marks for the purpose of, for the use of
Ablative	pik-	Indicates motion away from Indicates origin Indicates distance from a reference point Indicates time since an event occurred Encodes partitive relations (part of, made from, some of) Marks the focus of intransitive malefactive/adversarial verbs Encodes aversive case relations (for fear of, lest, in case of)
Perlative	me-	Indicates motion through, across or along Indicates path, means or mode of transport or transmission Indicates duration Marks the instrumental or collaborative comitative Marks indirect causal arguments Encodes distibutive functions
Equative	sin-	Indicates similarity in manner, likeness or composition Encodes comparative marking (as, than) Serves as a topicalizer (e.g. regarding, concerning, about, as for)

Number

1) For the purposes of number, Thulean nouns are divided into count nouns and mass nouns.

2) For count nouns there are two systems of number:

a) singular-plural

b) collective-singulative

3) The singular-plural system works as it does in most European languages, the singular form of the noun is default and marks a single instance of that noun. The plural form marks multiple instances of that noun. EG:

SG: kattu = cat

PL: katut = cats

4) With the collective-singulative system the collective form of the noun is default and marks multiple instances of that noun. The singulative form marks a single instance of that noun. Collective nouns usually indicate entities that are found in groups. EG:

COL: makku = pigs

SGV: makux = pig

5) Mass nouns are considered to be pluralia tanta and thus use the collective-singulative system. The collective form indicates a lump or mass and the singulative form indicates a part of that lump or mass. EG:

COL: ninta = water

SGV: ninnax = a drop or sip of water

6) Number suffixes:

a) After vowel:

PL: -t

SGV: -x

b) After consonant or before suffix:

PL: -ta

SGV: -xe

Possession

1) Pronominal Possession:

This is indicated by the following set of suffixes:

1SG: -nne

2SG: -gke

3SG ANIM: -nte

3SG INAN: -mme

4SG ANIM: -lle

4SG INAN: -nse

1PL EXCL: -gka

1PL INCL: -ppa

2PL: -kka

3PL ANIM: -tta

3PL INAN: -mma

4PL ANIM: -lka

4PL INAN: -ksa

EG:

a)

tlantante

= her children

b)

tlannaxeppa

= our child

2) Nominal Possession:

This is indicated by the following construction:

NOM + possessor possessum + pronominal possessive suffix.

EG:

akimex katunte = the woman's cat

a-kimex kattu-nte

ERG-woman cat-3SG.ANIM.POS

The Indefinite

1) The indefinite suffix -li imparts the meaning of a, a certain, some, any.

EG:

jelelli = a valley

2) Used with the ablative case has the meaning any of, any one of.

EG:

a)

pikselhat telli

= any one of the people

pik-selka-t tin-Li

ABL-person-PL 3SG.ANIM.PRON-INDEF

b)

pikselhat talki

= any of the people

pik-selka-t tak-Li

ABL-person-PL 3PL.ANIM.PL.INDEF

Demonstratives

1) Thulean has four demonstrative suffixes which encode the following distances:

a) The proximal citerior which marks a person or object near the speaker.

b) The distal citerior which marks a person or object near the addressee.

c) The proximal ulterior which marks a person or object away from both speaker and addressee but within line of sight.

d) The distal ulterior which marks a person or object away from both speaker and addressee but outside visual range.

2)The demonstrative suffixes are as follows:

PROX CIT: -ksi

DIST CIT: -psu

PROX ULT: -tje

DIST ULT: -nja

3) Examples:

a)

janahiksi = this man

b)

avallatitje = yon apples that are in sight

Gender

1) Thulean has two genders, animate and inanimate.

2) The animate gender contains nouns referring to people, animals and dynamic physical phenomena such as fire or wind.

3) The inanimate gender contains the residuum.

4) Nouns are not overtly marked for gender but they govern the appropriate pronouns, possessive suffixes and verbal pronominal markers.

EG:

a)

paslanti kattu

= the pretty cat

passla-nti Ø-kattu

be.pretty-3SG.ANIM.ABS ABS-cat

b)

helhammu ninta

= the hot water

helka-mmu Ø-ninta

be.hot-3PL.INAN.ABS ABS-water

Pronouns

1) Pronouns are treated like any other nominals.

2) Personal Pronouns:

a) These are listed as follows:

1SG: nin

2SG: kin

3SG ANIM: tin

3SG INAN: min

4SG ANIM: lin

4SG INAN: sin

1PL EXCL: nuk

1PL INCL: puk

2PL: kuk

3PL ANIM: tuk

3PL INAN: muk

4PL ANIM: luk

4PL INAN: suk

b) Animate pronouns can also encode the meaning of person in the generic sense.

EG:

paslanti tin

= the pretty one

be.pretty.3SG.ANIM.ABS 3SG.ANIM.PRON

c) Inanimate pronouns can also encode the meaning of object in the generic sense.

EG:

mukxalla

= big things

muk-halla

3PL.INAN.PRON-big

d) 4th person pronouns come into play when there are two referents of the same gender and number that need to be distinguished. Thus, 4th person pronouns can be translated into English as "the latter".

e) Exclusive 1st person plural pronouns indicate that the addressee is not included within the referent.

IE: we but not you.

f) Inclusive 1st person plural pronouns indicate that the addresses is included with I the referent.

IE: we and you.

3) Indefinite Pronouns:

a) These encode the concepts of somebody, something, anybody, anything.

b) They are formed by affixing the indefinite suffix to the appropriate pronoun.

EG:

melli = anything

c) In conjuction with the ablative case express the concepts of anyone of, any of.

EG:

i)

pitjanatta

= anyone of the men

pik-yanak-ta tin-li

ABL-man-PL 3SG.ANIM.PRON-INDEF

ii)

pikavalla malki

= any of the apples

pik-avalla muk-li

ABL-apples 3PL.INAN.PRON-INDEF

4) Reflexive Pronouns:

a) There are no dedicated reflexive pronouns.

b) Reflexivity is indicated by employing the absolutive, oblique or possessive form which refers to the ergative or sole argument of the verb.

EG:

i)

temmaiserittu

= he misleads himself

ten-maiset-ttu

3SG.ANIM.ERG-mislead-3SG.ANIM.ABS

VS

temmaiserelku

= he misleads him

ten-maiset-lku

3SG.ANIM.ERG-mislead-4SG.ANIM.ABS

ii)

kitin xinnunti

= he sees himself

ki-tin xintu-nti

INST-3SG.ANIM.PRON see-3SG.ANIM.ABS

VS

kilin xinnunti

= he sees him

ki-lin xintu-nti

INST-4SG.ANIM.PRON see-3SG.ANIM.ABS

iii)

avallaqente tenarxansi

= she eats her own apple

avalla-xe-nte ten-arxa-nsi

apples-SGV-3SG.ANIM.POS 3SG.ANIM.ERG-eat-4SG.INAN.ABS

VS

avallaxelle tenarxansi

= she eats her apple

avalla-xe-lle ten-arxa-nsi

apples-SGV-4SG.ANIM.POS 3SG.ANIM.ERG-eat-4SG.INAN.ABS

5) Reflexive Pronouns:

There are no dedicated reflexive pronouns. Their functions are performed by a verbal suffix.

6) Negative Pronouns:

a)These encode the concepts of nobody and nothing.

b) The negative pronouns are listed as follows:

3SG ANIM: vannin

3SG INAN: vámin

4SG ANIM: válin

4SG INAN: vansin

3PL ANIM: vátuk

3PL INAN: vámuk

4PL ANIM: váluk

4PL INAN: vaksuk

c) Diachronically, the negative pronouns are derived from relative clauses of negative auxiliary plus pronoun.

EG:

vannin

< *avanti tin

= the one who is not

apa-nti tin

NEG-3SG.ANIM.ABS 3SG.ANIM.PRON

7) Demonstrative Pronouns:

a) These are derived from affixing the appropriate demonstrative suffix.

EG:

kiminiksi teghannalli

= she gives this to him

ki-min-ksi ten-hanta-lli

INST-3SG.INAN.PRON-PROX.CIT 3SG.ANIM.ERG-give-4SG.ANIM.ABS

b) Inanimate demonstrative pronouns can also encode the concepts of here and there.

EG:

numinipsu kimpalka

= you go there

nu-min-psu kin-palka

ALL-3SG.INAN.PRON-DIST.CIT 2SG.ERG.go

8) Reflexive Pronouns:

There are no reflexive pronouns. Thulean uses gap relativisation.

EG:

kimex avalla lenarxammu kijanak xinnunti

= the woman sees the man who eats the apples

Ø-kimex Ø-avalla len-arxa-mmu ki-janak qinnu-nti

ABS-woman ABS-apples 4SG.ANIM.ERG-eat-3PL.INAN INST-man see-3SG.ANIM.ABS

9) Interrogative Pronouns:

Other resources

Thulean Lexicon

ahax = fire

aira = tree

alwa = lark

ana = fruits

ánja = copper, small change

apa = to be not, negative auxiliary

arhát = silver, money, cash

aru = kernel, core

arxa = to eat

avalla = apple

axxa = to hate (stative), to dislike (active)

ékwa = horse

elet = bronze

esak = salmon

esel = leaves

expe = to taste (stative), to savour (active)

gaxala = to heal, to doctor

hakin = to know (stative), to learn (active)

-halla = augmentative

hanex = willows

-hansle = too much, excessively

hanta = to give

helka = to be hot (stative), to warm up (active)

ísan = iron

iskálva = eagle, falcon, hawk

issit = hair

istilu = pen

jaipix = fishes

jakken = boat

janak = man

jelen = valley

jensa = pine tree

jiggat = to drink

kai = but

kallun = witch, sorcerer

kamma = be sick (stative), become ill (active)

karra = stone

karvat = wagon, cart

katen = chains

kategkarvat= train

kategwala = laser

katta = to be tired (stative), to exhaust oneself (active)

kattu = cat

kaxxwe = coffee

kerta = skeleton, frame

kespe = moon, month

kimex = woman

kinje = to love (stative), to like (active)

kwena = a smile

-kwepsu = never

kwersi = piece, portion

kwetsala = feathers

lakka = duck

latju = thug, bravo

-limut = should, must, ought

lira = sea ocean

-lkwa = white, blonde

lukat = mice

maiset = to mislead

-mak = can, able to

makku = pigs

makkusluse = pork

-mani = much, a lot

maslen = bread

mesalka = blackbird

-mmelet = black, brunette

nara = be located

nasura = bones

nina = ash tree

ninta = water

njara = to purr

numme = to be red

nutje = eels

palka = to go

pantju = to buy

passla = be beautiful

patata= potatoes

pattu = hare

pattuhalla = donkey

penelku = pencil

penta = to fill

pilun = lead

rarka = be poor in quality (stative), be wicked (active)

rauna = to be silent (stative), to keep a secret (active)

runna = fist

russla = spirit, soul

-rusta = red, ginger

sahu = sun, day

selka = person

sinarva = gold

sinnak = fox

slaka = maggots

slasu = to hear (stative), to listen (active)

slatan = wing

-slempi = certain, sure

sluse = meat, flesh

sukkaru = sugar

sunik = snow

suvi = strawberries

tagka = tin

taha = sword

tamáte = tomato

teninta = tea

tjakalát = chocolate

tjave = to feel (stative), to touch (active)

tlanta = children

unnu = pillow

unnujakken = hovercraft

uruk = foreigners

vagwa = to find (stative), to seek (active)

vakkan = rain

vanna = raven

varka = badger

varra = wolves

vassli = wasp

vasslislatan = helicopter

-verri = new, young, fresh

verru = be short (stative), to shrink (active)

vika = bee

-vinja = old, mature, wise

vussu = mouth

vuta = house

wala = light

wervu = amber

xaste = world

xintu = to see (stative), to watch (active)

-xpak = diminutive suffix

xwakka = fuck!

xwenestla = window

xwestu = winds