Old Swuntsim

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Old Swuntsim was the ancient Tsimulh language spoken by the Swutsim people. It is still often used as a liturgical language among religious Swutsim.

Descendants:

Grammar

Noun class system got weird - formal noun classes remain but the words semantically shift as in Sanskrit

Nouns

Noun classes

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

  1. ʔə-, pl. cə- = humans, spirits
  2. bu-, pl. də- = animals and other things that move on their own
  3. p-, pl. əpi- = plants and mushrooms; things that grow
  4. s-, pl. dus- = collections or large things: scʼaσ 'forest'
  5. ut-, pl. pσə- = roughly round, compact objects
  6. ma-, pl. əwə- = long objects; tools, instruments, devices
  7. č-, pl. abi- = places, locations, slots
  8. gu-, pl. n- = various... including fluids (powder, water, liquids, fire, light, waves, wind, ...)
  9. σi-, pl. wi- = time periods; events; things that are temporary (e.g. ice)
  10. t- = abstractions, manner, way
  11. t’im- = infinitives, verbal nouns
  12. pda- = -ness, -hood

Cases

  • Nominative: -0
  • Genitive: -s

Verbs

Noun class prefixes

  • I = kʷə-
  • you (sg) = xʷə-
  • we = wə-
  • you (pl) = cu-
  • Noun class prefixes:
    1. ʔə-, pl. cə-
    2. bu-, pl. də-
    3. p-, pl. əpi-
    4. s-, pl. dus-
    5. ut-, pl. pσə-
    6. ma-, pl. əwə-
    7. č-, pl. abi-
    8. gu-, pl. n-
    9. σi-, pl. wi-
    10. t-, no plural
    11. t’im-, no plural
    12. pda- (common for abstract nouns), no plural

Tense affixes

-s - past tense

Numbers

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

1: *-an

2: *-xʷiš

3: *-ʔiyəm

4: *-udzuq

5: *-t'u

6: *-čaydž

7: *-buč'oh

8: *-gwiməʔ

9: *-anay

10: *-kʷ'in