Gur language

Phonology

Consonants

Gur consonants

	Bilabial	Alveolar	Post-alveolar	Palatal	Velar	Glottal
Nasal	m	n			ŋ
Plosive	p b	t d			k g
Fricative		s z	ʃ		x	h
Trill		r
Lateral approximant		l
Approximant				j	w

Note:

• The consonants /j/ and /w/ are analyzed as non-vocalic vowels /i̯/ and /u̯/.
• N is pronounced /ŋ/ before velar consonants.

Vowels

Gur has a simple system of five vowels, which can be either short or long.

	Front		Central		Back
	short	long	short	long	short	long
Close	i	iː			u	uː
Open-mid	ɛ	ɛː			ɔ	ɔː
Open			a	aː

Stress

Words are stressed on the antepenultimate syllable. The stress falls on the penultimate syllable if the last syllable has a long vowel, or the penult is heavy. A syllable is heavy if it ends in a long vowel or in a vowel and a consonant.

Grammar

Nouns

First declension

Masculine nouns

First declension: aχkas, m. (boy)
Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	aχk-as	aχk-in	aχk-ai
Genitive	aχk-ȗ	aχk-an	aχk-ain
Dative	aχk-ȋ	aχk-ȃni	aχk-ȃsi
Accusative	aχk-i	aχk-ȇni	aχk-un
Ablative	aχk-ak	aχk-am	aχk-ais
Locative	aχk-ȋ	aχk-an	aχk-ain

The vocative case (used to address someone in direct speech) is identical to the nominative form, except in the masculine singular of the first declension (-as → -e).

Feminine nouns

First declension: miwa, f. (tongue, language)
Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	miw-a	miw-in	miw-ai
Genitive	miw-ȗ	miw-an	miw-ain
Dative	miw-ȋ	miw-ȃni	miw-ȃsi
Accusative	miw-u	miw-ȇs	miw-es
Ablative	miw-ak	miw-am	miw-ais
Locative	miw-ȋ	miw-an	miw-ain

Neuter nouns

First declension: luri, n. (evening)
Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	lur-i	lur-in	lur-ia
Genitive	lur-ȗ	lur-an	lur-ain
Dative	lur-ȋ	lur-ȃni	lur-ȃsi
Accusative	lur-i	lur-in	lur-ia
Ablative	lur-ak	lur-am	lur-ais
Locative	lur-ȋ	lur-an	lur-ain

Second declension

Masculine and feminine nouns

Second declension: kar, m. (fish)
Case	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	kar	kar-in	kar-un
Genitive	kar-as	kar-an	kar-ain
Dative	kar-ȋ	kar-ȃni	kar-si
Accusative	kar-u	kar-in	kar-un
Ablative	kar-ak	kar-am	kar-ais
Locative	kar-ȋ	kar-an	kar-ain

If the stem does not end in vowel + l, n, r, χ, the dative plural ending is -ȇsi.