Old Swuntsim

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

Descendants:

• Talman Swutsim
• Naquian Swutsim

GMP

Tsimulh low tone > breathy voice (vowels not devoiced yet; devoiced vowels are partly merged)

Two consecutive breathy vowels > just the first vowel drops.

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-
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-
11. t’im-
12. pda-

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