Qino
Qino (native: Qino afka /ɠíno afka/) is a Cushitic conlang.
Introduction
Qino is a Cushitic language. The phonology is largely inspired by Hadda. The syntax and verbal morphology are most similar to Saho-Afar.
Phonology
Orthography
Consonants
Vowels
Prosody
Stress
Intonation
Phonotactics
Morphophonology
Morphology
Nouns
Case
Nouns (and pronouns) are declined by case. Case markers (which can be analyzed as postpositions) go at the end of a nominal phrase. They can also come after infinitives and subjunctives.
- Absolutive: Citation form, used for the direct object of a verb, the object of most adpositions, and predicative nouns. Personal pronouns have a distinct accusative form that is used for direct objects.
- Nominative: Used for the subject of a verb. Formed as follows:
- Absolutive ending in consonant, -a, or -o: -ú - e.g. nama "person" → namú
- Absolutive ending in -e or -i: -í - e.g. shimmírti "bird (sing.)" → shimmirtí
- Absolutive ending in a long or high-tone vowel: -n
- Genitive: Used for possession ("of") and the object of some adpositions.
- Absolutive ending in consonant or -a: -́i - e.g. nama → námi
- Absolutive ending in other short non-high-tone vowel: penultimate high tone - e.g. qino → qíno
- Absolutive ending long or high-tone vowel: -t
- Dative: Used for recipient, benefactor, purpose, obligation ("to" or "for").
- Absolutive ending in consonant or -a: -oó - e.g. nama → namoó
- Absolutive ending in other short non-high-tone vowel: lengthen final vowel + final high tone - e.g. shimmírti → shimmirtií
- Absolutive ending in long or high-tone vowel: -s
- Independent form: oó
- Ablative: Used for source ("from"), comparison ("than").
- Absolutive ending in consonant: -áh
- Absolutive ending in vowel: -́h
- Independent form: áh
- Instrumental: Used for instrument, means, agent, cause, time.
- Absolutive ending in consonant: -ás
- Absolutive ending in vowel: -́s
- Independent form: ás
- Comitative: Used for accompaniment ("in company with").
- Absolutive ending in consonant: -ál
- Absolutive ending in vowel: -́l
- Independent form: ál
- Locative: Used for location. For more specific location, postpositions are used.
- Absolutive ending in consonant: -ád
- Absolutive ending in vowel: -́d
- Independent form: ád
Number
The citation form is unmarked for number. The singulative is formed with suffixes such as -sha, -ha, -ka, -iccha, -ta (masculine) or -ti, -itti (feminine). The plural is formed with suffixes such as -oota, -ani, -aani, -ooni, -ooCi, etc.
Pronouns
Personal Pronouns
Absolutive | Nominative | Accusative | Genitive | Dative | Ablative | Instrumental | Comitative | Locative | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1S | ana | anú | kiisha | kiíshi | kiishoó | kiisháh | kiishás | kiishál | kiishád |
2SM | ata | atú | kaaha | kaáhi | kaahoó | kaaháh | kaahás | kaahál | kaahád |
2SF | ati | atí | taati | taáti | taatií | taatíh | taatís | taatíl | taatíd |
3SM | usa | usú | keesha | keéshi | keeshoó | keesháh | keeshás | keeshál | keeshád |
3SF | ishi | ishí | teeti | teéti | teetií | teetíh | teetís | teetíl | teetíd |
1Ex | una | unú | keena | keéni | keennoó | keenáh | keenás | keenál | keenád |
1Inc | anáni | ananí | kiina | kiíni | kiinoó | kiináh | kiinás | kiinál | kiinád |
2P | atáni | ataní | siina | siíni | siinoó | siináh | siinás | siinál | siinád |
3P | isáni | isaní | koota | koóti | kootií | kootíh | kootís | kootíl | kootíd |
Subject | Accusative 1 | Accusative 2 | Dative | Ablative | Instrumental | Comitative | Locative | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1S | an | yi | kii | yoó | yáh | yás | yál | yád |
2SM | at | ku | kaa | kuú | kúh | kús | kúl | kúd |
2SF | at | tu | taa | tuú | túh | tús | túl | túd |
3SM | us | ka | keesh | koó | káh | kás | kál | kád |
3SF | ish | ta | teet | toó | táh | tás | tál | tád |
1Ex | un | na | keen | noó | náh | nás | nál | nád |
1Inc | anan | yin | kiin | yinoó | yináh | yinás | yinál | yinád |
2P | atan | sin | siin | sinoó | sináh | sinás | sinál | sinád |
3P | isan | tin | koot | tinoó | tináh | tinás | tinál | tinád |
REF | – | ís | – | isoó | isáh | isás | isál | isád |
REC | – | ol | – | oloó | oláh | olás | olál | olád |
Notes:
- When there is one accusative object pronoun, either the "accusative 1" or "accusative 2" forms can be used. When there are multiple clitic objects, the final one takes the "accusative 2" form and the rest the "accusative 1" form.
- Third person clitic pronouns are often omitted. When the this occurs in oblique cases, the corresponding free postposition forms are used (oó, ák, ás, ál, and ád respectively).
Verbs
Class I
Suffix Conjugation
Most consonant-initial verbs fall into this category. Example: sheeníni "to bring".
Infinitive I | -́i | sheéni | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Infinitive II | -íni | sheeníni | ||||||||||||
Active Participle | -áa | sheenáa | ||||||||||||
Passive Participle1 | -án- | sheenán- | ||||||||||||
Present Affirmative2 | Present Subordinate2 | Pres. Subord. Neg. | Past Affirmative2 | Past Negative | Jussive/Imperative Aff. | Jussive/Imperative Neg. | ||||||||
1S | -á | sheená | -ó | sheenó | -íno | sheeníno | -é | sheené | -íne | sheeníne | -́u | sheénu | -ínu | sheenínu |
2S | -tá | sheentá | -tó | sheentó | -ínto | sheenínto | -té | sheenté | -ínte | sheenínte | -́u | sheénu | -ínu | sheenínu |
3SM | -á | sheená | -ó | sheenó | -íno | sheeníno | -é | sheené | -íne | sheeníne | -́u | sheénu | -ínu | sheenínu |
3SF | -tá | sheentá | -tó | sheentó | -ínto | sheenínto | -té | sheenté | -ínte | sheenínte | -́tu | sheéntu | -íntu | sheeníntu |
1P | -ná | sheenná | -nó | sheennó | -ínno | sheenínno | -né | sheenné | -ínne | sheenínne | -́nu | sheénnu | -ínnu | sheenínnu |
2P | -taána | sheentaána | -toóna | sheentoóna | -intoóna | sheenintoóna | -teéni | sheenteéni | -inteéni | sheeninteéni | -́aa | sheénaa | -ínaa | sheenínaa |
3P | -aána | sheenaána | -oóna | sheenoóna | -inoóna | sheeninoóna | -eéni | sheeneéni | -ineéni | sheenineéni | -́aa | sheénaa | -ínaa | sheenínaa |
Notes:
1 Conjugates as an adjective.
2 The final vowel in the singular and 1P forms (i.e. -á/ó/é) lose their high tone when non-final and lengthen in questions.
Prefix Conjugation
Vowel-initial verbs. Example verb: arkíni "to see".
Infinitive I | -́i | árki | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Infinitive II | -íni | arkíni | ||||||||||||
Active Participle | -áa | arkáa | ||||||||||||
Passive Participle | -án- | arkán- | ||||||||||||
Present Affirmative | Present Subordinate | Pre. Subord. Neg. | Past Affirmative | Past Negative | Jussive/Imperative Aff. | Jussive/Imperative Neg. | ||||||||
1S | -á | arká | -ó | arkó | -íno | arkíno | -é | arké | -íne | arkíne | -́u | árku | -ínu | arkínu |
2S | t-á | tarká | t-ó | tarkó | t-íno | tarkíno | t-é | tarké | t-íne | tarkíne | -́u | árku | -ínu | arkínu |
3SM | y-á | yarká | y-ó | yarkó | y-íno | yarkíno | y-é | yarké | y-íne | yarkíne | y-́u | yárku | y-ínu | yarkínu |
3SF | t-á | tarká | t-ó | tarkó | t-íno | tarkíno | t-é | tarké | t-íne | tarkíne | t-́u | tárku | t-ínu | tarkínu |
1P | n-á | narká | n-ó | narkó | n-íno | narkíno | n-é | narké | n-íne | narkíne | n-́u | nárku | n-ínu | narkínu |
2P | t-aána | tarkaána | t-oóna | tarkoóna | t-inoóna | tarkinoóna | t-eéni | tarkeéni | t-ineéni | tarkineéni | -́aa | árkaa | -ínaa | arkínaa |
3P | y-aána | yarkaána | y-oóna | yarkoóna | y-inoóna | yarkinoóna | y-eéni | yarkeéni | y-ineéni | yarkineéni | y-́aa | yárkaa | y-ínaa | yarkínaa |
Class II: Adjectival Conjugation
This used for adjectives and a few stative verbs. The citation form is the 3SM present affirmative. They each have a Class I counterpart that is used inchoatively. Example: cáse "red" (inchoative: casoóni "to become red"). For the infinitive, passive participle, and imperatives/jussives, use the Class I forms.
Active Participle | -íi | casíi | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Present Affirmative | Present Subordinate | Past Affirmative | Past Negative | |||||
1S | -́iye | cásiye | -íye | casíye | -íishe | casíishe | -iishé | casiishé |
2S | -́ite | cásite | -íte | casíte | -íishte | casíishte | -iishté | casiishté |
3SM | -́e | cáse | -é | casé | -íishe | casíishe | -iishé | casiishé |
3SF | -́e | cáse | -é | casé | -íishte | casíishte | -iishté | casiishté |
1P | -́ine | cásine | -íne | casíne | -íishne | casíishne | -iishné | casiishné |
2P | -́itiíni | casitiíni | -itiíni | casitiíni | -iishtiíni | casiishtiíni | -iishtiíni | casiishtiíni |
3P | -́iini | casiíni | -iíni | casiíni | -iishiíni | casiishiíni | -iishiíni | casiishiíni |
Note: The present subordinate negative form is identical to the present subordinate affirmative.
Tense, Aspect, Mood
Notes:
- The Class I forms ending in a high-tone vowel lose the high tone when non-final and lengthen the final vowel when used interrogatively - e.g. yarká "he sees", yarka nama "a person who sees", yarkáa? "does he see?"
Simple Present
- Used for an action in the present or future, or that started in the past but continue into the present (i.e. English past perfect continuous).
- Main clause:
- Affirmative: "Present indicative" - e.g. yarká "he sees"
- Negative: ma + "Present subordinate" - e.g. ma yarkó "he does not see"
- Subordinate clause:
- Affirmative: "Present subordinate" - e.g. yarkós "so that he sees"
- Negative: ma + "Present subordinate negative" - e.g. ma yarkíno oó "so that he does not see"
Simple Past
- Used for an action in the past.
- Main clause:
- Affirmative: "Past affirmative" - e.g. yarké "he saw"
- Negative: ma + "Past negative" - e.g. ma yarkíne "he did not see"
- Subordinate clause:
- Affirmative: "Past affirmative" - e.g. yarkés "because he saw"
- Negative: ma + "Past negative" - e.g. ma yarkíne ás "because he did not see"
Imperative
- Used for a command in the second person.
- Affirmative: "Imperative affirmative" - e.g. árku "see!"
- Negative: hin + "Imperative negative" - e.g. hin arkínu "do not see!"
Jussive
- Used for a wish, command, etc in the first and third person.
- Affirmative: haa "Jussive affirmative" - e.g. haa yárku "let him see!"
- Negative: ma + "Jussive negative" - e.g. ma yarkínu "let him not see!"
Syntax
Constituent order
SOV
Noun phrase
- Modifiers come before the noun being modified.
- Case endings and postpositions come at the end of a noun phrase, which often ends in a noun but may not. If it does not end in a noun, independent forms are used.