Old Swuntsim
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:
- Talman Swutsim
- Naquian Swutsim
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:
- ʔə-, pl. cə- = humans, spirits
- bu-, pl. də- = animals and other things that move on their own
- p-, pl. əpi- = plants and mushrooms; things that grow
- s-, pl. dus- = collections or large things: scʼaσ 'forest'
- ut-, pl. pσə- = roughly round, compact objects
- ma-, pl. əwə- = long objects; tools, instruments, devices
- č-, pl. abi- = places, locations, slots
- gu-, pl. n- = various... including fluids (powder, water, liquids, fire, light, waves, wind, ...)
- σi-, pl. wi- = time periods; events; things that are temporary (e.g. ice)
- t- = abstractions, manner, way
- t’im- = infinitives, verbal nouns
- 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:
- ʔə-, pl. cə-
- bu-, pl. də-
- p-, pl. əpi-
- s-, pl. dus-
- ut-, pl. pσə-
- ma-, pl. əwə-
- č-, pl. abi-
- gu-, pl. n-
- σi-, pl. wi-
- t-, no plural
- t’im-, no plural
- 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