Sharqi (native: Af Sharqi) is an Ethio-Semitic language.

Introduction

Sharqi is an Ethiopian Semitic language heavily inspired by Somali.

Phonology

Orthography

Consonants

Vowels

Prosody

Stress

Intonation

Phonotactics

Morphophonology

Morphology

Pronouns

Personal Pronouns

Af Sharqi personal pronouns
Independent Clitic Possessive
Stressed Unstressed Subject Object Independent Dependent
1S
aníga
an(í)
aan
-ni/-ay
káy(ga)/táy(da)
-ay/ya
2S
antíga
ant(í)
aad
-(a)g
kág(ga)/tág(ta)
-(a)g
3SM
nusúga
nus(ú)
uu
-aw/-hu
káw(ga)/táw(da)
-aw/hu
3SF
nisáda
nis(á)
ay
-(h)aad
káad(a)/táad(a)
-(h)aad
1P
innága
inná
inna/aan
-(a)n
kán(na)/tán(na)
-(a)n
2P
intínka
intín
intin/aad
-kúun
kugúun(na)/tugúun(na)
-uguún/kuún
3P
nisínka
nisín
uun/uu
-(h)úun
kúun(na)/túun(na)
-(h)úun
IMP
sab
REF
nis-
(+ poss.)
nis

Verbs

Stem 1

Stem 1 is the base form of a verb. The citation form is the 3rd person singular masculine perfect.

  • F-C-L is used as the generic verb (with qadal "kill" as the example verb).
    • F: first root consonant
    • C: second root consonant (for geminated or quadriliteral verbs, this represents the middle two consonants)
    • L: third root consonant
    • (vowel): vowel that is usually dropped unless it violates phonotactics. Sometimes unpredictable.
  • Before a suffix beginning in a vowel, the a in -aL in the perfect and imperfect is dropped (if applicable and allowed). This is represented with square brackets (i.e. [a]).
  • The (a/i) after F is dropped if possible, even if phonotactics require the F to be changed - e.g. katab "he wrote", ay tigtib "do not write". On the other hand, the (a/i) or [a] after C is generally dropped only if that will lead to no consonant changes - e.g. yikatabúu "they write" (not *yikadbúu).
e.g. sabar "he broke" + -ag "you (object)" → sabrag "he broke you" (not *sabarag)
BUT baddal "he changed" + -agbaddalag "he changed you" (*baddlag violates phonotactics).
  • Some verbs have aa after the first root consonant instead of a - e.g. baarag "bless". In this case, it is never dropped. Any high tones that would apply to a are applied to the second a of aa (i.e. ).
  • The infinitive takes the form FáCL(i) if the cluster CL is not forbidden (with the -i inserted if C is not y or w). If it is forbidden, the infinitive takes the form FáCaL.
Stem 1
Infinitive (m.)
FáC(a)L(i)
qádli
Verbal Noun (f.)
máF(a)CaL/FaCLíd
máqdal/qadlíd
Agent (m.)
FaCaáli
qadaáli
Agent (f.)
FaCaalíd
qadaalíd
Imperfect Subjunctive Perfect Gerundive Imperative Jussive
1S
iFaC[a]L
iqad[a]l
iF(i)CíL
iqdíl
FaCaLku
qadalku
FaCíiLay
qadíilay
íF(a)CaL
íqdal
íF(a)CaL
íqdal
2S
tiFaC[a]L
tiqad[a]l
tiF(i)CíL
tiqdíl
FaCaLka
qadalka
FaCíiLag
qadíilag
FíCaL
qídal
tíF(i)CaL
tíqdal
3SM
yiFaC[a]L
yiqad[a]l
yiF(i)CíL
yiqdíl
FaC[a]L
qad[a]l
FaCíiLaw
qadíilaw
yíF(a)CaL
yíqdal
yíF(a)CaL
yíqdal
3SF
tiFaC[a]L
tiqad[a]l
tiF(i)CíL
tiqdíl
FaC(a)Lad
qadlad
FaCiiLaád
qadiilaád
tíF(a)CaL
tíqdal
tíF(a)CaL
tíqdal
1P
niFaC[a]L
niqad[a]l
niF(i)CíL
niqdíl
FaCaLna
qadalna
FaCíiLan
qadíilan
níF(a)CaL
níqdal
níF(a)CaL
níqdal
2P
tiFaC(a)Lúun
tiqadlúun
tiF(i)CiLúun
tiqdilúun
FaCaLkúun
qadalkúun
FaCiiLkúun
qadiilkúun
FíC(i)Lu
qídlu
tiF(i)CiLúun
tiqdilúun
3P
yiFaC(a)Lúun
yiqadlúún
yiF(i)CiLuú
yiqdilúun
FaC(a)Lúun
qadlúun
FaCiiLúun
qadiilúun
yiF(i)CiLúun
yiqdilúun
yiF(i)CiLúun
yiqdilúun

There are various modifications depending on the root consonants:

  • If F is:-
    • w: i becomes u before w, with uw becoming uu before a consonant - e.g. yuwadad "he loves" (from *yiwadad).
    • y: iy becomes ii before a consonant - e.g. al tiibís "she/it does not dry" (from *tiybís).
    • Ø: preceding i becomes a in the imperfect and lengthened in the subjunctive/jussive - e.g. yaahal "it is enough" (from *yiØahal), ay yiíhal "let it not be enough" (from *yíØhal).
    • A guttural letter (G: ', h, c, x): when intervocalic, preceding short vowel assimilates to following vowel - e.g. yaxamal "he carries" (from *yixamal).
  • If C is:-
    • y, yC, or Cy:
      • ay(a)/ya becomes ee - e.g. keed "he walked/went" (from *kayad).
      • yi(i) becomes ii - e.g. al tikiíd "you do not walk/go" (from *tikyíd).
      • ayii becomes ey - e.g. kéydaw "him walking/going" (from *kayíidaw).
    • w, wC, or Cw:
      • aw(a)/wa becomes oo - e.g. koon "he was/became" (from *kawan).
      • wi(i) becomes uu (and makes preceding i into u) - e.g. al tukuún "she does not become" (from *tikwín).
      • awii becomes oy - e.g. kóynaw "him being" (from *kawíinaw).
    • Ø, ØC, or CØ:
      • aØ(a)/Øa becomes aa - e.g. laag "he sent" (from *laØag).
      • Øi(i) becomes ii - e.g. al tiliíg "she doesn't send" (from *tilØíg).
      • aØii becomes ay - e.g. láygaw "him sending" (from *laØíigaw).
    • G:
      • aGii in gerundive becomes iGii - e.g. mixíiraw "him being kind/merciful"
      • When intervocalic, preceding short vowel assimilates to following vowel.
  • If L is:-
    • y:
      • (a)ya becomes ay - e.g. sallayd "she prayed" (from *sallayad).
      • Final iy becomes i (ii before a consonant) - e.g. silli "pray" (from *silliy).
      • yuu becomes uu after a consonant - e.g. yinasúun "they forget" (from *yinasyúun).
      • The gerundive takes the base FaCíy- (FaCíi- before a consonant).
    • w:
      • (a)wa becomes aw - e.g. cafawd "she forgave" (from *cafwad).
      • Final iw becomes u (uu before a consonant) and makes preceding i into u - e.g. cufu "forgive" (from *cifiw).
      • wuu becomes uu after a consonant - e.g. yacafúun "they forgive" (from *yicafwúun).
      • awuu becomes ow - e.g. yiqandhówn "they get a fever" (from *yiqandhawúun).
      • iwuu becomes uu e.g. ay ticfúun "do not forgive (pl.)" (from *ticfiwúun)
      • The gerundive takes the base FaCúw- (FaCúu- before a consonant).
    • Ø:
      • aØ(a)/Øa becomes aa - e.g. nashaad "she took/lifted" (from *nashaØad).
      • Final becomes i (ii before a consonant) - e.g. nishi "take/lift" (from *nishiØ).
      • Øuu becomes uu after a consonant - e.g. yinashúun "they take/lift" (from *yinashØúun).
      • aØuu becomes ow - e.g. yuwaddówn "they finish" (from *yiwaddaØúun)
      • iØuu becomes uu e.g. al tinshúun "you (pl.) do not take/lift" (from *tinshiØúun)
      • The gerundive takes the base FaCíy- (FaCíi- before a consonant).
    • G: Preceding short vowel assimilates to following vowel.
  • Normal sandhi rules apply - e.g. sallaygu "I prayed" (from *sallay-ku).
  • For quinquiliteral verbs, replace C with CaCC/CiCC (with the vowel corresponding to the bracketed one) - e.g. dhamastar, yidhamastar, yidhimistír "complete". If one of the consonants is w or y, the aforementioned simplifications apply and the unnecessary a/i is not added - e.g. targoon, yitargoon, yuturguún, targúumaw "translate" (from *taragwam, *yitaragwam, *yitirigwím, *taragwíimaw). In forms where no simplifications can take place, however, the extra vowel is added - e.g. taragwaámi "translator".

Tenses

Simple tenses
Compound tenses
  • Present progressive: Imperfect (minus suffixes) + Perfect of -(ah)alaw - e.g. yikeed(ah)alaw "he is walking/going".
    • This is derived from the defective verb halaw "he is present" (notice that it has present meaning despite the perfect form)
  • Past progressive: Imperfect (minus suffixes) + Perfect of nabar "he was present" - e.g. yikeed nabarúun "they were walking/going".

Syntax

Constituent order

Primarily SOV

Noun phrase

Verb phrase

Sentence phrase

Dependent clauses

Example texts

Other resources