Proto-Almaic
| Proto-Almean | |
|---|---|
| Rapa'i | |
| Pronunciation | [/ʀaˈpa.ʔi/] |
| Created by | Miguel Bartelsman |
| Date | 2020 |
| Setting | Conworld Angara |
| Extinct | ca. 3500 a.E. |
Proto-Almean
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | none |
Proto-Almean is the common ancestor of all the Almean languages, a family of languages widespread in the Yolder and Ausmiran continents.
Proto-Almean is estimated to have been spoken from around 5000 to 3500 a.E., and it's original homeland may have been the Almeran plains from which the language derives its name. Its descendant languages include Angaran and Yohari.
Orthography
| Letter | A a | B b | C c | D d | E e | F f |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /a/, /ã/ [1] | /b/ | /x/ | /d/ | /e/, /ẽ/ [1] | /f/ |
| Letter | G g | H h | I i | K k | Kg kg [3] | – kk [4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /g/ | /h/, /-/ [2] | /i/, /ĩ/ [1] | /k/ | /k’/ | /k’/ |
| Letter | L l | M m | N n | Nj nj | O o | P p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /l/ | /m/ | /n/ /◌̃/ [1] | /ɲ/ | /o/, /õ/ [1] | /p/ |
| Letter | Pb pb [3] | – pp [4] | Q q | R r | S s | T t |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /p’/ | /p’/ | /q/ | /ʀ/ | /s/ | /t/ |
| Letter | Td td [3] | – tt [4] | U u | V v | Z z | ' [5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /t’/ | /t’/ | /u/, /ũ/ [1] | /v/ | /z/ | /ʔ/ |
^1 In words that end with ⟨n⟩, the /n/ is dropped and instead the vowels are nasalized.
^2 /h/ is not pronounced in final position, but ⟨h⟩ is preserved as clitics and affixes reveal the sound.
^3 ⟨kg⟩, ⟨td⟩, and ⟨pb⟩ are only used at the start of a word.
^4 ⟨kk⟩, ⟨tt⟩, and ⟨pp⟩ are only used in the middle of a word, so they have no correct capitalized version.
^5 ⟨'⟩ has a single representation regardless of location or capitalization.
Stress is predictable from the orthography, so it is not marked. A written word will always be stressed on the second to last syllable if it ends on an open syllable, otherwise stress will fall on the last syllable.
Phonetics
Consonants
| Labial | Alveolar | Palat. | Velar | Uvular | Glot. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| unv. | vce. | unv. | vce. | vce. | unv. | vce. | unv. | vce. | unv. | |
| Nasal | m | n | ɲ | |||||||
| Ejectives | p’ | t’ | k’ | |||||||
| Stops | p | b | t | d | k | g | q | ʔ | ||
| Fricatives | f | v | s | z | x | h | ||||
| Liquids | l | ʀ | ||||||||
Vowels
| Front | Center | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| rnd | unr. | unr. | |
| Close | i | u | |
| Mid | e | o | |
| Open | a |
Syllable structure
((h)C) V (N)
- C: a consonant, which may be pre-aspirated word-medially.
- V: a vowel
- N: is a nasal consonant with unspecified place of articulation.
Prosody
Stress usually falls on the second to last syllable, unless the word ends in a nasal vowel or preaspirates suffixes, in which case it falls on the last syllable.
Syntax
| WALS Ch. | Structure | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| WALS 81 - 84 | SOXV | — [S: the dog] [O: the cat] [X: to the tree] [V: chases] |
| WALS 85 | Prepositions | — [PP: to] [N: the tree] |
| WALS 86 | Genitive Noun | — [G: the cat's] [N: toy] |
| WALS 87 | Noun Adjective | — [N: dog] [Adj: big] |
| WALS 88 | Noun Determiner | — [N: dog] [Det: that] |
| WALS 89 | Numeral Noun | — [Num: three] [N: balls] |
| WALS 94 | Internal subordinator word | — [S: the dog] [Adv: if] [V: sees] |
| WALS 100 | Active alignment | — [Act: the dog] [Pas: the cat] [V: chases] — [Act: the dog] [V: walks] — [Pas: the cat] [V: falls] |
| WALS 122 | Gap | [S:[R: a wool have-not] sheep] [O:horses] [V:sees] |
| WALS 123 | Relativization on Obliques | — [Act: the dog] [Pas: the cat] [V: chases] — [Act: the dog] [V: walks] — [Pas: the cat] [V: falls] |
Relative constructions
Proto-angaran builds relative constructions with the help of demonstratives. Generally speaking, a correlative construction with a demonstrative in the relative and main clauses is the most versatile, but Passive-relative constructions can drop the demonstrative from the main clause, and Active-relative constructions can drop all the demonstratives and fully rely in word order instead.
- Active (sheep)
-
- Regular clause
- The sheep wool not has.
- The sheep had no wool.
- Gapping
- The sheep [wool not has] horses saw.
- The sheep (who) had no wool saw horses.
- A horse sheep [wool not has] saw.
- A horse saw the sheep (who) had no wool.
- Demonstrative
- The sheep [that wool not has] horses saw.
- The sheep that had no wool saw horses.
- A horse sheep [that wool not has] saw.
- A horse saw the sheep that had no wool.
- Correlative
- [sheep that wool not has], sheep that horses saw.
- The sheep has no wool, that sheep saw horses.
- Passive (wagon)
-
- Regular clause
- The horse a wagon pulling.
- The horse pulling a wagon.
- Demonstrative
- The sheep a wagon [the horse that pulling] rides.
- The sheep rides a wagon, that the horse is pulling.
- Correlative
- [The horse wagon that pulling], the sheep wagon that rides.
- The horse is pulling a wagon, the sheep rides that wagon.
- Oblique (hill)
-
- Regular clause
- The sheep them from a hill saw
- The sheep saw them from a hill
- Correlative
- [The sheep them from hill that saw], we hill that love
- The sheep we saw from that hill, we love that hill
Grammar
Pronouns
- sa – I (1st p. singular)
- sana – we (1st p. plural inc.)
- sado – we (1st p. plural excl.)
- ika – you (2nd p. singular)
- ikana – you (2nd p. dual)
- ikado – you (2nd p. plural)
- go – he/she (3rd p. singular)
- gona – they (3rd p. dual)
- godo – they (3rd p. plural)
- a – it/that (3rd p. singular)
- ahdo – they/those (3rd p. dual)
- ahna – they/those (3rd p. plural)
- Determiners
- Only an indefinite article is used
- Number
- Marked by particles, three different forms: singular, dual, plural
- Tenses
- Present, unmarked; past and habitual, regularly marked by affixes; future
Samples
Misc. sentences
“Tenju ohdattali 'e sin”
/ˈte.ɲu oh.daˈt’a.li ʔe sĩ/
| tenju | oh=dattali | 'e | sin |
| mister | indf=animal | pat | see |
“The mister sees an animal”
Schleicher's fable
“Ti ohrante, kginja 'e ka hila ohagahi to ohemon 'e sin mo, …”
/ti ohˈʀan.te ˈk’i.ɲa ʔe ka hiˈla o.haˈga.hi to o.heˈmõ ʔe sĩ mo/
| ti | oh=rante, | kginja | 'e | ka | hila | oh=agahi | to | oh=emon | 'e | sin | mo |
| On | indf=hill, | wool | pat | neg | have | indf=sheep | pl | indf=horse | pat | see | pst, |
“On a hill, a wool have-not sheep saw some horses, …”
“…ahdomi za ohppami godo lanjicipu, …”
/ˈah.do mi za ohˈp’a.mi ˈgo.do ˌla.ɲiˈxi.pu/
| ahdo=mi | za | oh=pbami | godo | lanji=cipu |
| 3p=gen | one | indf=wagon | heavy | pull=ipfv |
“…one of them pulling a heavy wagon, …”
“…zakuna ohdakkenvita onjo dakkencipu, …”
/zaˈku.na ohˌda.k’eɱˈvi.ta ˈo.ɲo ˌda.k’eŋˈxi.pu/
| zakuna | oh=dakken-vita | onjo | dakken=cipu |
| one:else | indf=carry-nz | big | carry=ipfv |
“…another carrying a big load, …”
“…???. …”
/???/
“…and one carrying a man quickly. …”
On a hill, a sheep that had no wool saw horses, one of them pulling a heavy wagon, one carrying a big load, and one carrying a man quickly. The sheep said to the horses: "My heart pains me, seeing a man driving horses." The horses said: "Listen, sheep, our hearts pain us when we see this: a man, the master, makes the wool of the sheep into a warm garment for himself. And the sheep has no wool." Having heard this, the sheep fled into the plain.