Proto-Almaic
| Proto-Almaic | |
|---|---|
| Rapa'i | |
| Pronunciation | [/ʀaˈpa.ʔi/] |
| Created by | Miguel Bartelsman |
| Date | 2020 |
| Setting | Conworld Angara |
| Extinct | ca. 3500 a.E. |
Proto-Almaic
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | none |
Proto-Almaic is the common ancestor of all the Almaic languages, a family of languages widespread in the Yolder and Ausmiran continents.
Proto-Almaic 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/, /◌̃/, /N/ [5] | /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 | ' [6] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 ⟨n⟩ in coda position can be realized a number of ways: as vowel nasalization in final position or before /ʔ/, or as one of [m], [ɱ], [n], [ŋ], [ɴ], assimilating in place of articulation to the following consonant.
^6 ⟨'⟩ 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 ĩ | u ũ | |
| Mid | e ẽ | o õ | |
| Open | a ã |
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
Main clause
Proto-Almaic is primarily a VSO language, with alternate orders such as SVO, employed for topic introduction, and VOS, a result of pragmatic marking, being less common.
The verb phrase
The verb phrase is, maximally, as follows:
- (Preposition) Verb (Adverbs) (Auxiliary Verb)
Preverbal adpositions are valency increasing operators. These are usually applied before intransitive verbs to have them take a locative object, though they might also serve to form dative or causative constructions. Only a small subset of adpositions is allowed in this role. Adverbs are usually located directly after the main verb, when multiple adverbs are used they obey the following order:
- Time – Manner – Place
Some functional adverbs, such as questions and conditionals will be located in other positions, such as at the beginning of the clause or at the end.
Auxiliary verbs are used to express certain tenses and aspects that main verbs have no inflections for, such as the future tense and the progressive aspect. When an auxiliary is used, the main verb takes no inflections, other than preverbal adpositions.
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 'e lanjicipu, …”
/ahˈdo.mi za ohˈp’a.mi ˈgo.do ʔe ˌla.ɲiˈxi.pu/
| ahdo=mi | za | oh=pbami | godo | 'e | lanji=cipu |
| 3p=gen | one | indf=wagon | heavy | pat | pull=ipfv |
“…one of them pulling a heavy wagon, …”
“…zakuna ohdakkenvita onjo 'e dakkencipu, …”
/zaˈku.na ohˌda.k’eɱˈvi.ta ˈo.ɲo ʔe ˌda.k’eŋˈxi.pu/
| zakuna | oh=dakken-vita | onjo | 'e | dakken=cipu |
| one:else | indf=carry-nz | big | pat | carry=ipfv |
“…another carrying a big load, …”
“…o zakuna ohnagoh 'e dakkencipu qasi. …”
/o zaˈku.na ˌoh.naˈgo ʔe ˌda.k’eŋˈxi.pu ˈqa.si/
| o | zakuna | oh=nagoh | 'e | dakken=cipu | qasi |
| and | one:else | indf=man | pat | carry=ipfv | fast |
“…and another carrying a man fast. …”
“…Agahi emon 'e vanza mo: …”
/aˈga.hi eˈmõ ʔe ˈvan.za mo/
| agahi | to | emon | 'e | vanza | mo |
| sheep | pl | horses | pat | say | pst |
“…The sheep said to the horses: …”
“…«Sami anke ikado 'e atuza ohnagoh 'e sinsa to emon 'e manttasa.»…”
/ˈsa.mi ˈaŋ.ke iˈkado ʔe aˈtu.za ohˈna.go ʔe ˈsin.sa to ˈe.mõ ʔe manˈt’a.sa/
| sa=mi | anke | ikado | 'e | atuza | oh=nagoh | 'e | sin-sa | to | emon | 'e | mantta-sa |
| 1s=gen | heart | 2p | pat | hurt | indf=man | pat | see-ger | pl | horse | pat | drive=ger |
“…«My soul weeps for you, seeing a man driving horses.»…”
“…To emon vanza mo:…”
/to eˈmõ ˈvan.za mo/
| to | emon | vanza | mo |
| pl | horse | say | pst |
“…The horses said: …”
“…«agahi 'e mihe sadomi anke atuza la 'e mahulo sin:…”
/aˈga.hi ʔe ˈmi.he saˈdo.mi ˈaŋ.ke aˈtu.za la ʔe maˈhu.lo sĩ/
| agahi | 'e | mihe | sado=mi | anke | atuza | la | 'e | mahulo | sin |
| sheep | pat | listen | 1px=gen | heart | hurt | det | pat | when | see |
“…«Listen, sheep, our hearts pain us when we see this: …”
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.