Sharqi

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

Introduction

Sharqi is basically a Semitic Somali.

Phonology

Morphology

Verbs

Stem 1

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

• FCL 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.
• 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]).

e.g. sabar "he broke" + -ag "you (object)" → sabrag "he broke you" (not *sabarag)

BUT baddal "he changed" + -ag → baddalag "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. aá).
• The infinitive takes the form FáCLi if the cluster CL is not forbidden. If it is forbidden, the infinitive takes the form FáCaL.

(Note: The tones in the perfect and imperfect will most likely be removed, but I'm leaving them here for now in case I decide to keep them)

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	iFáC[a]L	iqád[a]l	iF(i)CíL	iqdíl	FaCáLku	qadálku	FaCiiLay	qadiilay	íF(a)CaL	íqdal	íF(a)CaL	íqdal
2S	tiFáC[a]L	tiqád[a]l	tiF(i)CíL	tiqdíl	FaCáLka	qadálka	FaCiiLag	qadiilag	FíCaL	qídal	tíF(i)CaL	tíqdal
3SM	yiFáC[a]L	yiqád[a]l	yiF(i)CíL	yiqdíl	FáC[a]L	qád[a]l	FaCiiLaw	qadiilaw	yíF(a)CaL	yíqdal	yíF(a)CaL	yíqdal
3SF	tiFáC[a]L	tiqád[a]l	tiF(i)CíL	tiqdíl	FaC(a)Lád	qadlád	FaCiiLaa	qadiilaa	tíF(a)CaL	tíqdal	tíF(a)CaL	tíqdal
1P	niFáC[a]L	niqád[a]l	niF(i)CíL	niqdíl	FaCáLna	qadálna	FaCiiLan	qadiilan	níF(a)CaL	níqdal	níF(a)CaL	níqdal
2P	tiFaC(a)Luú	tiqadluú	tiF(i)CiLuú	tiqdiluú	FaCaLkuú	qadalkuú	FaCiiLkun	qadiilkun	FíC(i)Luu	qídluu	tiF(i)CíLuu	tiqdíluu
3P	yiFaC(a)Luú	yiqadluú	yiF(i)CiLuú	yiqdiluú	FaC(a)Luú	qadluú	FaCiiLun	qadiilun	yíF(i)CiLuu	yíqdiluu	yiF(i)CíLuu	yiqdíluu
IMP	yiFáC(a)Las	yiqádlas	yiF(i)CíLas	yiqdílas	FáC(a)Las	qádlas	FaCiiLays	qadiilays	yíF(a)CiLas	yíqdilas	yíF(a)CiLas	yíqdilas

There are various modifications depending on the root consonants:

• If F is:-
  • w: i becomes u before w, with iw becoming uu - e.g. yuwadad "he loves" (from *yiwadad).
  • y: iy becomes ii - e.g. al tiibas "she/it does not dry" (from *tiybas).
  • '/Ø: i is dropped - e.g. yaaman "he believes" (from *yi(')aaman).
• If C is:-
  • w, wC, or Cw:
    • aw(a)/wa becomes oo - e.g. koon "he was/became" (from *kawan).
    • wi becomes uu (and makes preceding i into u) - e.g. ay tukuun "do not become" (from *tikwin).
  • y, yC, or Cy:
    • ay(a)/ya becomes ee - e.g. keed "he walked/went" (from *kayad).
    • yi becomes ii - e.g. ay tikiid "do not walk/go" (from *tikyid).
• If L is:-
  • y:
    • (a)ya becomes ay - e.g. sallayd "she prayed" (from *sallayad).
    • iy becomes ii - e.g. sillii "pray" (from *silliy).
    • The gerundive takes the base FaCiy- (FaCii- before a consonant).
  • w:
    • (a)wa becomes aw - e.g. cafawd "she forgave" (from *cafwad).
    • iw becomes uu (and makes preceding i into u) - e.g. cufuu "pray" (from *cifiw).
    • The gerundive takes the base FaCuw- (FaCuu- before a consonant).
• 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, yuturguun "translate" (from *taragwam, *yitaragwam, *yitirigwim).

Syntax

Constituent order

Primarily SOV