Burumbi

Revision as of 05:40, 20 May 2013 by Mboso (talk | contribs) (→‎Grammar)


Background

Burumbi is made to sound how Anglophones think "African" languages sound. As I am rather unlearned when it comes to linguistics the result is likely to be sketchy and uninspiring to others, but it is mainly for generating names and short phrases.

Phonology

Consonants

Consonants
Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar
Plosive p b (p b) t d (t d) k g (k g)
Affricate ts (t͡s)
Fricative s z (s z)
Nasal m (m) n (n) ny (ɲ) ng (ŋ)
Approximant r l (ɹ l) y (j) w (w)

Vowels

Vowels
Front Central Back
Close i /i/ u /u/
Mid é /ə/
Open mid e /ɛ/
Open a /ɑ/

In addition to these vowels the diphthong o () is used.


Orthography

Phonotactics

Syllables can take the following forms:

  • V(ŋ)
  • CV(ŋ)
  • NSV(ŋ)
  • SwV(ŋ)

where V = vowel, C = consonant, N = the nasal vowels /m n/, and S = a stop or the consonants /s z ts/. Stress always falls on the penultimate syllable except in the case of é, in which case it falls on the following one.


Grammar

Nouns

Nouns are inflected for plurality and case. There are two forms of plurality: -du, indicating a few, and -mè indicating many. The cases are:

  • Nominative - unmarked, the subject of a sentence
  • Accusative - the direct object of a sentence
  • Genetive - signifies a relation to the direct object
  • Possessive - signifies that the noun is the possessor of something else
case suffix
Nominative Ø
Accusative -lè
Genetive -de
Possessive -do

Morphology

Syntax