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Lemizh: Difference between revisions
Numerals, verbs etc.
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'''Lemizh''' (<span style="font-family:Gentium,'DejaVu Sans','Segoe UI',sans-serif">[[Help:IPA|[lεmˈiʒ]]]</span>, <small>native pronunciation:</small> <span style="font-family:Gentium,'DejaVu Sans','Segoe UI',sans-serif">[[Help:IPA|[lɛmˈɯ̀ʒ]]]</span>) is a language I invented with the aim of creating a grammar as regular and simple as possible. It was originally intended as an [[w:International auxiliary language|international auxiliary language]]. However, it turned out that a simple grammar is not necessarily a grammar that is easy to learn: the more ways of simplification I | '''Lemizh''' (<span style="font-family:Gentium,'DejaVu Sans','Segoe UI',sans-serif">[[Help:IPA|[lεmˈiʒ]]]</span>, <small>native pronunciation:</small> <span style="font-family:Gentium,'DejaVu Sans','Segoe UI',sans-serif">[[Help:IPA|[lɛmˈɯ̀ʒ]]]</span>) is a language I invented with the aim of creating a grammar as regular and simple as possible. It was originally intended as an [[w:International auxiliary language|international auxiliary language]]. However, it turned out that a simple grammar is not necessarily a grammar that is easy to learn: the more ways of simplification I found, the further away it moved from [[w:Indo-European|Indo-European]] and probably all other familiar language structures. Expecting anyone to learn Lemizh, at this point, would be completely unrealistic. | ||
So I needed a new justification for the language: enter the Lemizh, a people living to the west and north of the [[w:Black Sea|Black Sea]] in an alternate history that slowly drifted away from ours between two and eight millennia ago. Of course, it is extremely unlikely that they would speak a language that was completely without exceptions. To be precise, the chances are two to the power of two hundred and seventy-six thousand seven hundred and nine to one against. But they say that everything has to happen somewhere in the Multiverse. And everything happens only once. | So I needed a new justification for the language: enter the Lemizh, a people living to the west and north of the [[w:Black Sea|Black Sea]] in an alternate history that slowly drifted away from ours between two and eight millennia ago. Of course, it is extremely unlikely that they would speak a language that was completely without exceptions. To be precise, the chances are two to the power of two hundred and seventy-six thousand seven hundred and nine to one against. But they say that everything has to happen somewhere in the Multiverse. And everything happens only once. | ||
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'''Examples''' | '''Examples''' | ||
* ''wàx. w–x'' is the stem for "speak", ''-a-'' denotes the inner factive, so this word means "an action of speaking", translated as the verb "to speak" or the [[w: | * ''wàx. w–x'' is the stem for "speak", ''-a-'' denotes the inner factive, so this word means "an action of speaking", translated as the verb "to speak" or the [[w:Verbal noun|verbal noun]] "speaking". | ||
* ''wèx. -e-'' denotes the inner nominative, so this word means "a sender of speaking" or "a speaker". | * ''wèx. -e-'' denotes the inner nominative, so this word means "a sender of speaking" or "a speaker". | ||
* ''àrdh. ∅–dh'' (having a zero prestem) is the stem for "eat", ''-ar-'' denotes the inner locative: "a place of eating". | * ''àrdh. ∅–dh'' (having a zero prestem) is the stem for "eat", ''-ar-'' denotes the inner locative: "a place of eating". | ||
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! Inner factive !! Inner nominative !! Inner accusative !! Inner dative | ! Inner factive !! Inner nominative !! Inner accusative !! Inner dative | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ''wàx.'' "to speak, to tell" || ''wèx.'' "one telling something" || ''wỳx.'' "a tale" || ''wìx.'' "one who is told something" | | ''wàx.'' "to speak, to tell; (an act of) speaking" || ''wèx.'' "one telling something" || ''wỳx.'' "a tale" || ''wìx.'' "one who is told something" | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ''dà.'' "to give" || ''dè.'' "one giving something" || ''dỳ.'' "a gift" || ''dì.'' "one who is given something; one who gets something" | | ''dà.'' "to give; (an act of) giving" || ''dè.'' "one giving something" || ''dỳ.'' "a gift" || ''dì.'' "one who is given something; one who gets something" | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ''làzhw.'' "to help" || ''lèzhw.'' "one helping" || ''lỳzhw.'' "help (given)" || ''lìzhw.'' "one whom is helped" | | ''làzhw.'' "to help" || ''lèzhw.'' "one helping" || ''lỳzhw.'' "help (given)" || ''lìzhw.'' "one whom is helped" | ||
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===Nouns=== | ===Nouns=== | ||
A large number of nouns are not derived from verbs in most languages: ''froth, ship, lion'' and many others. In Lemizh, however, we have verbs such as ''psràxk.'' "to froth", ''àksh.'' "to build a ship or ships", and ''làw.'' "to make a lion or lions". | :''This and the following section headers do not correspond to any concepts in Lemizh grammar. Calling something a noun or adjective is just an attempt to describe the grammar from an Indo-European viewpoint.'' | ||
A large number of nouns are not derived from verbs in most languages: ''froth, ship, lion'' and many others. In Lemizh, however, we have verbs such as ''psràxk.'' "to froth", ''àksh.'' "to build a ship or ships", and ''làw.'' "to make a lion or lions". We will call these ''nominal verbs''. | |||
Looking at the verb ''àksh.'', the shipwright ({{sc|nom}}) gives the building materials ({{sc|dat}}) the properties or the function of a ship ({{sc|acc}}). He confers, well, shipness on the materials. The shipness is sent by the shipwright, not because he is acting, but because he is the source: the image of the ship, so to say, comes from his head and materialises in wood, iron, ropes, and linen. | Looking at the verb ''àksh.'', the shipwright ({{sc|nom}}) gives the building materials ({{sc|dat}}) the properties or the function of a ship ({{sc|acc}}). He confers, well, shipness on the materials. The shipness is sent by the shipwright, not because he is acting, but because he is the source: the image of the ship, so to say, comes from his head and materialises in wood, iron, ropes, and linen. | ||
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As mentioned above, all words can inflect for (outer) case. Thus, we have the nominative forms ''wàx'''e''''' "(an act of) speaking, (an act of) telling", ''dè'''e''''' "a giver", ''lỳw'''e''''' "a lion", the causative ''lỳw'''el''''' "because of a lion", the elative ''lỳw'''er''''' "(starting) from a lion", etc. | As mentioned above, all words can inflect for (outer) case. Thus, we have the nominative forms ''wàx'''e''''' "(an act of) speaking, (an act of) telling", ''dè'''e''''' "a giver", ''lỳw'''e''''' "a lion", the causative ''lỳw'''el''''' "because of a lion", the elative ''lỳw'''er''''' "(starting) from a lion", etc. | ||
Lemizh words do not inflect for number or gender. If desired, we can express this information by forming compounds. (Note the duplication of the inner case vowel; the underlying grammar will be described later.) | Lemizh words do not inflect for number or gender. If desired, we can express this information by forming compounds. (Note the duplication of the inner case vowel; the first occurrence in each word is called the epenthetic case of the compound. The underlying grammar will be described later.) | ||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
|- | |- | ||
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|} | |} | ||
===Adjectives=== | ===Adjectives and numerals=== | ||
There is no difference between adjectives and nouns. This is the same as in, say, Latin, where ''albus'' can also mean "a white one" as well as "white". The inner consecutive case translates abstract nouns. | There is no difference between adjectives and nouns. This is the same as in, say, Latin, where ''albus'' can also mean "a white one" as well as "white". Numerals are basically a sub-category of adjectives. | ||
The inner consecutive case translates abstract nouns. | |||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
|- | |- | ||
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| ''làbdh.'' "to whiten something, to make something white" || ''lèbdh.'' "one whitening something" || ''lỳbdh.'' "a white thing; white" || ''lìbdh.'' "a thing made white; whitened" || ''lìlbdh.'' "the consequence of whitening = whiteness" | | ''làbdh.'' "to whiten something, to make something white" || ''lèbdh.'' "one whitening something" || ''lỳbdh.'' "a white thing; white" || ''lìbdh.'' "a thing made white; whitened" || ''lìlbdh.'' "the consequence of whitening = whiteness" | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ''dwà.'' "to make two things/individuals" || ''dwè.'' "one making two things" || ''dwỳ.'' "two (things)" || ''dwì.'' "something made into two (things)" || ''dwìl.'' "the consequence of making two things = twoness" | |||
|} | |} | ||
====Inflection==== | ====Inflection==== | ||
Of course, adjectives can be compounded to express number and/or gender in the same way as nouns. Furthermore, we can form compounds expressing various degrees. (The consecutive | Of course, adjectives can be compounded to express number and/or gender in the same way as nouns. Furthermore, we can form compounds expressing various degrees. (The epenthetic consecutive ''-il-'' in these compounds will also be explained later.) | ||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
|- | |- | ||
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| — || ''zhrỳ.'' "few, little, a bit" || ''dmỳ.'' "much, many" || ''ghngỳ.'' "every, all, the whole" || ''tỳzhd.'' "more" || ''ỳst.'' "most" | | — || ''zhrỳ.'' "few, little, a bit" || ''dmỳ.'' "much, many" || ''ghngỳ.'' "every, all, the whole" || ''tỳzhd.'' "more" || ''ỳst.'' "most" | ||
|} | |} | ||
===Verbs=== | |||
Most verbs correspond to Lemizh words with an inner factive. However, as Lemizh word stems always denote an action, the notable exception are stative verbs such as: | |||
* ''zdìls.'' "to sit", literally "the consequence of sitting down (''zdàs.'')" | |||
* ''gwìlt.'' "to know", literally "the consequence of learning (''gwàt.'')" | |||
====Inflection==== | |||
* Lemizh has no voice (active/passive); word order serves a similar function. | |||
* Person is not expressed with inflection but with pronouns. | |||
* Verbs (i.e. words with an inner factive) can be compounded with numerals like nouns. However, ''ftrask'''mlà'''.'' does not mean "we/they sneeze" but "(there are) several acts of sneezing". Number in our sense is expressed by compounding ''pronouns'' with numerals. | |||
* Tense is expressed by compounds with an epenthetic temporal case (''-arh-'') or with certain inner cases. The latter option is perferred if possible, as it is more concise. | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
|- | |||
! !! Neutral !! Present !! Past !! Perfect !! Future !! Intentional | |||
|- | |||
! to dance | |||
| ''dràw.'' || ''drarhw'''wà'''.'' || ''drarhw'''prilkà'''.'' || ''dr'''ìl'''w.'' ({{sc|cons}}) || ''drarhw'''prà'''.'' || ''dr'''ò'''w.'' ({{sc|ten}}) | |||
|- | |||
! compound with | |||
| — || pronoun || ''prilkỳ.'' "back" || — || ''prỳ.'' "front" || — | |||
|} | |||
<!-- mood, aspect--> | |||
<!-- Here are some example subcategories: | <!-- Here are some example subcategories: | ||
===Adverbs=== | ===Adverbs=== | ||
===Particles=== | ===Particles=== | ||
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[[File:Copyleft1.png|20px]] ''This article includes material from the Lemizh homepage, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License.'' | [[File:Copyleft1.png|20px]] ''This article includes material from the Lemizh homepage, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License.'' | ||
<!--[[Category:Lemizh language]]--> | |||
<!--[[Category:Lemizh]]--> | |||
[[Category:Languages]] | [[Category:Languages]] | ||
[[Category:Conlangs]] | [[Category:Conlangs]] | ||
[[Category:Indo-European languages]] | [[Category:Indo-European languages]] | ||
[[Category:Fusional languages]] | [[Category:Fusional languages]] | ||