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'''Caer''' (''caer'' [[wikipedia:Help:IPA|{{IPA|[qæɪ̯ʐ]}}]] or ''caeryn'' [[wikipedia:Help:IPA|{{IPA|[ˈqæjɪˌʐjəǀ]}}]] is the ceremonial sacred language of the Vá people. Its use is nowadays primarily restricted to the rituals of ''lyaa'' ('libation') and ''yayaq'' (‘divination’) although historically it saw much more use. It is remarkable for being typologically dissimilar to Vánic language <!-- (''Haivuvirí'') --> with differing morphosyntactic agreement and word order.  
'''Caer''' (''caer'' [[wikipedia:Help:IPA|{{IPA|[qæɪ̯ʐ]}}]] or ''caeryn'' [[wikipedia:Help:IPA|{{IPA|[ˈqæjɪˌʐjəǀ]}}]] is the ceremonial sacred language of the Vá people. Its use is nowadays primarily restricted to the rituals of ''lya'' ('libation') and ''yayaq'' (‘divination’) although historically it saw much more use. It is remarkable for being typologically dissimilar to Vánic language <!-- (''Haivuvirí'') --> with differing morphosyntactic agreement and word order.  
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==History==
===Name===
Various different names have existed at some point or another for the language. A reference from 1544 in a mercantile letter from the Ottoman empire mentioning a most difficult and strange tongue only known as ''kecice'' being spoken among the sandalwood-bearing islands of the far seas probably constitutes the first reference to Caeryn. In the 18th century, noted adventurer-linguist-archæologist-spiritualist Taavi Marsfeld wrote a short description of the language and famously introduced it to the Fartravellers' Society in London with the following passage:
:{{cardo|This illustrious Qaerysh tungue, more befuddling than the Caucasic, more sweet than Finnish morphology, and yet more rewarding than a cat's love, is truly a miracle to behold! A purity greater than Greek, a vigour outdoing the Germanic, a spiciness beyond the Zend, yet as wildly spiritual as the Semitic idiom.}}
==Phonology==
==Phonology==
Caer has an interesting phonological system, completely lacking rounded and back vowels; dental, bilabial and velar plosives; or any of the common nasals.  
Caer has an interesting phonological system, completely lacking rounded and back vowels; dental, bilabial and velar plosives; or any of the common nasals.  
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The incredibly sparse consonantal system includes a few uvular consonants, one alveolar sibilant, a voiced retroflex and two clicks.
The incredibly sparse consonantal system includes a few uvular consonants, one alveolar sibilant, a voiced retroflex and two clicks.


c~q nn h r s t y l v n
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
 
|+ colspan="8" | Consonantal phonemes of Caeryn
q ɴ χ ʐ sˡ θ j ʟ ʘ ǀ
|-
| rowspan="1" colspan="2" |
! rowspan="1" | Labial
! rowspan="1" | Dental
! rowspan="1" | Palatal
! rowspan="1" | Postalveolar
! rowspan="1" | Velar
! rowspan="1" | Uvular
|-
! colspan="2" | Click
| {{grapheme|v}} /ʘ/
| {{grapheme|n}} /ǀ/
|
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" | Plosive
|
|
|
|
|
| {{grapheme|c}}, {{grapheme|q}} /q/
|-
! colspan="2" | Fricative
|
| {{grapheme|t}} /θ/, {{grapheme|s}} /s/
|
| {{grapheme|r}} /ʐ/
|
| {{grapheme|h}} /χ/
|-
|-
! colspan="2" | Nasal
|
|
|
|
|
| {{grapheme|nn}} /ɴ/
|-
! colspan="2" | Approximant
|
|
| {{grapheme|y}} /j/
|
| {{grapheme|l}} /ʟ/
|
|-
|}


===Vowels===
===Vowels===
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===Phonotactics===
===Phonotactics===
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Vowels either expand or contract wildly depending on their word surroundings


===Orthography===
===Orthography===
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==Morphology==
==Morphology==
===Verbal morphology===
===Verbal morphology===
A Caer verb is usually composed of a base, an aspect suffix, a voice suffix, and a number prefix. Depending on inflection, the verb requires marking for object and agent.
A Caer verb is usually composed of a base, an aspect suffix, a voice suffix, and a number prefix. Depending on particularities of inflection, the verb requires additional affixes filling up the personal affix slots 1 and 2.


(1.)
(1.)
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There are three aspects: imperfective ({{sc|ipfv}}), perfective ({{sc|pfv}}), extemporaneous ({{sc|ext}}). These are morphologically and obligatorily marked on verbs using a set of affixes which follow the base. They are however completely optional if the verb in question follows a previously marked verb sharing the same aspect.
There are three aspects: imperfective ({{sc|ipfv}}), perfective ({{sc|pfv}}), extemporaneous ({{sc|ext}}). These are morphologically and obligatorily marked on verbs using a set of affixes which follow the base. They are however completely optional if the verb in question follows a previously marked verb sharing the same aspect.


(3.)
(2.)
:{|
:{|
|-
|-
|''arsila atehavenn, aneatyr arsila, veleran''
|''arsela atehavenn, aneatyr arsela, veleran''
|-
|-
|arsila||a-teha-ve-nn||a-nea-Ø-tyr||arsila||veler-an
|arsela||a-teha-ve-nn||a-nea-Ø-tyr||arsela||veler-an
|-
|-
|man.{{sc|abs}}||{{sc|sg}}-chase-{{sc|ext}}-{{sc|antipass}}||{{sc|sg}}-die-{{sc|ext}}-{{sc|refl}}||man.{{sc|abs}}||life-{{sc|erg}}
|man.{{sc|abs}}||{{sc|sg}}-chase-{{sc|ext}}-{{sc|antipass}}||{{sc|sg}}-die-{{sc|ext}}-{{sc|refl}}||man.{{sc|abs}}||life-{{sc|erg}}
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=====Perfective=====
=====Perfective=====
The perfective is marked with the suffix '''-va''' /ʘæ˥˩/.
The perfective is marked with the suffix '''-va''' /ʘæ˥˩/. It also triggers the filling of the first personal affix slot.


=====Extemporaneous=====
=====Extemporaneous=====
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====Voice====
====Voice====
Caer distinguishes morphologically between four voices (active, causative, reflexive-reciprocative, antipassive) which are indicated on the verb after the aspect-inflected base.  
Caer distinguishes morphologically between four voices (active, causative, middle-reflexive-reciprocative, antipassive) which are indicated on the verb after the aspect-inflected base.  


=====Active=====
=====Active=====
The most basic is the unmarked active which is used for sentences with a transitive verb and an object.
The most basic is the unmarked active which is used for sentences with a transitive verb and an object. It does not require the filling of the secondary personal affix slot (‘agent slot’) when used with an NP in the ergative case.


(3.)
(3.)
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====Personal affixes====
====Personal affixes====
Caer verbs can optionally take two verb affixes (ipse vs. alter) slotted in either the object or agent position, though in some older analyses the terms ‘ego’, ‘1~3P’, or ‘self’, ‘non-topic’  are sometimes encountered. These terms are now recommended against by most language experts.
Caer verbs can optionally take two verb affixes (ipse vs. alter) slotted in either the object or agent position, though in some older analyses the terms ‘ego’, ‘1~3P’, or ‘self’, ‘non-topic’  are sometimes encountered. These terms are now recommended against by most language experts. They present one of the most confusing aspects of Caer for the novice.
 
=====Ipse=====
=====Ipse=====
The so-called '''ipse''' ({{sc|ipse}}) marker refers usually to the most salient previously mentioned NP. If there is no specific NP it is automatically assumed to refer to the speaker, i.e. it then corresponds to what other languages would call the first person.
The so-called ''ipse'' ({{sc|ipse}}) marker '''-aq''' refers usually to the most salient previously mentioned NP. In transitive sentences this is usually the agent. If there is no specific NP it is automatically assumed to refer to the speaker, i.e. it then corresponds to what would in other languages be termed the first person.
 
Intransitive sentence without an explicit NP.
 
(4.)
:{|
|-
|''anennytaq''
|-
|a-nenny-ta-aq
|-
|{{sc|sg}}-cry-{{sc|ipfv}}-{{sc|ipse}}
|-
|‘I was crying.’
|}
 
 
Antipassive sentence with explicit undergoer NP. (Optional)
 
(5.)
:{|
|-
|''arsela annavannaq''
|-
|arsela||a-nna-va-nn-aq
|-
|man.{{sc|abs}}||{{sc|sg}}-eat-{{sc|pfv}}-{{sc|antipass}}-{{sc|ipse}}
|-
|‘A man ate.’
|}
 
In a causative sentence with two NPs. Here, the agent is marked ''ipse''.
 
(6.)
:{|
|-
|''arsela catannyvexaseaq veleran''
|-
|arsela||ca-tanny-ve-xa-se-aq||veler-an
|-
|man.{{sc|abs}}||{{sc|pl}}-feel-{{sc|ext}}-{{sc|caus}}-{{sc|alter}}-{{sc|ipse}}||life-{{sc|erg}}
|-
|‘Life causes man grief.’
|-
|}
 
=====Alter=====
Likewise, the equivalent ''alter'' ({{sc|alter}}) marker '''-se''' refers usually to the second least salient NP. If there is no specific NP to pair with, it is either assumed to refer to the listener or an unspecified grouping of people depending on context.
 
In a transitive sentence with two NPs and only object marking. Here, the object is marked ''alter''.
 
(7.)
:{|
|-
|''arsela catehatase nnahan''
|-
|arsela||ca-teha-ta-se||nnaha-an
|-
|man.{{sc|abs}}||{{sc|pl}}-chase-{{sc|ipfv}}-{{sc|alter}}||woman-{{sc|erg}}
|-
|The woman woos the man.
|}
 
 
In a transitive sentence lacking an explicit object NP. Here, the agent is marked ''alter'' and the object arg. is assumed to be the speaker, i.e. ''ipse'' which has to be marked.
 
(8.)
:{|
|-
|''catehataxe nnahan''
|-
|ca-teha-ta-aq-se||nnaha-an
|-
|{{sc|pl}}-chase-{{sc|ipfv}}-{{sc|ipse}}-{{sc|alter}}||woman-{{sc|erg}}
|-
|The woman woos me.
|}


===Nominal morphology===
===Nominal morphology===
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===Determiners===
===Determiners===
===Numerals===
Caeryn uses a [[wikipedia:Senary|senary]] number system and has unique terms for the powers of six all the way up to 6<sup>6</sup>. Perhaps tellingly, six is a sacred number of the Vá religion and a recurrent motif in the legends.
{|class=wikitable
|+ base counting
|-
!Number
!Numeral
|-
|1
|val, vann
|-
|2
|tas, tat
|-
|3
|cet
|-
|4
|nnyr
|-
|5
|calyn
|-
|6
|vaenaq
|-
|}
===Personal pronouns===
===Personal pronouns===
===Phrasal clitics===
A distinction between proximal ({{sc|prox}}) and distal ({{sc|dist}}) is optionally added to the end of a phrase to express spatial, temporal or emotional distance from the speaker, sometimes even a form of evidentiality.<ref>Hayan, Abd ibn. (2012). ''Kajirsiskans klitiska partiklar: ett samtida perspektiv.''</ref>
(9.)
:{|
|-
|''valcaxa acaxavenna'ya''
|-
|valcaxa||a-caxa-ve-nn-aq=ya
|-
|maker.{{sc|abs}}||{{sc|sg}}-create-{{sc|ext}}-{{sc|antipass}}-{{sc|ipse}}={{sc|prox}}
|-
|‘The Maker creates (''implied:'' everything around us.)’
|}
===Derivational morphology===
===Derivational morphology===


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:{|
:{|
|-
|-
|lyaa-yn
|lya-yn
|-
|-
|libation-{{sc|divposs}}
|libation-{{sc|divposs}}
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