Tsimulh languages

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Tsimulh languages/Lexicon

The Tsimulh languages (Eevo: bo brits Tsimyx, Rhythoed: fi imbrits Tsimăł, from Hetomic tsiməσ, from *cim 'tribe', pl. of *ʔim 'tribesman') are a Trician language family mainly spoken in Txapoalli. The proto-language is Proto-Tsimulh, which is inspired by Caucasian languages, Tlingit, and the Salish languages.

Todo

  • -s: past tense, genitive
  • -əσ: some adjectival suffix
  • t-...-t for abstract nouns
  • -iyad = augmentative
  • Reduplication
  • relativizer/relative forms for verbs
  • m n > Sf. v dh? (-tsiv in Talman Swutsim ~ Tsimulh?)
  • dtüžo = water (as a liquid) - Sf. tüdjo
  • čtüžo = body of water - Sf. tjtüdjo

More Caucasian phonology?

CVCVCV...

tone > breathy voice > Devoiced vowels?

Phylogeny

Urheimat

Somewhere in Txapoalli

Phonology

Phonotactics

Tsimulh phonotactics is dominated by CV syllables. Coda consonants are only allowed word-finally.

Any vowel may occur in roots, while vowels in prefixes and suffixes are restricted to /a ə i u/.

Consonants

A lot of consonants, but no liquids!

Bilabial Alveolar Palatal Velar Uvular Glottal
central lateral plain labialized plain labialized
Nasal m n
Stop plain p t k q ʔ
voiced b d g ɢ ɢʷ
ejective kʷʼ qʷʼ
Affricate plain c ξ č
voiced z ž
ejective ξʼ čʼ
Fricative s σ š x χ χʷ h
Approximant y w

Vowels

6 or 7 vowels

i ü u e ə o a /i ü u e ə o a/

i u a are rather reduced.

Tone

Every syllable had either high or low tone.

Morphology

Nouns

Noun classes

Proto-Tsimulh had a noun class system like the Bantu languages. There were 12 noun classes, which are numbered as follows:

  1. ʔə-, pl. cə- = humans, spirits
  2. bu-, pl. də- = animals and other things that move on their own
  3. p-, pl. əpi- = plants and mushrooms; things that grow
  4. s-, pl. dus- = collections or large things: scʼaσ 'forest'
  5. ut-, pl. pσə- = roughly round, compact objects
  6. ma-, pl. əwə- = long objects; tools, instruments, devices
  7. č-, pl. abi- = places, locations, slots
  8. gu-, pl. n- = various... including fluids (powder, water, liquids, fire, light, waves, wind, ...)
  9. σi-, pl. wi- = time periods; events; things that are temporary (e.g. ice)
  10. t- = abstractions, manner, way
  11. t’im- = infinitives, verbal nouns
  12. pda- = -ness, -hood

In Proto-Tsimulh, verbs and determiners agreed with their head nouns in number and noun class. The descendant Tsimulh languages can be divided into 5 types depending on the type of agreement system they have:

  • Type A: Traditional, strictly formal (e.g. Sacred Swutsim)
  • Type B: Traditional with general animate concords (e.g. Pelhyys)
  • Type C: Animacy-based SG/PL-marking (e.g. Talman Swutsim)
  • Type D: SG/PL-marking only
  • Type E: No concords at all

Cases

  • Nominative: -0
  • Genitive: -s

Verbs

Noun class prefixes

  • I = kʷə-
  • you (sg) = xʷə-
  • we = wə-
  • you (pl) = cu-
  • Noun class prefixes:
    1. ʔə-, pl. cə-
    2. bu-, pl. də-
    3. p-, pl. əpi-
    4. s-, pl. dus-
    5. ut-, pl. pσə-
    6. ma-, pl. əwə-
    7. č-, pl. abi-
    8. gu-, pl. n-
    9. σi-, pl. wi-
    10. t-, no plural
    11. t’im-, no plural
    12. pda- (common for abstract nouns), no plural

Tense affixes

-s - past tense

Numbers

The numerals 1-9 inflected for noun class; 10 and higher units did not.

1: *-an

2: *-xʷiš

3: *-ʔiyəm

4: *-udzuq

5: *-t'u

6: *-čaydž

7: *-buč'oh

8: *-gwiməʔ

9: *-anay

10: *-kʷ'in