Verse:Irta/An Indo-Iranian branch

Wortebouch (Lexicon)
Irta/An Indo-Iranian branch/Swadesh list

Irta/An Indo-Iranian branch (d'allemañische Sprâçe /d‿al.me.ɲis p˭jaʊs/ or d'Allemañisch) is a High German language spoken in Lõis's Southern Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

Numbers: ein, zwei, drî, feaur, finf, sechs, siben, acht, neun, zên /eɪ̯ŋ, θwe, zi, føː, fiːf, seː, sə.bu, aɪ̯ʔ, nyŋ, θaɪŋ/

Cl = /Cw/?

r = /j/; kr, gr = /tɕ, dʑ/; k, g, ch + front vowel = /s, z, s/; ch = /x/

s = /s/; z = /θ/; sch/tr = /sʰ/; dr = /z/

(sc)hm, (sc)hn, (sc)hl, (sc)hr /m̥, n̥, l̥, ʃ/

• dez Hlauz /l̥aʊs/ = lot, fate

a = /a/, â = /aʊ/, âr = /aɪ/, au, aun = /o~oʊ/

e = /ɛ/ (/ə/ in unstressed syllables), ê = /aɪ/, eau, eaun = /ø/

eu = /y/

é, en, én = /e~eɪ/

i = /ə/

î, in = /i/

u, un, an = /ɔ/

û = /u/

Final stops become glottal stops after a vowel, vanish otherwise

Todo

Some sentences:

• Ich spreche fon de Leaube und de Haz. [əx p˭jɛx fu də løb un də has]
• Ist'z daz du behaltes ez fur mir ? [it˭as t˭u bəhaltʰ əs fy mi]
• Wir leaubons him, darum wir fîrons sîn Inwîung. [wi løbu hiŋ dɔjuŋ wi fiju siŋ iŋwijuŋ]
• Ez git an mir Hunger. [əs k˭ət am mi huŋi]
• Hwaz ist'z daz ez ? [w̥as itas əs] "What is it?"

Sound changes:

• "pin-pen merger" (to /i/) before final weakening

Some words:

• de Deaumout /døy.moʊʔ/ = meekness, humility, submission
  • deaumoutig /døy.moʊ.ti/ = meek, humble
• de Hnacken /n̊a.k˭u/ = neck
• nein /neɪŋ/ = no; neau /nø/ = not
• denken /diŋ.kʰu/ = think
• de Stein /t˭eɪŋ/ = stone
• de Schlange /l̥aŋ/ = snake
• de Himel /hi.məl/ = sky
• d'Eauligheit /ø.li.kʰeɪʔ/ = eternity
  • eaulig /ø.li/ = eternal
• driñ /zi/ = in (preposition)
• de Schneau = snow

Phonology

Unusually for an L-European language, Irta/An Indo-Iranian branch has phonemic voiceless nasals and resonants. Also unusual is the aspirated sibilant /sʰ/ (written ⟨sch⟩ or ⟨tr⟩).

Consonants

Irta/An Indo-Iranian branch consonants

		Labial	Dental	Alveolar	Palatal	Velar	Glottal
Nasal	voiceless	/m̊/	/n̊/
	voiced	/m/	/n/		/ɲ/	/ŋ/
Stop	plain	/pʰ/	/tʰ/		/tɕʰ/	/kʰ/	/ʔ/
	tense	/p˭/	/t˭/		[tɕ˭]	/k˭/
	voiced	/b/	/d/		/d͡ʑ/	/g/
Fricative	voiceless	/f/	/θ/	/s/	/ʃ/		/h/
	voiced	[v]	[ð]	/z/
	aspirated			/sʰ/
Approximant	voiceless	/w̥/	/l̥/
	voiced	/w/	/l/		/j/

• /h/ may be written as either ⟨h⟩ or ⟨ch⟩; it is pronounced [x] after consonants.

Vowels

vowels: /a ə i u y ɔ~aʊ ɛ~aɪ e~eɪ o~oʊ ø~øy/, ~ denotes alternation.

The Allemañisch alternation is conditioned by the following rule:

• diphthongs before /ʔ, s, ŋ/ OR before nasals
• monophthongs otherwise?

The alternants are marginally phonemic, e.g. before consonants that don't alternate like /l, h/.

It originally came from the rule "diphthongs in closed syllables, monophthongs in open syllables" (plus diphthongization before /n, s/). This alternation operates after r, -nj > j and attendant vowel coloring.

Morphology

Nouns

Indefinite article:

• a, az, et /ə, əs, əʔ~ə.tʰ‿-/ (c.sg., n.sg., pl)

Definite article:

• de/d', dez, deu /də, dəs, dy/ (c.sg., n.sg., pl.)

Common nouns: -0/-e, -er

• de Frau, deu Frauer /də fjo, dy fjoji/ 'woman'
• de Hrabe, deu Hraber /də ʃap, dy ʃabi/ 'raven'

Neuter nouns: -0, -e

• dez Kind, deu Kinde /də siŋʔ, dy sint/ 'child'

Neuter n-stem nouns: -e, -en

• dez Name, deu Namen /dəs nam, dy namu/ 'name'

Adjectives

Adjectives: predicative -0, attributive -e

• Er stark. /e t˭ajʔ/ 'He is strong.' (cf. Venetian Hebrew spoken in the vicinity.)
• a starke Mañ /ə t˭ɛk me/ 'a strong man'

Verbs

Infinitive:

• machen /maxu/

Imperative:

• mache ! /max/ 'do!' [no number distinction]
• machons-wir ! /maxuwi/ 'let's do!'

Present simple:

• ich mache /əx max/
• du maches /du max/
• er/seu/ez machet /eː max/
• wir machons /wiː maxu/
• irl machet /il max/
• deul machent /dyl max/

Present progressive:

• ich bî machen
• du bî machen
• er bî machen
• wir bî machen
• irl bî machen
• deul bî machen

Past:

• ich ha gemachet /əx hagəmax/
• du has gemachet /du hak˭əmax/
• er/seu/ez hat gemachet /eː hak˭əmax/
• wir hans gemachet /wiː hɔŋəmax/
• irl hat gemachet /il hak˭əmax/
• deul hant gemachet /dyl hɔŋəmax/

Future tense:

• ich will machen, du willt machen, ...

Question marker: ist'z daz = /it˭as/ (e.g. Ist'z daz du leaubes mir ? /it˭as t˭u løp mi/ 'Do you love me?')

Inversion for questions is allowed for pronominal subjects only: e.g. Leaubes-du mir ? /løp t˭u mi/

• leaube-ich /løbəx/
• leaubes-du /løpt˭u/
• leaubet-er /løpte/, leaubet-eu /løpty/, leaubet-ez /løptis/
• leaubons-wir /løbuwi/
• leaubet-irl /løptil/
• leaubent-deul /løpt˭yl/

The past tense auxiliary han is inverted as follows:

• habe-ich /habəx/ (different from uninverted form ich ha)
• has-du /hat˭u/
• hat-er /hate/, hat-eu /haty/, hat-ez /hatis/
• hans-wir /hɔŋwi/
• hat-irl /hatil/
• hant-deul /hɔndyl/

The verb nêmen 'to take' is used as a passive auxiliary:

• ich nême /əx nɛm/
• du nimes /du nim/
• er nimet /e nim/
• wir nêmons /wi nɛmu/
• irl nêmet /il nɛm/
• deul nêment /dyl nɛm/

The past forms are ha genomet, has genomet, ... in the passive sense.

Class 1 strong verbs

Infinitive:

• bîzen /bisu/ 'to bite'

Imperative:

• bîze ! /bis/

Present simple:

• ich bîze /əx p˭is/
• du bîzes /du bis/
• er/seu/ez bîzet /eː bis/
• wir bîzons /wiː bisu/
• irl bîzet /il bis/
• deul bîzent /dyl bis/

Past:

• ich ha gebizet /əx hagəbəs/
• du has gebizet /du hak˭əbəs/
• er/seu/ez hat gebizet /eː hak˭əbəs/
• wir hans gebizet /wiː hɔŋəbəs/
• irl hat gebizet /il hak˭əbəs/
• deul hant gebizet /dyl hɔŋəbəs/

Class 2 strong verbs

Infinitive:

• fleaugen /føgu/ 'to fly'

Imperative:

• fleauge ! /føg/

Present simple:

• ich fleauge /əx føg/
• du fleauges /du føg/
• er/seu/ez fleauget /eː føg/
• wir fleaugons /wiː føgu/
• irl fleauget /il føg/
• deul fleaugent /dyl føg/

Past:

• ich ha gefloget /əx hagəfɔg/
• du has gefloget /du hak˭əfɔg/
• er/seu/ez hat gefloget /eː hak˭əfɔg/
• wir hans gefloget /wiː hɔŋəfɔg/
• irl hat gefloget /il hak˭əfɔg/
• deul hant gefloget /dyl hɔŋəfɔg/

Class 3 strong verbs

Infinitive:

• trinken /tɕiŋku/ 'to drink'

Imperative:

• trinke ! /tɕiŋk/

Present simple:

• ich trinke /əx tɕiŋk/
• du trinkes /du tɕiŋk/
• er/seu/ez trinket /eː tɕiŋk/
• wir trinkons /wiː tɕiŋku/
• irl trinket /il tɕiŋk/
• deul trinkent /dyl tɕiŋk/

Past:

• ich ha getrunket /əx hagətɕuŋk/
• du has getrunket /du hak˭ətɕuŋk/
• er/seu/ez hat getrunket /eː hak˭ətɕuŋk/
• wir hans getrunket /wiː hɔŋətɕuŋk/
• irl hat getrunket /il hak˭ətɕuŋk/
• deul hant getrunket /dyl hɔŋətɕuŋk/

Class 4 strong verbs

Infinitive:

• sterben /t˭eːbu/ 'to die'

Imperative:

• sterbe ! /t˭eːb/

Present simple:

• ich sterbe
• du sterbes (no stem vowel change unlike in German)
• er/seu/ez sterbet
• wir sterbons
• irl sterbet
• deul sterbent

Past:

• ich ha gestorbet
• du has gestorbet
• er/seu/ez hat gestorbet
• wir hans gestorbet
• irl hat gestorbet
• deul hant gestorbet

Copula

The copula is wesen in the infinitive. Inverted forms of the copula exist, but only for pronominal subjects.

Inverted copula:

• em-ich = /eməx/
• eres-du = /it˭u/
• ist-er = /it˭e/
• eront-wir = /ʊŋwi/
• eret-irl = /it˭il/
• sint-deul = /sindyl/

Past tense copula:

• ich was
• du wast
• er was
• wir wârons
• irl wâret
• deul wârent

Inverted:

• was-ich /wasəx/
• was-du /wast˭u/
• was-er /wase/
• wârons-wir /waɪwi/
• wâret-irl /waɪjil/
• wârent-deul /waɪndyl/

Pronouns

The personal pronouns are as follows:

(The 2pl and 3pl nominative forms irl and deul are etymologically from *ir alliu 'you all' and *diu alliu 'they all'.)

case	1sg.	2sg.	3sg.			1pl.	2pl.	3pl.
			'he'	'she'	'it' (n.)
nom.	ich /əx/	du /du/	er /e/	seu /sy/	ez /is, əs/	wir /wi/	irl /il/	deul /dyl/
obj.	mir /mi/	dir /di/	im /iŋ/	ir /i/		uns /u/	euch /yx/	deim /deɪŋ/
poss.	mîn /miŋ/	dîn /diŋ/	sîn /siŋ/			unser /usi/	eucher /yxi/	deir /de/

• In questions that use inversion, eu /y/ is used instead of seu.

mîn, dîn, sîn are inflected as follows:

• sg. common mîn /miŋ~mi.n‿-/, sg. neuter mîz /mis~mi.z‿-/, pl. mîne /min/

Syntax

Irta/An Indo-Iranian branch is SVO (not V2) and zero-copula.

Negation

The negative particle neau /nø/ is placed after a verbal phrase but before a predicative adjective:

• Ich haze dir neau. /əx haz di nø/ "I don't hate you."
• Ez neau grauz genoug. /əs nø dʑoʊs gənoʊʔ/ "It's not big enough."

Example texts

UDHR, Article 1

Alle Meñschen sint geboren frî und gelîch an Wirde und Rechte. Deul nêment begâben mit Verstand und Gewizen und ûf deim zu benêmen zu einander mit ein Geist von Brouderligheit.

/al miŋsʰu siŋ gəboju fji un gəlix aŋ wiːd un jeɪt ‖ dyl nɛm bəgɔbu məʔ fit˭aŋʔ u gəwəðu | un uf deɪŋ θu bənɛmu θu enandi məʔ eɪŋ geɪʔ fu bjodilikʰeɪʔ/