Proto-Almaic

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Proto-Almean
Rapa'i
Pronunciation[/ʀaˈpa.ʔi/]
Created byMiguel Bartelsman
Date2020
SettingConworld Angara
Extinctca. 3500 a.E.
Proto-Almean
  • Proto-Almean
Language codes
ISO 639-3none
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Proto-Almean is the common ancestor of all the Almean languages, a family of languages widespread in the Yolder and Ausmiran continents.

Proto-Almean is estimated to have been spoken from around 5000 to 3500 a.E., and it's original homeland may have been the Almeran plains from which the language derives its name. Its descendant languages include Angaran and Yohari.

Orthography

Letter A a B b D d E e F f G g
Pronunciation /a/, /ã/ [1] /b/ /d/ /e/, /ẽ/ [1] /f/ /g/
Letter H h I i K k Kg kg [3] – kk [4] L l
Pronunciation /h/, /-/ [2] /i/, /ĩ/ [1] /k/ /k’/ /k’/ /l/
Letter M m N n Nj nj O o P p Pb pb [3]
Pronunciation /m/ /n/ /◌̃/ [1] /ɲ/ /o/, /õ/ [1] /p/ /p’/
Letter – pp [4] Q q R r S s T t Td td [3]
Pronunciation /p’/ /q/ /ʀ/ /s/ /t/ /t’/
Letter – tt [4] U u V v Z z ' [5]
Pronunciation /t’/ /u/, /ũ/ [1] /v/ /z/ /ʔ/

^1 In words that end with ⟨n⟩, the /n/ is dropped and instead the vowels are nasalized.

^2 /h/ is not pronounced in final position, but ⟨h⟩ is preserved as clitics and affixes reveal the sound.

^3 ⟨kg⟩, ⟨td⟩, and ⟨pb⟩ are only used at the start of a word.

^4 ⟨kk⟩, ⟨tt⟩, and ⟨pp⟩ are only used in the middle of a word, so they have no correct capitalized version.

^5 ⟨'⟩ has a single representation regardless of location or capitalization.

Phonetics

Consonants

Labial Alveolar Palat. Velar Uvular Glot.
unv. vce. unv. vce. vce. unv. vce. unv. vce. unv.
Nasal m n ɲ
Ejectives p’ t’ k’
Stops p b t d k g q ʔ
Fricatives f v s z x h
Liquids l ʀ

Vowels

Front Center Back
rnd unr. unr.
Close i u
Mid e o
Open a

Syllable structure

((h)C) V (N)

  • C: a consonant, which may be pre-aspirated word-medially.
  • V: a vowel
  • N: is a nasal consonant with unspecified place of articulation.

Prosody

Stress usually falls on the second to last syllable, unless the word ends in a nasal vowel or preaspirates suffixes, in which case it falls on the last syllable.

Syntax

WALS Ch. Structure Examples
WALS 81 - 84 SOVX, SXOV — [S: the dog] [O: the cat] [V: chases] [X: to the tree]
— [S: the dog] [X: to the tree] [O: the cat] [V: chases]
WALS 85 Prepositions — [PP: to] [N: the tree]
WALS 86 Genitive Noun — [G: the cat's] [N: toy]
WALS 87 Noun Adjective — [N: dog] [Adj: big]
WALS 88 Noun Demonstrative — [N: dog] [Dem: that]
WALS 89 Numeral Noun — [Num: three] [N: balls]
WALS 90 Relative Noun, Correlative? — [ [N:house] [V:had] [Rel:who] ] [N: woman]
WALS 94 Internal subordinator word — [S: the dog] [Adv: if] [V: sees]
WALS 100 Active alignment — [Act: the dog] [Pas: the cat] [V: chases]
— [Act: the dog] [V: walks]
— [Pas: the cat] [V: falls]

Grammar

Pronouns

  • sa – I (1st p. singular)
  • sana – we (1st p. plural inc.)
  • sado – we (1st p. plural excl.)
  • ika – you (2nd p. singular)
  • ikana – you (2nd p. dual)
  • ikado – you (2nd p. plural)
  • go – he/she (3rd p. singular)
  • gona – they (3rd p. dual)
  • godo – they (3rd p. plural)
  • a – it/that (3rd p. singular)
  • ahdo – they/those (3rd p. dual)
  • ahna – they/those (3rd p. plural)
Determiners
Only an indefinite article is used
Number
Marked by particles, three different forms: singular, dual, plural
Tenses
Present, unmarked; past and habitual, regularly marked by affixes; future

Samples

Misc. sentences

“Tenju ohdattali 'e sin”
/ˈte.ɲu oh.daˈt’a.li ʔe sĩ/

tenju oh=dattali 'e sin
mister indf=animal pat see

“The mister sees an animal”

Schleicher's fable

“Ti ohrante, kginja 'e ka hilati ohagahi to ohemon 'e sin mo, …”
/ti ohˈʀan.te ˈk’i.ɲa ʔe ka hiˈlati o.haˈga.hi to o.heˈmõ ʔe sĩ mo/

ti oh=rante, kginja 'e ka hila=ti oh=agahi to oh=emon 'e sin mo
On indf=hill, wool pat neg have=rel indf=sheep pl indf=horse pat see pst,

“On a hill, a wool have-not sheep saw some horses, …”


“…???, …”
/???/

“…one of them pulling a heavy wagon, …”


“…???, …”
/???/

“…one carrying a big load, …”


“…???. …”
/???/

“…and one carrying a man quickly. …”

On a hill, a sheep that had no wool saw horses, one of them pulling a heavy wagon, one carrying a big load, and one carrying a man quickly. The sheep said to the horses: "My heart pains me, seeing a man driving horses." The horses said: "Listen, sheep, our hearts pain us when we see this: a man, the master, makes the wool of the sheep into a warm garment for himself. And the sheep has no wool." Having heard this, the sheep fled into the plain.