Shoji
Phonology
Consonants
Pink: onset only
Blue: word-medial onset only
Uncolored: any position
| Bilabial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Uvular | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | Voiceless | ŋ̊ nh | ||||
| Voiced | m m | n n | ŋ g | ɴ gu | ||
| Plosive | Aspirated | kʰ kh | ||||
| Tenuis | t t | k k | ||||
| Affricate | dʑʱ j | |||||
| Fricative | Aspirated | sʰ sh | ɕʰ ch | |||
| Tenuis | ɸ f | s s | ɕ c | x x | ||
| Glide | Unrounded | l l | j y | ɰ w | ||
| Rounded | ɥ yu | w wu | ||||
- m > mʲ / _{i,e,a}[–RTR]
- ŋ ɴ k x > ɲ ŋʷ k̟ x̟ / _{i,e}
- kʰ > k̟ʰ / _{i,e,a}
- k x > k̠ x̠ / _{a,o}
- kʰ > k̠ʰ / _o
- l > ɾ / {i,e}_{i,e}
- dʑʱi dʑʱiʱ > dʑʑ̩ dʑʱʑ̩ʱ
Vowels
| Front | Back | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High | Low | High | Low | ||||||
| -RTR | +RTR | -RTR | +RTR | -RTR | +RTR | -RTR | +RTR | ||
| Close | Modal | í í | í̙ ír | i i | i̙ ir | ||||
| Breathy | íʱ íh | í̙ʱ írh | iʱ ih | i̙ʱ irh | |||||
| Glottalized | íˀ í' | í̙ˀ ír' | iˀ i' | i̙ˀ ir' | |||||
| Mid | Modal | é é | é̙ ér | e e | e̙ er | ó ó | ó̙ ór | o o | o̙ or |
| Breathy | éʱ éh | é̙ʱ érh | eʱ eh | e̙ʱ erh | óʱ óh | ó̙ʱ órh | oʱ oh | o̙ʱ orh | |
| Glottalized | éˀ é' | é̙ˀ ér' | eˀ e' | e̙ˀ er' | óˀ ó' | ó̙ˀ ór' | oˀ o' | o̙ˀ or' | |
| Open | Modal | á á | á̙ ár | a a | a̙ ar | ||||
| Breathy | áʱ áh | á̙ʱ árh | aʱ ah | a̙ʱ arh | |||||
| Glottalized | áˀ á' | á̙ˀ ár' | aˀ a' | a̙ˀ ar' | |||||
- /V́/ cannot occur after /m n ŋ ɴ t k ɸ s ɕ x/
- /V̀/ cannot occur after /ŋ̊ kʰ dʑʱ sʰ ɕʰ/
- /i̙ e̙ a̙ o̙/ cannot occur after /ŋ kʰ k dʑʱ/
- i i̙ e e̙ a a̙ o o̙ > ʑ̩ i ɪ e ɛ a ø o / {ɕ(ʰ),j}_
- i i̙ e e̙ a a̙ o o̙ > ɨ i ə e ɑ a ɔ o / {ɰ,w}_
Syntax
Word Order
Note to self: Make changes to word order at any point you would like!
TOP - PP - ADJ - TAM - ADV - A1 - A2 - A3 - V1 - B1 - B2 - B3 - V2 - ADJ - AX - PP
- TOP: A topic is op tional, and primarily only included for emphasis, introduction, change of situation, surprise, questions, and answers.
- PP: The posposition following the topic marks its case if it is not the subject (i.e. agent or highly respected object). Postpositions following postverbal nouns mark their case as well.
- ADJ: Adjectives follow a topic or its postposition. Preverbal nouns cannot have adjectives. Adjectives precede postverbal nouns.
- TAM: TAM is a particle or two marking tense, aspect, and/or mood. Usually, the tense marker is separate from the aspect-mood marker, but it's only used if the implied tense from the AM is inaccurate.
- ADV: Adverbs are only distinguished from arguments if there are few arguments mentioned (typically 3-4, no more than 6). When there are many arguments, any adverbial statements must be converted into arguments themselves, following the verbs.
- A1-3: Arguments 1-3 are the subject, indirect object, and direct object, respectively. They are placed in that exact order when preceding the verb. The order for the others remains intact if one is placed in the position of topic. Arguments 1-3 retain their order but are all placed after the verbs if any one of them (that is not the topic) is modified by an adjective. When any of the 3 arguments are omitted, a prefix with the personhood and obviation of the omitted argument(s) is attached to the first verb.
- V1: Verb 1 is the main verb.
- B1-3: These are arguments 1-3 but of Verb 2 rather than Verb 1. These arguments cannot be modified, topicalized, or placed after the verbs.
- V2: Verb 2 is a finite verb, where the order of V1-V2 is a converb. Any arguments beyond the primary three for Verb 2 cannot be included in the same sentence.
- AX: Arguments X are the miscellaneous arguments of Verb 1.
Adjectives
Adjectives all end in -ó.