Tlu

Tlu (Tlu: məchə̄tvaʔ guṇma 'Tlu sound' or 'Tlu language') is an ancient Mustlup language inspired by my oldest draft of Proto-Talmic.

todo

• zoug (m) = "person"
• ṭunie (f) = "tree"
• ďəsmū (m) < ḱʼəsmū "woman"
• ʔəḷ < ʔəḷ "no, not"
• tī < tiwī "yes"
• sufnə (f) < suxʷnə "rain"
• seib (m) < səyb "snow"
• kuoṇḍaiḍ (m) < kʷuyṇḍayṭʼ "net"
• gai (f) < gay "east"
• chƛətum (f) < x̌ƛətum "west"
• pəsə (f) < pəṣə "south"
• ʔauʔāp (f) < ʔawʔākʷ "north"
• guṇma (m) < ɡuṇma "sound, language"
• nīmə (m) < nīmə "water"
• sλəp (f) < sƛʼəp "land"
• chnousaṭ (f) < xnəwsaṭ "cloud"
• hi 'and'
• tāňi (m) < tāñi "house"
• sud (m) < sutʼ "man"
• σai (adj) < łaj "good"
• bugu (adj) < bukʼu "bad"
• vəjāz (adj) < wəjhāḍẓ "small"
• ʔaimu (v) < ʔaymu "eat"
• zə̄ŋauz (f) < tsʼə̄ŋawtsʼ "lightning"
• buoƛūf (intj) < buyƛūxʷ "hello! greetings!"
• qintais (m) < "film, screen"
• nuchsi (m) < nuxci 'hand'
• hei (intj) < qʼəy "Oh! Ah!"

• xʷɬaːləj > flālei
• kəːtsʼaː > kə̄zā
• χɳəːxʷnawpʼ > chṇə̄fnaub
• qʼəj > hei
• χiːɭaj > chīḷai
• ŋqʼəjuː > əŋŋəjū
• χpʼiw > chbie
• ɭɖiw > əḷḍie
• pɭəχɬiɡ > pḷəchlig
• tʂajhawp > saihaup
• ʈajqʼiʂ > ṭaihis
• dzxʷaj > sfai
• ɡəːɡaj > qə­̄qai

tɬʼɲawŋip tsuj tsʼə tsʼpʼipdzajɬ hcʼa tɬuːxʷtʼuː tɬʼu ɡəw ɟiː xʷaːtsʼɲəː qʂamɲuj ɟəː tsaj xʷiw ɢuː ʂxaw sadjəː mmuj wiː pχaj pʼəw ʈʼa ɭəw buxəw ɟxəːʈhaːɡʷ ɖʐɳiwpcajh tɬuːtsʼitɬʼ ɬajtʂəʈ ɬuq'ʈ'i panaːx dzəwduːɢ ʔidiwpʼ cʼiw pəwɲujɡʷ ɭu ɡʷuːɟiːdʐ ŋʔiː cʼa htɬawxkiːpʼ sgi qʼixtʂʼajm ɢuŋəj xʷŋiwŋhuj tuj xʷciːtsʼiw ɡʷiːpxəw tsʼmajʈχa ɡaj χɳə ba ŋəw ɲiː hbə ɖujxʷcʼətɬ luci tsujhjaw ɬəj səː dzəw tɬχəjc'p'əwɟ ɲχaːtɬmaːɖ kəː ɡʷujɭəː ɬuːknu kɖaɟəː dzχaː xujpɖəj tsliː wajʈɳəː snuj t'p'əw səwɳətʂʼ wəbəjpʼ kʼəwχɢuɭ ɲu puːntuː tʼχaj ɳʈʂawtsɢiwtʼ staɡʷajdɮ jaːpʼxʷiːʈ ltsəw pɡajɢəjʔ ʂaχna ɢəj tʼxʷə naɬχujts ʔiː ltsiw ʂiːpʼiː ɲuːtʼiwtʂ kʼuj qʼəj tiwiː ʔuːdhi tʂʼəːtsɲəːɲ qʼu ʔəj tsʼuku qʼuχtʼujtʼ bəwɢawn kʼəmχəjɡʷ taː ɢi mitɬuː məw həː tsmiw ɲaj ʔawɡʷhəʔ dʐaj qʈawməjʔ kʷʼajqiː qəʔəjɡʷ səwhiwts ɟuː ʔχiʔəw ɳuː ltajxʷcʼəwtʂ ʔəjtgʷaː ʔujʔəːʔ ʔə xʷujkʷxʷəwʈ ki buj bəw ʔuːmə quː ʔiw maw ʔəːχpaːɡʷ hɳaː ɬaj kʷɳiːqʼəː dʐəː xlaj ɬgəwdziːkʷ tʼəw dɮaːʂuːʂ ɖəw bajmpaj ləː tɬəɲɲu cu ɬəw pʼəjdɮə ɖiːcʼujʔ htsʼiːʔuj ɡʷi ʈa tʂuː χnəwtsaʈ ɳiː kləːʔəwɭ χiw cʼi ʂimiw ʔaj dʐu χəwɡəː qʼiːsaw lgəː χəːtsuʔ qaːwəj hkʷajkʷʼiːʔ pɖuː xʷcujtsiwdʐ ʔiːxʷtʼəː tɬʼəːxtsiː ʔaχawxʷ ʈʼuxʷbaj xʔaː xʷiw xʷdɮaj maː lʔəqiːʔ ɖəjxʈʼaːdʐ ɬqəjʈʼaɭ ʔəjbəː daxpʼawkʷ xdzuː cʼu sgʷə ʔkʷʼaː maːwuj pajku həːtɬiχ tʂʼəthəːɡʷ pʼaŋud cniwxʷŋi biː dʐə xʷqaːχʈʼiː χi kʷʼəːʔiwts caːʔujɲ dzuj tsʼiw bujtɬuːxʷ tsʼəːhəj ɬuː wiwmiwd xtʼahdzaw dʐiː ɡʷujʔuːk ɬulqaːm ʔaw kaj dɮaw ɭaː huːwaw xawɡʷu ɟibəː liwkʷʼaːɲ tlaj cʼuχdzawɖ pʼuɖaː kʷəːŋkʷiwɡʷ tsəw qʼaːmjiː xəj ɬəwkʷʼuj təʔuː ʔaɬax kʷəxʷəj xʷa ʔəj ltəw tsuː tsʼna haː sə jujpəɡ ŋmək'ts'əjx ʔujɳʈʼuːw tɬətsʼiʈʼ lə kʷəwɡʷxʷiː cʼaw ŋə sa tʼəjxtʂəwɟ ʔuxiwj sχiːʔəwdʐ kɬədzaj jaːpnəŋ ɡujwəː xɭiːɬuk suː ɬaːhɡaːd ɡujnaː hliw baːbuːx kʼiː ʔəwcə dɮɳəj dziː cʼaːwuː ta tsʼmi tɬətkʷuːts nməj xi ʈʼiw kʷu liwhəjx tsʼu kʼihsaj tɬʼutɬuj skʼəw tɬʼəkʷlaj hiwtɲəj piw xʈʼəː ɡʷə pʈuj tɬaː səj ŋəjpu tɬʼuː tsujsuːts xʷə xəwŋkawxʷ xʷəj ɲcʼaːɲɲuːqʼ ɡʷiwpaw dʐaːtʂaj nʔəːʔuʔ dzuːkaː na tɬuːŋɢajq qaː ʔiw dʐəwɭɭujl pʼiː ɲʔa myusi tɬəwɳɳəw pikiw saːɳɳəj dəjcʼujj qʼaxaːʔ ɲʔiw nnujmuj ʔawɟaːkʷ tsʼiw ʈuŋməwl ɡuɲma dʐaːʔi qʼaːŋqʼa ʈu ʔə bu kʷəw ʔəwʔəj kʼəː ʔətsʼə ʔiːɭəːtʂ tɬʼəː χu mitʂuʔ xəw ʂajŋnəː səː ʔaw ŋə ŋmujʂəj ɬuː ɡaw tɬu kʼiː ŋkʼaːɭiːɡʷ ʔiː ɡʷajɳu hinmuːw ɢaː ʈuːkʷʼə pəːʈʼəjɡ lnəjntsatsʼ miːkʼə ʈəj ʔəlŋiw qʼi ʈujkʼuːtɬʼ ŋnə xʷiw dɮiː dʐiw qʼəʂəjh ɭɳintsʼiː wəjhaːdʐ dɮəw wəw bəlŋiːχ nəw ŋgʷəː dzəːɟaw kəjxiw tiwpʼiwɟ lulmawʈ mləqəʔ tɬʼu lnujtʂʼəw ndzaʔaː ɲəw najəːʔ mi ŋgʷajlʔəːkʷ ɳʈʂʼə ʔawʔaːkʷ cʼi ɡaj ntɬiʈuj ɬəw ŋa kʷumbawd ʔaʈiːdɮ ɖu kʷʼiw pʼəw ɖaj ʔa ʔiːkʼaː lŋəj tʼəw xʷaːʔuː mlilɲiw ɖuj ɳʈə tsʼəw wuɭu kʷujɳɖajʈʼ hiː kʼaː mni kʷʼə ʈa ʔəʔib tsutɬʼəw kəː tʼaːtsʼiw ʈə ɭɭiw ʈʼuːŋɢatʼ kʷʼa mu ʔuː qintsajs ʔawntsajχ ʔaː tʂʼajdʐa tsʼəːŋawtsʼ suː ŋgʷaw ʔajluɲ ʔajmmu dʐaw xʷəw ʔaj ɲcəj ɡʷəːkəwʂ tsuj ɳɳawʔu jəjhaːʔ ʂə hə ɳɖaw tɬʼiː ɢiw xə jə ɲɲuː tɬʼitəwɬ paw cuj ɬiʔiw tɬʼaj ɲaː hiːɲɟətʼ wuː piwɬac tsətʼuɭ dɮəjmiːxʷ jaj jiːʔəːtɬ ti ŋaj tʂajnəːχ lnəj dʐiː xʷəːʔəʔ ʔəw dəw ɳɳə xəːŋkʷəʔ tʼəʈʼaː ɢəjɡuj nuːʈəːʔ ŋəj tʼi ʔəːllub ɳaː tʼiw qəj lʔu ntiwwuj qu lʔaː jajɟəʔ ŋajɳajʔ tsʼiː ndzəʔajp ʈuj dʐaːŋkucʼ jəjʈawɖ xʷəjɲɲuːtʼ ɳʈʂuj tɬʼujŋgʷiːkʷʼ wu mŋiːdʐaːkʷ mɳuːʂiʔ

Phonology

Consonants

/m n ɳ ɲ ŋ p t tɬ ʈ c k q ʔ b d dɮ ɖ ɟ g f s̠ ɬ x h z̠ ɮ ʋ l ɭ j/ ⟨m n ṇ ñ ŋ p t ƛ ṭ ť k q ʔ b d λ ḍ ď g f s σ ch h z ʒ v l ḷ j⟩

Vowels

/i iː u uː ə əː a aː ai au ei ou ie uo/ ⟨i ī u ū ə ə̄ a ā ai au ei ou ie uo⟩

Prosody

Stress

Stress falls on the first heavy (CV̄, CVV or CVC) syllable, if it is not the final syllable. If no syllables are long, the first syllable is stressed.

Morphology

Pronouns

• 1sg, 2sg, 3sg, 1pl, 2pl, 3pl: sƛī, ŋə̄, bəʔ, bau, zad, chau, bəbuo, bəbəv

Nouns

Nouns are reduplicated for plural, and take possessive prefixes. They do not decline for case, unlike adjectives and determiners. When nouns are preceded by a determiner or an adjective, they (even if plural) do not take a plural form.

chnousaṭ - 'cloud'
Number→ State↓	Singular	Plural
Indefinite	chnousaṭ	chəchnousaṭ
1sg possessor	łichnousaṭ	łichəchnousaṭ
2sg possessor	ŋəchnousaṭ	ŋəchəchnousaṭ
3sg.m possessor	səchnousaṭ	səchnousaṭ
3sg.f possessor	sūchnousaṭ	sūchəchnousaṭ
1pl possessor	zdəchnousaṭ	zdəchəchnousaṭ
2pl possessor	hauchnousaṭ	hauchəchnousaṭ
3pl.m possessor	səŋchnousaṭ	səŋchəchnousaṭ
3pl.f possessor	səstchnousaṭ	səstchəchnousaṭ

mich sud sə·tətāňi

DEF-ACC man 3SG-PL-house

the man's houses

Adjectives

Adjectives precede nouns and inflect for gender, number and case. Demonstratives and determiners also inflect as adjectives.

zviṭəʔ 'big' (masculine)
State	Singular	Plural
Nominative	zviṭəʔ	zviṭuo
Oblique	zviṭuch	zviṭəŋ

zviṭəʔ 'big' (feminine)
State	Singular	Plural
Nominative	zviṭou	zviṭə̄f
Oblique	zviṭə̄ʔ	zviṭə̄st

The definite article inflects as follows:

miʔ 'definite article' (masculine)
State	Singular	Plural
Nominative	miʔ	muo
Oblique	mich	miŋ

miʔ 'definite article' (feminine)
State	Singular	Plural
Nominative	mie	mə̄f
Oblique	mə̄ʔ	mə̄st

Verbs

• vimaḷch = I sit
• ŋəmaḷch = you sit
• ʔəmaḷch = he sits
• ʔūmaḷch = she sits
• zamaḷch = we sit
• chamaḷch = you people sit
• ʔəmmaḷch = they sit

• -au = past tense?

• sva- = negative

Numerals

Tlu uses a base-12 numeral system. Numerals are indeclinable.

• 1: seiďu /ˈseiɟu/
• 2: bli /bli/
• 3: sqā /sqaː/
• 4: māvi /ˈmaːʋi/
• 5: paiku /ˈpaiku/
• 6: ə̄ƛich /ˈəːtɬix/
• 7: zətə̄ /ˈzətəː/
• 8: baŋud /ˈbaŋud/
• 9: ďavuň /ˈɟaʋuɲ/
• 10: fqāchṭī /ˈfqaːxʈiː/
• 11: bə̄zie /ˈbəːzie/
• 12: zie /zie/
• 144: ʔənƛə̄ḷ
• 1728: chapkit

The ordinal numbers are adjectives:

• 1: nəʔtmu
• 2: nəʔbli
• 3: nəʔsqā

etc.