Verse:Mwail/Bjeheond

Rostherian /rɒʃˈtɛriən/ (erhbaerostherim 'The Rostherian language') is a Talmic language spoken in East Cuadhlabh. It is head-initial and polysynthetic.

Numbers

• 1: pêm
• 2: tiłuar
• 3: narhg
• 4: lôb
• 5: selił
• 6: thiam
• 7: ruad
• 8: lored
• 9: barh
• 10: ghîr
• 11: hunaes?
• 12: naes

Phonology

Among Talmic languages, Rostherian is notable for having retroflex consonants and multiple liquids.

Consonants

		Labial	Dental/Alveolar		Retroflex		Velar	Uvular	Glottal
			central	lateral	central	lateral
Nasal		m /m/	n /n̪/		nh /ɳ/		[ŋ]	[ɴ]
Stop	voiceless	p /p/	t /t̪/		th /ʈ/		c /k/	q /q/
	voiced	b /b/	d /d̪/		dh /ɖ/		g /g/
Continuant	voiceless		s /s/	ł /ɬ/	sh /ʂ/	łh /ɬʵ/			h /h/
	voiced	w /v~w/	r /r/	l /l/	rh /ʐ~ɻ~ɭ/			gh /ʁ/

evidentials, quasi-polysynthetic

Vowels

i i: u u: e e: ə ə: o o: a a: ai ei iə eu uə oi iu

⟨i î u û e ê y ŷ o ô a â ae ei ia eu ua oe iu⟩

Sound changes

The most significant changes characterizing Rostherian are coalescing and altering of consonant clusters.

• *ā > ia (*nā > nia 'I'); *ō > ua; *au > ô; *ou > û; *ū > î
• *qʷ > /χʷ/ > /ɧ/ > sh; *ʁʷ > /ζ/ > rh
  • ʁʷelinə ("6 parts [of 12]") > rhelin 'half'
• *nw, tw, dw, sw, łw, lw, rw > nh, th, dh, sh, łh, rh, rh /ɳ, ʈ, ɖ, ʂ, ɬ̠, ʐ~ɻ~ɭ, ʐ~ɻ~ɭ/
  • gʷałwā > bâłhi 'neck, throat' ~ Thn. gaθuā 'throat (also language)'
• *sl-, sm-, sn- > rh-, m-, nh-
• *sɸ-, sr-, sw- > sh-, rh-, sh-
• *st, sk > t-/st, th-/sth-
  • stas- > tatsil 'gathering' (~ Thn. Stasnyssōs)
  • skəttā > thytti 'body' ~ Thn. scyttā
  • *bastom > bast 'king' ~ Thn. bastom 'head'
• *sb, sd, sg > rhb, rhdh, rhg
  • *nasg- > narhg '3'
• *φn, tn, φl, tl > /ːn, ts, ːɬ, tɬ/
  • łnāgin > tłiagin 'I believe' ~ Thn. θnāginis
  • oφlutsus > ôłus 'wave'
• *kt, qt > /jt, :ʈ/
  • *tektə > teit /teit/ 'child'
  • *neqtə > nêth /neːʈ/ 'cloud'
• *kn, gn, qn, ql, qr > /jn, jn, :ɳ, :ɻ, :ɻ/ (with **/uj/ > /uː/ )
  • sφugnus > shûn 'root' ~ Thn. sφugnus
  • leqnos > lênh 'river' ~ Thn. leānos?
  • qrīdis > rhîd 'knife' ~ Thn. ȝrīdis 'edge'
• *φj, tj, kj, qj > pt ss ts gh
• *φ-, j-, s- > h-
• *skj, stj > th-/sth, s-/ss
• final short vowels lost; final -m, -s, -t lost; final long vowels shorten (ia, ua > i, u)

Morphology

Nouns

Nouns are marked with a singular-plural distinction (like Welsh), and may also take possessive suffixes. Pronouns and gender verb affixes no longer mark grammatical gender, but biological gender (as in Naquian).

"Masculine" nouns

wein 'brother'

Singular	Plural
wein	weinin

loer 'bird'

Singular	Plural
loer	loeron

rhîd 'knife'

Singular	Plural
rhîd	rhîdin

"Feminine" nouns

qutri 'blood'

Singular	Plural
qutri	qutriar

bondi 'person'

Singular	Plural
bondi	bondiar

Some feminines are in -e, -u and have plurals in -êr, -uar.

Verbs

Subject affixes

Present tense

Person	Suffix	ghaeman 'I float'	tłiagin "I believe"
1SG	-n	ghaeman	tłiagin
2SG	-r	ghaemar	tłiagir
3SG.M	-m	ghaemam	tłiagim
3SG.F	-s	ghaemas	tłiagis
3SG.N	-0	ghaema	tłiagi
1EX	-me	ghaemame	tłiagime
1IN	-nt	ghaemant	tłiagint
2PL	-sh	ghaemash	tłiagish
3PL	-t	ghaemat	tłiagit