Sharqi
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Sharqi (native: Af Sharqi) is an Ethio-Semitic language.
Introduction
Sharqi is basically a Semitic Somali. More accurately, it is an Ethiopian Semitic language heavily inspired by Somali.
Phonology
Orthography
Consonants
Vowels
Prosody
Stress
Intonation
Phonotactics
Morphophonology
Morphology
Pronouns
Personal Pronouns
Independent | Clitic | Possessive | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stressed | Unstressed | Subject | Object | Independent | Dependent | |
Verbs
Stem 1
Stem 1 is the base form of a verb. The citation form is the 3rd person singular masculine perfect.
- FCL is used as the generic verb (with qadal "kill" as the example verb).
- F: first root consonant
- C: second root consonant (for geminated or quadriliteral verbs, this represents the middle two consonants)
- L: third root consonant
- (vowel): vowel that is usually dropped unless it violates phonotactics. Sometimes unpredictable.
- Before a suffix beginning in a vowel, the a in -aL in the perfect and imperfect is dropped (if applicable and allowed). This is represented with square brackets (i.e. [a]).
- The (a/i) after F is dropped if possible, even if phonotactics require the F to be changed - e.g. katab "he wrote", ay tigtib "do not write". On the other hand, the (a/i) or [a] after C is dropped only if that will lead to no consonant changes - e.g. yikatabuu "they write" (not *yikadbuu).
- e.g. sabar "he broke" + -ag "you (object)" → sabrag "he broke you" (not *sabarag)
- BUT baddal "he changed" + -ag → baddalag "he changed you" (*baddlag violates phonotactics).
- Some verbs have aa after the first root consonant instead of a - e.g. baarag "bless". In this case, it is never dropped. Any high tones that would apply to a are applied to the second a of aa (i.e. aá).
- The infinitive takes the form FáCL(i) if the cluster CL is not forbidden (with the -i inserted if C is not y or w). If it is forbidden, the infinitive takes the form FáCaL.
Infinitive (m.) | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Verbal Noun (f.) | ||||||||||||
Agent (m.) | ||||||||||||
Agent (f.) | ||||||||||||
Imperfect | Subjunctive | Perfect | Gerundive | Imperative | Jussive | |||||||
There are various modifications depending on the root consonants:
- If F is:-
- w: i becomes u before w, with iw becoming uu - e.g. yuwadad "he loves" (from *yiwadad).
- y: iy becomes ii - e.g. al tiibas "she/it does not dry" (from *tiybas).
- '/Ø: i is dropped - e.g. yaaman "he believes" (from *yi(')aaman).
- If C is:-
- w, wC, or Cw:
- aw(a)/wa becomes oo - e.g. koon "he was/became" (from *kawan).
- wi becomes uu (and makes preceding i into u) - e.g. ay tukuun "do not become" (from *tikwin).
- awi becomes oy - e.g. koynaw "him being" (from *kawinaw)
- y, yC, or Cy:
- ay(a)/ya becomes ee - e.g. keed "he walked/went" (from *kayad).
- yi becomes ii - e.g. ay tikiid "do not walk/go" (from *tikyid).
- ayi becomes ay - e.g. kaydaw "him walking/going" (from *kayidaw).
- w, wC, or Cw:
- If L is:-
- y:
- (a)ya becomes ay - e.g. sallayd "she prayed" (from *sallayad).
- Final iy becomes ii - e.g. silli "pray" (from *silliy).
- The gerundive takes the base FaCiy- (FaCii- before a consonant).
- w:
- (a)wa becomes aw - e.g. cafawd "she forgave" (from *cafwad).
- Final iw becomes u (and makes preceding i into u) - e.g. cufu "forgive" (from *cifiw).
- The gerundive takes the base FaCuw- (FaCuu- before a consonant).
- y:
- Normal sandhi rules apply - e.g. sallaygu "I prayed" (from *sallay-ku).
- For quinquiliteral verbs, replace C with CaCC/CiCC (with the vowel corresponding to the bracketed one) - e.g. dhamastar, yidhamastar, yidhimistír "complete". If one of the consonants is w or y, the aforementioned simplifications apply and the unnecessary a/i is not added - e.g. targoon, yitargoon, yuturguún "translate" (from *taragwam, *yitaragwam, *yitirigwim). In forms where no simplifications can take place, however, the extra vowel is added - e.g. taragwaámi "translator".
Syntax
Constituent order
Primarily SOV