Bźatga: Difference between revisions

'''Bźatga''' (/ˈbʒatgɐ/) is an Indo-European language spoken by the tribes of the ''Enśi Bźata'' "The Bźatan Islands", a small archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. According to the people of these islands, the language came with their ancestors from a land called ''Creńa'' along with a knowledge of metalworking and the sacred horse.

Bźatga is written with the following 18 letters of the Latin alphabet:<br />

''a b c d e g i j l m n o r s t u v z''

! " colspan="5;"| Stops

Additionally the letters ''î'' and ''û'' occur in diphthongs deriving from ''vi, *ji'' and ''*vu''; e.g. ''doû, doî'' "black" from **''dovu, **dovi''. The resulting diphthongs are identical in pronunciation to their unmarked counterparts and the convention is purely orthographic.  

''a ă b c ć d e ĕ ê g ǵ i ĭ î j l ĺ ł m n ń o ŏ ô r ŕ s ś ŝ t u ŭ û v z ź ẑ''

| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; b

*''b'' and ''m'' are simply followed by the letter ''j'', e.g. ''caba'' "crooked", cpv. ''cabju'' "more crooked".

*''v'' becomes ''j'', e.g. ''dova'' "black", cpv. ''doju'' "blacker".

Palatalisation is an allophonic process whereby certain consonants are affected by a following ''i''. This mainly affects the sonorants ''l'', ''n'' and ''r'', which are altered to their secondary form, and the letters ''d'' and ''t'' which become ''ẑ'' and ''ŝ'' respectively. For example, ''dana'' "gift", pl. ''dańi'', ''cata'' "pool", pl. ''caŝi''.

! " colspan="5;"| Stops

| style="width: 35px; " align="center" | ''m''

As stated above, there are six dipthongs in Bźatga: ''ai, ei, oi'' and ''au, eu, ou''. These are only permitted to occur before a consonant or at the end of a word. When any of these comes to occur before a vowel, the second element becomes ''j'' or ''v'' respectively, e.g. ''saide'' "(he) seeks" but ''saja'' "seek!". The same is true in reverse, so ''dova'' "black" becomes ''doudra'' "blackness".  

Whenever the combinations ''**ji'' and ''*vu'' would occur as a result of inflexion or derivation, the consonant is lost and the remaining ''i'' or ''u'' forms a diphthong with the preceding vowel. The same occurs to the combination ''*ovi'', which becomes ''oî''. The second element of a diphthong formed in this way is marked by a caret, not to show a difference in pronunciation from the unmarked form, but to show the absence of the consonant. This process can clearly be seen in the declension of the adjective ''dova'' "black": ''dova'' (NAsg), ''doû'' (GDsg, < *''dovu''), ''doî'' (Pl, < *''dovi''). Note also the change of ''*iji'' > ''î'' and ''*ivu, *iju'' > ''jû'' (e.g. ''bźija'' "power, status", GDsg. ''bźû'', pl. ''bźî'').

Nouns belong to one of four declensions based on the NASg. Indefinite:

* 1st and 2nd declension end in a vowel (''-a'' or ''-e'')

* 3rd declension end in a consonant

* 4th declension have a stem in -n but a NASg in a vowel, usually ''-u''.

| align="center"| ''sule''

| align="center"| ''sule''

! align="center" | 4

* a number of 3rd declension nouns have a NASg. ending in a vowel, e.g. ''tei'' "house", ''mau'' "place", ''neu'' "sky".

* a group of 4th declension nouns has an NASg. in -C''u'' (where C represents any consonant) but a stem in -C''on-'', e.g. ''camvu'' "whelp, lad", pl. ''camvone''.

A vestigial vocative case exists when addressing people or things directly. In most cases, the singular form of the vocative is identical to the NASg. (e.g. ''Bracźi'' "Bracźi!"), but for masculine personal names of the 1st declension, the vocative ending ''-e'' is used, e.g. ''Craumare'' "Craumara!". In the plural, all nouns are identical to the NAPl., e.g. ''braģa'' "brothers!".

A specifically polite or respectful form of the vocative, ending in ''-u'', is used only when showing extreme deference and is particularly associated with words denoting people of high authority, e.g. ''bźaćnu'' "(your) majesty)", ''teźnu'' "(my) lord".

* ''verazda'' "the man"

* ''ca aunazdu'' "to the river"

Adjectives follow the noun they qualify and agree with that noun in number and case. Adjectives belong to one of two declensions much like those of nouns, according to the sound at the end of the word. There are no definite forms of adjectives.

{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" class="bluetable lightbluebg" text-align:center;"

! rowspan="2;" style="width: 150px;"  align="center" | Plural

! style="width: 150px; " align="center"| Oblique

| align="center"| ''made''

| align="center"| ''made''

The '''comparative''' adjective is formed by adding ''–ju'' to the stem, which undergoes iotisation where possible, e.g. ''maŕu'' "greater" < ''mara'', ''seńu'' "older" < ''sena'', ''doju'' "blacker" < ''dova''. Comparative adjectives are not inflected for case or number.

The comparative may be followed by ''vra'' "than" and an OSg or Plural noun, e.g. ''maŕu vra teje'' "bigger than a house", ''vaĺu vra ģeviẑi'' "more powerful than the gods".

The '''superlative''' adjective is made with the suffix ''-va'', which also causes iotisation to the preceding consonant, e.g. ''maŕva'' "greatest", ''seńva'' "oldest", ''doiva'' "blackest". Superlatives function like normal adjectives and agree with their noun in number and case.

An '''equative''' structure can be formed with the particle ''co'' + adjective + ''saule'' + OSg noun, e.g. ''co cegra saule bove'' "as strong as an ox".

Adverbs of time include: ''zdeva'' "today", ''abreja'' "morning", ''de'' "yesterday", ''na'' "now", ''menkezdu'' "often", ''eńasu'' "ever".

The cardinal numbers occur before '''singular''' forms of nouns. Only ''ôna'' "one" is inflected for case.  

* 1-10:  ''ôna, da, ći, ceudre, ćace, seś, seća, oću, nava, dega''

* 11-19:  ''ônzega, dazga, ćizga, ceǵzega, ćiaczega, seźega, sećzega, oćzega, nauzega''

The decades from 20 to 100 are: ''vegŝi, ćigot, ceǵgot, ćacot, seśgot, sećcot, oćcot, naucot, cata''.

These are nouns which stand in the NASg. before a NASg. noun. ''Vegŝi'' is indeclinable and ''cata'' is a 1st declension noun; the others are all 3rd declension.  

Numbers like "26" or "69" are formed with the unit followed by the decade in the OSg., e.g. ''seś vegŝi'' "26", ''nava seśgota'' "69". Nouns may be placed between the two numerals in the NASg., e.g. ''seś vera vegŝi'' "26 men", ''nava teja seśgota'' "69 houses".

Ordinal numbers are adjectives of the 1st declension, which behave like any other. They ordinals from 1-10 are: ''ćata, aĺa, ćića, ceuǵa, ćacda, seśda, sećveda, oćveda, naveda, degveda''.

Personal pronouns distinguish three persons in the singular and plural. Unlike some other languages, Bźatga does not distinguish gender in the third person singular, so ''e'' means "he, she, it". Both singular and plural have Nominative-Accusative and Oblique forms as well as a genitive used as a possessive adjective.  

! style="width: 120px; " align="center"| Oblique

! style="width: 120px; " align="center"| Gentitive

! style="width: 120px; " align="center"| Oblique

The NA pronouns are used as subject and direct object of the verb. As subject, they are really suffixes which attach to the verb directly. The 3rd person ''e'' is not added to verbs, which generally end in a vowel, so for example, ''carde'' implicitly means "he/she/it loves" unless another subject is stated. As direct object, the pronouns precede the verb directly, e.g. ''e cardemi'' "I love him", ''Maĺgų tu vełse'' "Maĺgų saw you".

The Oblique forms are used following prepositions, e.g. ''cate ju'' "with him/her/it", ''a zna'' "from us".

! rowspan="2;" style="width: 120px;"  align="center" | Plural

! style="width: 120px; " align="center"| Oblique

* as adjectives preceding a definite noun, e.g. ''soda verazda'' "this man''.

The interrogative pronouns are ''će'' "who", used for humans, deities and sometimes animals, and ''cêt'' "what", used for inanimates and abstracts. These are not declined for case or number. When the pronoun is the object of the sentence, the verb must be in the passive and the subject follows in the oblique e.g. ''cêt zlaźsore Vervosu'' "what did Vervosa kill?" (lit. "what was killed by Vervosa?"), but ''će Citvena vełsa?'' "who saw Citvena?".  

* ''cane'' "when"

* ''care'' "why"

* ''cede'' "how many, how much"

* ''ćeta'' "how"

* ''cauga'' "everyone, everything"

* ''neuga'' "someone, something, anyone, anything"

All these decline like first declension nouns. The first two may be used adjectivally, preceding a noun with which they agree in case and number, e.g. ''ca caugu veru'' "to every man". The adjectival form of ''oĺazda'' is ''oĺa'' "all, every, whole" which must precede a definite noun (unless abstract), e.g. ''oĺi eugiẑi'' "all the horses".

The verbal noun is formed by adding ''-ą'' to the stem and is declined like a 4th declension noun. It functions as an abstract noun denoting the action of the verb, e.g. ''velą'' "seeing, vision, sight". The direct object of the verbal noun follows it directly in the NA case, e.g. ''zlaźą e'' "killing him", ''velą Noį'' "seeing Noį".

* The '''Present Participle''' is formed by adding the prefix ''ĕ-'' to the verbal noun when it begins with a consonant or ''ĕn-'' when it begins with a vowel, e.g. ''ĕvelą'' "seeing", ''ĕnezą'' "eating".

* The '''Past Passive Participle''' is formed with the suffix ''-da'' added to the verb stem, e.g. ''vełda'' "seen", ''ezda'' "eaten".

* The '''Participle of Necessity''', equivalent to English adjectives in "-able", "-ible" and "-worthy", is formed with the suffix ''-doja'' added to the verb stem, e.g. ''vełdoja'' "visible", ''zlaźdoja'' "killable".

These are the main prepositions in Bźatga. They are invariably followed by the Oblique of nouns and pronouns.

* ''a'' "of, from"

* ''abe'' "around, about, concerning"

* ''are'' "before, beside"

* ''cate'' "with, by" (instrumental)

* ''ca'' "to"

* ''eća'' "out, outside"

* ''jatra'' "between"

* ''seugu'' "without"

* ''vjezu'' "with" (comitative)

* ''vona'' "under, below, beneath"

* ''vor'' "on, over, above"

* ''vret'' "against"

* ''Maĺgų edra vełse'' "Maĺgų saw a bird"

* ''ma aģi sevą vrăcanse ca mô'' "my father taught me to hunt" (hunting to me)

* ''ca tejezdu ańanu ausetu'' "you went to the wrong house"

* ''cų mara'' "a large dog"

* ''euga vida'' "a white horse"

* ''eugazda teugśa'' "the horse which ran away"

* ''tejezda daisoŕa ca laruzdu mara jat'' "the house which burnt down was large"

* ''cųzda magdoŕa cate mi dova es'' "the dog which I feed is black" (i.e. "which is fed by me")

* ''tejezda, daisore ca laruzdu, se mara jat'' "the house which burnt down was large (lit. "the house, it burnt down, that was large")

* ''cųzda, e magdoremi, so dova es'' "the dog which I feed is black" (lit. "the dog, I feed it, that is black")

Agent nouns and instruments are formed from verbs with the suffixes ''-jde'' or ''-(a)dra'' (e.g. (e.g. ''ģiģde'' "climber" < ''ģig-'', ''ĺaźdra'' "spade" < ''ĺaź-''). Agents can be formed from verbs or nouns with ''-jų'' (e.g. ''gańų'' "killer" < ''gan-'') and this can be added to adjectives to describe a person or thing bearing that quality (e.g. ''dajų'' "good person" < ''dava''). ''-vera'' is added to nouns, verbs or occasionally adjectives meaning "person associated with" (e.g. ''vezvera'' "woodsman" < ''veza''). The ending ''-jajų'' is added to nouns to mean "seeker of" or "lover of" (e.g. ''gaĺajų'' "megalomaniac" < ''gala'').

Diminutives can be formed from nouns with ''-ńa'' (e.g. ''meńa'' "little woman" < ''mena'') and from adjectives with ''-ga'' or ''-ca'' (e.g. ''douga/douca'' "little black one" < ''dova''); ''-ca'' tends to have more negative overtones.

|smell            =  

|fear              =  

|sleep            =  

|live              =  

|die              =  

|kill              =  

|fight            =  

|hunt              =  

|hit              =  

|cut              =  

|split            =  

|stab              =  

|scratch          =  

|dig              =  

|swim              =  

|fly              =  

|walk              =  

|come              =  

|lie              =  

|sit              =  

|stand            =  

|turn              =  

|fall              =  

|give              =  

|hold              =  

|squeeze          =  

|rub              =  

|wash              =  

|wipe              =  

|pull              =  

|push              =  

|throw            =  

|tie              =  

|sew              =  

|count            =  

|say              =  

|sing              =  

|play              =  

|float            =  

|flow              =  

|freeze            =  

|swell            =  

|sun              =  

|moon              =  

|star              =  

|water            =  

|rain              =  

|river            =  

|lake              =  

|sea              =  

|salt              =  

|stone            =  

|sand              =  

|dust              =  

|earth            =  

|cloud            =  

|fog              =  

|sky              =  

|wind              =  

|snow              =  

|ice              =  

|smoke            =  

|fire              =  

|ash              =  

|burn              =  

|road              =  

|mountain          =  

|red              =  

|green            =  

|yellow            =  

|white            =  

|black            =  

|night            =  

|day              =  

|year              =  

|warm              =  

|cold              =  

|full              =  

|new              =  

|old              =  

|good              =  

|bad              =  

|rotten            =  

|dirty            =  

|straight          =  

|round            =  

|sharp            =  

|dull              =  

[[Category:Conlangs]]