Burumbi: Difference between revisions

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Compound words are connected by dropping any final -V(ŋ) and adding the -o- infix. Inflections only fall on the end of the compound word. For example, the word for seaweed: '''reng mbila''' (water+leaf) → r<s>eng</s>-o-mbila → rombila → rombiladu, etc.


===Adjectives===
===Adjectives===

Revision as of 06:33, 20 May 2013


Background

Burumbi is made to sound how Anglophones think "African" languages sound. As I am rather unlearned when it comes to linguistics the result is likely to be sketchy and uninspiring to others, but it is mainly for generating names and short phrases.

Phonology

Consonants

Consonants
Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar
Plosive p b (p b) t d (t d) k g (k g)
Affricate ts (t͡s)
Fricative s z (s z)
Nasal m (m) n (n) ny (ɲ) ng (ŋ)
Approximant r l (ɹ l) y (j) w (w)

Vowels

Vowels
Front Central Back
Close i /i/ u /u/
Mid é /ə/
Open mid e /ɛ/
Open a /ɑ/

In addition to these vowels the diphthong o () is used.


Orthography

Phonotactics

Syllables can take the following forms:

  • V(ŋ)
  • CV(ŋ)
  • NSV(ŋ)
  • SwV(ŋ)

where V = vowel, C = consonant, N = the nasal vowels /m n/, and S = a stop or the consonants /s z ts/. Stress always falls on the penultimate syllable except in the case of é, in which case it falls on the following one.


Grammar

Nouns

Nouns are inflected for plurality and case. There are two forms of plurality: -du, indicating a few, and -mè indicating many. The cases are:

  • Nominative - unmarked, the subject of a sentence
  • Accusative - the direct object of a sentence
  • Genetive - signifies a relation to the direct object
  • Possessive - signifies that the noun is the possessor of something else
case suffix
Nominative Ø
Accusative -lè
Genetive -de
Possessive -do

Compound words are connected by dropping any final -V(ŋ) and adding the -o- infix. Inflections only fall on the end of the compound word. For example, the word for seaweed: reng mbila (water+leaf) → reng-o-mbila → rombila → rombiladu, etc.

Adjectives

Adjectives follow their nouns agree with them in case only. The nominative, genetive, and possessive are identical, -de. The accusative -lè.

Morphology

Syntax