Burumbi


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 ə /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 ə, in which case it falls on the following one.


Grammar

Nouns

Burumbi has four genders: three "animate" genders and one inanimate.

Genders
Gender Form Example Definition
Spiritual tsedə ghost
Animate -a daya midget
Vegetative -i burumbi language
Inanimate -o kakumo fort

The first gender is used for natural phenomena such as lightning and storms in addition to supernatural entities. The vegetative gender is for weakly animate nouns such as plants and things which can move in a metaphorical way, like words and ideas.

Cases

case prefix
Nominative Ø
Accusative tsa-
Locative ta-
Proximative ba-

Verbs

Verbs are inflected for gender, tenses, and the indicative, subjunctive, and imperative moods. There are five tenses: the far past, near past, present, near future, and far future. While these are mostly straightforward, it should be noted that the far past and far future tenses are used heavily when mythical or supernatural events are being discussed, even if they happened on a time scale usually reserved for the near past or present.

Gender Far past Near past Present Near future Far future
Spiritual
Animate
Vegetative
Inanimate

Indicative

The indicative is used to form simple factual statements.

Gender Far past Near past Present Near future Far future
Spiritual -nyo -no -ng -nga -nya
Animate -go -go -ge -geng -gong
Vegetative -gola -la -lang -le -leng
Inanimate -king -ki -kuo -ko -keng

Imperative

The imperative is used not just when issuing commands, but also making emphatic statements. It is formed from the present indicative, e.g. daga komege "the dog eats" becomes daga komekəng "the dog really eats!"

Gender Far past Near past Present Near future Far future
Spiritual
Animate
Vegetative
Inanimate

Subjunctive

The subjunctive is used when the reality or factuality of something is not known. It is also used when forming questions. Unlike the imperative, the subjunctive is formed from the near future indicative, hence daga komege becomes daga komegung? "is the dog eating?"


Gender Far past Near past Present Near future Far future
Spiritual
Animate
Vegetative
Inanimate

Morphology

Syntax