Ciètian: Difference between revisions

From Linguifex
Jump to navigation Jump to search
(31 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 10: Line 10:
|creator= [[User:IlL]]
|creator= [[User:IlL]]
|name = {{SUBPAGENAME}}
|name = {{SUBPAGENAME}}
|nativename = ''ye Gièdem''
|nativename = ''ye Giètem''
|pronunciation=   
|pronunciation=   
|region = Talma
|region = Talma
Line 30: Line 30:
==Todo==
==Todo==
*Change orthography
*Change orthography
*Nominative ~ accusative ~ dative, genitive more different (like Irish and German)
*''nehdier'' = chain
*''nehdier'' = chain
*''Nian yirastzuòtzìn!'' = I'm innocent!
*''Nian yirastzuòtzìn!'' = I'm innocent!
Line 98: Line 99:


===Vowels===
===Vowels===
Ciètian has the following vowels:
*'''i ü u ie üe a'''  /ɪ ʏ ʊ jɛ ɥɛ a/
*/ɪj ʏɥ ʊw jɛː wɔː ɑː ɒj æː äj äw jäw jæj (ɥ)ɶj ɯː ɤː jɤː ɥɤː wɤː aɯ/
*/ə ɨ~i/
====Monophthongs====
{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" class="bluetable lightbluebg" style=" text-align:center;"
{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" class="bluetable lightbluebg" style=" text-align:center;"
|+ '''Vowel phonemes'''
! rowspan="2" style=""|
! rowspan="2" style=""|
! colspan="2" style="" |Front
! colspan="2" style="" |Front
Line 116: Line 121:
| '''ì''' /ɪj/, '''ǜ''' /ʏɥ/
| '''ì''' /ɪj/, '''ǜ''' /ʏɥ/
|  
|  
| '''è''' /ɨː/
| /ɯː/
| '''u''' /u/
| '''u''' /u/
| '''ù''' /ʊw/
| '''ù''' /ʊw/
Line 148: Line 153:
Semivowel onglides: '''i ü u''' /j ɥ w/
Semivowel onglides: '''i ü u''' /j ɥ w/


Diphthongs: '''ai au ei ou iou iei üei''' /ɒj æː äj äw jäw jæj (ɥ)ɶj/
Diphthongs: '''ai au ei ou iou iei üei''' /ɒj æː äj äw jäw jæj ɥɶj/
====R-colored vowels====
====R-colored vowels====
(No linking R is used.)
(No linking R is used.)
*ar, àr /ɔɯ/
*ar, àr /ɔɯ~ɤː/
*er, èr, air, aor /aɯ/
*er, èr, air, aor /aɯ/
*ir, ìr, iur /jəɯ~jɤː/
*ir, ìr, iur,  eir, ier, ièr /jəɯ~jɤː/
*or, òr /~ʊɯ/
*or, òr /~ɯː/
*ür, ǜr /ɥɤː/
*ür, ǜr /ɥɤː/
*ur, ùr /wɤː/
*ur, ùr /wɤː/
*eir, ier, ièr /ɛɯ/
*final -er = /ɨ/
*final -ar = //
*final -ier = /i/
*final -er = /ɯ/


===Phonotactics===
===Phonotactics===
Line 189: Line 193:
===Common dialectal features===
===Common dialectal features===
*/x ɣ/ realized as uvular [χ ʁ]
*/x ɣ/ realized as uvular [χ ʁ]
*Native words have f- retained
*h from Tigol h = /h/; h from Tigol ch = /x/; ħ is consistently /ħ/
*h from Tigol h = /h/; h from Tigol ch = /x/; ħ is consistently /ħ/


Line 205: Line 208:
|-
|-
!|Emphatic
!|Emphatic
|''gonin''||''gonas''||''gonu''||''gonyi''||''gona''||''gonav''||''gonid''||''gonax''||''gonar''||''gonax''||''gonawaa''
|''gonin''||''gonas''||''gonu''||''goni''||''gona''||''gonang''||''gonid''||''gonah''||''gonar''||''gonaH''||''gonaLà''
|-
|-
!|Genitive
!|Genitive
|''naa''||''fiar''||''hu''||''hi''||''he''||''aav''||''geed''||''seed''||''haar''||''seed''||''waa''
|''''||''fiar''||''''||''''||''''||''àng''||''gèd''||''sèd''||''hàr''||''Sèd''||''''
|-
|-
!|Accusative
!|Accusative
|''moon''||''moos''||''moov''||''mooy''||''moo''||''moom''||''meed''||''moox''||''moor''||''moox''||''mowaa''
|''mòn''||''mòs''||''mòng''||''mài''||''''||''mòm''||''mèd''||''mòh''||''mòr''||''mòH''||''moLà''
|}
|}
====Politeness====
====Politeness====
Modern {{SUBPAGENAME}} has three levels of politeness in pronouns:
Modern {{SUBPAGENAME}} has three levels of politeness in pronouns:
*''gonas, moos'' (sg.) is used for family members, friends, pets, inanimates, deities, and among blue-collar workers. It is becoming more common among young people.
*''gonas, mòs'' (sg.) is used for family members, friends, pets, inanimates, deities, and among blue-collar workers. It is becoming more common among young people.
*''gonalaa, mowaa'' is used as a polite second-person pronoun (for both singular and plural) for strangers or persons in positions of authority. It is still considered acceptable for some professions, such as superiors in military or schoolteachers, to refer to their counterparts with the familiar pronouns ''gonas'' and ''gonax'', although nowadays using ''gonawaa'' is becoming more common.
*''gonaLà, moLà'' is used as a polite second-person pronoun (for both singular and plural) for strangers or persons in positions of authority. It is still considered acceptable for some professions, such as superiors in military or schoolteachers, to refer to their counterparts with the familiar pronouns ''gonas'' and ''gonah'', although nowadays using ''gonaLà'' is becoming more common.
*''gonax'' is roughly intermediate in formality between ''gonas'' and ''gonawaa''. The pronoun ''gonax'' is used when an apprentice addresses their master, when university students address professors or when professors address students. In universities and some schools students use ''gonax'' for each other. (In vocational schools ''gonawaa'' is used for student-instructor conversation.) Strangers on the Internet and books intended for a general audience also use ''gonax''.
*''gonaH'' is roughly intermediate in formality between ''gonas'' and ''gonaLà''. The pronoun ''gonaH'' is used when an apprentice addresses their master, when university students address professors or when professors address students. In universities and some schools students use ''gonaH'' for each other. (In vocational schools ''gonawaa'' is used for student-instructor conversation.) Strangers on the Internet and books intended for a general audience also use ''gonax''.
**In archaic {{SUBPAGENAME}}, ''gonax'' is used as a polite pronoun for persons of higher class (say nobles or royalty), or among the upper class.
**In archaic {{SUBPAGENAME}}, ''gonaH'' is used as a polite pronoun for persons of higher class (say nobles or royalty), or among the upper class.


===Nouns===
===Nouns===
Line 228: Line 231:
*The plural construct is formed by affixing ''-u'' to the nominative singular if the nominative singular ends in a consonant, and ''-v'' to the nominative singular if it ends in a vowel.
*The plural construct is formed by affixing ''-u'' to the nominative singular if the nominative singular ends in a consonant, and ''-v'' to the nominative singular if it ends in a vowel.
====The article====
====The article====
The article inflects and triggers mutation based on number and gender.
The article inflects and triggers mutation based on number, case and gender.


The singular definite article ''ye'' and ''ye<sup>N</sup>'' changes to ''yen'' (with no mutation) before a noun starting with a vowel or a semivowel. For example:  
The singular definite article ''ye'' and ''ye<sup>N</sup>'' changes to ''yen'' (with no mutation) before a noun starting with a vowel or a semivowel. For example:  
Line 238: Line 241:
Collective nouns are by nature definite, and the collective of a noun is formed by using the collective article before the singular form.
Collective nouns are by nature definite, and the collective of a noun is formed by using the collective article before the singular form.


The nominative case is used for the subject; the genitive case is used for direct objects and objects of prepositions.
*The nominative case is used for the subject
*The accusative case is used for direct objects and after certain prepositions
*The dative cade is used after certain prepositions
*The genitive case is used for possession


To be revised:
Todo: accusative and dative
{| class="greentable lightgreenbg" style="text-align:center;"  
{| class="greentable lightgreenbg" style="text-align:center;"  
|+ '''Definite article'''
|+ '''Definite article'''
Line 252: Line 258:
! Example
! Example
| ''ye mpràn'' || ''ye gkàtz'' || ''ye hazier''  || ''na pràn'' || ''ner kàtzer'' || ''na nghazier''
| ''ye mpràn'' || ''ye gkàtz'' || ''ye hazier''  || ''na pràn'' || ''ner kàtzer'' || ''na nghazier''
|-
! acc.
| ''ye<sup>L</sup>'' || ''ye'' || ''ye''  || ''na'' || ''ner'' || ''na<sup>N</sup>''
|-
! Example
| ''ye mpràn'' || ''ye kàtz'' || ''ye hazier''  || ''na pràn'' || ''ner kàtzer'' || ''na nghazier''
|-
! dat.
| ''yi<sup>N</sup>'' || ''na<sup>L</sup>'' || ''yi''  || ''na'' || ''na'' || ''na''
|-
! Example
| ''yi mpràn'' || ''ye gkàtz'' || ''yi hazier''  || ''na pràn'' || ''na kàtzer'' || ''na hazier''
|-
|-
! gen.
! gen.
| ''na<sup>L</sup>'' || ''na<sup>L</sup>'' || ''ye<sup>N</sup>'' || ''nanı'' || ''nanı'' || ''nanı''
| ''na<sup>L</sup>'' || ''na<sup>L</sup>'' || ''na<sup>L</sup>'' || ''nanı'' || ''nanı'' || ''nanı''
|-
|-
! Example
! Example
| ''na bpràn'' || ''na gkàtz'' || ''ye nghazier'' || ''nanı prànenı'' || ''nanı kàtzenı'' || ''nanı hazirienı''
| ''na bprànı'' || ''na gkàtzan'' || ''n'γazra'' || ''nanı prànenı'' || ''nanı kàtzenı'' || ''nanı hazrienı''
|}
|}


Line 265: Line 283:
{| class="greentable lightgreenbg" style="text-align:center;"  
{| class="greentable lightgreenbg" style="text-align:center;"  
|+ Attributive forms of ''cial'' 'small'
|+ Attributive forms of ''cial'' 'small'
! rowspan=2 | || colspan="3" | singular, collective || colspan="3" | plural  
! rowspan=2 | || colspan="3" | singular || colspan="3" | plural  
|-
|-
! m. || f. || n. || m. || f. || n.  
! m. || f. || n. || m. || f. || n.  
Line 300: Line 318:
====Inflected forms====
====Inflected forms====
Unlike the present and the future, the past tense uses the participle ''-ìn'', derived from the Tigol past passive participle. Like in [[Anbirese]] but unlike in [[Eevo]], the past tense uses  ergative alignment, with the ergative preposition ''u'' used before the ergative constituent for transitive verbs.
Unlike the present and the future, the past tense uses the participle ''-ìn'', derived from the Tigol past passive participle. Like in [[Anbirese]] but unlike in [[Eevo]], the past tense uses  ergative alignment, with the ergative preposition ''u'' used before the ergative constituent for transitive verbs.
====Other forms====
*The active participle in ''-ig'' is used to modify a noun. As such it is used as a relative form for the subject.
*The ''-et'' infinitive:
**is used with modal verbs.
*The ''-eγ'' infinitive:
**with ''zi'' 'in', indicates "while the action is taking place" or, when possessed, "while POSSESSOR is VERBing"
**with ''ar'' 'on', indicates "upon/as soon as the action is taking place" or, when possessed,  "upon the POSSESSOR's VERBing"
**with ''nai'' 'by', indicates that the verb's action serves a purpose: "by VERBing"
*The bare infinitive:
**with ''zi'' 'in', indicates the progressive.
**with ''jel'' 'from', indicates (from just having been VERB-ing)
**with ''ħrù'' 'next to', indicates "intends to VERB" or "about to VERB"
**with ''asd'' 'without', indicates "without VERBing"
**(nonstandard) with ''ħand'' 'after', indicates that the action just happened.


===Prepositions===
===Prepositions===
Line 317: Line 350:
===UDHR===
===UDHR===
:'''''Niam pà cil ghar sngèi casàn ac sdeħèid nai lòngatz ac nai marrenь. Niam amsetzìn nai mìsrìnen ac ye as·torngegen, ac niam ar ham la foza cràdener nai ghiegòren ri ziarbetzen.'''''
:'''''Niam pà cil ghar sngèi casàn ac sdeħèid nai lòngatz ac nai marrenь. Niam amsetzìn nai mìsrìnen ac ye as·torngegen, ac niam ar ham la foza cràdener nai ghiegòren ri ziarbetzen.'''''
:/nʲəm pɑː tʃəɫ ɣɔɯ sŋaɪ ˈkasɑːn ək sdəˈħait nɒ ɫawŋəts ək nɒ mar̝ənʲ. nʲəm ˈamsətsiːn nɒ ˈmiːsʲɾʲiːnən ək jə əsˈtʊɯŋəgən, ək nʲəm əɾ ham ɫə ˈfɔzə kɾɑːdənɨ nɒ zjəgʊɯn ɾɪ zʲɔɯbətsən/
:/nʲəm pɑː tʃəɫ ɣɤː sŋaɪ ˈkasɑːn ək sdəˈħait nɒ ɫawŋəts ək nɒ mar̝ənʲ. nʲəm ˈamsətsiːn nɒ ˈmiːsʲɾʲiːnən ək jə əsˈtʊɯŋəgən, ək nʲəm əɾ ham ɫə ˈfɔzə kɾɑːdənɨ nɒ zjəgʊɯn ɾɪ zʲɤːbətsən/
:''All humans are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.''
:''All humans are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.''



Revision as of 00:48, 6 February 2020

Ciètian/Wordlist
Ciètian/Swadesh list
Ciètian/Names
Ciètian/Sandbox

Ciètian
ye Giètem
Created byUser:IlL
SettingVerse:Tricin
Native speakers100 million L1 speakers (300 million L2 speakers) (fT 1670dd (2676))
Quame
  • Talmic
    • Thensaric
      • Tigolic
        • Ciètian
This article contains IPA phonetic symbols. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Unicode characters. For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA.

Ciètian (CHAIT-i-ən; natively Ciètem, ye Giètem, from Thensarian Centimae) is a Talmic language (in the Tigolic subbranch of Talmic, which also includes Eevo). It's inspired by Mandarin, German, Occitan, Irish, Thedish, and English (particularly Cockney and Philadelphian).

A close relative is Páuluòbeng.

Todo

  • Change orthography
  • Nominative ~ accusative ~ dative, genitive more different (like Irish and German)
  • nehdier = chain
  • Nian yirastzuòtzìn! = I'm innocent!
  • Shüèl = a name (from Sréul)
  • Xjüèla = Skella
  • Single vs. double negatives: use both
    • a > ea, e > eo, i > iu in certain conditions - what type of pal'n do these new vowels trigger
      • e.g. cell 'small' > *cĕoll > qiel? qial?
    • already have eo éu iu íu/iú
  • Actually palatalization is NOT as simple as this. y ø a o u vs. i ie vs. ia io iu vs ja jo ju je/ĺa ĺo ĺu ĺe affect consonants differently.
  • non-initial -gh might die
  • mièn àvaħ (this-DEF book) = 'this book'
  • Revise Thensarian declension based on Ciètian
  • Have a separate schwa phoneme a /ə/?
  • -atz is cognate to Eevo -ahd
  • -z is one plural suffix (often used for nouns ending in vowels; from palatalized lenited -dh)
  • cht > c à la Wenedyk, final slender -t > -cy
  • sg palatalizes to sh, not xj
  • Words starting with f- are reanalyzed to start with p-: nonstandard dialects don't have this
  • Etymological doublets from Tigol absolute-conjunct verb forms.
  • lianger = dream (< leṁar)
  • Slender t > ts

a e i o u á é í ó ú ai ei io iu oi ui ae ao aoi ái éi eó éu ia ío íu iú(i) ói oí ua uai úi uí

-> a ia i uo u à iè ì uò ù e ie i ü e ü ai ao è ai ei iao iù ì ì ǜ ǜ ù uì ù è

Numbers: cìm, tiħer, nèz, dèv, sel, sdàm, ruìz, lèr, bàr, niaur, yàchim, cnè

Notes

Symbols

  • L - lenition/aspiration
  • N - eclipsis

Phonology

The following describes Ciètian as spoken in Sdiemìn.

Stress

Stress is not phonemic and is weight-sensitive. The rule is: the last long vowel is stressed. If there is no long vowel the last syllable is stressed.

In most compound words, primary stress falls on the first member and a secondary stress falls on the second member. Place names are sometimes exceptions to the preceding rule: for example, the element -vià is always stressed.

Intonation

Word level

  • A stressed short vowel has a high pitch.
  • A stressed long vowel or diphthong has a falling pitch but ends in a higher pitch than unstressed vowels.
  • Unstressed vowels have low pitch.

Clause level

  • Pitch drops at the end of a sentence.

Consonants

The Anbiric spirantization had taken place: Tigol t ṫ d ḋ /tʰ dʰ t d/ had become /θ ð tʰ d/ in Old Anbirese, the "common ancestor" or "areolect" in the Anbiric dialect continuum characterized by this shift.

Ciètian has an aspiration distinction in stops; however, the distinction is neutralized in word-final position.

  • c g ch /k g x/
  • ci gi chi /tʃ dʒ ʃ/
  • tz dz s z /ts dz s z/
  • t d /t d/
  • p b f v /p b f w/
  • pь bь fь vь /pj bj fj vj/
  • r rr ħ h m n nь ng l y /r r̝ ħ h m n nj ŋ l j/
    • /l/ is velarized when not followed by /i/, /j/, /y/, or /ɥ/.

Vowels

Ciètian has the following vowels:

  • i ü u ie üe a /ɪ ʏ ʊ jɛ ɥɛ a/
  • /ɪj ʏɥ ʊw jɛː wɔː ɑː ɒj æː äj äw jäw jæj (ɥ)ɶj ɯː ɤː jɤː ɥɤː wɤː aɯ/
  • /ə ɨ~i/

Monophthongs

Front Central Back
short long short long short long
Close i /i/, ü /y/ ì /ɪj/, ǜ /ʏɥ/ /ɯː/ u /u/ ù /ʊw/
Close-mid e /ə/
Mid ie, üe /ɛ/ /ɛː/ [ə] (u)ò /wɔː/
Open ia [æ] a /a/ à /ɑː/

[ɨ(ː) ʉ(ː)] are allophones of /i(ː) y(ː)/ after dental and retroflex sibilants.

Semivowel onglides: i ü u /j ɥ w/

Diphthongs: ai au ei ou iou iei üei /ɒj æː äj äw jäw jæj ɥɶj/

R-colored vowels

(No linking R is used.)

  • ar, àr /ɔɯ~ɤː/
  • er, èr, air, aor /aɯ/
  • ir, ìr, iur, eir, ier, ièr /jəɯ~jɤː/
  • or, òr /uɯ~ɯː/
  • ür, ǜr /ɥɤː/
  • ur, ùr /wɤː/
  • final -er = /ɨ/
  • final -ier = /i/

Phonotactics

Loanword phonology

Initial /θ/, /x/ and /h/ in loans are rendered /t/, /k/ and /Ø/ respectively (cf. German pronounces initial ch in Greek loans as /k/). Non-initial /θ/, /x/, and /h/ become /ħ/, /x/, and /x/.

Stress is usually as in the original language; non-initially stressed words lengthen the stressed vowel. Example: bintelesràl /pɪnthəɫəsˈɻaːɫ/ 'republic'.

Morphophonology

Mutations

Consonant mutations
Radical m /m/ p /pʰ/ b /p/ f /f/ t /tʰ/ d /t/ q /tɕʰ/ j /tɕ/ s /s/ x /ɕ/ sh /ʂ/ k /kʰ/ g /k/ ch /tʂʰ/ zh /tʂ/ 0 /Ø/, y /j/
Lenited ngm /ŋ/ fp /f/ vb /v/ f /f/ ħt /ħ/ tzd /ts/ xq /ɕ/ ξj /ʑ/ hs /h/ x /ɕ/ sh /ʂ/ hk /x/ γg /ɣ/ sch /ʂ/ rzh /ɻ/ add h' /x/
Eclipsed m /m/ bp /p/ mb /m/ vf /v/ dt /t/ nd /n/ jq /tɕ/ nj /ɲ/ зs /z/ ξx /ʑ/ rsh /ɻ/ gk /k/ ŋg /ŋ/ jch /tʂ/ njh /ɲ/ add n' /n/

Dialectology

Ciètian is subject to a fair amount of accent and dialect variation.

Common dialectal features

  • /x ɣ/ realized as uvular [χ ʁ]
  • h from Tigol h = /h/; h from Tigol ch = /x/; ħ is consistently /ħ/

Dialect 1

Something closer to my old Yekhanese (i.e. more Sorbian/Persian-ish)

Nyav baa gew gkar asŋea gasaan ak ascii nea woŋŋacy ak nea vmarozh. Nyav ar·seciin nea na vmiishiin ak i n'astorŋax, ak nya ar hu wa poda baraaħanar nea na weesycy na syarbacy.
/ɲəv baː gɛw gaɾ əsˈŋɛː gəˈsaːn ək əsˈtsiː nɛː ˈwoŋːətɕ ək nɛː vəˈɾɔʒ. ɲəv əɾsɛˈtsiːn nɛ nə viːˈʃiːn ək i nəstɔɾˈŋax, ək ɲə ˈaɾ hu wə pɔˈda bəˈraːħənəɾ nɛː nə ˈweːɕtɕ nə ɕəɾˈbatɕ./

Morphology

Pronouns

I you (sg.) he she it we (exc.) we (inc.) you (pl.) they you (semi-polite) you (polite)
Emphatic gonin gonas gonu goni gona gonang gonid gonah gonar gonaH gonaLà
Genitive fiar àng gèd sèd hàr Sèd
Accusative mòn mòs mòng mài mòm mèd mòh mòr mòH moLà

Politeness

Modern Ciètian has three levels of politeness in pronouns:

  • gonas, mòs (sg.) is used for family members, friends, pets, inanimates, deities, and among blue-collar workers. It is becoming more common among young people.
  • gonaLà, moLà is used as a polite second-person pronoun (for both singular and plural) for strangers or persons in positions of authority. It is still considered acceptable for some professions, such as superiors in military or schoolteachers, to refer to their counterparts with the familiar pronouns gonas and gonah, although nowadays using gonaLà is becoming more common.
  • gonaH is roughly intermediate in formality between gonas and gonaLà. The pronoun gonaH is used when an apprentice addresses their master, when university students address professors or when professors address students. In universities and some schools students use gonaH for each other. (In vocational schools gonawaa is used for student-instructor conversation.) Strangers on the Internet and books intended for a general audience also use gonax.
    • In archaic Ciètian, gonaH is used as a polite pronoun for persons of higher class (say nobles or royalty), or among the upper class.

Nouns

Standard Ciètian nouns are quite conservative: they have three genders (masculine, feminine and neuter), three numbers (singular, plural and collective), and three states (nominative, genitive and construct). Collective nouns take singular agreement with verbs and adjectives. Regiolects usually have less noun declension.

  • The nominative singular, nominative plural, and genitive singular must be memorized for every noun. Feminine plurals tend to end in -r.
  • The genitive plural is formed by affixing -enı to the genitive singular.
  • The singular construct is formed by affixing -aħ to the nominative singular.
  • The plural construct is formed by affixing -u to the nominative singular if the nominative singular ends in a consonant, and -v to the nominative singular if it ends in a vowel.

The article

The article inflects and triggers mutation based on number, case and gender.

The singular definite article ye and yeN changes to yen (with no mutation) before a noun starting with a vowel or a semivowel. For example:

  • *yeN ùr > yen ùr /jən ˈwɤː/ (masculine) 'the sense (nominative)';
  • *ye àvaz > yen àvaz /jən ˈaːvəz/ (neuter) 'the book (nominative)'.

But:

  • yeL astzuòtz > ye h'astzuòtz /jə xasˈtswɔːts/ (feminine) 'the guilt (nominative)'.

Collective nouns are by nature definite, and the collective of a noun is formed by using the collective article before the singular form.

  • The nominative case is used for the subject
  • The accusative case is used for direct objects and after certain prepositions
  • The dative cade is used after certain prepositions
  • The genitive case is used for possession

Todo: accusative and dative

Definite article
singular plural
m. f. n. m. f. n.
nom. yeN yeL ye na ner naN
Example ye mpràn ye gkàtz ye hazier na pràn ner kàtzer na nghazier
acc. yeL ye ye na ner naN
Example ye mpràn ye kàtz ye hazier na pràn ner kàtzer na nghazier
dat. yiN naL yi na na na
Example yi mpràn ye gkàtz yi hazier na pràn na kàtzer na hazier
gen. naL naL naL nanı nanı nanı
Example na bprànı na gkàtzan n'γazra nanı prànenı nanı kàtzenı nanı hazrienı

Adjectives

Attributive adjectives must agree with nouns in gender, number and case. Adjectives have the same principal parts as nouns. The feminine plural always ends in -er, and the genitive plural always ends in -enı.

Attributive forms of cial 'small'
singular plural
m. f. n. m. f. n.
nom. jcial xcial cial ciala cialer jciala
gen. jciele jciele jciele cialenı cialenı cialenı

Verbs

Like English and German, Ciètian uses a mixture of periphrastic constructions and inflected forms to express tenses.

Auxiliaries

Nyan garhiav wan dtarsiad ikaan xkarhii.
[ɲan gaˈriəv wən daɾˈsiət iˈkaːn xəˈr̝iː]
PRES.1SG go.VN to-DEF.GEN.SG.N school.GEN.SG every.F day.GEN.SG
I go to school every day.
I thou he she it we (exc.) we (inc.) you (pl., semi-polite) you (polite) they one (impersonal)
present1 nyan nyer nyav nyas nya nyam nyad nyax nyaw nyaħ nyar
future pon per pov pos po pom pod pox poo poħ por

1 from Old Eevo ar.nédh 'to dwell at'. (The verb acquired a meaning like Vietnamese 'be at' which then turned into a progressive construction with a verbal noun.)

Inflected forms

Unlike the present and the future, the past tense uses the participle -ìn, derived from the Tigol past passive participle. Like in Anbirese but unlike in Eevo, the past tense uses ergative alignment, with the ergative preposition u used before the ergative constituent for transitive verbs.

Other forms

  • The active participle in -ig is used to modify a noun. As such it is used as a relative form for the subject.
  • The -et infinitive:
    • is used with modal verbs.
  • The -eγ infinitive:
    • with zi 'in', indicates "while the action is taking place" or, when possessed, "while POSSESSOR is VERBing"
    • with ar 'on', indicates "upon/as soon as the action is taking place" or, when possessed, "upon the POSSESSOR's VERBing"
    • with nai 'by', indicates that the verb's action serves a purpose: "by VERBing"
  • The bare infinitive:
    • with zi 'in', indicates the progressive.
    • with jel 'from', indicates (from just having been VERB-ing)
    • with ħrù 'next to', indicates "intends to VERB" or "about to VERB"
    • with asd 'without', indicates "without VERBing"
    • (nonstandard) with ħand 'after', indicates that the action just happened.

Prepositions

If the prepositional object is a pronoun, the genitive form of the pronoun is used: la nà = to me, for me.

Numbers

ngic, cìm, tiħer, nèig, dèib, selь, sdàm, ruìz, lèr, bàr, ngiaor, yàxim, knè

Derivational morphology

  • yir- = un-, non-
    • yirstzuòtz, yirstzuòtz (f) 'innocence', from stzuòtz (f) 'guilt'
  • -gàn, -gànь, -gànь = -able?
  • -ah, -ax, -aha (n) = verbal noun
  • Unstressed initial prefixes are separated by an interpunct (·)
    • ar· is an applicative

Sample texts

UDHR

Niam pà cil ghar sngèi casàn ac sdeħèid nai lòngatz ac nai marrenь. Niam amsetzìn nai mìsrìnen ac ye as·torngegen, ac niam ar ham la foza cràdener nai ghiegòren ri ziarbetzen.
/nʲəm pɑː tʃəɫ ɣɤː sŋaɪ ˈkasɑːn ək sdəˈħait nɒ ɫawŋəts ək nɒ mar̝ənʲ. nʲəm ˈamsətsiːn nɒ ˈmiːsʲɾʲiːnən ək jə əsˈtʊɯŋəgən, ək nʲəm əɾ ham ɫə ˈfɔzə kɾɑːdənɨ nɒ zjəgʊɯn ɾɪ zʲɤːbətsən/
All humans are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.