Far East Semitic
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Inspiration: Old Chinese
Family tree
- Proto-Far East Semitic
- literally read Hmoob gib, possibly with tones? (greeting: Schlaub lag!)
Phonology
Consonants:
- p b t ṭ d k q g ħ ʕ -> pʰ b tʰ t d kʰ k g x ɣ~ɢ
- m n l r w y -> m n l r w y
- θ θ̣ ð s ṣ z ś ṣ́ š x ɣ h -> θ θ ð s ts z~dz l̥ l̥~ts (from koineization) š qʰ q h
Vowels: i ɨ u e ə o a
Grammar
Verbs
Derivations that correspond to binyanim in other Semitic languages are less concatenative:
- G-stem: xtab "wrote", yə·xtub "writes" (all persons and numbers)
- D-stem: kʰətʰab "dictated? took notes?", yə·kʰətʰɨb (present tense form)
- N-stem: nə·xtab
- S-stem: šə·xtab
- t-stems: tə·xtab
the pa'al / pi'el distinction surfaces as initial clusters vs minor syllables
particles for aspects like Wdm