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Seggeynni: Difference between revisions
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Seggeynni is another conlang spoken in my far-future Antarctican conworld. It developed from language contact, when [[Kämpya]] speakers settled in lands where [[ | Seggeynni is another conlang spoken in my far-future Antarctican conworld. It developed from language contact, when [[Kämpya]] speakers settled in lands where [[Nwuemer]] was spoken. Kämpya speakers were more technologically advanced than Nwuemer speakers, and Kämpya was definitely the prestige language, forming the superstrate. Most of Seggeynni's vocabulary and grammar come from Kämpya. On the other hand, Kämpya speakers intermarried extensively with the Nwuemer speaking community, and Nwuemer has exhibited a very heavy substrate effect. | ||
The language documented here is spoken approximately a century after the initial migration. The vast majority of speakers are mixed-race descendents of Kämpya and | The language documented here is spoken approximately a century after the initial migration. The vast majority of speakers are mixed-race descendents of Kämpya and Nwuemer speakers. In addition to Seggeynni, almost all have a passive command of both Nwuemer (still a common trade language in the region) and Kämpya (a liturgical language). | ||
Like | Like Nwuemer, there are many consonants which contrast secondary articulations, which affect the quality of adjacent vowels. Additionally, Seggeynni is characterised by an underlying simple syllable structure at the phonemic level, however many speakers "drop" vowels, so that consonant clusters are heard in the spoken language. For example, phonemically the name of the language is /ˈséʕkə̀jə̀nə̀jə̀/, but, except when speaking extremely carefully, most speakers pronounce it as [ˈséɠə̀iɲːì]. | ||
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===Vowels=== | ===Vowels=== | ||
The vowel system is quite similar to | The vowel system is quite similar to Nwuemer. In stressed syllables, there are 6 vowel phonemes /iː/, /uː/, /e/, /o/ and /aː/ and /ə/. | ||
As in | As in Nwuemer, the length of the vowel is more important than the quality in contrasting /iː/ and /uː/ vs. /e/ and /o/. Secondary articulation on surrounding consonants "pulls" the vowels around a fair bit. | ||
In unstressed syllables, the language has a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical_vowel_system Vertical Vowel System], only contrasting /a/ and /ə/ (however other vowels such as [i], [e], [o] and [u] are heard as allophones of /ə/, depending on the surrounding consonants). | In unstressed syllables, the language has a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical_vowel_system Vertical Vowel System], only contrasting /a/ and /ə/ (however other vowels such as [i], [e], [o] and [u] are heard as allophones of /ə/, depending on the surrounding consonants). | ||
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===Consonants=== | ===Consonants=== | ||
The consonant inventory is very similar to | The consonant inventory is very similar to Nwuemer. Kämpya's aspirated consonants became velarised in Seggeynni. | ||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
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==Telicity== | ==Telicity== | ||
Due to contact with | Due to contact with Nwuemer, Seggeynni has developed a grammatical [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telicity telicity] contrast. Atelic verbs are unmarked, and in Tone Class 1. Telic verbs are in Tone Class 2, are usually take the suffix /ɕə́ŋə́/ (usually pronounced [ɕíⁿ]). This is a grammaticalised form of the verb /ˈɕéʔŋə̀/ - "to become". | ||
For example: | For example: | ||
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This (and many other similar semantic shifts) are clearly attributable to influence from | This (and many other similar semantic shifts) are clearly attributable to influence from Nwuemer, which inflects the verb root /səʔˈʎiːpə/ into atelic /səʔˈʎiːpə/ to mean "sleep", and telic /mʲaɲəʔ-səʔˈʎiːpə/ to mean "die". In Kämpya (which does not mark telicity), the verb /hléiʔp/ (cognate with /xə́ˈʎíːʔpə̀/) is only used to mean "sleep". There is a separate verb root /dôṵ/ to mean "die". However in Seggeynni, the cognate to this word /dʷḭ̂ː/ means to die insane. | ||