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==Introduction==
==Introduction==
The fictitious speakers of Skerre are small in number and live in the forests of the foothills of the western side of the Western Interior range. They are hunter-gatherers. Dialect variation among the different bands is not significant and is largely confined to lexical differences. The language appears to be an isolate, with no known congeners.
The fictitious speakers of Skerre are small in number and live in the forests of the foothills of the western side of the Western Interior range. They are hunter-gatherers. Dialect variation among the different bands is not significant and is largely confined to lexical differences. The language appears to be an isolate, with no known congeners.
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==Phonology==
==Phonology==
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! style="" |Stop
! style="" |Stop
| t
| t
| t͡s
| t͡s {{angbr|ts}}
|  
|  
| k
| k
| kʷ
| kʷ {{angbr|qu}}
| ʔ
| ʔ
|-
|-
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! style="" |Liquid
! style="" |Liquid
|  
|  
| ɾ
| ɾ {{angbr|r}}
|  
|  
|
|
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|  
|  
|  
|  
| j
| j {{angbr|y}}
|  
|  
| w
| w
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Skerre nouns are not obligatorily marked for number, yet there are two number(-like) categories present: the distributive and collective. The distributive is marked with partical reduplication: the reduplicant consists of the base’s initial syllable with a long vowel, e.g. ''kina'' ‘bird’ – ''kiikina'' ‘various birds’. The distributive signals a number of individuated entities distributed over space, time, or types. The collective is marked with the prefix ''tin''-, as in ''tinkina'' ‘flock of birds’. The collective signals that the group is to be considered as a whole.
Skerre nouns are not obligatorily marked for number, yet there are two number(-like) categories present: the distributive and collective. The distributive is marked with partical reduplication: the reduplicant consists of the base’s initial syllable with a long vowel, e.g. ''kina'' ‘bird’ – ''kiikina'' ‘various birds’. The distributive signals a number of individuated entities distributed over space, time, or types. The collective is marked with the prefix ''tin''-, as in ''tinkina'' ‘flock of birds’. The collective signals that the group is to be considered as a whole.


==== Prenominals ====
=== Prenominals ===
Syntactic relationships between nouns and other parts of sentences are signaled by function words before the noun, which have been called prenominals. These function words encode both status (proper or common) and syntactic function (including what adpositions normally encode). The forms are:
Syntactic relationships between nouns and other parts of sentences are signaled by function words before the noun, which have been called prenominals. These function words encode both status (proper or common) and syntactic function (including what adpositions normally encode). The forms are:
{| class="bluetable"
{| class="bluetable"
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As indicated above, the proper–common distinction is neutralized in the absolutive and ergative prenominals. Some example noun phrases:
As indicated above, the proper–common distinction is neutralized in the absolutive and ergative prenominals. Some example noun phrases:


:''ye    Tsotar''
(1){{Gloss
:<small>DAT.P (name)</small>
|phrase = ye    Tsotar.
:‘to Tsotar’
| gloss = DAT.P (name)
| translation = to Tsotar.
}}
 
(2){{Gloss
|phrase = ya    sakar.
| gloss = DAT.C  child
| translation = to the child.
}}


:''ya    sakar''
=== Adjectives ===
:<small>DAT.C  child</small>
“Adjective". In attributive function, “adjectives" are morphologically invariant. They
:‘to the child’
follow the relevant noun:
 
(3){{Gloss
|phrase = a yese quiko.
| gloss = ABS dog wet
| translation = "a wet dog."
}}
 
In predicative function, “adjectives" precede the noun (phrase) of which they are predicated and are morphologically indistinguishable from verbs:
 
(4){{Gloss
|phrase = quiko a yese.
| gloss = be.wet ABS dog
| translation = "the dog is wet."
}}
 
In general, there is not much evidence in Skerre for sharply differentiating between adjectives and verbs.
 
===Pronouns===
==== Personal ====
There are several series of personal pronouns, depending on the function of the pronoun. The independent emphatic pronouns only have forms for the first and second person:
{| class="bluetable"
|-
!  !! sg. !! pl.
|-
! 1st person
| hari || owe
|-
! 2nd person
| naya || rake
|}
 
These are comparatively rare; subjects and objects are most usually encoded by bound pronouns, typically appearing on the verb. Independent emphatic third persons are provided by the demonstrative pronouns. The object-marking bound pronouns attach to the verb and are:
 
{| class="bluetable"
|-
!  !! sg. !! pl.
|-
! 1st
| -Vh || -(ʔ)o
|-
! 2nd
| -Vn || -Vr
|-
! 3rd
| -Ø || -Ø
|}
(The V slot is filled by a after a consonant, by length after a short vowel, and not filled if following a long vowel.)
 
The subject-marking bound pronouns usually attach to the verb (further away from the stem than the object markers), though they can appear on other words as long as that word (or phrase) is initial in the sentence. The forms for the subject-marking bound pronouns are:
{| class="bluetable"
|-
!  !! sg. !! pl.
|-
! 1st
| -ha || -wo
|-
! 2nd
| -na || -ra
|-
! 3rd
| -Ø || -ti
|}
 
An example of a verb with both subject and object-marking bound pronouns is given below:
 
:''E-kosa-an=ha''
:<small>POT-wash-2SG.OB=1SG.SU</small>
:‘I will wash you.’
 
Possessive personal pronouns are also encoded as bound forms, these on nouns. The forms are:
{| class="bluetable"
|-
!  !! sg. !! pl.
|-
! 1st
| -he || -we
|-
! 2nd
| -ne || -ri
|-
! 3rd
| -sa || -te
|}
 
Some example possessed nouns include ''wiyet-he'' ‘my boat’; ''ana-sa'' ‘her mother’.
 
==== Demonstratives ====
Skerre has a three-way distinction in demonstrative pronouns and adjectives (identical forms are used for the two classes of function):
{| class="bluetable"
|-
! colspan="3" |Demonstratives
|-
! proximal
| tii || this (associated with 1st person)
|-
! medial
| tena || that (associated with 2nd person)
|-
! distal
| taar || that, that yonder (associated with 3rd person)
|}
 
==== Interrogatives ====
The three most central question words in Skerre are ''sina'' ‘who’, ''tseyi'' ‘what’, and ''rowa'' ‘where’. The last usually appears with a location/direction-related [[Skerre#Prenominals|prenominal]].
 
=== Numerals ===
{| class="bluetable"
|-
! Number !! Skerre
|-
| 1 || yaat
|-
| 2 || haas
|-
| 3 || siya
|-
| 4 || quee
|-
| 5 || yaan
|-
| 6 || yaan-yaat
|-
| 7 || yaan-haas
|-
| 8 || yaan-siya
|-
| 9 || yaan-quee
|-
| 10 || waar
|-
| 11 || waar-yaat
|-
| 12 || waar-haas
|-
| 20 || ari
|}
 
As is evident from the use of ''yaan'' ‘five’ and ''waar'' ‘ten’ as bases for higher numbers, Skerre has a biquinary number system.
 
=== Verbs ===


==Syntax==
==Syntax==
===Constituent order===
===Constituent order===
===Noun phrase===
Verb-initial sentences are the norm. Verb–Subject–Object (VSO) orderis the most common, though VOS is also possible; permutations of S and O do not change the meaning in the ‘who-does-what-to-whom’ sphere. Thus, both sentences below have the same gloss:
===Verb phrase===
{{Gloss
===Sentence phrase===
|phrase = Okaan tsa srahan a sakar.
===Dependent clauses===
| gloss = see.PFV ERG hunter ABS child
}}
{{Gloss
|phrase = Okaan a sakar tsa srahan .
| gloss = see.PFV ABS child ERG hunter
| translation = "The hunter saw the child."
}}
 
===Interrogative clauses===
===Relative clauses===
<!-- etc. etc. -->
<!-- etc. etc. -->


==Example texts==
==Example texts==
<!-- An example of a translated or unique text written in your language. Again, it is recommended that you make sure that the phonology, constraints, phonotactics and grammar are more or less finished before writing. -->
<!-- An example of a translated or unique text written in your language. Again, it is recommended that you make sure that the phonology, constraints, phonotactics and grammar are more or less finished before writing. -->
;Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1:
{{Gloss
|phrase = Enar a yiket e riyos tsire ri riki te oowaatitaari ne
| gloss = be.born ABS all GEN.C person free and equal LOC.C respectfulness COM.C
}}
{{Gloss
|phrase = oosiʔan. Hihena-ti a tsaats ne oosekos ri eʔaka-ti
| gloss = justice IPFV.share-3PL.SU ABS thought COM.C morality and POT.do-3PL.SU
}}
{{Gloss
|phrase = ye kari-te tsonar te sita e isorit.
| gloss = DAT self-3PL.POSS mutually LOC.C manner GEN.C agreement
}}
'''"All persons are born free and equal in respectfulness and justice. They share thought and morality and should mutually act towards themselves in the manner of harmony."'''
==Other resources==
==Other resources==
<!-- Example: Word order, qualifiers, determinatives, branching, etc. -->
<!-- Example: Word order, qualifiers, determinatives, branching, etc. -->


<!-- Template area -->
<!-- Template area -->
 
* [http://tsketar.conlang.org/conlangs/skerre/SkerreGrammarConcise.pdf A Concise Grammar of Skerre]
* [http://tsketar.conlang.org/conlangs/skerre/skerreswadesh.html 100-Word Swadesh List]
* [http://tsketar.conlang.org/conlangs/skerre/texts/textsmain.html Texts, Examples of the language]
* [http://tsketar.conlang.org/conlangs/skerre/ethnography.html Ethnographic Data About the Speakers of Skerre]
* [http://tsketar.conlang.org/conlangs/skerre/SkerrePlay.pdf The Script to the Play Done in Skerre]
* [http://tsketar.conlang.org/conlangs/skerre/behind_the_scenes.html Behind the Scenes, history of the development of Skerre]
* [http://tsketar.conlang.org/conlangs/skerre/skerreelsewhere.html Skerre Elsewhere on the Web]


[[Category:Skerre]]
[[Category:Skerre]]
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