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Sceptrian: Difference between revisions
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==History== | ==History== | ||
'''Lore:''' Sceptrian language, named after the Sceptre peninsula, derives from Lutian language used in the Empire of Western Sceptre. With its 12 million native speakers, Sceptrians outnumber Khattish and Guddean, the other main West-Herookuan languages. | '''Lore:''' Sceptrian language, named after the Sceptre peninsula, derives from Lutian language used in the Empire of Western Sceptre. With its 12 million native speakers, Sceptrians outnumber those speaking [[Khattish]] and Guddean, the other two main West-Herookuan languages. | ||
'''Actual:''' I weren't sure how to continue with [[Aoma]] (except for translations which I haven't been interested in) so I decided to begin creating a new language based on my scribbles. Remarkably, there is no script yet(!), but I'll be deriving it from the ancient Templar (or Jauhmö) of Aoma after I have created some basic vocabulary and considered of the older language (again, I began from the wrong direction) to add depth. I promise that one day I'll have a good proto-language first, realistic daughter languages second, scripts third and modern languages fourth... | |||
'''Problems:''' As mentioned above, I'm still too lazy to create a proto-language... | |||
==Basic Grammar== | ==Basic Grammar== | ||
Sceptrian is a fusional language with large morpheme per word ratio, but the morphemes themselves convey more information. The primary word order of the language is verb-subject-object while antipassive constructions use subject-verb-object. Sceptrian has two numbers, three persons, three noun classes with nine inflectional cases, and an absolutive-ergative morphosyntactic alignment. Verbs are conjugated for three tenses, additional aspects and various moods. These all will be discussed below. | |||
==Phonology== | ==Phonology== | ||
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*Letter ''r'' is used with consonants for /r̩/ and between vowels for /r/, but after vowels in the end of syllables for rhoticization ''or'' /ɚ/. Letter ''ŕ'' is used to emphasize the use of /r/ after vowels ''oŕ'' /ər/. | *Letter ''r'' is used with consonants for /r̩/ and between vowels for /r/, but after vowels in the end of syllables for rhoticization ''or'' /ɚ/. Letter ''ŕ'' is used to emphasize the use of /r/ after vowels ''oŕ'' /ər/. | ||
*Similarly letter ''n'' can appear with nasalization but ''ń'' always as /n/: ''an'' /ã/ vs. ''ań'' /an/. With ''ng'' /ŋ/, the accent signals lengthening ''eńge'' /eŋ:e/ | *Similarly letter ''n'' can appear with nasalization but ''ń'' always as /n/: ''an'' /ã/ vs. ''ań'' /an/. With ''ng'' /ŋ/, the accent signals lengthening ''eńge'' /eŋ:e/ | ||
*Letter ''h'' has three allophones: /x/ appears word-finally, /ç/ with front vowels and /h/ with back vowels | *Letter ''h'' has three allophones: /x/ appears word-finally, /ç/ with front vowels and /h/ with back vowels ''tihtóhnah'' /tiçtɔhnäx/ | ||
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===Pronouns=== | ===Pronouns=== | ||
Cases: ABS, ERG, DAT, POS, CAU~ABL | |||
====Personal==== | ====Personal==== | ||
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*Absolutive (ABS): Unmarked base form for subjects of intransitive and objects of transitive verbs | *Absolutive (ABS): Unmarked base form for subjects of intransitive and objects of transitive verbs | ||
*Ergative (ERG): Agents of transitive verbs | *Ergative (ERG): Agents of transitive verbs | ||
*Dative (DAT): Indirect object; alienable possession (his house); comparison (with ADJ comparative) | *Dative (DAT): Indirect object; alienable possession ''gat dothi'' (his house); comparison (with ADJ comparative) | ||
*Possessive (POS): Inalienable possession (his head) | *Possessive (POS): Inalienable possession ''dhók dothor'' (his head) | ||
*Instrumental-comitative (INS): Using something; with someone; in antipassive constructions | *Instrumental-comitative (INS): Using something; with someone; in antipassive constructions | ||
*Lative (LAT): Movement to (+sublative (surface)) | *Lative (LAT): Movement to (+sublative (surface)) | ||
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'''Emphasizing clitics''': Suffixes ''ma'' (for ABS) and ''noh'' (for ERG) are used to emphasize either the agent or the object: ''Ónzaitón dothee'''noh''' pof.'' (It is the man who's lifting the feather) vs. ''Ónzaitón dothee pof'''ma'''.'' (It is the feather that the man is lifting.) | '''Emphasizing clitics''': Suffixes ''ma'' (for ABS) and ''noh'' (for ERG) are used to emphasize either the agent or the object: ''Ónzaitón dothee'''noh''' pof.'' (It is the man who's lifting the feather) vs. ''Ónzaitón dothee pof'''ma'''.'' (It is the feather that the man is lifting.). ''Ma'' is also used with verbs in antipassive constructions. | ||
===Adjectives=== | ===Adjectives=== | ||
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From core nouns: "way-markers" → how the verb reflects the core noun: similarity, making, using... | From core nouns: "way-markers" → how the verb reflects the core noun: similarity, making, using... | ||
Transitivity and cases: ''Ónzaitón dothee pof.'' (A man (ERG) is lifting a feather (ABS).) ''Bousón pof.'' (The feather (ABS) falls.) | Animacy distinction when agent | ||
Transitivity, animacy and cases: ''Ónzaitón dothee pof.'' (A man (ERG) is lifting a feather (ABS).), ''Bousón doth.'' (The man falls.) ''Bouson pof.'' (The feather (ABS) falls.). | |||
*Verb differences when agent-like or patient-like subjects | |||
*Slightly object agreeing OR circumfix! ''ónzait'''o'''n dothee pof'' vs. ''ónzaitón dothee su'' (the man is lifting him) | |||
**ending vowel ''o''? | |||
====Tense==== | ====Tense==== | ||
Past, present, future | |||
====Aspect==== | ====Aspect==== | ||
Telicity (completion) marked in verbs: suomessa ''ammuin karhun'' vs. ''ammuin karhua'' | Telicity (completion) marked in verbs: suomessa ''ammuin karhun'' vs. ''ammuin karhua'' | ||
*past: perfective vs. imperfective only with transitive verbs: ''näin'' vs. ''katsoin'' (agent vs. experiencer...case?). Different case than PRES (DAT/ABL?) | |||
*present: determination: ''kirjoitan kirjaa'' vs. ''kirjoitan kirjan'', joista jälkimmäinen lähestyy futuuria (inceptive?) | |||
*future: completeness/influence of current actions | |||
====Mood==== | ====Mood==== | ||
====Voice==== | ====Voice==== | ||
Sceptrian distinguishes between | Sceptrian distinguishes between two voices, active and antipassive. | ||
*Irregularities‽ | |||
''The following system is under development!'' (How ergative came to be?) | |||
Active construction | Active construction | ||
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|IPA = /ɔ̃zaɪ̯tɔ̃ dəθe: pəf/ | |IPA = /ɔ̃zaɪ̯tɔ̃ dəθe: pəf/ | ||
| morphemes = ón-zait-ón doth-ee pof-Ø | | morphemes = ón-zait-ón doth-ee pof-Ø | ||
| gloss = 3SG.PRES.IPFV-lift-CIRC man-ERG feather-ABS | | gloss = 3SG.AN.PRES.IPFV-lift-CIRC man-ERG feather-ABS | ||
| translation = A man is lifting a feather. | | translation = A man is lifting a feather. | ||
}} | }} | ||
Passive construction: agent (ERG) | Passive construction: To demote the agent (ERG), it's either removed or inflected into causal ablative (ABL). Verb circumfix remains untouched. | ||
{{Gloss | {{Gloss | ||
|phrase = Ónzaitón pof (dothpo). | |phrase = Ónzaitón pof (dothpo). | ||
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}} | }} | ||
Antipassive construction: | Antipassive construction: Agent (ERG) transforms into subject (ABS) and object (ABS) takes the instrumental-comitative (INS) case. Word order becomes SVO, and the verb circumfix loses its former part and may receive the emphasizing clitic ''ma''. | ||
{{Gloss | {{Gloss | ||
|phrase = Doth | |phrase = Doth (ma)zaitón (pofos). | ||
|IPA = /dəθ | |IPA = /dəθ (mä)zaɪ̯tɔ̃ (pəfəs)/ | ||
| morphemes = doth-Ø | | morphemes = doth-Ø (ma/)Ø-zait-ón (pof-os) | ||
| gloss = man-ABS 3SG.PRES.IPFV | | gloss = man-ABS (POL.)ANTIP-lift-3SG.PRES.IPFV (feather-INS) | ||
| translation = The man is lifting (a feather). | | translation = The man is lifting (a feather). | ||
}} | }} | ||
Ideas: Instrument and turning it into an agent. Here I used the object-agreement (if it stays, remember to update the examples above) | |||
* ''Ónzaiton dothee pof vakuhos sur.'' (...with his hand) | |||
**''Ónzaiton pof vakuhos dothir.'' | |||
**''Ónzaiton pof tiph dothi'''sh''' suwi.'' (A feather is being lifted with the man's stick for them.) DAT inflected! | |||
* ''Vakuh zaito(/ó)n pofos.'' (a hand lifts the feather)/(someone intentionally lifts the feather with their hand) | |||
**''Tip zaiton pofos dothpo.'' (a stick, which is being held by a man, lifts the feather) ABL as causative. | |||
====Non-finite forms==== | ====Non-finite forms==== | ||
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*VSO usually, SVO in antipassive | *VSO usually, SVO in antipassive | ||
*adjectives precede nouns while | *adjectives precede nouns while possessives follow | ||