Is Burunking: Difference between revisions

'''Is Burunking''' (/is buɾˈuŋkiŋ/, literally 'Burungian language') is the language of Burung, an island in the north Atlantic Ocean.

|      n

|

| s     

| ʃ     

| ç     

| t͡ʃ    d͡ʒ

| i

| u

Vowels are considered to be short in all environments but may occur consecutively as in ''eekez'' 'left' /ɛːkɛz/. Note that word-initial sequences of ''i + i'' and ''u + uu'' are written ''yi-'', ''-wu''.  

Is Burunking has a relatively restrictive syllabic structure, with a maximal form CGVVC, in which C represents a consonant, G a glide and V a vowel or diphthong. Of these, only the central vowel is essential but there are restrictions on the other elements also:

* only ''b, g, d, h, x, l, n, ng'' or ''m'' word-initially  

* only ''n'' or ''m'' before a consonant

Word-final vowels may also be altered or lost when they come into contact with initial vowels in compounds or endings. In words of three or more syllables, the vowel is always lost, e.g. ''arato'' 'food' + ''-oi'' (adjectival) = ''aratoi'' 'gluttonous', ''eshayo'' 'sea' + ''ugi'' 'bread' = ''eshayugi'' 'seaweed'. Words of two syllables usually lose their final vowel, e.g. ''binji'' 'mountain' + ''arate'' 'gap' = ''binjarate'' 'mountain pass', but when the second word is only one syllable the final vowel sometimes remains, forming a glide in the case of ''i'' or ''u'' e.g. ''bigi'' 'eye' + ''uz'' 'water' = ''bigyuz''. In reduplication, the final vowel often remains in disyllables, e.g. ''aze-aze'' 'very dark'.

Is Burunking was originally written in a syllabary called ''hookozoi'', mainly carved into wood or, occasionally, stone.  

{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" class="bluetable lightbluebg" style="text-align:center;"

In word or syllable initial position the sequences ''ii, uu'' are written ''yi, wu''. The glide /j/ is always written ''y'' but /w/ is written ''u'' following a consonant and ''w'' syllable initially.  

Nouns are classified as either '''animate''' (''bixi'') or '''inanimate''' (''ee bixi'') and animate nouns belong to one of three genders: '''masculine''' (''achi''), '''feminine''' (''buyachi'') or '''common''' (''iriji''). Inclusion within a class is based to a large extent on natural gender.

{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" class="bluetable lightbluebg"

! rowspan="3" style="width: 90px; " |Animate <br/> ''Bixi''

! style="width: 90px; " | Masculine <br/> ''Achi''

| style="width: 250px; text-align:left;" |

! style="width: 90px; " | Feminine <br/> ''Buyachi''

| style="width: 250px; text-align:left;" |

! style="width: 90px; " | Common <br/> ''Iriji''

| style="width: 250px; text-align:left;" |

! colspan="2" style="width: 90px; " | Inanimate <br/> ''Ee Bixi''

| style="width: 250px; text-align:left;" |

* unmoving objects

* most materials

* abstracts

{| class="wikitable"

Nouns are generally not marked for number and context is usually sufficient to show whether ''heuji'' means 'horse' or 'horses'. Numerals or adjectives can be used to qualify the noun for number, e.g. ''bade oz'' 'one dog, a dog'.

There are two collective suffixes, which may sometimes translate the English plural: ''-zoi'' is used to refer to a group of things, usually within a single place, e.g. ''gyonzoi'' 'band, group, team of people', ''heujizoi'' 'a herd of horses'; ''-bua'' is more abstract, referring to all things within a class collectively and also to the state of being an object within that class, similar in some ways to the English suffix '-hood' in a word like 'priesthood', e.g. ''gyombua'' 'everybody, humanity, humankind, population', ''binjibua'' 'mountains'. Both of these suffixes are productive, though in some cases the noun with the suffix has taken on a specialised meaning as in ''azoi'' 'council, assembly' from ''az'' 'man'. Reduplication may also be used to express a large group of something, often with an intensive meaning, e.g. ''gyongyong'' 'crowd, mass of people', ''yaiyai'' 'storm' (from ''yai'' 'wind').

| ''ngane''

| rowspan="3" | ''xinxing''

| ''nepa''

| ''xing''

There are no inanimate forms, the demonstrative pronouns being used instead.

Possessives may be formed with the postposition ''go'', e.g. ''ni go yata'' 'my father', ''xing go eshe'' 'its house'. The phrase ''go buru'' is used with the pronouns to create reflexive pronouns, e.g. ''yi go buru'' 'yourself',

====Demonstrative====

{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" class="bluetable lightbluebg" style=" text-align:center;"

! style="width: 150px; "| this

| style="width: 150px; "| ''waz''

! style="width: 150px; "| that (non-distal)

| style="width: 150px; "| ''uri''

! style="width: 150px; "| that (distal)

| style="width: 150px; "| ''az''

The demonstratives may be used attributively following the noun, e.g. ''az waz'' 'this man', ''xagaz uri'' 'that apple', ''binji az'' 'that mountain'. With ''uki'' they form the equivalent adverbs of place: ''uki waz'' 'here', ''uki uri'' 'there', ''uki az'' 'there (distal)'.  

One of the defining features of Is Burunking is a relatively small class of '''true verbs''' (less than 50), which carry a range of rather generic senses. A large proportion of these verbs are associated with movement along a specific path, and beside the simple ''ibii'' "move, travel" there are verbs meaning "go (away from speaker), go (away from 3rd person), go up, go down, go in, go out, come (to speaker), come (to 3rd person)". Others are associated with basic human functions ("consume, expel, perceive"), actions ("do, collect, hit") or existence ("be, have"). These 'true' verbs may take a limited number of prefixes to extend their meaning, e.g. ''erakash'' "teach" < ''ekash'' "learn". To create a much wider variety of senses the true verbs, whether simple or prefixed, are compounded with other elements, primarily nouns, other verbs, adjectives and adverbs.

True verbs consist of a prefix and a root. In the base form of the verb (i.e. when it stands alone), the prefix is ''e-, i-'' or ''y-'' and bears no particular meaning.

The following prefixes may be used with the true verbs, replacing the ''e-, i-'' or ''y-'' of the base:

* ''era-'' (causative), e.g. ''erakash'' "teach" < ''ekash'' "learn", ''erayeki'' "build, erect" < ''eyeki'' "stand".

* ''ena-'' (pejorative), e.g. ''enaro'' "molest" < ''ero'' "touch", ''enaus'' "flee, escape" < ''yus'' "move away". The prefix specifically indicates perversity, ill intent or action resulting in unfortunate circumstances and does not suggest that the action of the verb was performed badly.  

The root of a true verb may also be reduplicated to form a verb with intensive or frequentative meaning, e.g. ''ewaawas'' "stomp, trample", ''inuanua'' "shout, roar", ''eralulu'' "destroy".

The following are the main true verbs:

{| width="90%;"

| width="10%;" | ''eba'' || width="40"%;" | (vt.) incise, cut || width="10%;" | ''exaz'' || width="40%;" | (vt.) enter, penetrate, go in

| ''ebang''  || (vt.) give; provide || ''exoz'' || (vt.) beget, produce, create

|-

|| ''ebei'' || (vt.) collect, gather; (vi.) assemble || ''eyeki'' || (vi. & vt.) stand

|-

| ''ebeng'' || (vi.) sit; (vt.) put, set || ''iji'' || (vi.) appear; (vt.) appear

| ''egaa'' || (vt.) get, obtain; understand || ''ibii'' || (vi.) move (without reference to path), travel

| ''egang'' || (vi.) ascend, rise, improve; (vt.) ascend || ''iging'' || (vt.) make, do

| ''egong'' || (vi.) remain || ''ilu'' || (vi.) die, break, stop, cease

| ''egos'' || (vt.) shoot, throw || ''iluaz'' || (vi. & vt.) disperse

| ''egosh'' || (vi. & vt.) heat, cook || ''ilung'' || (vt.) have, hold; use

|-

| ''ekash'' || (vi. & vt.) learn || ''inua'' || (vi. & vt.) speak,(make) sound

| ''elaz'' || (vi. & vt.) divide || ''ipush'' || (vt.) perceive, know, sense

| ''ero'' || (vt.) touch, come into contact with || ''izung'' || (vt.) expel

| ''esuang'' || (vi.) lie down; (vt.) lay || ''yang'' || (vt.) consume

| ''etoz'' || (vi.) come, move towards (speaker) || ''yata'' || (vi.) happen, occur

| ''ewang'' || (vi.) go, move away from (speaker) || ''yehang'' || (vi.) be, exist, live

| ''ewas'' || (vi.) step, pace, tread || ''yosh'' || (vt.) pierce, stab, puncture

| ''ewash'' || (vi. & vt.) descend || ''yuki'' || (vt.) exit, leave, go out of

| ''eresh'' || (vi. & vt.) constrict, squeeze || ''yus'' || (vt.) leave, go away from

| ''ewaging'' || (vt.) approach, come near to ||  ''ishi'' || (vt.) consider, regard

The range of meaning of each true verb is extended considerably by compounding with other forms, according to a few simple rules. In each case the other element precedes the main verb and the meaningless prefix of the base form is lost (''era-'' is also reduced to ''-ra'').  

 

====Conjugation====

Verbs are conjugated largely by means of particles that follow the main verb. Verbs may express the following:

* Mood: indicative, hypothetical, imperative

 

The verb stem, whether primary or secondary, is considered imperfective in sense. A perfective sense is indicated by adding the suffix ''-i'' to the stem, e.g. ''yang'' "eats, eating" > ''yangi'' "ate", ''inuapush'' "asks, asking" > ''inuapushi'' "asked".  

 

There are two main sets of particles to indicate tense, mood and valency: ''da'' particles are used with intransitive verbs and ''zu'' particles with transitive and causative verbs. Each set has a different particle for present and past indicative, hypothetical and imperative. These are placed directly after the main verb, e.g. ''yang zu'' "is eating", ''erayekii fong'' "was building".

| Present || ''da ''|| ''zu''

| Past || ''heng'' || ''fong''

| Hypothetical || ''li'' || ''lu''

| Imperative || ''bii'' || ''byo''

|}

 

Other particles may precede the main particle, giving further shades of meaning. These are usually joined with a hyphen, e.g. ''ngane ka etoz au-da?'' "will he come?"

 

{| class="wikitable"

| ''ee'' || negative || negates any verb, e.g. ''nepa ka ilui ee-heng'' "she did not die"

| ''au''|| interrogative || asks simple yes/no questions, e.g. ''yi ka ewang au-da?'' "are you going?"

| ''te'' || uncertainty || expresses uncertainty about the action of the verb, e.g. ''ngane ka loging te-da'' "perhaps he is sleeping"

| ''meng'' || hearsay || indicates that the speaker does not know in person, e.g. ''ngange ka loging meng-da'' "I heard he is sleeping"

| ''ba'' || "if" || indicates the conditional, e.g. ''yi ewang ba-da'' "if you are going".

! style="width: 300px; " |Use

! style="width: 300px;" |Example

| style="text-align:left;" | ''-chi''  

| style="text-align:left;" | of, like, pertaining to

| style="text-align:left;" | ''buyachi'' 'feminine, female'

| style="text-align:left;" | ''-fu''

| style="text-align:left;" | full of, covered with, made of

| style="text-align:left;" | ''uzefu'' 'golden'

| style="text-align:left;" | of, like, pertaining to

| style="text-align:left;" | ''Burunking'' 'of Burung'

| style="text-align:left;" | ''-oi''

| style="text-align:left;" | tending to, fond of

| style="text-align:left;" | ''aratoi'' 'gluttonous'

| style="text-align:left;" | ''-bua''

| style="text-align:left;" | collective, abstract

| style="text-align:left;" | ''bidebua'' 'route'

| style="text-align:left;" | person or thing from

| style="text-align:left;" | ''eshayodaz'' 'foreigner' (lit. sea-dweller)

| style="text-align:left;" | ''-do''

| style="text-align:left;" | pejorative

| style="text-align:left;" | ''izido'' 'mocking laughter'  

| style="text-align:left;" | ''-ko''

| style="text-align:left;" | instrument, person connected with

| style="text-align:left;" | ''onuuko'' 'goatherder'

| style="text-align:left;" | ''-le''

| style="text-align:left;" | agent

| style="text-align:left;" | ''erole'' 'killer'

| style="text-align:left;" | diminutive (often pejorative)

| style="text-align:left;" | ''ano'' 'coward'

| style="text-align:left;" | ''-pung''

| style="text-align:left;" | abstracts states, conditions

| style="text-align:left;" | ''buchipung'' 'smallness'

| style="text-align:left;" | ''-te''

| style="text-align:left;" | continual or chronic states

| style="text-align:left;" | ''izite'' 'sickness'

| style="text-align:left;" | diminutive

| style="text-align:left;" | ''hizito'' 'piglet'

| style="text-align:left;" | ''-zoi''

| style="text-align:left;" | collective, group

| style="text-align:left;" | ''eshezoi'' 'settlement'

Kinship terms are relatively straightforward in Is Burunking, showing fewer distinctions than in English. Within the family structure there are three degrees of proximity: the first is an individual's direct bloodline, both ancestors and direct descendants; the second includes closely related blood relatives (aunts, nephews etc.); and the third any more distantly related blood relatives or relatives by marriage. Within these three vertical groups, distinctions are then made by generation, and, in older generations only by gender.

{| class="wikitable" width="100%;"

! width="10%;" | !! width="30%;" | 1st Degree !! width="30%;" | 2nd Degree !! width="30%;" | 3rd Degree

| style="text-align:center;" | '''grandfather:''' ''aras'' <br/> '''grandmother:''' ''asho'' || || style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2;" | '''other older collateral relative:''' <br/> ''asaba''

| style="text-align:center;" | '''father:''' ''yata'' <br/> '''mother:''' ''ama'' ||style="text-align:center;" | '''parent's brother:''' ''xoba'' <br/> '''parent's sister:''' ''xeba'' <br/> '''parent's sibling (''iriji''):''' ''hanauba'' <br/> '''father-in-law, step-father:''' ''neba'' <br/> '''mother-in-law, step-mother:''' ''aneepa''

| style="text-align:center;" | '''EGO:'''  ''NI'' || style="text-align:center;" | '''husband:''' ''az, xengaz'' <br/> '''wife:''' ''buya, xengaz'' <br/> '''older sibling:''' ''angane'' <br/> '''younger sibling:''' ''azeba'' || style="text-align:center;" | '''other same-generation relative:''' <br/> ''angade''

| style="text-align:center;" | '''child:''' ''omba'' || style="text-align:center;" | '''nephew/niece:''' ''yoba'' <br/> '''step-child, son/daughter-in-law:''' ''ezang'' || style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2;" | '''other younger collateral relative:''' <br/> ''xuni''

| style="text-align:center;" | '''grandchild:'''  ''xemba''||

Older generations in the direct line (great-grandparents etc.) are called ''waraba'' regardless of sex or generation, a word roughly equivalent to "ancestor". The words ''araato'' and ''ashoto'' can be used for "great-grandfather" and "great-grandmother" respectively. The primary male ancestor of one's kinship group is known as the ''heuji'' and the female one as ''beuz''. Direct descendants below "grandchild" are called ''xembato''.