Csera
Sample Text
I. Phonology
I.1 Vowels
Practical Orthography
X-Sampa
Front
Central
Back
High
i
ë
u
Mid
a
Front
Central
Back
High
i
@
u
Mid
6
I.2 Consonants
Practical Orthography
X-Sampa
Labial
Dental
Palatal
Velar
Plosives
b
t d
c
k g
Fricatives
v
θ
s z
x
Laterals
l
ļ
ł λ
Nasals
n
Glides
w
j
h q
Labial
Dental
Palatal
Velar
Plosives
b
t d
c
k g
Fricatives
v
T
s z
x
Laterals
l
l`
L L\
Nasals
n
Glides
w
j
h ?
I.3 Remarks
The row/columns in the above tables are inaccurate. The X-Sampa descriptions are correct.
II. Nominal Morphology
Pronouns
Nom
Acc
Dat
Gen
Obl
+Plural
1
bu
bus
bug
baθ
ban
=ji
2
łi
łis
łig
łiθ
łin
=wi
3
kë
së
sëg
sëθ
kun
hë=
Noun Markings
Agt
Pat
Recip
Exper
Obl
Sing
-uθn
-s
-vil
-xiλ
-ic
Dual
-iθn
-is
-ilv
-ix
-iks
Plur
-uθun
-us
-ul
-ux
-uc
III. Verbal Morphology
Verb: Present Tense: Person Markings
Active
Stative
1
s
w
2
l
n
3
g
-
4
d
h
Verb: Non-present Tense: Person Markings
Ergative
Absolutive
Dative
Oblique
1
θ
n
v
x
2
ł
ł
s
b
3
gë
-
së
kë
(plur)
j
w
w
h
(dual)
qi
qi
qi
hi
-u-
= intransitive
-vaλ
= stative past, perfective; "a bit"
-θax
= transitive, affected patient, past-perfective
-θan
= transitive, non-affected patient, past-perfective
-s
= present tense
-bał
= stative past, imperfective; continuous
-civ
= causative
-ił
= applicative
IV. Syntax
Basic SVO word order. Strongly pro-drop.
Pronouns follow nominative/accusative pattern.
Lexical case marking is agentive/patientive.
Verb-marking is ergative/absolutive in non-present tense.
Verb-marking is active/stative in present tense.
"Subject"-agreement across clauses follows a direct/inverse system.
V. Examples
(bu) n-xil-u-vaλ.
I slept (a bit).
(bu së) θ--cëd-θax.
I hit him.
(bu së łig) θ-s--nak-θan.
I gave it to you.
(bu) w-zubël-u-s.
I'm cold.
(bu) w-xil-u-s.
I'm sleeping.
(bu) bałk-s (łin) θ--b-cëd-ił-θan.
I hit you with a stick.
(bu) bałk-s (łin) s---cëd-ił-s.
I'm hitting you with a stick.
VI. Sample Lexicon
Nouns
bałk
stick
Verbs
Singular/Plural (verbal number)
xil/..
sleep
cëd/..
hit
nak/..
give
gën/dac
walk
zubëļ/zëbaļ
be cold
Main Conlang Page
Apollo Hogan
, Berkeley, California, USA