Csera
Sample Text
I. Phonology
I.1 Vowels
Practical Orthography
X-Sampa
Front
Central
Back
High
i
e
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
f
s z
x
Laterals
l
r
y 7
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
baf
ban
=ji
2
yi
yis
yig
yif
yin
=wi
3
ke
se
seg
sef
kun
he=
Noun Markings
Agt
Pat
Recip
Exper
Obl
Sing
-ufn
-s
-vil
-xi7
-ic
Dual
-ifn
-is
-ilv
-ix
-iks
Plur
-ufun
-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
f
n
v
x
2
y
y
s
b
3
ge
-
se
ke
(plur)
j
w
w
h
(dual)
qi
qi
qi
hi
-u-
= intransitive
-va7
= stative past, perfective; "a bit"
-fax
= transitive, affected patient, past-perfective
-fan
= transitive, non-affected patient, past-perfective
-s
= present tense
-bay
= stative past, imperfective; continuous
-civ
= causative
-iy
= 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-va7.
I slept (a bit).
(bu se) f--ced-fax.
I hit him.
(bu se yig) f-s--nak-fan.
I gave it to you.
(bu) w-zubel-u-s.
I'm cold.
(bu) w-xil-u-s.
I'm sleeping.
(bu) bayk-s (yin) f--b-ced-iy-fan.
I hit you with a stick.
(bu) bayk-s (yin) s---ced-iy-s.
I'm hitting you with a stick.
VI. Sample Lexicon
Nouns
bayk
stick
Verbs
Singular/Plural (verbal number)
xil/..
sleep
ced/..
hit
nak/..
give
gen/dac
walk
zuber/zebar
be cold
Main Conlang Page
Apollo Hogan
, Berkeley, California, USA