Fleen

Sample Text

Kudúvordal sagólïn, sigí-kegep kizûk lavófan. Navá-gët lí, navá-gët-gïïs kizûtt lavófaz. Evôrdäl zïvútt, fasî-këwop jík pöwûp, gagên, neríki-kegep-ssäli nijínsä. Ní-getlir, lavópagëz jít gadsá. Fedûsivördäl, vá-këgëp kidûgez vädsâ-fe, vá-këgëp lí, lavófan kahîn, kussá-gën fennâ-delt kanávorn fák jív. Fasî-gënlïr runná pövûgez-winne jín.

Neníw-kevälir pövûnez tiník zugók tinníski garîskï. Vá-këgëp liddâ kizûz tallên nënán-dëlt. Fäsívördäl suuzá renzâ pövûdez, pökkô-kegep jík tultênëz kasîlaz. Lisí-gen-delt zaráza zaráskï!

A man travelling across a field encountered a tiger. He fled, the tiger after him. Coming to a precipice, he caught hold of the root of a wild vine and swung himself down over the edge. The tiger sniffed at him from above. Trembling, the man looked down to where, far below, another tiger was waiting to eat him. Only the vine sustained him.

Two mice, one white and one black, little by little started to gnaw away the vine. The man saw a luscious strawberry near him. Grasping the vine with one hand, he plucked the strawberry with the other. How sweet it tasted!

I. Phonology

Main stress is on the second syllable, with secondary stress every third syllable thereafter. IPA indicated below using X-SAMPA (e.g. /y/).

I.1 Vowels

Practical Orthography X-Sampa
Front Back
i ü ï u
e ö ë o
ä a
Front Back
i y M u
e 2 7 o
a A
Vowels can be long or short. Long vowels are indicated by doubling. However, long vowels are rare. There is front/back vowel harmony. The frontness/backness of vowels will spread left-to-right. Vowel harmony will affect clitics. For example,

I.2 Consonants

Consonants can be short or long (geminate; indicated by doubling).
p t k
b d g
f s h
v z
m n
w l r j

I.3 Consonant Gradation

Consonant gradation occurs across morpheme boundaries. Namely, the onset of a syllable will weaken if the new morpheme closes the syllable. Clitics do not cause gradation. For example,
Consonant Gradations
tt > t > d > z > l > j
kk > k > g > v > w
pp > p > f > h
b > v > w
sk/st > ss > s > h
lt > ll > l > j
nk > nn > n
rt > rr > r

II. Nominal Morphology

III.1 Pronouns & Demonstratives

Both the pronoun and demonstrative stems take number and case markers.
Person Pronoun Stem Possessive:
1 ti- -t
2 ni- -n
3male li- -l
3female hi- -h
3zoic pa- -p
3neuter ka- -k
3mixed i- -j/-i
The person 3mixed is used for a group of mixed male and female gendered.
Demonstrative Stems:
here (near speaker) dä-
there (near hearer) nä-
yon (far from both) gä-

III.2 Number Marking

All nouns and adjectives are marked for number. Singular is unmarked.
Nominal Number Markers:
Dual -kas
Trial -kol
Paucal -u
Plural -i

III.3 Case Marking

All nouns and adjectives are marked for case, following the number marking.
Nominal Case Markers:
Ergative -k
Nominative --
Accusative -n
Absolutive -V (redup last vowel)
Dative -t
Instrumental -za
Genitive -p
Partitive -v
Comitative -ski
Translative -go
Negative -llï
Local Case Markers:
In -s-
Location -Ca (redup consonant)
On -n-
To -t
Under -t-
From -sa
At -d-
Via -il

III.4 Definiteness Marking

Nominal Definiteness Markers:
Definite -(ë)z
Indefinite -(ë)r
A noun is marked as definite only if ... A noun is marked as indefinite if ... Examples:

III. Verbal Morphology

All verbs have two stems: a past stem and a non-past stem. Tense and aspect are marked by an optional enclitic TAM particle that attaches to the verb stem. Note that vowel harmony will affect the TAM particle, but it will not cause gradation in the stem. The verb is marked with a Person/Number suffix also. Thus a general verb form looks like
Verb - Person/Number = TAM
Person/Number Suffix:

Number
Person Singular Dual Trial Paucal Plural
1 -g -k -g -g -ig/-jg
2 -n -nk -ns -ssi -ni
3 -- -u -u -uu -in/-jn
Tense-Aspect-Mood Particle Construction:
Tense Aspect Mood
Historic Past =tti-
Personal Past =ke-
Near Past =fä-
Immediate Past =ssï-
Present1 =së-
Present2 =pa-
Immediate Future =zu-
Future =zü-
Abstract Future =rö-
Inceptive -va-
Cessative -fa-
Translative -vo-
Simple -t-
Perfective -ke-
Continuous -n-
Semelfactive -p
Iterative -lir
Habitual -gon
Simple -s
The past stem is used with Historic Past, Personal Past, Near Past, Immediate Past, and Present1. The non-past stem is used with the other tenses (Present2, Immediate Future, Future, Abstract Future).

Examples:

IV. Syntax

Basic VSO word order.

V. Sample Lexicon

Verbs

Non-past/Past stems
ninki-/nenni-
chew/gnaw/bite
nu-/ni-
smell/sniff
lu-/li-
taste
nëro-/neri-
throw
fäsi-/fasï-
hold
nokka-/nava-
run/flee
suvï-/sigi-
meet/encounter
e-/bu-
be
ro-/ze-
want
kana-/wewe-
eat
fedü-/fëdu-
shake
ha-/va-
want
küssä-/kussa-
wait
pokko-/pökkö-
pick/pluck/yank

Nouns, Adjectives

kasï-
other
lavopa-
tiger
kidü-
man
sago-
field
taltë-
strawberry
nënna-
tasty
zuko-
white
garï-
black
nili-
edge/brink
zïgu-
cliff/precipice
pövü-
wild vine
gaggë-
root
tinni-
mouse
suu-
hand
ren-
one
zara-
sweet
gäge-
large
stofë-
lake
tuf-
water
giwer-
city

Misc. etc.

=dëlt
very/very much
=winne
only
=ru
up/upwards
=fe
down/downwards
=si
and (not for clauses)
=ssäli
and (clauses) same-subject
=gïïs
and (clauses) different-subject
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Apollo Hogan, Berkeley, California, USA