Oqam

Sample Text

I. Phonology

I.1 Vowels

I.2 Consonants

I.3 Remarks

• Syllable canon is (C)V(L)(C), where L is one of r,l,m,n,j.
• Stress is on the third syllable (and every third thereafter). (Or on the last syllable for words of fewer than three syllables.)
• t has allophones (in X-SAMPA): /t, t_d/
• c has allophones (in X-SAMPA): /c, t_s, t_S/
• q has allophones (in X-SAMPA): /q, k_>/

II. Nominal Morphology

III. Verbal Morphology

• biji past
• hali present/continuous
• gozi future
• liqi negative
• mefi subjunctive
• duci irrealis
• qani causative

• a- (o-) deponent verb marker
• u-(+drop final vowel) infinitive
• e- -hV(redup.) deverbal adjective, agent
• i- -rV(redup.) deverbal adjective, patient
• zo- applicative
• zu-N-(w)o creates verb 'to use N' from noun N

• sorg= adverbial proclitic very/a lot/much

IV. Syntax

• Basic VSO word order.
• Serial-verb constructions: ...

V. Examples

• numofa's qu'l nubijge'. The man smells/sniffs cows.
• numone't qu'ls nubijge's. The cows smiff/smell the man.
• anumo'sas bijisa' qe'l nubijge'. The women smelled/sniffed cows.
• anumo'sas ahali'sa bijisa' qe'l nubijge'. The women were smelling/sniffing cows.
• anumo'sas ahali'sa so'rg bijisa' qe'l nubijge'. The women were smelling/sniffing cows a long time ago.
• anumo'sas aso'rg ohali'sa bijisa' qe'l nubijge'. The women kept smelling/sniffing cows.
• aso'rg onumo'sas ahali'sa bijisa' qe'l nubijge'. The women were really smelling/sniffing cows.
• qu'l enumo'ho a sniffing person (nom.)
• nobage's inumo'ro a sniffed cow (nom.)
• adilfbe'd biji'd qu'l. The woman was in a good mood.
• adilfbe'd abiji'd liqi'd qu'l. The woman was not in a good mood.
• zoceqfa'l qe'l tufba' nubijge'n. The man is using a stick to beat some cows.
• aceqna'l azaji'na bijina' nobage's tufba'. The cow walked up and kicked the tree.
• ceqna'l zajina' nobage's tufba'. The cow walks up and kicks the tree.
• aso'rg oceqna'l ozaji'na bijina' nobage's tufba'. The cow just came up and really kicked the tree.

VI. Sample Lexicon

Nouns

nobag / nobgi / nubijg

milkable domesticated animal (cow/goat/etc.)

qul(u) / qal(u) / qel(u)

person

tufba / tufabi / tufabi

tree/stick

Verbs

numo

sniff/smell

ceq(e)

hit/beat

zaji

go/walk

dilfb(e)

be in a good mood