Morphophonemics (was Re: Discovery!)

Fakaltináu:
> Thus, creating an undeniable phonemic split between the [sj] and [S]
> series.
Written, in my Romanization, as s'y and sy.  Native syllabry does not
distinguish.

> The following restrictions apply:
In addition, /s z t k/ cannot be followed by /i/

> C cannot be geminate except before /i/
Neither can /tS/

Clearly, /S Z C tS dZ/ have unusual restrictions, from a synchronic
perspective.

> Stem-final -ái + -u becomes -ái (that is, the <u> is lost), thus,
> lifáiki = lifái-u-ki
> Stem-final -ai + -u becomes -yu, thus, kútyuki = kútai-u-ki
>    This is also what happens with -i + -u, e.g., vúzlyuki = vúzli-u-ki
Meanings of those, incidentally, are "I am being begun" [it should've
been in the antipassive], "I am respecting", and "I am sinning"

Other alternations:
1. Stem-final stops are kept before -u and geminating suffixes (1D, 3SI,
3DI), before the geminating suffixes, it is not geminated, -l- is used
in the suffix, before other suffixes, becomes corresponding fricative
(k, g dropped with lengthening) - in other words, sukunípuki,
sukuníplufki, sukníftaiki (I am breaking, we two are breaking, we few
are breaking); note: the geminating suffixes are those that normally
have the form -*uf, -*a, -*i after consonant stems, e.g., suklússufki
(we two are stabbing), stem klús
2. -áu + -u -> -áu
3. -au + -u -> -au
4. -u + -u -> -u (but -ú -u -> -úu)
5. -i + -u -> -yu (but -í -u -> -íu
6. Long vowel + -u -> short vowel (e.g., -áa -u -> áu
7. Not all consonant-stems are geminated with geminating suffixes, e.g.,
yánisuki, yánislufki (I am important, we two are important; but uyánuki,
uyánnufki (I am judging, we two are judging)
8. Verbs that have stem-final CC add -a before all endings except -u,
e.g., vástuki, vástalufki (I am lying, we two are lying)
9. One or two verbs with slightly irregular stems, e.g., yánsuki,
yánlufki (I am, we two are), i.e., an -s which only shows up in the 1st
person singular.

In addition, there are assimilatory processes:
/s/ + /tS/ -> /SS/ e.g., us-tyái-u-ki -> ussyáiki (Then I would believe)
/s/ + /C/ -> /SS/ e.g., gwatyá-tas-ki -> gwatyátassi (He/she is falling)
/s/ + /dZ/ -> /ZZ/ e.g., us-já-u-ki -> uzzyáuki (Then I would be
unaffected)
/s/ + /z/ -> /zz/ e.g., us-zuvína-l-ki -> uzzuvínalki (Then it would
end)
/s/ + /Z/ -> /ZZ/ e.g., us-zibú-u-ki -> uzzibúuki (Then I would
understand)
/f/ + /v/ -> /vv/ e.g., waf-viklú-i -> wavviklúi (altars)
/p b m f v/ + /w/ -> /p b m f v/ e.g., p-wailyása -> pailyása (truthful,
G7)
/t d n/ + /w/ -> /p b m/ e.g., ti*-fúnu-i -> tiffúnwi -> tiffúmi (those,
G1)
/s z k t d/ + /j/ -> /S Z C tS dZ/ e.g., us-yakú-u-ki -> usyakúuki
        No known exceptions, altho /sj/ /zj/ /kj/ /tj/ and /dj/ are legal
clusters.
/s z k t d/ + /i/ -> /Si Zi Ci tSi dZi/ e.g., tl-ías-i -> tlíasi
(/tliaSi/, ugly, G2pl)
        Note: tl- is an alternate to ti*- used before vowels
/z/ + /tS/ -> /ZS/ e.g., lakáaz-ti-ki -> lakáazsiki (they two are
deceiving)
/z/ + /C/ -> /ZS/ e.g., ?
/z/ + /dZ/ -> /ZZ/ e.g., ?

> So, the citation form has changed.  Before it was 1st person singular,
> non-punctual present.  Now, it's that, but also 2nd person singular,
> non-punctual present, when there is ambiguity in what the stem is.
It's first person singular non-punctual present, sometimes antipassive
voice.  If need be, 1st person dual of the same tense/aspect is also
used, e.g., vazyáuki [stem, vazyá-]; sláuki, sláulufki [stem láu-];
yánsuki, yánlufki [stem yán-; non-geminating] (those verbs mean "I am
acting out of rage", "I/we two are eating", "I/we two are [a/some]"
(yánsuki is used for "to be", token usage, i.e., not A = B, but A is a
member of set B, and so, indefinite articles are common in the
translation, e.g., Yántassi nús Ján nís Kyúman; John is a human, lit.
John is a [member of the] Human race/people)

--
Dievas dave dantis; Dievas duos duonos
God gave teeth; God will give bread - Lithuanian proverb
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