Heh, The two languages have some things in common with
my own, Elenyo -
stress on penultimate syllabe, ergative, no articles
:)
LordManwe
James O'Connell
jamestomas2@yahoo.co.uk
----- Original Message -----
From: "Andrew Chaney" <adchaney@...>
To: <CONLANG@...>
Sent: Monday, November 20, 2000 2:41 AM
Subject: Second Language Uploaded
> I have finished a bare-bones sketch of my second
conlang.
> You can read about it in this message or at:
>
> <
http://home.earthlink.net/~gllaurents/conlang/mahr_language.html
>
>
> As I said, it's a little incomplete but the basics
are there.
>
> I wanted to get this one fleshed out a bit because
it and my other
> conlang <
http://home.earthlink.net/~gllaurents/conlang/ihro_language.html
>
> are going to have to interact (loan words, etc)
quite a bit
> (commerce, diplomatic alliances, etc).
>
> Comments, etc are requested.
>
>
> I tried to set up the tabular info to be readable,
but I don't know well
it'll
> turn out on your computer(s)...
>
>
> Introduction
>
> This is a brief description of the Mahr language as
spoken around 1124
years
> after the fall of the Dhïggi Empire.
>
> Sounds
>
> Consonents
> aspirated stops unaspirated stops fricatives
affricates
approximants nasals
> ph p f tz j m
> th t x ts w n
> kh k s pf l ñ
> z
>
> Mahr consonents are not distinguished by voicing.
Stops are distinguished
by aspiration.
> Mahr j is like English y. ñ is ng sing finally, but
it is ny canyon before
a vowel. Mahr
> x is like English th. Mahr z is English sh.
Consonents generally become
voiced when they
> are between vowels.
>
> Vowels
> close open middle
> í peat i pit u put
> é pate e pet o boat
> á father a pat õ ought
>
>
>
>
> Word Formation & Stress
> Acceptable syllables are [C][a]V[n][C] where [a] is
an approximant and [n]
is a nasal.
> Stress falls on the penultimate closed syllable.
>
>
>
> Nouns
> Nouns are inflected for case (Ergative, Absolutive,
Dative, Abbessive,
Genitive,
> Instrumental, Locative) and number (Singular, Dual,
Plural). Duals are
formed by
> prefixing i to the noun stem. Plurals by prefixing
a. The openness of the
affixes
> changes to match that of the noun.
>
> Noun Inflections
> Singular Dual Plural
Meaning/Usage
> Ergative -(u)s i-(u)s a-(u)s Subj of
Transitive Sentences
> Absolutive -(u)p i-(u)p a-(u)p Subj of
Intransitive Sentences
> & D. Obj of Transitive Sentences
> Dative -le i-le a-le Motion towards
> Abbessive -em i-em a-em Motion from
> Genitive -ap i-ap a-ap
Of/Possession
> Instrumental -an i-an a-an
By/with/utilizing
> locative -je i-je a-je In, Near
>
> Generally a noun with close vowels in its stem is
feminine, one with open
vowels
> is masculine, and one with middle vowels is neuter.
>
>
>
> Pronouns
> Personal pronouns never occur in independantly, they
are always attached
to either
> a noun (showing possession), a verb (prefixed as the
subj & suffixed as
the object),
> or a preposition. Personal pronouns show person,
number, and gender.
>
> Pronouns
> Masculine Feminine Neuter
> 1 sing ti tí tu
> 1 dual iti ítí utu
> 1 plur ati ítí õtu
> 2 sing swe swé swo
> 2 dual iswe íswé uswo
> 2 plur asee áswé õswo
> 3 sing pja pjá pjõ
> 3 dual ipja ípjá upjo
> 3 plur apja ápjá õpjo
>
>
> Verbs
> Verbs are inflected for aspect, tense, number,
subject, and object.
>
> Verb Inflections
> Complete Incomplete
> distant past -í -ín
> recent past -é -én
> present - -(õ)n
> near future -e -en
> distant future -i -in
>
> A pronoun is then prefixed to show the subject, and
another is suffixed
> to show the object. Ex.:
>
> I see him.
> tisumphõnswe
>
> ti sumphõn swe
>
I.masc.sing-see.present.incomplete-him.masc.sing
>
>
>
> Articles, Adjectives & Adverbs
> Articles & adjectives agree with their head for
number and gender.
Articles
> come before the noun; adjectives generally come
directly after their noun.
> Articles are inflected just like adjectives.
>
> Article Stems
> Direct Indirect
> l- an-
>
> Article & Adjective Inflections
> Masc Fem Neut
> sing -e -é -o
> dual -i -í -u
> plur -a -á -õ
> Ex.:
>
> I saw the red (female)dog.
> tisumphé lé páxep kompfé.
>
> I.sing.masc-see.comp.dpast the.fem.sing
dog.sing.abs red.fem.sing
>
>
>
> Prepositions & Conjunctions
> Several concepts that English conveys with
prepositions are translated
using
> the various Mahr cases. Prepositions take a dative
(prepositions dealing
with
> motion towards), abbessive (motion from), or
locative noun (no motion) as
> their object. Pronoun objects are suffixed to their
preposition. Ex.:
>
> I went to London.
> tithoñé Londonle.
> I.sing.masc-go.rpast.comp London.dat.sing
>
> I'm looking at him. (lit. I'm seeing at
him.)
> tisumphõn áswe.
> I.sing.masc-see.pres.incomp at.him.sing.masc
>
> I'm looking at London.
> tisumphõn á Londonle.
> I.sing.masc-see.pres.incomp at
London.dat.sing
>
>
>
> Syntax
> Word order is fairly free, but generally SVO
dominates.
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