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Skerre

From:Doug Ball <db001i@...>
Date:Wednesday, October 27, 1999, 20:55
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I'm finally getting around to what I should have done when I first joined
the list, posting a grammatical sketch of my conlang, Skerre (especially
since there's no website to visit).  Comments are more than welcome. (Note:
I have tried to be brief, that explains why some things are sketchy)
Phonology (using my transliteration system, not the IPA)
              labial     interdental   dental    post-alveolar  palatal
velar   glottal
Stops                                   t,d
k,g
  (unaspirated)
Fricatives                  th           s              sh                k=
h
h
Nasals                                   n
Laterals                                 l
Tap                                      r
Semivowels      w                                                  j

sh can also be s-hacek, but I don't have that character on my computer.

Vowels:  Front  Central   Back
Close      i               u
Mid         e      =E4      o
             =E6
Low             a              Diphthongs: ai, au

Most syllables are CV, CVC, VC, CCVC, or CVCC with V representing any vowel
or diphthong and the consonant clusters being a finite set of possibilities=
.

Nouns:
No gender, no article
plural suffix -ek
Cases are marked by particles preceding the noun
0 absolutive/vocative
a ergative
o causer (used mainly in causative construction-I need a technical name for
it)
i genitive
je dative

other relations are marked with prepositions whose actual difference from
the particles is non-existent.

Adjectives-invariable and after noun (along with genitives).

Pronouns-obligatory usage.  They 'decline' as nouns. There is
animate/inanimate distinction in 3rd person and there is obviation in third
person animates.

Verbs-rather complex although no person/number markers.  There is a
combination of affixes and particles.
Affixes
-o infinitive
-ish  adjectival participle
0-present
e-past
or-future

Particles cover Voice (active, causative, passive, and antipassive), Mood
(indicative, desire, ability, obligation, potential, conditional,
inferential, and imperative), Aspect (9), interrogation, and negation.

Adverbs-I'm not completely sure on placement.  They are invariable, althoug=
h
at one time they did decline/conjugate to match the tense of the verb they
were modifying.  Formation is by the suffix -ja, although not all adverbs
have that marking.

Syntax
Word Order is SVO and reasonably strict.  I'm pondering having VSO order, i=
f
anything but the surface subject is first in the sentence.  Also I'm
pondering a topicalization system using the first position of the sentence.

I have an unfortunately small vocabulary of about 500 words.
This language was begun in summer of 1994, but most of the grammar changes
are either from this school year or last.

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<HEAD>
<TITLE>Skerre</TITLE>
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<TT>I'm finally getting around to what I should have done when I first join=
ed the list, posting a grammatical sketch of my conlang, Skerre (especially =
since there's no website to visit). &nbsp;Comments are more than welcome. (N=
ote: I have tried to be brief, that explains why some things are sketchy)<BR=

>
Phonology (using my transliteration system, not the IPA)<BR>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nb=
sp;&nbsp;labial &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;interdental &nbsp;&nbsp;dental &nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp;post-alveolar &nbsp;palatal &nbsp;velar &nbsp;&nbsp;glottal<BR>
Stops &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nb=
sp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&=
nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;t,d &nbsp;&nbsp;&=
nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nb=
sp;&nbsp;&nbsp;k,g<BR>
&nbsp;&nbsp;(unaspirated)<BR>
Fricatives &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbs=
p;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;th &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;s &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&=
nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;sh &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&n=
bsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;kh &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nb=
sp;&nbsp;&nbsp;h<BR>
Nasals &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&n=
bsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;=
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;n<BR>
Laterals &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;=
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbs=
p;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;l<BR>
Tap &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nb=
sp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;r=
<BR>
Semivowels &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;w &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&n=
bsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;=
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbs=
p;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&n=
bsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;j<BR>
<BR>
sh can also be s-hacek, but I don't have that character on my computer.<BR>
<BR>
Vowels: &nbsp;Front &nbsp;Central &nbsp;&nbsp;Back<BR>
Close &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;i &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&=
nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;u<BR>
Mid &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;e &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nb=
sp;&nbsp;=E4 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;o<BR>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nb=
sp;=E6<BR>
Low &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;a &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&=
nbsp;Diphthongs: ai, au<BR>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<BR>
Most syllables are CV, CVC, VC, CCVC, or CVCC with V representing any vowel=
 or diphthong and the consonant clusters being a finite set of possibilities=
.<BR>
<BR>
Nouns:<BR>
No gender, no article<BR>
plural suffix -ek<BR>
Cases are marked by particles preceding the noun<BR>
0 absolutive/vocative<BR>
a ergative<BR>
o causer (used mainly in causative construction-I need a technical name for=
 it)<BR>
i genitive<BR>
je dative<BR>
<BR>
other relations are marked with prepositions whose actual difference from t=
he particles is non-existent. &nbsp;<BR>
<BR>
Adjectives-invariable and after noun (along with genitives).<BR>
<BR>
Pronouns-obligatory usage. &nbsp;They 'decline' as nouns. There is animate/=
inanimate distinction in 3rd person and there is obviation in third person a=
nimates.<BR>
<BR>
Verbs-rather complex although no person/number markers. &nbsp;There is a co=
mbination of affixes and particles.<BR>
Affixes<BR>
-o infinitive<BR>
-ish &nbsp;adjectival participle<BR>
0-present<BR>
e-past<BR>
or-future<BR>
<BR>
Particles cover Voice (active, causative, passive, and antipassive), Mood (=
indicative, desire, ability, obligation, potential, conditional, inferential=
, and imperative), Aspect (9), interrogation, and negation. &nbsp;<BR>
<BR>
Adverbs-I'm not completely sure on placement. &nbsp;They are invariable, al=
though at one time they did decline/conjugate to match the tense of the verb=
 they were modifying. &nbsp;Formation is by the suffix -ja, although not all=
 adverbs have that marking. &nbsp;<BR>
<BR>
Syntax<BR>
Word Order is SVO and reasonably strict. &nbsp;I'm pondering having VSO ord=
er, if anything but the surface subject is first in the sentence. &nbsp;Also=
 I'm pondering a topicalization system using the first position of the sente=
nce. <BR>
<BR>
I have an unfortunately small vocabulary of about 500 words.<BR>
This language was begun in summer of 1994, but most of the grammar changes =
are either from this school year or last. &nbsp;<BR>
</TT>
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