Re: Introduction and Þēwthàj Phonology

> > In underlying form, Þēwthàj has three vowels, differentiated by
>height.
> >   I have rendered them /i/, /e/, and /a/.
> >...
>
>That I like very much!  I occasionally thought about doing this in
>some of my conlangs, but usually ended with something totally
>different.  Tyl Sjok in its very early phase did have /a @ 1/, but
>then ended up with /i E 1 3 a M V/ instead.  In Qthyn|gai (note the
>spelling reform, BTW), I started with /a i u/, then got /a i u @/.
>Your system is very nice because it allows a lot of interesting
>allophones. :-)
It does, except that in Þewthaj itself the allophones are fairly simple.
It's part of a family of languages with greater allophonic variety in those
three vowels, however.

>Did you get the idea from some Causasian language, i.e. Adyge?
I got the idea from Caucasian languages in general (northern Caucasian?) as
I had an advanced typology class once upon a time where the professor was
just those vowel systems.  Except, as he explained it, those languages have
two vowels.  I confess I haven't researched beyond that, although I'd be
interested to know more.  In fact, now that I think of it, I'm going to run
by the library tomorrow...

> > Before most codas, they are central.  However, the combination /iw/
> > is pronounced [u:], /iy/ is [i:], /ew/ is [EU],
>
>But you transliterated the name of the language (alternatively) with
>|o| in |Tho1taq4|.  Why is that, then?
The secondary romanization was designed to represent a more intuitively
obvious pronunciation.  The |o| in this represents /ew/, just as |th| in
this represents /þ/.

I messed up the tone number, though.  It should be Tho2taq4.

That would be [TOUt_haX], by the way.  With a tonal contour of [55.42].

>What languages influence lead to this?
The offhand comments about Caucasian vowels, Chinese and Thai tonal systems
and phonotactics, Pana-Nyugan stops, and perhaps a bit of Quichua.
Actually, the phonology has been cooking for years.  I have no idea where
everything comes from.  <grin>

>Please post some grammar soon!  E.g., I'm keen on seeing those few
>inflections.
OK.  I'll try and keep this short.

The basic word order is Topic Verb Non-topic-noun-phrases.  The role of the
topic in the verb construction is marked on the verb as a prefix.  There are
six possibilities:
1)  (zero marking) Ergative/Agent
2)  /chi/ Accusative/Patient
3)  /yi/ Experiencer/Source
4)  /pa/ Causer
5)  /t,wi/ Dative/Beneficiary/Recipiant/Result/Goal
6)  /me/ Instrument/Manner

Normally, the roles of any other noun phrases are simply implied, but it is
possible to specify the roll of any non-topic noun by using a "proverbal"
with the appropriate prefix after the noun in question.  (This is also how
relative clauses are formed [but with a real verb]).  "Proverbals" are sort
of dummy verbs.  There are about a dozen, and verbs can be classed according
to which they are tied.  About four of these can stand as verbs in their own
right.

Nouns are normally inflected for person, number, and definiteness.  The
person can be either the person of the noun in question (1, 2, or 3) or the
person of the possessor, based on context.  There is a special construction
for possessor/noun plurality mismatches.  The only nouns that inflect in
this way are those that are the arguments of the verb.  Nouns that modify
other nouns instead take one of four prefixes denoting the relationship:
essive, genitive, locative, or commitive.  Only the locative can also be
used to modify a verb, and not even then does it take a
person/number/definiteness prefix.
1)  /'i/ 1st sing
2)  /li/ 1st pl inc
3)  /'he/ 1st pl exc
4)  /ma/ 2nd sing
5)  /cla/ 2nd pl
6)  /si/ 3rd sing def (also /t,yi/ on certain nouns)
7)  (zero) 3rd plural and/or indefinite
8)  /ta/ essive
9)  /'ye/ genitive (also /'a/ on certain nouns)
10)  /s,i/ locative (also /tla/ on certain nouns)
11)  /'wi/ commitive

A lot of other distinctions are made by compounding.  Verb tense, mood, and
aspect distinctions, for instance, are handled entirely by what are
effectively serial verb constructions.  (One would say "goeat" for "will
eat", for example).  There are quite a few things that are adjectives in
other languages which are compounding morphemes in Þewthaj, such as numbers.
  Most "adjectives" are actually genitives or essives.  Colors, for example,
are essives of nouns meaning a thing of that color.

Also, there are no personal pronouns.  Pronominal meaning can be handled by
nouns like "man", "woman", or "thing" inflected for person.  "I" would be
/'it,yiy/ for a man and /'is,iw/ for a woman.  (Possession of human beings
is a complicated issue in Þewthaj.)

Questions?

Athey

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