Re: Chevraqis: a sketch

> alphabet equivalents:
> n  m  b  br  v (also f)  vr  r (l in some dialects)
> s  z  sj (sh, or the almost "sh" you find in Korean)
> j  ch
> t (glottalized at the end of a word)
> d (ditto)
> q (ditto, and pronounced as a k)
Since you're not using a k for anything else, why not just use a k for the
/k/ sound? I keep wanting to read it as a glottal stop.

Also, is /br/ the only consonant cluster in the language? It seems a bit
anomalous.

> (Still learning the IPA.  Apologies for poor notation.)
>
> vowels (strong/weak)
> i (i/I)
> e (e/schwa)
> a (a/schwa)
> o (as in Japanese o)
> u (as in Japanese u)
>
> diphthongs:
> aé (eI)
> aí (aI)
Why wouldn't these have evolved as ei and ai? That fits teh monothong
orthography better, unless you're proposing a very irregular sound change. I
don't know of any natlang sound changes that are equivalent to this one.


> Verbs:
> Infinitives always end in -u.
> Verbs inflect only by tense, not by number or person.
By having infinitives, you are implying a lot of pseudo-indo-european
grammar. Japanese lacks this, as does Arabic, on which I thought you were
basing some stuff.

> I've been having fun with the static/dynamic distinction, and coming up
> with how meanings cluster around these things, though I'm probably
> getting it all wrong.  <wry g>
The arabic approach is that adjectives are essentially static verbs.
Consider HMR (red). the static form (ahmar) is 'to be red'. the dynamic form
(hamar) is classed as a type 1 verb, and means 'to become red ; to blush'.
the type 2 form is hammar, to make someone blush. I've read that there are
about 44 different word shapes for each 3 letter root in arabic.

Or consider ride (a horse), a static verb, vs mount (a horse), teh dynamic
equivalent, which calques as 'to become riding a horse'.

The dictioanry form of verbs in Arabic is the 3rd person singular perfect
tense. Sentences such as "he wants to go home" would calque as "he wants he
goes home". No need for an infinitive.

--
Fabian
Find your enemy's weakest point, and destroy it.
But remember who your own worst enemy is.