Proto-Chevin

General Information
Proto-Chevin (Riksu Gēfī) is one of several descendants of Proto-Edalith.

Classification
Proto-Chevin diverged into the Chevin language family.

Consonants
The traditional classification and symbols are shown below.
 * The column labeled 'alveolar' was most likely laminal dentialveolar.
 * /f/ could have been either bilabial [ɸ] or labiodental [f].
 * /r/ could have been nearly any rhotic consonant, but it is currently constructed as an alveolar approximant, in line with other early Edalith languages.
 * /h/ was most likely a voiceless velar fricative.
 * /q/ was most likely farther back in the mouth than velar, possibly pharyngeal/epiglottal. It could have been a stop, fricative, approximant, or even a trill. There is simply no way to know given its diverse reflexes in descendant languages.
 * /v/ was almost certainly a labiovelar approximant.

Vowels

 * The vowel length distinction may have been accompanied by a tense/lax distinction.
 * The only reconstructed diphthongs are /ei/, /oi/, /ai/, and /eu/, /ou/, /au/. Combinations of /u/ and /i/ with /y/ and /w/ in the morphology cause the vowels to lower.

Therefore, korēmu* "guideline, rule" may have been pronounced [kɔˈɹeˑmʊ].

Phonotactics
(C)V(C)


 * Word-initial clusters: /km/, /kn/, /kt/, /ks/, /nv/, /pr/, /br/, /tr/, /dr/, /kr/, /gr/, /sr/, /pl/, /bl/, /tl/, /dl/, /kl/, /gl/, /sl/, /py/, /by/, /ty/, /dy/, /ky/, /gy/, /sy/, /pv/, /bv/, /tv/, /dv/, /kv/, /gv/, /sv/, /ps/, /qr/, /qv/, /kmv/, /knv/, /ktv/, /ksv/, /psv/
 * Intervocalic clusters: word-initial clusters plus /mp/, /mb/, /mf/, /nt/, /nts/, /nd/, /ns/, /nr/, /nl/, /nk/, /ng/, /nh/, /nq/, /ny/, /rm/, /rp/, /rb/, /rf/, /rn/, /rt/, /rts/, /rd/, /rs/, /rl/, /rk/, /rg/, /rh/, /rq/, /ry/, /rv/, /lm/, /lp/, /lb/, /lf/, /ln/, /lt/, /lts/, /ld/, /ls/, /lk/, /lg/, /lh/, /lq/, /ly/, /lv/, /hn/, /qn/, /tn/, /mpv/, /mbv/, /mfv/, /ntv/, /ntsv/, /ndv/, /nsv/, /nrv/, /nlv/, /nkv/, /ngv/, /nhv/, /nqv/, /rmv/, /rpv/, /rbv/, /rfv/, /rnv/, /rtv/, /rtsv/, /rdv/, /rsv/, /rlv/, /rkv/, /rgv/, /rhv/, /rqv/, /lmv/, /lpv/, /lbv/, /lfv/, /lnv/, /ltv/, /ltsv/, /ldv/, /lsv/, /lkv/, /lgv/, /lhv/, /lqv/, /hnv/, /qnv/, /tnv/
 * The vowel can be any short or long monophthong or a diphthong.
 * Vowel hiatus is not permitted.
 * Word-final codas can be any consonant except for the semivowels /y/ and /v/.

Stress
Stress was fairly regular, appearing on the final syllable of the root.

fetútya* "tree" vs. bārúmu* "mountain"

Gender
Proto-Chevin had two main gender classes: animate and inanimate. The second and third declension classes contain two subsets of the inanimate gender: lustrous and dull, but this is not shown in agreement with adjectives.

Examples
 * Animate: luqa "spinnerfly"
 * Lustrous inanimate: dōhi "gold"
 * Dull inanimate: qvertu "house, home"

Cases
There are six cases. Proto-Chevin retained all but the locative and ablative of Proto-Edalith.
 * Absolutive: The dictionary form of a word. Used for the object of a transitive verb, and the indirect object of a ditransitive verb. It’s descended from the Proto-Edalith accusative case.
 * Nominative: Used for the subject of verbs and as the object of a select few prepositions. It’s descended from the Proto-Edalith nominative cases.
 * Instrumental: Used for instruments used to do an action and the direct object of a ditransitive verb. It’s descended from the Proto-Edalith instrumental case.
 * Allative: Used to indicate movement towards something. It’s descended from the Proto-Edalith allative case.
 * Genitive: Used to indicate movement away from something. Also used in compounds, compositions, and possession. It’s descended from the Proto-Edalith genitive and ablative cases.
 * Vocative: Used to directly address a noun. It’s descended from the Proto-Edalith vocative case.

First declension
The first declension has the absolutive ending -a. It is overwhelmingly full of animate nouns: people and animals. It contains all diminutives, some body parts, and generally helpful or beautiful plants.

ex. qrenta 'person'

Second declension
The second declension has the absolutive ending -i. It contains mostly inanimate lustrous nouns and abstractions, but the occasional body part or animate noun.

ex. kāsi 'light, brightness'

Third declension
The third declension has the absolutive ending -u. Unlike the other classes which have a marked Nominative alignment, this declension has a Nominative-Accusative alignment. It contains mostly inanimate dull nouns, but the occasional body part or abstraction. It also contains all augmentatives.

ex. usinu 'bowl, cup, pot'

Personal
The personal pronouns are shown in pairs, the first being the absolutive and the second the nominative. Where the roots differ, the other cases are built on the nominative root.

Demonstratives

 * qedei PROX
 * solei MED
 * tvelei DIST

Verbs
Verbs are exceedingly regular, as there are only a dozen or so irregular verbs. There are four conjugation classes (or themes) based on four thematic vowels: a, e, u, and o.

Present tense
The present tense is formed like this: stem-theme-endings. The only break from this is the u theme 1p is -oim, not -uim, due to Proto-Chevin's avoidance of vowel hiatus.

Example
ex. puvagi sevo "I do."

Colors

 * kindi "red, purple"
 * plāfi "yellow, white"
 * qvoiki "gray"
 * arīti "black, blue"
 * pvarsi "green, cyan"