Nipmel

Phonology
/Phonemes/

(Orthography)

L, n and r are often devoiced word-finally, and after stops.

Ejective and aspirated stops can only occur at the beginning of syllables.

There is no contrast in length in the vowels; they are all "half-long"-

Phonotactics All syllables are closed, of the CVC-type.

Nouns
Nouns are not inflected for plural, or for definiteness.

Case markers appear as postpositional clitics. The nominative case is unmarked. The other cases are marked by postpositional clitics.

Accusative: Marked by -tin. This is optional, and not very common in contemporary Nipmel.

Dative: Marked by -tan. This is used for the indirect object of ditransitive clauses, and for the complement of some verbs. Pin telli' kul ke'tan. - 'The man gives the woman a flower.'

Miltan zullukli' zelkul - 'The king forgot the dream'

Allative: Marked by -tal. Used for destination and goal.

T'ultal seslatman - 'We are travelling to the city'.

Locative: Marked by -nix.

Savnix mermin. - 'I live in the village.'

Ablative: Marked by -nox. Used for source..

Matnox ladlukli' kin. - 'The woman went from the table.'

Perlative: Marked by -kór. Used for path, and also for duration.

Savkor latlukli' kul. - 'The man walked through the village.'

Zur lankór k'arlukmin. - 'I worked for three days.'

Lankór par tanli' kinnak. - 'The girl was happy throughout the day.'

Instrumental: Marked by - sep.

''Lan poklukli' kul sornep. '''The man hit the dog with a stick.'

Genitive:

Comitative: Marked by -mon.

Kinmon leklukli' kul. 'The man came with (his) wife.'

Abessive: Marked by -kun.

Kulnakkun läklukli' kul. 'The man came without (his) son.'

Beneficative: Marked by -vun.

Zelkulvun k'arli' mäfkul. 'Te farmer worked for the king.'

Causative: Marked by -lok

Comparative

Verbs

Verbs do not inflect for tense. There is a difference between perfective and imperfective aspect, however. The perfective aspect is marked by the suffix -luk. The imperfective aspect is unmarked. Verbs must agree with their subjects.

Word Order

Word order is OVS, modifier-modified.