Dongbuzenytihach

Dongbuzenytihach is the language spoken in the Dongbuzenytihav, an ocean located on the planet Baltus. The primary speakers are Encephalopods, inhabitants of the planet.

Consonants
There is an undefined sound that is most similar to the "sj-sound" and is commonly considered a co-articulated [x] and [ɕ]. It is a relatively rare sound in the language.

/j/, /t͡s/ and /d͡z/ are only seen in loanwords from nearby languages which have these sounds.

Vowels
/ɤ/ is silent when in unstressed position and not in the first syllable of a word.

Writing system
Dongbuzenytihach, like many other Encephalopod languages, use a sophisticated combining script, referred outside of the planet as "Encephalopod script", but called in the language "Lapore Kapurafete".

Glyphs


To transcribe loanwords with /ts/ and /dz/, one takes the glyphs for /t͡ɕ/ and /d͡ʑ/ respectively, and adds a vertical stroke in the middle of the glyph.

Words with more complex consonant clusters than CV, usually NCV or LCV, are written with the ë glyph following the sonorant.

Phonotactics
Thanks to the null glyph and ë, the phonotactics are slightly more variable than the script could suggest. Some of the most common formations include CV and V.

Sound Changes

 * /ɤ/ becomes [o] after /w/.
 * /k/, /g/, /x/ shift to [c], [ɟ], [ç] respectively before /i/, /y/.
 * /ɹ/, /ɫ/ become [j], [ʎ] respectively before /i/, /y/.
 * /i/, /y/ shift to [ɨ], [ʉ] after /w/, /s/, /z/.

Grammar
Dongbuzenytihach grammar is relatively complex, as the language is fusional.

Verbs
Verbs conjugate according to mood, tense, person, number and aspect. Each verb can have one of two endings, -oti and -iti. The vowels in the conjugation depend on the infinitive form's suffix and ending.  is often substituted by , while  is replaced by  in the same positions. Verbs have an indicative mood with present, past and future tense, the latter two of which can have a perfective and an imperfective form, an interrogative mood, an imperative mood and a subjunctive mood with present, past and future tense. Verbs can also assume a negative mood by adding the prefix će- if the verbs starts with a consonant, and ćed- if the verb starts with a vowel. When combined with the optative mood, the verb assumes the meaning of "may not". In -iti verbs whose roots end in -ar-, -al- or -aw-, a turns into ä if a front vowel follows the approximant, as such vubäliti => vubalu. All verbs are accented on the vowel following the root.

Nouns
Nouns can have three suffixes: -a, -e, and -o. To create a possessive noun, one replaces the final suffix with itself preceeded by -äh-. These can be interpreted as adjectives. There are four historical cases cases, although three of them are merged into "Oblique" - Accusative; Genitive and Dative.

Adjectives
Adjectives form the same declension pattern as their respective nouns. The following table declines the root "wiśos-", "slimy". Adjectives are post-nominal, meaning that they come after the noun they are referring to. Possessives are treated as adjectives as well, as such they are declined identically to the adjective in the table.

Articles
There are no indeterminative articles. Determinative articles have 6 forms, depending on the noun referred to, and come before the referred-to noun.

Adpositions
Adpositions in Dongbuzenytihach are postpositions. They are inflected and agree with the head as if it were nominative, however the head is usually oblique when used before a postposition. Some postpositions include: ćo (to), nge (from), ze (of), þa (because of) and po (by, using).

Word order
The word order is commonly SVO.

Interrogative particles
Dongbuzenytihach uses interrogative particles to denote quesitons. One such particle is ki, which is used to confirm a statement. If the statement is agreed upon, the listener responds "ki" as well, while in the opposite case, the listener responds "će", which assumes the value of "no", or negation.

Another particle is a, which is used after information-seeking questions. In case the answerer is not aware of the answer, they respond "ćewäri", which roughly translates as "I don't know" and literally as "I'm not aware".

Lexicon
See Dongbuzenytihach/Vocabulary.

Subarctic Dongbuzenytihach
This variant of Dongbuzenytihach is spoken in northern colonies of the Dongbuzenytihav. It is characterized by lowering of central vowels, somewhat conservative liquids and nasals, post\alveolarization of alveolar fricatives and a v/w merger into ʋ.

Kifekutulan Dongbuzenytihach
Heavily influenced my neighbouring languages, Kifekutulan Dongbuzenytihach is most notable for its removal of unstressed high vowels in unstressed positions after obstruents. It also demonstrates partial de-palatalization of palatal consonants and voiced stop lenition intervocalicaly.