Tumata/Grammar

Tumata is an inflectional agglutinative language. This means that, nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs are inflected to show grammar, but these inflections, as well as derivation, are shown by the addition of affixes. Tumata is nominative-accusative, which means that it uses those two noun cases to signify the subject and the object. Tumata has two numbers and four persons.

=Pronouns=

There are many different pronouns in Tumata. Below are given the singular and nominative plural forms. (For an explanation of the different plurals, see Plurals.

Personal Pronouns
Because Tumata is an inflected language, the personal pronouns are essentially unneeded unless used to clarify or emphasize.

Demonstrative Pronouns/Adjectives
Demonstrative adjectives will decline in the same form as the noun they qualify, as though they were normal adjectives.

Interrogative Pronouns/Pro-adverbs/Determiners
Interrogative words are declined in the same way as nouns and adjectives.

Relative Pronouns
Relative pronouns are inflected for number, but no other cases.

Reflexive Pronouns
To form a reflexive pronoun, simply add the suffix -ne to the end of the personal pronoun.

Examples: Tene = Myself, Mene = Themselves

Reciprocal Pronoun
The reciprocal pronoun in Tumata is Nedem, which translates to the English phrases "each other" or "one another."

Indefinite Pronouns
=Nouns=

Nouns are declined into one of sixteen different cases, and can be made plural.

Case
There are sixteen inflected cases for nouns.

Nominative/Vocative
This denotes the subject or agent of a verb./This names the addressee.

The Nominative/Vocative form (henceforth known simply as the nominative form) is the base, "dictionary" form, and thus no suffixes are added.

Example: Sonna = House

Accusative
This denotes the direct object or patient of a verb.

The accusative form is formed by adding the suffix -t.

Example: Sonnat = House

Dative
This denotes the indirect object or recipient of a verb.

The dative form is formed by adding the suffix -s.

Example: Sonnas = To/For the/a house.

Genitive
This shows relationship and posession.

The genitive form is formed by adding the suffix -n.

Example: Sonnan = Of the/a house, House's

Partitive
This is used for amounts.

The partitive form is formed by adding the suffix -sa.

Example: Loira sonnasa = Six houses.

Loirani sonnasa = With six houses.

Loiramti tin sonnasa = Into six houses.

Instrumental
by means of, with the aid of

The instrumental form is formed by adding the suffix -lu.

Example: Sonnalu = By means of the/a house, With the aid of the/a house, With the/a house.

Benefactive
for, for the benefit of, intended for

The benefactive form is formed by adding the suffix -sta.

Example: Sonnasta = For the/a house, For the benefit of the/a house.

Causal
because, because of, due to

The causal form is formed by adding the suffix -pje.

Example: Sonnapje = Because of the/a house, Due to the/a house.

Comitative
in company of, with

The comitative form is formed by adding the suffix -ni.

Example: Sonnani = With the/a house, In company with the/a house.

Privative
lacking, without

The privative form is formed by adding the suffix -fi.

Example: Sonnafi = Lacking the/a house, Without the/a house.

Locative
location (in/on/at/between/etc.)

The locative form is formed by adding the suffix -pi followed by a postposition for any meaning other than "at."

Examples: Sonnapi = At the/a house.

Sonnapi tin = In the/a house.

Sonnapi kin = On the/a house.

(Sonnapi ʃwin = Between the/a house.) Sonnampi ʃwin = Between the houses.

Sonnapi kyan = Over/above the/a house.

Sonnapi kwan = Under the/a house.

Lative
motion to (into/onto/to/etc.)

The lative form is formed by adding the suffix -ti followed by a postposition for any meaning other than "to."

Examples: Sonnati = To the/a house.

Sonnati tin = Into the/a house.

Sonnati kin = Onto the/a house.

(Sonnati ʃwin = Into between the/a house.) Sonnamti ʃwin = Into between the houses.

Sonnati kyan = To over/above the/a house.

Sonnati kwan = To under the/a house.

Ablative
motion from (from in/from on/from/etc.)

The lative form is formed by adding the suffix -ki followed by a postposition for any meaning other than "from."

Examples: Sonnaki = From the/a house.

Sonnaki tin = From in the/a house.

Sonnaki kin = From on the/a house.

(Sonnaki ʃwin = From between the/a house.) Sonnamki ʃwin = From between the houses.

Sonnaki kyan = From over/above the/a house.

Sonnaki kwan = From under the/a house.

Prolative
motion via (by way of, through)

The lative form is formed by adding the suffix -pa followed by a postposition for any meaning other than "via."

Examples: Sonnapa = Via the/a house.

Sonnapa tin = Through the/a house.

Sonnapa kin = Around the/a house.

(Sonnapa ʃwin = Between the/a house.) Sonnampa ʃwin = Between the houses.

Sonnapa kyan = Over/above the/a house.

Sonnapa kwan = Under the/a house.

Temporal
time (before/during/after/at)

The temporal form is formed by adding the suffix -re followed by a postposition for any meaning other than "at."

Example: Kojare = At the/a time.

Kojare tin = During the/a time.

Kojare kwan = Before the/a time.

Kojare kyan = After the/a time.

Stative
state (into being/while being/from being/as being)

The stative form is formed by adding the suffix -lo followed by a postposition for any meaning other than "as/as being."

Example: Sonnalo = As a house.

Sonnalo tin = While being a house.

Sonnalo kwan = Into being a house.

Sonnalo kyan = From being a house.

Plurals
There are three types of plurals in Tumata.

Nominative Plural - This is used when the noun is in the nominative case, and is formed by adding the suffix -m.

Inflected Plural - This is used when the noun is in a case other than the nominative, and is formed by adding the suffix -i-.

Numerical Plural - This is used when the noun follows a number. In this case, the number takes the inflected form and the noun takes the partitive case.

Overview
=Adjectives=

Adjectives are inflected in the same way as nouns, by case and by number. They can also inflect to show comparison in the same way that adverbs do.


 * Sublative - i.e. "Least fast." -usu-


 * Negative - i.e. "Less fast." -u-


 * Positive - i.e. "Fast." -


 * Comparative - i.e. "Faster" -i-

=Verbs=
 * Superlative - i.e. "Fastest" -isi-

Tumata verbs are inflected into numerous forms. The most basic inflection is that of adding the personal suffixes to the end of the stem of the word. These are as follows:

Tense
There are five inflected tenses for verbs.

Present
An action which is happening or happens. This is the base form of a verb, just like the nominative form is the base form of a noun. Therefore, no suffixes are added to make this conjugation.

Example: Taunnat = I carry

Future
An action which will take place in the future. This is formed by adding the suffix -(e)si, where the optional vowel is used only if the preceeding consonant is doubled.

Example: Taunnatsi = I will carry.

Past
An action which happened in the past. This is formed by adding the suffix -(e)so, where the optional vowel is used only if the preceeding consonant is doubled.

Example: Taunnatso = I carried.

Recentive
An action which just took place. This is formed by adding the suffix -(e)lo, where the optional vowel is used only if the preceeding consonant is doubled.

Example: Taunnatlo = I just carried.

Prospective
An action which is about to take place. This is formed by adding the suffix -(e)le, where the optional vowel is used only if the preceeding consonant is doubled.

Example: Taunnatle = I am about to carry.

Aspect
There are five inflected aspects for verbs.

Telic
An action which is complete. This is the base form of a verb, just like the nominative form is the base form of a noun. Therefore, no suffixes are added to make this conjugation.

Example: Ʃünöt = I jump

Ʃünötsö = I jump

Atelic
An action which is incomplete. This is formed by adding the suffix -ira-.

Example: Ʃünötirä = I am jumping

Ʃünötiräsö = I was jumping.

Frequentative
An action which is repeated. This is formed by adding the suffix -ine-.

Example: Taunnatine = I jump (many times).

Taunnatineso = I used to jump.

Momentane
An action which is single or short lived. This is formed by doubling the letter that has been added for the personal ending and adding an e if it would otherwise be the last letter.

Example: Taunnatte = I jump once (quickly).

Taunnatteso = I jumped once (quickly).

This can be combined with the frequentative for an added meaning of many short, individual actions.

Example: Taunnattine = I jump many quick, individual jumps.

Mood
There are nine inflected moods for verbs.

Realis Moods:
 * Indicative - A statement of fact.


 * Generic - A generic statement of fact. The difference between this and the indicative is the difference between saying "A/The rabit is fast" as opposed to "Rabits are fast"

Irrealis Moods:
 * Energetic - A statement which the speaker strongly believes or wishes to emphasize.
 * Dubitative - A statement which the speaker doubts, or of which the speaker is uncertain.


 * Potential - A statement which the speaker considers likely or probable.


 * Conditional - A statement whose realization is dependent upon another condition.


 * Desiderative - A statement which expresses the speaker's wishes or desires.


 * Imperative - A statement expressing direct commands, requests, and prohibitions.


 * Interrogative - A yes or no question.

Causativity

 * Anticausative - Forces an object to lose its subject (i.e. The vase broke vs. John broke the vase. The first is an anticausative)

Polarity

 * Negative - Expresses the fact that the verb is not taking place.

Number

 * Singular - One


 * Plural - More than one

Person

 * First Person - I/We


 * Second Person - You/You


 * Third Person - He/She/It/They

=Adverbs=
 * Fourth Person- One (It is also used to form passive-voice-like statements)

Adverbs inflect to show comparison in the same way that adjectives do.


 * Sublative - i.e. "Least quickly." -usu-


 * Negative - i.e. "Less quickly." -u-


 * Positive - i.e. "Quickly." -


 * Comparative - i.e. "More quickly." -i-
 * Superlative - i.e. "Most quickly." -isi-

=Numerals=

Tumata numerals are in base eight. This means that they use numerals which correspond to the Latin numerals 0-7, and then start over, which means that the number 10 actually means 8, and 20 actually means 16.

The following are the nominative forms of the cardinal numerals, which all can be inflected in the same way as nouns.

Numerals, when written out, are separated by a hyphen after every three digits.

For example: 462,753,104 would be written as jimkelohtutirstanupki-famkepahtuθrostatuli-namkejista.

To break that down: Jimke Lohtu Tirsta Nupki - Famke Pahtu Θrosta Tuli - Namke Jista