Saidama (Dryadic language)

Saidama, more correctly spelled Ssa e-dama (literally: language of the mulberry [people]), is spoken by various Dryadic tribes that inhabit the flooded forests and mangrove-like swaps of Tantah (on Dartea). They live in the canopy (hence, they are dryads, also known as arboreal folk) and they are known for trading large quantities of mulberries. Mulberries are a status symbol in Saidamic communities; their elders wear necklaces made of dried mulberries. A handful of Saidamic tribes live in small thalassocracies on the litoral Tantah and they trade in coastal herbs and salt.

Consonants
y (/j/) palatalises the preceding consonant (similar to the way soft vowels do), e.g. sya- and sä- could be pronounced in the same way (however, sä- can only be [sjɑ-], whereas sya- could be [sja-] in some words.

Vowels
Vowel system:

Diphthongs and double vowels
ai = [ɛ]

ei = [ɛɪ̯]

oi

ou = [u]

ui

ao

eo

Phonotactics
no words with u and a vowel other than u or o > vowel harmony to some extent

Noun classes

 * Ø- means no typical prefix.
 * Vowels listed here may be either long or short (e.g. the prefix ka- may also be found as kā-).
 * V- means any vowel but ə.
 * D- means diphthong.
 * VV- means two vowels.
 * Note that there is only a specific dual form for classes one, two and three.

notes:

- noun classes as in Bantu langs https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noun_class#Bantu_languages

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consonant_mutation

Soft roots
s-d-r

present tense: sidar (i-a) > sidara: I speak

sidara: I speak

sidaran: you speak

sidaren: he speaks

sidarei: she speaks

sidarna: we (inclusive) speak

sidarnas: we (exclusive) speak

sidarnan: you (plural) speak

sidar: they speak

present perfect: sidär (i-ä) > sidäri: I have spoken/I spoke

aorist: seder (e-e) > sederse: I spoke

past imperfect: suder (u-e) > suderse: I spoke/I was speaking

past perfect: sudur (u-u) > sudurse: I had spoken

Hard roots
kw-l-f

A
abwan - (6) year

adhu - (6) signal

afda - (6) air

aɣaf - (6)

assa - (6)

F
fyeo

Ŷ
=== Z ===

Example text
Ɣa sawimba ar disiba, uwa nayama e-nnomisi ese. Feo kimi dira aoisi.