Rikutsaren

Classification and Dialects
Modern Ricūtšreb is a part of the Asermian language family, which also contains Rowictob. It evolved from Racuajetrab, the earliest Asermian Language.

Allophony

 * 1) the [æ] rule: [æ] occurs when "/ɑ/" is stressed, but ONLY when followed by a plosive consonant (/b/,/p/,/t/,/d/,/k/, or /g/) (unless preceded by a semi-vowel). This is an allophone of /ɑ/.
 * 2) the [ɒ] rule: [ɒ] occurs when "/ɑ/" is stressed between the start and end of a word, unless followed by a plosive consonant.
 * 3) the [ɑː] rule: [ɑː] occurs before a consonant and after the phoneme /dʒ/, but ONLY when in syllable coda. [ɑː] also occurs at the end of a word. This is an allophone of /ɑ/.
 * 4) the [χ] rule: [χ] occurs in onset of a stressed syllable, but ONLY when between two vowels. This is an allophone of /x/.
 * 5) the [eɪ] rule: [eɪ] ALWAYS but not ONLY occurs when "/ɛ/" in syllable coda is stressed. This is an allophone of /ɛ/.
 * 6) the [ʒ] rule: [ʒ] (which is an allophone of /dʒ/) occurs if preceded by a vowel while either of the following are also true:
 * 7) It is before a consonant and is in syllable coda.
 * 8) It is at the end of a word.

Stress Rules

 * 1) word-final /iː/ is NEVER stressed.
 * 2) The second syllable of a word is always stressed.

Writing System
This list contains the Latin version of the Ricūtšreb Alphabet until a proper typeset can be made.

Spelling
The Ricūtšreb language has many rules that dictate the placement of phonemes. They are listed below. [note: this section is a work in progress, and may be re-formatted later on.]
 * 1) Definition of a "word" as used in this section: A free morpheme.
 * 2) the /uːj/ rule: When forming an agent noun that describes an inanimate object, the suffix "/uːj/" is used instead of the suffix "/wiː/". Any word-final vowel is lost before this suffix.

Nouns
Nouns are the base unit of Ricūtšreb grammar. Various suffixes and prefixes are added onto the noun to form various different words. When forming count nouns from mass nouns, -z is added to the end of the mass noun. If the mass noun ends in another consonant, the appropriate vowel is placed between said consonant and the z. Ricūtšreb nouns do not decline. Instead, the plural is represented by the particle "cū", which occurs before the noun. To represent a plural that is also a definite, the word "ec" comes before the word.

Personal Pronouns
Ricūtšreb has standalone pronouns. Unlike in other languages, there is no distinction between subject and object pronouns. Similar to Ricūtšreb verbs, personal pronouns exhibit clusivity. The personal pronouns used in Ricūtšreb are listed below.


 * The exclusive 1st plural personal pronoun, tšaz, is used to refer to "each one of us" as opposed to "all of us collectively".
 * The exclusive 2nd plural personal pronoun, baz, is used to refer to "each one of you" as opposed to "all of you collectively".

Adjectives
Adjectives are formed by adding the suffix -nav to the end of a noun. When conjugating into the degrees of comparison, the adjectival suffix is shortened to -n, thus forming the adjectival root. The comparative suffix is then placed onto the end of the adjectival root.

Adverbs
Adverbs are formed by adding the suffix -gev to the end of a noun. When conjugating into the degrees of comparison, the adverbial suffix is shortened to -g, thus forming the adverbial root. The comparative suffix is then placed onto the end of the adverbial root.

Degrees of Comparison
The Ricūtšreb language uses 6 Degrees of Comparison, as opposed to the 2 used in English. The prefixes that are added onto the adjectival or adverbial root when using the Degrees of Comparison are listed in the chart below. Comparatives and Contraries do not use "e" before them unless the subject uses it anyways (ex. "The better man" > "E jasūnezlū cin"). All other degrees of comparison do use "e" unless they are referring to a possessive (ex. "My best friend" > "Na jasūnezlūg džitwêbū".)

The comparative degrees that are unique to Ricūtšreb are described in detail below.


 * 1) The Contrary is the opposite of the Comparative, and is used to represent the shortage of something or the lack of a certain quality.
 * 2) The Proclivitive is the opposite of the Superlative, and is used to represent the complete absence of a thing or quality.
 * 3) The Hyperlative and the Inferlative refer to the absolute most or least amount of something possible, respectively (ex. "The best possible thing" "E jasūnezlūgø eþbī"). These forms can also be used in exaggerations (ex. "The best day ever!" E jasūnezlūgø narv!").

Adverbs of Comparison
The Adverbs of Comparison correspond to "so" and "not so [much]" or "very" and "not as" in the English language. They are, respectively, ezūn and ezonen.

Quantity
When referring to an amount of something, the adjective Enav and its comparisons are used. (ex. "I have more." "Drefôn enezlū.").

Verbs
Verbs are formed by adding the infinitive -rī to the end of a mass noun, if there is a corresponding mass noun. In the Ricūtšreb language, all plural persons, as well as the singular 3rd person, exhibit clusivity. Verbs are conjugated into the following conjugation table.
 * The exclusive third person can also be used in any tense when relaying a message to a 3rd party that is absent at the time but will be present at a time that you and your group are absent. In this case, the absent 3rd party is referred to in the direct plural 2nd person. (ex. "We are sorry that we were not able to attend, but we have brought to you this gift." "Otš calanav nedas ba otša erbênav rectâcerī, oze dotš ojâtbaẘa es laz edo idžijiregez.")

Perfect
The perfect is created by conjugating Dorī and adding that before the past participle of the verb in question. Dorī is conjugated into the Past Indicative to form the Present Perfect, Present Indicative to form the Pluperfect, Future Indicative to form the Future Perfect, and the Conditional to form the Conditional Perfect.

Continuous
The continuous is created by conjugating Orī and adding that before the gerund of the verb in question. Orī follows the same conjugation procedure as Dorī follows when conjugated into the Perfect. However, Orī is only conjugated into the Indicative, and therefore the Continuous only has 3 tenses.

Syntax
Ricūtšreb is a head-initial language, and all modifiers precede the words the modify. It has the basic word order Subject-Verb-Object. Ricūtšreb is a null-subject language.

Lexicon
A comprehensive dictionary of the Ricūtšreb can be found at the Ricūtšreb/Dictionary page.

Example text
This is the entry for constructedlanguages's Conlang Challenge on deviantART, which was to translate the preamble of the United States Declaration of Independence into one's conlang.

Ricūtšreb
Nidū tabā e pizicūz sū ežīrcinenav cū apiziz, natemtec būpūctenav džasī abū edžīrcin ūbūrī e habêtšebnav cū jasbūz netâc dof tšebêdeẘo maz neþ abseddžī, ñ natemtrī tabneþ ec lapnūl sū e edžīr, e regêronav ñ džezrêginav cigerghesab es nedā ec Gren sū Edžīrat e sū Edžīraten Gôd jirêbef maz, ab nūpūcenav idžiclāpadeẘa es ec altâbaz sū edžīrcin džatic nedâs egem nūprarizrī ec credūz netâc taclūgif maz es e regêro.

English
When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.