Deshai

General Information
Deshai (natively /tsæʃɑːjuɬ/, literally this language, transliterated as 'Tsešaay-ul')

Classification and Dialects

 * Classical Deshai
 * Šánhis-Kátšis Deshai
 * Westosese Deshai

Consonants
m, n, g, p, p', t, t', k, k', ', ts, ts', tš, tš', tl, tl', s, s', š, j, j', h, l, l', w, r, y

Stress
Stress is non-contrastive. Words in isolation or at the end of a phrase are stressed on the last syllable. Words beginning or within a phrase, on the other hand, are stressed on their first syllable.
 * Thus, Nap'retš waatwis-šu-l. /náp'rætʃ wɑːtwisʃúɬ/ "We eat in the workshop."

Writing systems
There are primarily two writing systems for the dialects of Deshai: the classic script and the Chevin script.

Classic script
The classic script is partway between an abjad and an alphabet. It is cursive and written in top-to-bottom vertical lines starting on right side of the page. It is still used in religious texts and in many Deshayant-majority countries to varying degrees.

Gender
Nouns are not declined for grammatical gender, yet they still fall into two broad and misnamed classes called Animate and Inanimate, which are needed for verb conjugation.

Articles
Articles follow the nouns they modify, separated by a hyphen. Short postpositions are placed between the noun and the article.
 * indefinite: 0
 * definite, proximal: -(u)l
 * definite, distal: -(a)g

Possessives
Possession is shown with prefixes. They are typically separated from the noun stem with hyphens. ex. aš-watwis "your and my workshop", iigten e-watwis-ag "the seamstresses workshop"

Derivational morphology
Nouns are derived from verbs by putting phonemes in between the consonants of the verb's triconsonantal root.

CeCaaC: patient eCCuuC: instance aCaCaCi: art or skill CeeCiC: instrument CaaCCis: location iiCCeC: sentient actor sCiCuC: resulting noun
 * tsešaay "language"
 * letaaj "corpse"
 * wetaaw "creation"
 * etsšuuy "a conversation"
 * eltuuj "a death"
 * enp'uur "a meal"
 * atsašayi "oration"
 * agatani "sewing skills"
 * akawat'i "philosophy"
 * tseešiy "voice"
 * weetiw "tool"
 * neep'ir "eating utensil"
 * tsaašyis "speech-hall, convention center"
 * laatjis "cemetery"
 * waahšis "race track"
 * iitsšey "speaker"
 * iiwtew "creator"
 * iigten "seamstress"
 * stsišuy: "communication"
 * sgitun: "a stitch"
 * skiwut': "realization"

Basics
Verbs are based on triconsonantal roots (much like in Arabic). The citation form is the infinitive CaCaCa.

ex. kawat' a "to think/find out", lataja "to die", wahaša "to run", šatata "to freeze", l' ahaka "to slash", nap' ara "to eat", watawa "to create", tašara "to love", ha 'asa "to do", tsašaya "to speak/talk", gatana "to sew"

C-AM-C-erg/others-C-abs

Aspect-mood

 * ex. wahšaa "he's running", wehšaa "he runs", wuhšaa "he ran"
 * The habitual indicative only receives an infix if its absence creates an unpronounceable consonant cluster.

Person
Absolutive slot: Ergative slot:
 * Kuwrat'etl! "They found out about us!" [kuːβ̞ˠɹɑt’ætɬ]
 * Kuwalt'aap! "We found out about them!" [kuːβ̞ˠɑɬt’ɑːp]
 * Kwept'aap lnuri-l. "The kids don't think."
 * Tašusraap. "They love themselves."
 * Taštsiraap. "They love each other."
 * Tsišepy "Don't talk!"

Postpositions
šu "in"

Numbers
Deshai numbers are base-10 up to 20, thereafter they become base-8 due to Westosese influence.
 * 11, 12, and 20 have unique names.
 * 1) The ku- in kuwewt (10) is optional, and is typically heard in formal speech.