Romsten

= The Language of Romsten = Word initial consonants: b bj bn df dj dl dv dvj dz f fk h k kl ks kst kx l m mj ml n p pf pl s sd sm sn sp spj spl st stj t th tm tsv v vd w xj zd zm ɣl ɲ ɲj ʧh ʧl θ χ ʒ dʒ tʒ ʦ

Mid-word consonants: b bb bd bj bm bn bs bst bt bv bvj d df dj dkw dl dm dn dx f fd ff fl fm fst fsx ftl ftw fɣ h hb hj hk ht j jb jdn jf jj jmɲ jn jsk jvj jz jð jɲ k kh kk kkj kkw kl kn ksf ksj ksk ksm ksp kst ksw kt ktf ktl kts kz kɲ kʧ l lb ldf ldh ldl ldn lf lfd lfm lft lj lkj ll llv lmn ln lp lpf lpl ls lsh lsk lst lt ltj lts ltz lv lz m mbj mbl md mfl mft mj ml mm mn mnd mp mpf mpj mpl mpt mpʧ mst mv mw mɲj mθ n nbl nd ndb ndf ndj ndk ndl ndm ndn nds ndt ndz nfj nfl nj nkj nkl nkt nkw nkx nl nlj nmj nnj npj npl ns nsf nsj nsk nsl nsm nsp nst ntb ntf nth ntj ntk ntl ntm nts ntv ntw nw nxj nxw nz nzl nzp nð nɲj nθj nθl p pk pl plw pn ppl ps psj pst pv px pz pʧ s sd sj sk skj skl skv sm sn spj spl stf stj stk stl stm stn stv stw stɲ sw sx sz sχ t tbl tf tj tk tlm tm tn tp ts tsd tsj tsm tst tsx tt tth tts tv tx tʧ v vd vj vð vɲ w wb wd wk wl ws wts wv ww wx wð x xd xf xh xj xk xm xn xs xtx z zdv zn zp zv zz ð ðj ðst ŋ ŋb ŋd ŋf ŋh ŋkf ŋkj ŋkl ŋkn ŋkt ŋkw ŋkθ ŋl ŋm ŋmj ŋp ŋs ŋt ŋtj ŋts ŋw ŋxj ŋxw ŋz ŋɣn ŋɲj ɣ ɣm ɲ ɲj ʧ ʧl ʧm θ θd θh θj θkw θm χ χk χn ʝ tʒ ʦ

Word final consonants: b d f k l m p t w x ð ɣ ɲ θ ʃ tʃ ʦ r rr ʝ ntʒ ntʃ nʃ v ff ʝ

vowels:Front Back

High i y u

Near-high ɪ ʊ

High-mid e o

Low-mid ɛ

Low a ɑ ɒ

Spelling rules:

Pronunciation Spelling

ɑ â

ɒ ô

ɛ ê

ɪ î

ʊ û

j y

x ch

θ th

ð dh

ŋ ng

ɣ g

ɲ ny

ʧ tsch

χ gh

y ü

ɜ ä

ʦ c

ʒ zsch

ʃ sch

x → ch

w → v / V_V

ð → d / _#

θ → t / _#

ɜ → ä

y → ü

ʦ > tz / _#

Nouns

Nouns have seven cases:

Ergative is the doer of a verb, when the verb is done to something: dog bites man.

Absolutive is used in two scenarios: the doer of a verb when not done to something (dog bites), and the done-to of a verb (man bites dog).

Genitive is the possessor of something: dog’s tail hits man.

Dative is the recipient of something: man gives ball to dog.

Locative is the location of something: man goes to town.

Ablative is movement away from something: man walks from town.

Instrumental is the use of something: man writes with (using) pen.

Ergative Prefix a-

aut /aˈut/

dog (doing the verb to something)

Absolutive No affix

ut /ut/

dog (doing the verb, but not to something)

Genitive If starts with vowel: Prefix b-

Else: Prefix bi-

but /but/

dogʼs

Dative If starts with vowel: Prefix l-

Else: Prefix lɛ-

lut /lut/

to (the/a) dog

Locative If starts with vowel: Prefix kl-

Else: Prefix kle-

klut /klut/

near/at/by (the/a) dog

Ablative Prefix o-

out /oˈut/

from (the/a) dog

Instrumental Prefix va-

vaut /ˈvaut/

with/using (the/a) dog

Masculine Feminine

Singular No affix

stil /stil/

man

No affix

dzâ /dzɑ/

woman

Plural Prefix bnɛ-

bnêstil /bnɛsˈtil/

men

If starts with vowel: Prefix dz-

Else: Prefix dzɑ-

dzâdzâ /ˈdzɑdzɑ/

women

Pronouns

Ergative Absolutive Genitive Dative Locative Ablative Instrumental

1st singular ôb /ɒb/

I

ghô /χɒ/

me, I

ksa /ksa/

mine

û /ʊ/

to me

hô /hɒ/

at me

any /aɲ/

from me

vdi /vdi/

with/using me

2nd singular smo /smo/

you

ü /ü/

you

snab /snab/

yours

dfe /dfe/

to you

dlâl /dlɑl/

at you

ak /ak/

from you

myê /mjɛ/

with/using you

3rd singular masc bnô /bnɒ/

he, it

mlôch /mlɒch/

him, it

tme /tme/

his, its

fim /fim/

to him, at it

vdat /vdat/

at him, at it

om /om/

from him, from it

splûd /splʊd/

with/using him/it

3rd singular fem sma /sma/

she, it

bîk /bɪk/

her, it

byok /bjok/

hers, its

op /op/

to her, at it

e /e/

at her, at it

kla /kla/

from her, from it

spü /spü/

with/using her/it

1st plural kseb /kseb/

we

tsve /tsve/

us, we

dfü /dfü/

ours

bnê /bnɛ/

to us

â /ɑ/

at us

dfup /dfup/

from us

sta /sta/

with/using us

2nd plural i /i/

you all

vâ /vɑ/

you all

î /ɪ/

yours (pl)

nye /ɲe/

to you all

ma /ma/

at you all

dfo /dfo/

from you all

u /u/

with/using you all

3rd plural masc stya /stja/

they (masc)

mâw /mɑw/

them (masc), they (masc)

at /at/

theirs (masc)

bü /bü/

to them (masc)

splek /splek/

at them (masc)

o /o/

from them (masc)

dvyaw /dvjaw/

with/using them (masc)

3rd plural fem glu /ɣlu/

they (fem)

kstôw /kstɒw/

them (fem), they (fem)

wêm /wɛm/

theirs (fem)

dzê /dzɛ/

to them (fem)

hâ /hɑ/

at them (fem)

kchûp /kchʊp/

from them (fem)

sme /sme/

with/using them (fem)

Possessive determiners

1st singular ksa /ksa/

my

2nd singular snab /snab/

your

3rd singular masc tme /tme/

his

3rd singular fem byok /bjok/

her

1st plural dfü /dfü/

our

2nd plural î /ɪ/

your (pl)

3rd plural masc at /at/

their (masc)

3rd plural fem wêm /wɛm/

their (fem)Verbs

Present Past Remote past

1st singular Prefix bnɑ-

bnâtsvû /ˈbnɑtsvʊ/

(I) learn

Prefix ɑ-

âtsvû /ɑtsˈvʊ/

(I) learned

If starts with vowel: Prefix kx-

Else: Prefix kxɑ-

kchâtsvû /kchɑtsˈvʊ/

(I) learned (long ago)

2nd singular If starts with vowel: Prefix kx-

Else: Prefix kxɒ-

kchôtsvû /ˈkchɒtsvʊ/

(you) learn

If starts with vowel: Prefix df-

Else: Prefix dfy-

dfütsvû /ˈdfütsvʊ/

(you) learned

If starts with vowel: Prefix xj-

Else: Prefix xje-

chyetsvû /ˈchjetsvʊ/

(you) learned (long ago)

3rd singular masc If starts with vowel: Prefix ks-

Else: Prefix ksa-

ksatsvû /ksatsˈvʊ/

(he) learns

If starts with vowel: Prefix sd-

Else: Prefix sdʊ-

sdûtsvû /ˈsdʊtsvʊ/

(he) learned

Prefix tmu-

tmutsvû /ˈtmutsvʊ/

(he) learned (long ago)

3rd singular fem If starts with vowel: Prefix θ-

Else: Prefix θɒ-

thôtsvû /θɒtsˈvʊ/

(she) learns

If starts with vowel: Prefix ʧh-

Else: Prefix ʧhi-

chhitsvû /ʧhitsˈvʊ/

(she) learned

If starts with vowel: Prefix fk-

Else: Prefix fku-

fkutsvû /fkutsˈvʊ/

(she) learned (long ago)

1st plural If starts with vowel: Prefix bj-

Else: Prefix bjɛ-

byêtsvû /ˈbjɛtsvʊ/

(we) learn

Prefix zmo-

zmotsvû /ˈzmotsvʊ/

(we) learned

If starts with vowel: Prefix h-

Else: Prefix hu-

hutsvû /ˈhutsvʊ/

(we) learned (long ago)

2nd plural If starts with vowel: Prefix pl-

Else: Prefix plɑ-

plâtsvû /ˈplɑtsvʊ/

(you all) learn

If starts with vowel: Prefix ʧh-

Else: Prefix ʧhɑ-

chhâtsvû /ʧhɑtsˈvʊ/

(you all) learned

Prefix kstɪ-

kstîtsvû /ˈkstɪtsvʊ/

(you all) learned (long ago)

3rd plural masc If starts with vowel: Prefix mj-

Else: Prefix mja-

myatsvû /ˈmjatsvʊ/

(they) learn

If starts with vowel: Prefix tsv-

Else: Prefix tsvɑ-

tsvâtsvû /tsvɑtsˈvʊ/

(they) learned

If starts with vowel: Prefix kl-

Else: Prefix klɛ-

klêtsvû /ˈklɛtsvʊ/

(they) learned (long ago)

3rd plural fem If starts with vowel: Prefix sd-

Else: Prefix sdɒ-

sdôtsvû /ˈsdɒtsvʊ/

(they) learn

Prefix e-

etsvû /etsˈvʊ/

(they) learned

Prefix ɛ-

êtsvû /ˈɛtsvʊ/

(they) learned (long ago)

Romstenian uses a standalone particle word for future tense:

Future Particle before the verb: klu -

klu tsvû /klu tsvʊ/

will learn

Progressive aspect

The ‘progressive’ aspect refers to actions that are happening at the time of speaking, such as I am learning.

Romstenian uses an affix for progressive:

Progressive Prefix spɑ-

spâtsvû /ˈspɑtsvʊ/

is learning

Habitual aspect

The ‘habitual’ aspect refers to actions that happen habitually, such as I learn (something new every day), as opposed to actions that happen once (I learned something).

Romstenian uses an affix for habitual:

Habitual If starts with vowel: Prefix dz-

Else: Prefix dza-

dzatsvû /ˈdzatsvʊ/

learns

Perfect aspect

The perfect aspect in English is exemplified in ‘I have read this book’, which expresses an event that took place before the time spoken but which has an effect on or is in some way still relevant to the present.

Romstenian uses an affix for the perfect aspect:

Perfect Prefix e-

etsvû /etsˈvʊ/

have learned

Numbers

Romstenian has a base-20 number system:

1 - ho

2 - le

3 - ob

4 - bnuk

5 - kchat

6 - kstüha

7 - îngchwâ

8 - spya

9 - bnathmîny

10 - uch

11 - bnüyyop

12 - pfany

13 - klabî

14 - byîfüf

15 - kô

16 - dzôf

17 - glad

18 - dvyîtmi

19 - dvüw

20 - lâch

21 - lâchho “twenty-one”

400 - od “fourhundred”

401 - od ü ho “fourhundred and one”

800 - le od “two fourhundred”

8000 - uk “eightthousand”

Derivational morphology

Adjective → adverb = If starts with vowel: Prefix sn-

Else: Prefix snɪ-

Adjective → noun (the quality of being [adj]) = If starts with vowel: Prefix pf-

Else: Prefix pfy-

Adjective → verb (to make something [adj]) = If starts with vowel: Prefix kst-

Else: Prefix kstɪ-

Noun → adjective (having the quality of [noun]) = Prefix ɪ-

Noun → adjective relating to noun (e.g. economy → economic) = If starts with vowel: Prefix p-

Else: Prefix pɪ-

Noun to verb = Prefix kxɒ-

Verb → adjective (result of doing [verb]) = If starts with vowel: Prefix m-

Else: Prefix ma-

Tending to = If starts with vowel: Prefix kl-

Else: Prefix klɪ-

Verb → noun (the act of [verb]) = Prefix bo-

Verb → noun that verb produces (e.g. know → knowledge) = Prefix kxɒ-

One who [verb]s (e.g. paint → painter) = Prefix e-

Place of (e.g. wine → winery) = Prefix ɑ-

Diminutive = If starts with vowel: Prefix pl-

Else: Prefix plʊ-

Augmentative = Prefix the-