Mentekan

Consonants
Possible consonant clusters are included in the chart.

Dipthongs
The three dipthongs are /eɪ/, /aɪ/, and /aʊ/. They are counted as single vowels in the syllable.

Phonotactics
The syllable structure of Mentekan is CV(n). C is any consonant or consonant cluster and V is any vowel or dipthong. The glottal stop /ʔ/ cannot be placed at the initial consonant of the initial syllable of a word. n is optional and comprised of /z/, /ts/, /n/, /tʃ/, /ʃ/, and /s/. Noun roots are triconsonantal and tritonal in nature, while other words are not. The pattern of stress for the words usually stresses the close (includes near-close) vowel syllables. If there are two of the same close vowel syllables adjeacent to one another, the initial one takes precedence. If there are two different close vowel syllables adjacent to each other, /i/ takes precedence over /u/ and /u/ over / ɪ/. If there are no close vowel syllables in the word, the first syllable takes precedence.

Tones
The tones in Mentekan are only found in the tritonal noun roots, and are not part of the stress pattern rule. There are four tones used in the noun roots, which are represented by their respective numbers in superscript attached to the syllable.
 * 1) Neutral
 * 2) High
 * 3) Falling
 * 4) Rising

Sentence Structure
The canon word order of Mentekan is SOV, with subclauses being SVO.

Nouns
The noun roots in Mentekan are triliteral and tritonal, with six aspects of inflection through vowels and tones. The case of the noun is marked by a case prefix. The possible combinations of all six aspect inflections are counted as genders.

Genders
Nouns can be formed by manipulating abstract three consonant roots. For example:

m - t - k - is the root with the general meaning of communication.

men1te1kan1 means the language.

neuter | action related concept | definite | inanimate tool honorific | singular

The classification of these subgenders are quite arbitrary.

Cases
There is an expansive system of case prefixes in Mentekan, with categories of Syntax, Relation, Semantics, and State. Some cases are redundant and/or archaic in everyday speech.

Postpositions
There are many postpositions that can be attached to nouns to make postpositional phrases that express both place and time. The postpositional phrase then is placed preceding the modified noun phrase. The postpositions can also be pattached to verbs for pronomial statements. The postpositions are similar to case markers in every way except in that they are attached at the end of the noun. Most cases can be used for temporal location as well as spatial location.

Verbs
The most important element in Mentekan is the verb, consisting of an abstract stem and any number of inflectional and/or derivational prefixes. All verbs must have at least one prefix, and the prefixes are to be added in a specific order. Verbs also replace the role of adjectives. Verb stems have no specific rules of construction, and are not triliteral.

Verb Template
The way of assembling prefixes is very convoluted and filled with exceptions and archaic constructions. A verb does not have to fill all of the categories in the template. The prefixes can be generally split into dynamic and stative templates with disjunct and conjunct categories as follows:

Dynamic
The dynamic verb template is used when the verb is an action.

Stative
The stative verb template is used when the verb is a state of being.

Classifier
The classifier prefix decides transitivity and voice. The prefix /da/ signifies a passive voice, while no prefix signifies an active voice. The prefix /wa/ transforms a transitive verb into an intransitive verb. The transitive verb has no prefix. If the intransitive verb requires a passive voice, the prefix /wa/ changes into /wä/.

Pronomial Inflection
Mentekan verbs have prefixes that act as pronouns which mark both subjects and objects, thereby forming a clause within the verb. The prefixes can by modified by pronoun modifiers attached preceding the prefix to change the type of pronoun. The pronoun prefix is placed in the postposition object, the direct object, or the subject position in the verb template. The reciprocal prefix only occurs if there is no other pronomial prefix, and cannot take pronoun modifiers.

Pronoun Modifiers
The pronoun modifiers inflect based on the syntax and person of the prefix being modified.

Mode-Aspect Inflection
This prefix is made of two parts, the affirmative/negative tense, and mode and aspect. There is an extensive system of tenses, modes, and aspects developed in the concise literary tradition of Mentekan, but only a few are used in the spoken language.

Mode and Aspect
The mode category affects which aspects can be used; often the mode is in fact an aspect. The iterative and inchoative prefixes are placed in their respective positions instead of after the tense prefix. Some verbs are incompatible with certain modes/aspects. The ten modes are: The twenty one aspects are:
 * 1) Imperfective - an event or action that has begun but is not complete
 * 2) Perfective - an event or action that has been completed
 * 3) Progressive - an incomplete event/action that is ongoing without reference to the beginning or end
 * 4) Usitative - a repetitive event/action that takes place customarily
 * 5) Iterative - a repetitive event/action that takes place repeatedly and customarily
 * 6) Inchoative - a state that has just begun
 * 7) Optative - a desire or wish
 * 8) Jussive - a plea or insistence
 * 9) Imperative - a command
 * 10) Interrogative - a question
 * 1) Momentaneous - takes place in a point in time
 * 2) Continuative - indefinite span of time, movement with specified direction
 * 3) Durative - indefinite span of time, non-locomotive uninterrupted continuum
 * 4) Repetitive - continuum of repeated acts or connected series of acts
 * 5) Conclusive - like durative but in perfective mode terminates with a static sequel
 * 6) Semelfactive - single act in a repetitive series of acts
 * 7) Distributive - distributive manipulation of objects or performance of actions
 * 8) Diversative - movement distributed among things
 * 9) Reversative - results in directional change
 * 10) Conative - attempted action
 * 11) Transitional - shift from one state to another
 * 12) Cursive - progression in a line through time/space (only progressive mode)
 * 13) Completive - event/action takes place
 * 14) Terminative - stopping of action
 * 15) Stative - sequentially durative and static
 * 16) Inceptive - beginning of action
 * 17) Terminal - inherently terminal action
 * 18) Prolongative - arrested beginning or ending of action
 * 19) Seriative - interconnected series of successive separate and distinct acts
 * 20) Reversionary - return to previous state or location
 * 21) Semeliterative - single repetition of event/action

Adverbial-Thematic Inflection
There are relatively few adverbs in Mentekan, and they must always be accompanied by a thematic prefix. The thematic is required to occur with adverbs of different categories. The prefix for adverbs of manner is /že/, for completeness /kon/, and for frequency /jeì/.