Entesi

Welcome to the page on the Entesi language. This language is also a Bantu conlang and is believed to have the same origin as the Fangwa language. These two languages are not mutually intelligible though. This is because Entesi has several characteristics that are not typically found in Bantu languages, the first difference is word order: Entesi has a SOV order instead of the expected SVO, secondly it is head final, so adjectives and numerals go before the nouns as well as the possessives. The third difference is that adverbs go before the verbs but the definite article comes after the noun and the conjugation particles for tense and person are attached as suffixes to the verbs; the counting system is also different instead of saying twenty two in Entesi you say: viri nga virigoma (litterally ''two and twenty). ''This very atypical grammar for a Bantu language has sparked a lot of controversy among linguists if this language should not be classified as Bantoid rather than a Bantu language, the debate is still ongoing.

Noun classes
Like other Bantu languages Entesi has a noun class system, the only difference is that Entesi employs suffixes instead of prefixes, examples: onto = person; óntomo = the person; óntova = the persons; bwendzimo = the friend, bwendziva = the friends

The indefinite articles go before the noun: mo onto = a person; va onto = persons. These suffixes mo/va denotes human beings.

The other classes are: taboki = the book/ tabovi = the books. These suffixes ki/vi denotes objects (inanimate class).

ndzane/ ndzadi = the dog (s). These suffixes ne/di denotes animals, insects.

timu/timi = tree(s). These suffixes mu/mi denote plants, fruit, vegetables.

dzima = the water, indefinite form madzi = water ( general name) This suffix ma is only used for certain fluids.

tsekako = to laugh; bonako = to see; this suffix ko is used to mark verbs.

bónavo = vision, view; tsékavo = laughter. This suffix vo converts a verb into an abstract noun.

There is an extra class with the suffix: -si, e.g. Ente si  = the Entesi language. This class is used to indicate languages and is used exclusively in the definitive form.

Pronouns
These are the personal pronouns in Entesi: ení = I, ehó = you (sg), ehá =  he/she, eto =  we (incl), ewe = we (exclusive), evo = you (plur), eva =  they. The most obvious difference in pronouns is the two forms of the first person plural: the inclusive and the exclusive forms. This feature is absent in Fangwa and Zandi and Entegwa (a mixed language originating from Entesi with very strong influences of Fangwa).

Verbs
In Entesi verbs are marked for tense and person.The tense suffixes are: ''ye (present tense), li (past tense), zo (future tense). To conjugate for person you have to use the short form of the personal pronouns and attach that after the basic verb + tense form, eg: bonako = to see, bonáye ni = I see (present tense) [ see-pres-I], bonáli ni = I saw ( past tense), ''bonázo ni = I will see (future tense). So ni denotes the first person singular and is the short form of the personal pronoun used in conjugation. The  stress  in the pronounciation of the conjugated form of the verb falls on the last vowel of the bare stem of the verb. The short versions of the other personal pronouns are: o = you (sing), a = he/she/ (it), to = we (incl), we = we (excl), vo = you (plur), va = they.

Negation
Entesi also has also two negative particles  ka  and te, The particle  ka  is inserted directly after the stem of verb but before the tense particle and the personal pronoun particle, the particle  ka  also recieves the  stress  in the pronounciation. The particle te is put after the verb. Eg:

Dzánamo pyomáyemo = the child reads [child-the read-pres.tense-human class particle]

Dzánamo pyomakáyemo = the child doesn't read [child-the read-neg-pr.tense-hum class part]

Dzánamo pyomáyemo te = the child doesn't read ( the child does something else than reading but definitely does not engage in the act of reading) [child-the read-pres.tense-human class part + neg part type 2]

Combing both particles gives a very strong negation, just like in Fangwa:

Dzánamo pyomakáyemo te = the child  doesn't  read at all [child-the read-neg-pres.tense-human class + neg part 2]

Numbers
1 = mozi, 2 = viri, 3 = tato, 4 = nye, 5 = tano, 6 = tandato, 7 = sombo, 8 = none, 9 = kenda,  10 = goma, 100 = kemi, 1000 = kale, 1000.000 = fuko.

20 = virigoma, 30 = tatogoma etc,,these numerals also have a shorter form, these forms are: viroma = 20; tatoma = 30; nyoma = 40; tanoma = 50; tandatoma = 60; somboma = 70; nonoma = 80; kendoma = 90. There are also short for the multiples of 100 and 1000: viremi = 200, tatemi = 300, nyemi = 400, tanemi = 500, tandatemi = 600, sombemi = 700, nonyemi = 800, kendyemi = 900. Two thousand (2000) = viryale, 3000 = tatale, 4000 = nyale, 5000 = tanwale, 6000 = tandatale, 7000 = sombale, 8000 = nonale, 9000 = kendale,  10.000 (ten thousand) = gomale,  20.000 (twenty thousand) = viromale, The short forms of the multiples of ten thousand are made by taking the corresponding short form of the multiples of 10 and adding le to it as a suffix. Twelve thousand = viri nga gomale,  100.000 (one hundred thousand) = kemale. For fuko there are no short forms yet, it is possible to make them but they are rarely used. The short forms are used in everyday speech and the longer forms are used in formal occasions and documents. The number 12 is formed like this viri nga goma ( two and ten). All the numbers between 10 and 100 are formed this way so the lower number + nga + '''higher number. The number 101 is  kemi nga  mozi '(one hundred and one) but one can also say: mozi  nga kemi '' (one and a hundred)

Numerals go before the nouns that are counted, the first numeral takes the suffix of the noun that is being counted in the specified form. The unspecified number is the bare numeral + the noun class and the bare noun. Eg tátova kádziva = the 3 women (refering to specific 3 women), tato va kadzi = 3 women (unspecified).

Adjectives
The adjectives in Entesi precede the noun and they take on the suffix of the noun class that it describes:

dzúrimo dzánamo = the good child [good-the child-the (in this case mo is the human class suffix)]

dzúriva dzánava = the good childten [good-plur child-plur]

dzúriki taboki = the good book [good-the book-the] ki = inanimate suffix marker

dzúrine ndzane= the good dog [ ne is the suffix that denotes an animal (sg)]

Numerals go in front of the other adjectives, e.g. tátova dzúriva dzánova = the three good children [ three-pl good-pl child-pl] (the definite form); tato dzuri va dzano = three good children (indefinite form)

Sample texts
rúmemo dzima nyonzwáyea = the man drinks the water (lit: man-def art [human] water(definite form) drink-pres tense-he [human class])

Ente si wekwáye to = We speak Entesi (lit: Entesi [language] speak-pres tense -we [incl])