Mhilva

Phonology
Vowels

1 reduced vowel                 ə <ĕ>

6 short vowels                    a , ɛ , i , o , u, ɨ 

6 long vowels                      a: <ā>, ɛ: <ē>, i: <ī>, ɔ <ō>, u: <ū>, ɨ: <ȳ>

6 centralizing vowels          aə , ɛə , iə , oə , uə , ɨ ə 

Nouns
Mhilva has two different groups in which nouns are classified: gender and noun class. Adjective always agree gender while verbs agree both gender and class in different parts of the cross-referencing system.

The genders are: the masculine, feminine, and plural gender. All plurals of masculine and feminine nouns are of the plural gender, but there are nouns only belonging to the plural. They do not have distinguished numbers.

The noun classes are: the animate, inanimate and abstract. There are nouns of all genders in all classes. Singulars of the animate gender are naturally feminine or masculine.

Moods
All verb classes – whether finite or infinite – have an inflextional paradigm of mood. The moods are: non-volitional, volitional, deontic and potential.

-         Non-volitional mood is the unmarked form of the paradigm

-         Volitional mood does not express that the subject wants to participate in the action but that he or she actively does it.

-         Deontic mood expresses, as its name implies, deontic modality, some kind of a need to do something.

-         Potential mood expresses both deontic and epistemic potentiality. Someone is either able to do something or there is a possibility that he or she does it.

nēcu – non-volitional – loves, is in love

nēctu – volitional – loves actively, keeps up loving

nēcelu – deontic – wants to love, should love

nēcnu – potential – can love

xuru – non-volitional – sees

xurtu – volitional – watches

xurolu – deontic – wants to see, should see

xurnu – potential – can see

These same moods appear in converbs, as well.

nēc – non-volitional – when loving (time), loving (cause)

nēct – volitional – by loving (means), when loving (time), loving (cause)

nēcel – deontic – in order to love (purpose)

nēcĕn – potential – when being able to love (time), being able to love (cause)

xur – non-volitional – when seeing (time), seeing (cause)

xurt – volitional – by seeing/watching (means), when seeing/watching (time), seeing/watching (cause)

xurol – deontic – in order to see/watch (purpose)

xurĕn – potential – when being able to see (time), being able to see (cause)

All verb classes – whether finite or infinite – have three relative tenses, as well. All moods and all relative tenses can be combined.

xuru – simultaneous – sees

noxuru – posterior, prospective – will see

exoru – anterior, perfect – has seen

xur – simultaneous – loving

noxur – posteriour, prospective – before loving

exur – anterior, perfect – after loving, having loved