Deshai

General Information
Deshai (natively /téːʃwiːɬu/, literally "this language", transliterated as Tḗšwī-lu)

Classification and Dialects

 * Classical Deshai
 * Šánhis-Kátšis Deshai
 * Westosese Deshai

Consonants

 * All consonants may also be geminated after vowels.

Stress
Stress is contrastive and varies by word class and form. It will be indicated in this article with an acute accent if it does not occur on the vowel immediately preceding the last consonant of the root.

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 Deshaiant-majority countries to varying degrees.

Chevin script
Deshai is usually written in the Chevin script.

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

a, ā, ã, e, ē, ẽ, i, ī, ĩ, o, ō, õ, u, ū, ũ

Vowel-final nouns
ex. wā́twisāl "our workshop", gī́tẽga wā́twisā "the seamster's workshop"

Derivational morphology
Nouns are derived from verbs by putting phonemes in between the consonants of the verb's triconsonantal root. Irregularities occur typically with roots with a final consonant of /j/, /w/, /r/, or a nasal.

Processes, recurrences, and instances are formed with the template CaCːVC, where the middle consonant is geminated and the vowel matches the aspect infixes (continuous, habitual, and perfective, respectively) that the verb form of the root uses.

Experiencer nouns use the template C(V)CṼC, the vowels of which are highly irregular.

Agent nouns use the template CīCC.

Instrumental nouns use the template CḗCwaC.

Location nouns use the template Cā́CCis.

Basics
Verbs are based on (usually) triconsonantal roots. The citation form shows all inherent consonants and the vowel used in the continuous aspect, which are all that is needed to conjugate any given verb.

ex. k-w-t' "to think/find out", l-t-j "to die", w-h-š "to run", š-t-t "to freeze", l'-h-k "to slash", n-p'-r "to eat", w-t-w "to create", t-š-r "to love", h-'-s "to do", ts-š-y "to speak/talk", g-t-n "to sew"

Aspect
The vowels for the other two aspects are predictable from the vowel used in the continuous aspect. The aspect vowel is placed before the final consonant of the root and receives the word stress.

Absolutive argument

 * The 3s.inan only has a vowel if the resulting consonant cluster is unpronounceable, the epenthetic vowel is either /u/ (before a bilabial consonant), /i/ (before /j/), or /a/ (elsewhere).

Ergative argument and Mood

 * The vowel used in the subjunctive is /a/, /e/, or /u/, based on aspect.


 * 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.