Nòcara

Phonology
Nòcara has 10 vowels, and 18 consonants. In Nòcaran alphabetical order, they are è, ù, a, u, e, i, o, à, ò, ì, l, r, m, n, p, t, c, b, d, g, f, s, š, v, z, ž, č, j.

Vowels
è - [i]

ù - [u]

a - [a]

u - [ʌ]

e - [ɛ]

i - [ɪ]

o - [ɔ]

à - [e]

ò - [o]

ì - [y]

Consonants
Consonants without diacritical marks are pronounced as in English.

š - [ʃ]

č - [ʧ]

ž - [ʒ]

Phonotactics
The usual syllable structure is a simple CV. However, affixes deviate from this. Prefixes are allowed to be simply V, and suffixes are usually CVC.

Sentence Structure
The basic sentence structure is SOV. However, given the degree of marking, any word order is understandable, and sometimes used for emphasis. Adjectives follow the nouns they modify, adverbs follow their verbs, and adpositions are postpositions.

Nouns
Nouns have six cases: Intransitive/Absolutive, Ergative, Accusative, Dative, Postpositional, and Genitive. Cases are marked with vowel prefixes. Nouns are also declined based on number: singular, dual, or plural and this is marked with a suffix.

In transliterated foreign words beginning with a vowel, an l is added between the prefix and the word. For example, America would be written as Umàricu in the absolutive case, but in the ergative case, it would be written as Alumàricu.

Intransitive/Absolutive Case
Unmarked case (dictionary word), used for the arguement of an intransitive verb. The word for ring, tumòma, for example: "The ring(s) sparkled."

Ergative Case
Marks the subject of a transitive verb. Using tumòma again: "The ring(s) hit him."

Accusative Case
Marks the object of a transitive verb. Keeping with tumòma: "The goldsmith forged the ring(s)."

Dative Case
Marks the indirect object. "The jeweler added diamonds to the ring(s)."

Postpositional Case
This marks the object of a postpositional phrase. "The diamonds on the ring(s) sparkled."

Genitive Case
A noun modifying another noun to indicate a relationship, frequently posession. "The ring's owner dropped it."/"The rings' owner dropped them."

Pronouns
Pronouns are declined in the same manner and using the same affixes as normal nouns, as can be see by the dual and plural forms in the table below. One exception is going from I to we, the inclusive form changes slightly from the root. The dual and plural forms of he and she are used when the group being referred to is all one gender. For mixed groups, the plural of it is used.

Verbs
There are three tenses (past, present, future), and four aspects (perfective, habitual, continuous, simple), all indicated with prefixes. Number (as with nouns) and mood (infinitive, indicative, imperative, potential, interrogative) are indicated with suffixes. Affix order is tense-aspect-root-mood-number. The verb number agrees with the subject, and uses the same suffixes.

Infinitive Mood
The basic, unconjugated form. In English, usually indicated by the word "to" in front: "to go". In Nòcara, unconjugated verbs end with rà. For example, "to speak" is nòcarà.

Tenses
The tenses are indicated with a vowel prefix. Past tense is marked with à-, present tense is marked with ò- and future tense is marked with ì-.

Aspects
Simple aspect is unmarked. The other three have infixes that follow the tense prefix and precede the root word. Perfective is -ba-, habitual is -pa-, and continuous is -ta-.

Indicative Mood
Indicative mood is a statement of fact. "She speaks to him." A verb is conjugated for indicative mood by adding -lo. So, "nòcarà", "to speak" becomes "nòcaràlo", which then has prefixes for tense and aspect added, as mentioned above and as demonstrated in the nifty table below. Simple: She spoke to him. She speaks to him. She will speak to him.

Nòcara: Cèdà ucèdo ànòcaràlo. Cèdà ucèdo ònòcaràlo. Cèdà ucèdo ìnòcaràlo.

Perfective: She has spoken to him. She will have spoken to him.

Nòcara: Cèdà ucèdo àbanòcaràlo. Cèdà ucèdo ìbanòcaràlo.

Habitual: She used to speak to him. She speaks to him regularly. She will speak to him regularly.

Nòcara: Cèdà ucèdo àpanòcaràlo. Cèdà ucèdo òpanòcaràlo. Cèdà ucèdo ìpanòcaràlo.

Continuous: She was speaking to him. She is speaking to him. She will be speaking to him.

Nòcara: Cèdà ucèdo àtanòcaràlo. Cèdà ucèdo òtanòcaràlo. Cèdà ucèdo ìtanòcaràlo.

Imperative Mood
Imperative mood is used when giving an order. "(You) speak to him." Verbs in the imperative mood are conjugated by adding -mo. Nòcarà ---> nòcaràmo. The you is implied in all forms, however, it may be added for emphasis. Simple: Speak to him. You will speak to him.

Nòcara: Ucèdo ònòcaràmo. Ucèdo ìnòcaràmo.

Habitual: Speak to him regularly. You will speak to him regularly.

Nòcara: Ucèdo òpanòcaràmo. Ucèdo ìpanòcaràmo.

Potential Mood
Potential mood is used when something is not certain. "She might have spoken to him." Potential-mood verbs take the -so suffix. Nòcarà ---> nòcaràso. Simple: She might have spoken to him. She might be speaking to him. She might speak to him.

Nòcara: Cèdà ucèdo ànòcaràso. Cèdà ucèdo ònòcaràso. Cèdà ucèdo ìnòcaràso.

Habitual: She might have regularly spoken to him. She might be speaking to him regularly. She might speak to him regularly.

Nòcara: Cèdà ucèdo àpanòcaràso. Cèdà ucèdo òpanòcaràso. Cèdà ucèdo ìpanòcaràso.

Continuous: She might have been speaking to him. Interchangeable in present and future tense with simple; used for emphasis.

Nòcara: Cèdà ucèdo àtanòcaràso.

Interrogative Mood
This mood is used to ask simple questions by itself and, in conjunction with various "question words", more complex questions. It is marked with -zo. Nòcaràzo. Simple: Did she speak to him? Is she speaking to him? Will she speak to him?

Nòcara: Cèdà ucèdo ànòcaràzo? Cèdà ucèdo ònòcaràzo? Cèdà ucèdo ìnòcaràzo?

Perfective: Has she spoken to him?

Nòcara: Cèdà ucèdo àbanòcaràzo?

Habitual: Did she speak to him regularly? Does she speak to him regularly? Will she speak to him regularly?

Nòcara: Cèdà ucèdo àpanòcaràzo? Cèdà ucèdo òpanòcaràzo? Cèdà ucèdo ìpanòcaràzo?

Continuous: Was she speaking to him? Present tense interchangeable with simple; used for emphasis. Will she be speaking to him?

Nòcara: Cèdà ucèdo àtanòcaràzo? Cèdà ucèdo ìtanòcaràzo?

Adjectives and Adverbs
Adjectives and adverbs are created in the same way, by adding a suffix onto a root word. For example the noun speed, geda, can be turned into the adjective fast by adding -šù: gedašù. Speed can be turned into the adverb quickly by adding -šò: gedašò. Adverbs and adjectives follow the words they modify and agree with them in number.