Old Shax

General Information
This is the long lost North African romance language. It manifested in the Maghreb: specifically in modern-day Morocco, the Roman Empire's Mauritania. The East Roman Empire's side of North Africa was influenced by Greek and gave birth to coptic and other such languages. Though, influence from Western Romance languages, namely Iberian, have made it closer to those such languages. It's sister language, Vandalic, followed a much different path. Mauritania was enamored by the Vandals and have borrowed from it*.

("wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" <- for collapsible tables)

(*) With permission of course ;)

(†) In Verbial Phrases in Syntax

Vowel
All vowels can be nasal

Stress
Stress falls on primarily on the closed syllable (except if it's ultimate) or a pre-rhotic syllable; if there isn't one of those conditions, the stress falls on the penultimate. Note that stress on the ultimate syllable is on an open syllable followed by a closed syllable in a two syllable word. On two, open syllable words, the stress falls on the ultimate syllable if the ultimate syllable is of a nasal vowel, diphthong, or nasal diphthong. Nasal vowels carry more strength than non-nasal vowels so if any above condition is not ture, the stress will fall on the nasal vowel.

Sandhi
The vowels [u] and [i] may be freely exchanged for [w] and [j] respectivally before vowel regardless of word barriors (u amu [w.amu] - I like/love). Identical vowels between word boundries may also fuse into one sound (u sũ ũ fezuã [u sũ fezwã] - I am a person). Note that vowel nasality is also quite free. If there is a nasal vowel near any vowel, the adjecent vowel[s] may become allophoniclly nasal as well.

Alphabet

 * I/Y and U are [j] and [w] respectivally before another vowel
 * Ɵ and D are [ð] intervocalically
 * K is [ɣ] intervocallically

Multigraphs

 * Kk, Dd, and Θθ negate the intervocalic rule
 * Ei becomes [ɛ_] after or next to R or in a closed syllable
 * If one vowel is nasal in a set, all the vowels are nasal: (amãi [

1st Declension
selua [sɛlwa] - forest Contains only feminine nouns ending in [a].

2nd Declension
lovu [lovu] - wolf Contains only nouns ending in [u].

3rd Declension
faθ [faθ] - father Contains only masculine nouns. This is also the declension for gerunds.

4th Declension
re [re̞] - the truth of the situation/events, a witnesse's claim [in a court of law], reality [as opposed to a fantasy] (can be used to call someone crazy or deluded) Contains only feminine nouns.

Changing gender
Masculine nouns can change to feminine nouns by using the 4th declension and feminine nouns can use the 3rd declension.

Definite
The definite article is taken from the latin word hīc, for proximal, and ille, for medial-distal.

Indefinite
The indefinite is taken from the latin word ūnus, for proximal, and is, for medial-distal.

Zero
The zero article in Shax corresponds to the partative article.

Semantics
The indifinite article refers to any given noun. ũ lovu can refer to any single male wolf or any single wolf in general within one's sight. The plural indifinite article refers to any given group. The definite refers to a single important or noteworthy noun. i lovu can refers to the best or most important wolf or a special wolf. The plural refers, again, to a group.

Note that articles may also fuction as reletive pronouns (i.e.: i = here, this place (masculine noun), ũ = anyplace[s] here (masculine noun)).

Declension
Adjectives decline just like what they're modifying (ex with biũ, good: lovu biu, nice wolf, or selua bia, friendly woods/forest).

States
A comparitive is marked with the construction indefinite article + "more/most" + adjective (+ than + the thing being compared). A superlative is the same but using a definite article and without rest of the previous contruction that's in the parenthesis.

Transformations
A verb can become an adjective through the use of its present participle. A noun can become an adjective by placing it the way an adjective would be and declining it to what it's modifying. An adjective can become a noun by the same process as a noun would become an adjective.

Adverbs
Adverbs simply take the full adjective and end it in -θ for Vandalic loans, -k for Arabic loans (though, most Arabic adverb borrowings are irregular), -i for English loans, and -mẽ for everything else.

Morphology
Full article here.

Reflexive
Put the corresponding accusative pronoun with the verb (ex: u me lu [u me lu] - I wash myself).

Prepositional
Being a head initial language, Shax puts its prepositions (or compound prepositions) in front of the noun. The noun take the Nom-Acc case. Sometimes, the noun will the Gen-Dat case. Note: the noun takes the appropriate article.

Nouns with adjectives
A nominal phrase has the noun at the head (which is the first word) with adjective following it. Adjectives follow it in a logical order of which descibes the noun best or which is the most important quality. Therefore, a change in the adjective can also change the semantic of the noun. Though in colloquial speech, the order is irrelevant and one would simply list to their whim.

Genitive Nouns
The noun being owned takes the genitive case and turns into an adjectives, but it is placed in front of the owner noun. mau faθi lovu means "My father's wolf."

Word Order
A personal pronoun is necessary before every verb form in Shax. If the clause uses pronouns alone, it is SOV (ex: u me lu - I wash myself, u θe θuve - you confuse me, u ele dormiau - I'll sleep [over] there; but u sũ ũ fezuã - I am a person). Note that interrogative sentences function as any normal verb would in Shax.

Negation
The general negation marker is a no before the main verb. Though, specific types of negation may be placed in place of no (i.e.: nobody, never, nobody ever, no where).

Conditional Clauses
Conditional clauses where there is a requirement clause then a condition clause require the indicative then a subjunctive. But, sentences where there is only a condition (like I'd do that) require the verb to be able to in the subjunctive.

Relative Clauses
These are introduced with either that or who/whom/what/which. They function as one would assume, but they are necessary and almost never omitted except in very informal or uneducated speech.

Subordinate Clauses
These can be made made with either a reletive pronoun or a subordinating conjunction.

Copula
There are two auxillary verbs used for a copula: to be and to have. When it's a construction with a noun and an adjective, he is good, one would use to have and the adjective as a noun.

Text
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Translation
Fezuãs naxũθu lhas o gualas avu xada jinda o xas kaccus. Eles duirún avu xada logga o muaida e eles daváin θodu cerrosié ũdamẽ.

IPA
[ˈfe̞zw̃ãs naˈʃũð̃u ˈʎas o ˈgʷalas ˈavu ˈʃaða ˈʒin̪ða ʊ ˈʃas ˈxakus]. [ˈe̞le̞s duiˈrun ˈavu ˈʃaða ˈloga ʊ ˈmwaɪ̯ða j ˈe̞les daˈvaɪ̯n̪ ˈθo̞ðu ke̞roˈsje̞ ʊ̃ðamẽ̞].

Gloss

 * 1) person. 1st DEC: PLUR-Nom/Acc to-be-born. IRREG: 3rd-PLUR-INDIC-ACT free. 1st DEC PLUR and* equal. 1st DEC-PLUR with their. OWNER-FEM-PLUR . OWNED: FEM-SING dignity. 1st DEC: SING-Nom/Acc  and* their. OWNER: FEM-PLUR . OWNED: MAS-PLUR rights. 2nd DEC: PLUR-Nom/Acc
 * 2) they to-endow. Type III Conj: 3rd-PLUR-INDIC-ACT with their. OWNER: FEM-PLUR . OWNED: FEM-SING logic. 1st DEC: PLUR**-Nom/Acc and* morality. 1st DEC: PLUR-Nom-ACC and* they must~need~ought. IRREG: 3rd-PLUR-INDIC-ACT all***. 2nd DEC: PLUR-Nom/Acc to-be-courteous-[to someone/something]. Type III Conj: INF unity. ADVERB

(*) and here, o, refers to two things together (this and that) rather than as a linking conjunction (he is that, and he is this). e refers to the conjunction.

(**) logic is always in the plural

(***) This makes the "to one another" idea. θodu is always plural.