Dornel is one of the most important languages of the Efhang family. Its relative simplicity made it an ideal language for commerce and business, until it was almost completely replaced by Tláymyts.
Phonology[]
Words are stressed on the first syllable, except when an unstressed prefix is added.
Consonants[]
p [p]
t [t]
k [k]
b [b]
d [d]
g [g]
f [f]
þ [θ]
x [x]
ð [ð]
s [s]
dz [dz]
sh [ʃ]
zh [ʒ]
m [m]
n [n]
r [ɻ]
l [l]
y [j]
w [w]
h [h]
Vowels[]
Vowels and diphthongs are:
a [a]
aw [aw]
e [e], [ɛ]
ey [ej], [ɛj]
i [i], [ɪ]
iy [ij], [ɪj]
o [o], [ɔ]
ow [ow], [ɔw]
u [ʌ], [u]
uw [ʌw], [uw]
ə [ə]
Vowels e and o are pronounced primiarily as [ɛ] and [ɔ]. In dialects, the pronunciations [e] and [o] are common.
For u, the standard pronunciation is [ʌ], but the variation [u] also occurs.
Morphology[]
Nouns[]
There are three gender of nouns: masculine, feminine and neuter.
Nouns are declined according to two numbers: singular and plural, and to four cases, viz.:
Nominative (subject)
Accusative (direct object)
Dative (indirect object)
Genitive (possessive)
Masculine Nouns[]
Declension
Example: uwnan "man", "person"
Number
Singular
Plural
Nominative
-
-uð
Accusative
-o
-ozh
Dative
-uk
-eks
Genitive
-ik
-iks
Number
Singular
Plural
Nominative
uwnan
uwnanuð
Accusative
uwnano
uwnanozh
Dative
uwnanuk
uwnaneks
Genitive
uwnanik
uwnaniks
Feminine Nouns[]
Declension
Example: feynreh "family"
Number
Singular
Plural
Nominative
-
-eð
Accusative
-ew
-ezh
Dative
-ek
-eks
Genitive
-ik
-iks
Number
Singular
Plural
Nominative
feynreh
feynreheð
Accusative
feynrehew
feynrehezh
Dative
feynrehek
feynreheks
Genitive
feynrehik
feynrehiks
Neuter Nouns[]
Declension
Example: ðeytet "city", "town"
Number
Singular
Plural
Nominative
-
-ið
Accusative
-iw
-izh
Dative
-uk
-uks
Genitive
-ik
-iks
Number
Singular
Plural
Nominative
ðeytet
ðeytetið
Accusative
ðeytetiw
ðeytetizh
Dative
ðeytetuk
ðeytetiks
Genitive
ðeytetik
ðeytetiks
Adjectives[]
Adjectives are declined in a way similar to that of nouns, but with the element i prevailing in the endings. There is no gender distinction.
mupfi "new", "young"[]
Number
Singular
Plural
Nominative
mupfi
mupfið
Accusative
mupfiw
mupfizh
Dative/Genitive
mupfik
mupfiks
Kelmti "great"[]
Number
Singular
Plural
Nominative
kelmti
kelmtið
Accusative
kelmtiw
kelmtizh
Dative/Genitive
kelmtik
kelmtiks
Comparative Form[]
Superiority[]
The particle ka is used before the adjective. Ex.:
kelmti "large", ka kelmti "larger"
mupfi "new", ka mupfi "newer"
punni "good", ka punni "better"
Equality[]
Inferiority[]
Superlative[]
The particle hun is used before the adjective. Ex.:
kelmti "large", hun kelmti "the largest"
mupfi "new", hun mupfi "the newest"
punni "good", hun punni "the best"
Pronouns[]
Pronouns follow the same declension system used for nouns and adjectives, with little differences in some forms.
Personal[]
The initial e- in the forms of er (except nominative) is dropped in speech, with stress shifting to the last syllable. In written and formal language, however, it is always kept and carries stress.
Nominative
Accusative
Dative
Genitive
1st p. sing.
is
niw
nuk
nik
2nd p. sing.
dos
diw
duk
dik
3rd p. sing. m.
er
(e)ro
(e)ruk
(e)rik
3rd p. sing. f.
er
(e)rew
(e)rek
(e)rik
3rd p. sing. n.
er
(e)riw
(e)ruk
(e)rik
1st p. pl.
muð
mizh
miks
miks
2nd p. pl.
fuð
fizh
diks
diks
3rd p. pl. m.
(e)ruð
(e)rozh
(e)reks
(e)riks
3rd p. pl. f.
(e)reð
(e)rezh
(e)reks
(e)riks
3rd p. pl. n.
(e)rið
(e)rizh
(e)ruks
(e)riks
Possessive[]
Possessive pronouns are declined like any other adjective.
Person
Singular
Plural
1st
nimi
muðði
2nd
diyi
fuðði
3rd m., f. and n.
ðiyi
uyi
Demonstrative[]
iðði "this" (very near)
hissi "this" (not so near)
giyi "that" (far)
Interrogative[]
xiy "what"
xawn "who"
wer "which"
neng "how"
heym "where"
gohem "when"
Relative[]
xiy "that"
xawn "who"
Indefinite[]
hekonn "some", "any"
mayom "no", "none"
dutt "all", "every"
xett "each", "every"
Numbers[]
Cardinal Numbers[]
0 sawl
1 honn
2 tuð
3 delð
4 goleh
5 ðeng
6 dziyes
7 ðawdi
8 uhyed
9 mufi
10 tawððes
11 hontawð
12 tuttawð
13 dettawð
14 gohettawð
15 ðeguttawð
16 dzittawð
17 ðawdittawð
18 uhyettawð
19 mufittawð
20 fed
21 fed honn
30 dled
40 goheled
50 ðeygohed
60 dziheyðed
70 ðawded
80 uhyeded
90 mufed
100 ðawn
Ordinal Numbers[]
Ordinal numbers are simply the cardinal numbers turned to adjectives and preceded by the particle i:
Most endings have been lost. Mood, tense and voice are mostly indicated by means of particles put before or after the verb. Some auxiliary verbs are also used.
Sample Conjugation: feyto "see"[]
Here is the full conjugation of the verb feyto "see". For other verbs, just change the root (in this case, feyt-).
Infinitive: feyt-o
Tense
Indicative
Conditional
Participle
Imperative
Present
1s
feyt-əm
2s
feyt-ez
3s
feyt-ək
1p
feyt-unð
2p
feyt-ey
3p
feyt-əng
1s
men feyt-əm
2s
men feyt-ez
3s
men feyt-ək
1p
men feyt-unð
2p
men feyt-ey
3p
men feyt-əng
feyt-əd
1s
-
2s
feyt-
3s
feyt-ək
1p
feyt-nuð
2p
feyt-ded
3p
feyt-ang
Perfective
1s
efəm feyt
2s
efez feyt
3s
efək feyt
1p
efunð feyt
2p
efey feyt
3p
efəng feyt
1s
men efəm feyt
2s
men efez feyt
3s
men efək feyt
1p
men efunð feyt
2p
men efey feyt
3p
men efəng feyt
feyt-ət
-
Aorist
1s
stam feyt-əm
2s
stadz feyt-ez
3s
stak feyt-ək
1p
stanð feyt-unes
2p
stay feyt-ey
3p
stang feyt-əng
1s
men stam feyt-əm
2s
men staz feyt-ez
3s
men stak feyt-ək
1p
men stanð feyt-unð
2p
men stay feyt-ey
3p
men stang feyt-əng
feyt-əs
-
Imperfective
1s
sin feyt-əm
2s
sin feyt-ez
3s
sin feyt-ək
1p
sin feyt-unð
2p
sin feyt-ey
3p
sin feyt-əng
1s
men sin feyt-əm
2s
men sin feyt-ez
3s
men sin feyt-ək
1p
men sin feyt-unð
2p
men sin feyt-ey
3p
men sin feyt-əng
feyt-ət
-
Pluperfect
1s
efəm tot feyt
2s
efez tot feyt
3s
efək tot feyt
1p
efunð tot feyt
2p
efey tot feyt
3p
efəng tot feyt
1s
men efəm tot feyt
2s
men efez tot feyt
3s
men efək tot feyt
1p
men efunð tot feyt
2p
men efey tot feyt
3p
men efəng tot feyt
feyt-lan
-
Future
1s
feyt-liy-əm
2s
feyt-liy-ez
3s
feyt-liy-ək
1p
feyt-liy-nð
2p
feyt-liy-ded
3p
feyt-liy-nga
1s
men feyt-liy-əm
2s
men feyt-liy-ez
3s
men feyt-liy-ək
1p
men feyt-liy-nð
2p
men feyt-liy-dedz
3p
men feyt-liy-nga
feyt-ol
-
Future Perfect
1s
efliyəm feyt
2s
efliyez feyt
3s
efliyək feyt
1p
efliynð feyt
2p
efliyded feyt
3p
efliynga feyt
1s
men efliyəm feyt
2s
men efliyez feyt
3s
men efliyək feyt
1p
men efliynð feyt
2p
men efliyded feyt
3p
men efliynga feyt
feyt-elt
-
Passive Voice[]
Passive voice is formed by means of the particle delem put before the verb. Agent is indicated by means of the preposition bə with the genitive case. Ex.:
Reyfəl delem efək genbəl bə nik. "The book was bought by me."
Istuleyh delem melliyək bə erik. "The story is going to be told by him."
Sample[]
"Duttið uwnanuð meððəng reyflið, kas teykmeytetek hiy kas teyliheydeks. Eruð efəng lesewew hiy gemzemzeyew, hiy tifəng esho honn uhodluk hen ispeyleyduk helnemtetik."
("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.")