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− | Of course, not all combinations of grammatical categories are possible. Nevertheless there is a fixed sequence of affixes which serves as a basis for a model |
+ | Of course, not all combinations of grammatical categories are possible. Nevertheless there is a fixed sequence of affixes which serves as a basis for a model with which it is possible to describe the verb morphology quite accurately: |
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Revision as of 18:02, 4 February 2013
Miwonša is an a priori conlang created in 2011 by Plusquamperfekt (member of http://www.unilang.org and http://www.incatena.org ). The grammar is essentially based on earlier conlang projects (for example Kĵatonša) that have not been finished. One unique feature of Miwonša is that it can be also written with Tarul, a conscript created in 2011.
PHONOLOGY
Consonants
LAB | ALV | P-ALV | PAL | VEL | GLO | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Plosive | p p' | t t' |
tɕ tɕ' |
k k' | ||
Affricate | ts | tʃ tʃ' | ||||
Nasal | m | n | ɲ | |||
Fricative | f | s z (ɬ) | ʃ ʒ | ɕ | (x) | h |
Other | w ʍ | l r | j ʎ |
Comments:
(1): /tɕ/ and /tɕ'/ are often pronounced with very little friction (especially before open vowels) so that they almost sound like plosives.
(2):The presence of /ɬ/ is considered to be a feature of very educated and sophisticated speakers. In colloquial situations it's absolutely acceptable to replace /ɬ/ with /ɕ/.
(3): [x] is a possible allophone of /k/ in the syllable coda.
(4): Some loanwords from natural languages contain the phonemes /b/, /d/, /g/ and /v/. However, in fast speech they are often merged with [p], [t], [k] and [f].
Vowels
front | central | back | |
---|---|---|---|
closed | i ĩ | u ũ | |
mid | ɛ ɛ̃ | ɔ ɔ̃ | |
open | ä ã |
Comments:
(1) In stressed open syllables, /ɛ/ and /ɔ/ may be pronounced a bit more closed; [e] and [o]
(2) Since there is some dialectical variation, /a/ and /ã/ can be also pronounced as back vowels: [ɑ ɑ̃]
front | central | back | |
---|---|---|---|
closed | iʊ | uɪ | |
mid | ɛɪ | ɔɪ ɔʊ | |
open | äɪ äʊ |
Comments:
(1) All Diphthongs are falling diphthongs.
(2) /äʊ/ can also be pronounced as [ɑʊ]
ORTHOGRAPHY
Letter | Name | Standard Pronunciation | Before [i, ĩ, iʊ] |
---|---|---|---|
A a | [ä:] | [ä:] | |
B b | [bɛ] | [b~p] | |
C c | [tɕɛ]~[cɛ] | [tɕ~c] | does not occur |
Č č | [tʃä] | [tʃ] | |
D d | [dɛ] | [d~t] | |
E e | [ɛ] | [ɛ] | |
F f | [fä] | [f] | |
G g | [gɛ] | [g~k] | |
H h | [hä] | [h] | [ɕ] |
I i | [i] | [i] | does not occur |
j | [jɛ] | [j] | does not occur |
K k | [kä] | [k] | |
L l | [lä] | [l] | [ʎ] or [lʲ] |
M m | [mä] | [m] | |
N n | [nä] | [n] | [ɲ] or [nʲ] |
O o | [ɔ] | [ɔ] | |
P p | [pɛ] | [p] | |
R r | [ra] | [r] | |
S s | [sa] | [s] | |
Š š | [ʃä] | [ʃ] | |
T t | [tɛ] | [t] | [tɕ] |
U u | [u] | [u] | |
V v | [vu] | [v] | |
W w | [wä] | [w] | |
Y y | [jä] | [j] | does not occur |
Z z | [zä] | [z] | |
Ž ž | [ʒä] | [ʒ] |
Digraph | Type | Standard pronunciation | Before [i, ĩ, iʊ] |
---|---|---|---|
an | nasal vowel | ã | does not occur |
en | nasal vowel | ɛ̃ | does not occur |
in | nasal vowel | ĩ | does not occur |
on | nasal vowel | ɔ̃ | does not occur |
un | nasal vowel | ũ | does not occur |
ai | diphthong | äɪ | does not occur |
au | diphthong | äʊ | does not occur |
ei | diphthong | ɛɪ | does not occur |
iw | diphthong | iʊ | does not occur |
oi | diphthong | ɔɪ | does not occur |
ou | diphthong | ɔʊ | does not occur |
ui | diphthong | uɪ | does not occur |
ch | ejective affricate | tɕ' | does not appear |
čh | ejective affricate | tʃ' | |
kh | ejective plosive | k' | |
ph | ejective plosive | p' | |
th | ejective plosive | t' | tɕ' |
hj | palatal consonant | ɕ | does not occur |
lj | palatal consonant | ʎ | does not occur |
nj | palatal consonant | ɲ | does not occur |
hw | other consonant | ʍ | |
lh | other consonant | ɬ | does not occur |
lw | consonant cluster | ɬw |
NOUNS
The four declensions
In Miwonša, all native nouns either end in "-a", "-i", "-o" or "-n". They can be grouped into four declensions. There are four cases (nominative, genitive, dative, accusative) and two numbers (singular, plural). All declensions except the "n" declension have two subtypes.
The "a" declension
In the "a" declension, the last consonant is decisive for the choice of the correct suffix in the nominative, accusative and dative plural. If a stem of a noun ends in <c>, <j>, <y> or <w>, the plural suffixes are <e> and <eš>, All other stems require the suffixes and <iš>. A final <r> always becomes palatalized in the nominative, accusative and dative plural:
Example nouns of the "a" class (type 1): tahonta (human being), hanza (dog) → tahonti (humans), hanzi (dogs)
Example nouns of the "a" class (type 2): wanca (girl), siwa (water) → wance (girls), siwe (waters)
Example nouns of the "a" class (type 3): tara (day), lura (night) → taži (days), luži (nights)
The "o" declension
While the declension in the singular is equal for all nouns of the "o" declension, there are two sets of plural suffixes for animated and inanimated nouns. Animated nouns ending in <j> or <y> take the suffixes <e>, <ek> and <eš> in the plural. Final <r>s of animated noun stems are palatalized:
Example nouns of the "o" class (an., type 1): wonco (child), škunlo (thief) → wonti (children), škunli (thieves)
Example nouns of the "o" class (an., type 2): anro (father) → anži (fathers)
Example nouns of the "o" class (inanimated): žanjo (eye) → žanja (eyes)
The "i" declension
All nouns of the "i" declension require the same suffixes in the singular and plural. The only irregularity is the "i"-alternation (see section about phonology):
Example nouns of the "i" class (no alternation): raiči (opinion) → raiča (opinions)
Example nouns of the "i" class (alternation): kaipi (mountain) → kaipja (mountains)
The "n" declension
With very few exceptions, native nouns of the "n"-class are very regular:
Declension
"a" type 1 |
"a" type 2 | "o" animate | "o" inanimate | "i" type 1 | "i" type 2 | "n" | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
TRANSLATION |
language |
mother | boy | year | family | heart | friend |
NOM.SG | žwena | maca | kjunšo | šanlo | zwanši | kjani | tuškan |
ACC.SG | žwenai | macai | kjunšoi | šanloi | zwanši | kjani | tuškani |
GEN.SG | žwenak | macak | kjunšok | šanlok | zwanšik | kjanik | tuškanka |
DAT.SG | žwenaš | macaš | kjunšoš | šanloš | zwanšiš | kjaniš | tuškanša |
NOM.PL/ACC.PL | žweni | mace | kjunši | šanla | zwanša | kjanja | tuškanje |
GEN.PL | žwenoi | macoi | kjunšik | šanlai | zwanšiki | kjaniki | tuškanki |
DAT.PL | žweniš | maceš | kjunšiš | šanlaš | zwanšiši | kjaniši | tuškanši |
The infix <-aš>
"a" type 1 | "a" type 2 | "o" animate | "o" inanimate | "i" type 1 | "i" type 2 | "n" | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
TRANSLATION | this language | this mother | this boy | this year | this family | this heart | this friend |
NOM.SG | žwenaša | macaša | kjunšašo | šanlašo | zwanšaši | kjanjaši | tuškašan |
ACC.SG | žwenašai | macašai | kjunšašoi | šanlašoi | zwanšaši | kjanjaši | tuškašani |
GEN.SG | žwenašak | macašak | kjunšašok | šanlašok | zwanšašik | kjanjašik | tuškašanka |
DAT.SG | žwenašaš | macašaš | kjunšašoš | šanlašoš | zwanšašiš | kjanjašiš | tuškašanša |
NOM.PL/ACC.PL | žwenaši | macaši | kjunšaši | šanlaša | zwanšaša | kjanjaša | tuškašanje |
GEN.PL | žwenašoi | macašoi | kjunšašik | šanlašai | zwanšaški | kjanjaški | tuškašanki |
DAT.PL | žwenašiš | macašiš | kjunšašiš | šanlašaš | zwanšašši | kjanjašši | tuškašanši |
The infix <-aw>
"a" type 1 | "a" type 2 | "o" animate | "o" inanimate | "i" type 1 | "i" type 2 | "n" | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
TRANSLATION | some/any language | some/any mother | some/any boy | some/any year | some/any family | some/any heart | some/any friend |
NOM.SG | žwenawa | macawa | kjunšawo | šanlawo | zwanšawi | kjanjawi | tuškawan |
ACC.SG | žwenawai | macawai | kjunšawoi | šanlawoi | zwanšawi | kjanjawi | tuškawani |
GEN.SG | žwenawak | macawak | kjunšawok | šanlawok | zwanšawik | kjanjawik | tuškawanka |
DAT.SG | žwenawaš | macawaš | kjunšawoš | šanlawoš | zwanšawiš | kjanjawiš | tuškawanša |
NOM.PL/ACC.PL | žwenawi | macawi | kjunšawi | šanlawa | zwanšawa | kjanjawa | tuškawanje |
GEN.PL | žwenawoi | macawoi | kjunšawik | šanlawai | zwanšawki | kjanjawki | tuškawanki |
DAT.PL | žwenawiš | macawiš | kjunšawiš | šanlawaš | zwanšawši | kjanjawši | tuškawanši |
PRONOUNS
ADJECTIVES
VERBS
Overview: Verb morphology in Miwonša
Although the verb morphology is out and away the most complex part of Miwonšan grammar, it is not as complicated as one might assume at first glance. There are, however, some features which make it hard and easy at the same time: On the one hand Miwonšan verbs have an immense amount of of grammatical categories and affixes, which is the cause of extremly high morpheme/word ratios and very long words. On the other hand there is only one single and very regular conjugation, very little allomorphy and very strict rules concerning where to place which affix. This leads to the conclusion that it is much more reasonable and economical to obtain an idea of the structure of Miwonšan verbs by taking a look at the whole morphological scheme.
First of all it is important to know that there are three main verb types:
(1) Standard Verbs (containing Modal Verbs); (2) Adjectival Verbs; (3) Copula Verbs
All three types can appear as finite and as infinite verb forms. There are several types of infinite verb forms:
(1) Infintives, (2) Adverbial Participles, (3) Adjectival Participles, (4) Gerunds, (5) Supines, (6) Gerundives
Furthermore, there are five voices (genus verbi), two aspects, at least five tenses, three grammatical moods and both subject and object agreement:
Categories | |
---|---|
Genus Verbi | Active (1), Passive (2), Reflexive (3), Reciprocal (4), Impersonal (5) |
Aspect | Imperfective (1), Perfective (2) |
Tense | Present (1), Past (2), Future (3), Present Perfect (4), Past Perfect (3) |
Mood | Indicative (1), Subjunctive (2), Imperative (3) |
Agreement | Nominative (1), Accusative (2) |
Of course, not all combinations of grammatical categories are possible. Nevertheless there is a fixed sequence of affixes which serves as a basis for a model with which it is possible to describe the verb morphology quite accurately:
Slot 7 | Slot 6 | Slot 5 | Slot 4 | Slot 3 | Slot 2 | Slot 1 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(Stem) | Interfix | Tenses | STEM |
Subject Agreement |
Object Agreement; Voice |
Mood, Verb Type |
The Seven-Slot Model
Slot 1: Aspect and Mode
Slot 2: Voice, Transitivity and Object Agreement
Slot 3: Subject Agreement
Slot 4: Verb Stem
Slot 5: Tense
Slot 6+7: The Perfect and the Future Tense
Tense, Aspect, Mode and Verb Type: Possible Combinations and restrictions
Infinitive
Finite verbs
Participles
Gerunds
Supines
Gerundives
Adjectival Verbs
The copula "kwa"