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| Old Keuti kɯde̞nɒm | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | |||
| Agglutinative | |||
| Alignment | |||
| Ergative-Absolutive | |||
| Head direction | |||
| Final | |||
| Tonal | |||
| No | |||
| Declensions | |||
| Yes | |||
| Conjugations | |||
| Yes | |||
| Genders | |||
| No | |||
| Nouns decline according to... | |||
| Case | Number | ||
| Definiteness | Gender | ||
| Verbs conjugate according to... | |||
| Voice | Mood | ||
| Person | Number | ||
| Tense | Aspect | ||
General information[]
Old Keuti is the predecessor of Middle Keuti and is derived from Proto Keutan-Dztan. Old Keuti did not change much due to its relative isolation in a group of runaway slaves from the homeland of Proto Keutan-Dztan. The masculine and feminine genders became more defined as a legacy of the subordinate culture. The native name of the language /kɯde̞nɒm/ is a nebulous term derived from the verb "to subjugate" meaning roughly "subjugance". Some theorize the culture linked subjugation with speech because of superiors ordering them what to do.
Phonology[]
Consonants[]
| Bilabial | Labio-dental | Dental | Alveolar | Post-alveolar | Retroflex | Palatal | Velar | Uvular | Pharyngeal | Epiglottal | Glottal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | m | ɱ | n | ŋ | ||||||||
| Plosive | p b | t d | k g | ʔ | ||||||||
| Fricative | ɸ | f v | s z | h | ||||||||
| Affricate | ||||||||||||
| Approximant | j | w | ||||||||||
| Trill | ||||||||||||
| Flap or tap | ɾ | |||||||||||
| Lateral fric. | ||||||||||||
| Lateral app. | l | |||||||||||
| Lateral flap |
Vowels[]
| Front | Near-front | Central | Near-back | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Close | i | ɯ | |||
| Near-close | |||||
| Close-mid | ø | ɤ | |||
| Mid | e̞ | ||||
| Open-mid | ʌ | ||||
| Near-open | |||||
| Open | ɒ |
No dipthongs occur in Old Keuti, and there are no long vowels. If a vowel cluster has identical vowels, a glottal stop is inserted to differentiate.
Allophones[]
The /m/ sound changes to the /ɱ/ sound only in consonant clusters with either /f/ or /v/ directly after it. The /f/ sound changes into the /ɸ/ sound when it is the initial, non clustered consonant. /k/, /t/, and /p/ are aspirated when in a consonant cluster.
Transcription[]
| IPA | Transcription |
|---|---|
| ɱ | m |
| ŋ | ng |
| ng | n'g |
| ʔ | q |
| ɸ | f |
| ɾ | r |
| ɯ | eu |
| ø | oe |
| e̞ | e |
| ɤ | eo |
| ʌ | o |
| ɒ | a |
Apostrophes are placed in between vowel clusters.
Phonotactics[]
The syllable structure of Old Keuti is (C)V[C], where C is any consonant or consonant cluster and V is any short or long vowel. Consonant clusters can have up to three consonants. If there is no initial consonant, the syllable must be at the beginning of the word. The final consonant or consonant cluster is only used at the end of a word, but not necessarily for affixes and exception words. In a consonant cluster, consonants cannot occur more than once, plosives cannot occur after plosives, and taps cannot occur after nasals. The /ʔ/ sound cannot be clustered either. The /ɾ/ sound only occurs at the end of an initial consonant cluster. The /l/, /ɾ/, /j/, and /w/ sounds always have an /e̞/ sound attached after if they are the final consonant in a word, or in the middle or beginning of a tricluster. The syllables with voiced stop finals are unstressed, while the rest are stressed.
Grammar[]
| Gender | Cases | Numbers | Tenses | Persons | Moods | Voices | Aspects | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verb | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Nouns | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Adjectives | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Numbers | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Participles | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Adverb | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Pronouns | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Adpositions | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Article | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Particle | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Noun Phrase[]
Noun phrases are formed in Old Keuti with determiners and case markers. The noun modifying the other noun goes first in the noun phrase.
Demonstratives and Articles[]
Pronouns can either stand alone or be linked to a noun phrase.
| Determiner | Meaning | Type |
|---|---|---|
| hok | negative | article suffix |
| e | definite | article prefix |
| ke | proximal | demonstrative prefix |
| me | distal | demonstrative prefix |
| keg | proximal | demonstrative pronoun |
| meng | distal | demonstrative pronoun |
| pobeuf | reference to subject of previous clause | demonstrative pronoun |
| kloset | reference to object of previous clause | demonstrative pronoun |
Interrogatives[]
There is an extensive system of interrogative pronouns in Old Keuti.
| Type | Interrogative | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| impersonal | heuz | what |
| impersonal | heust | which one |
| personal | otle | who |
| location | euk | where |
| source | eusg | whence |
| goal | ipsk | whither |
| arbitrary time | neks | when |
| specific time | nekst | when exactly |
| manner | krontn | how |
| reason | kloens | why |
| arbitrary amount | sest | how much |
| specific amount | soglek | what number |
| product (animal or crop) | higwe | what product |
| leader | eln | what leader |
| polity | lront | what country |
| task | zrens | what task |
| season | ntens | what season |
Quantifiers[]
Quantifiers are treated as pronouns and not affixes.
| Quantifier | Meaning |
|---|---|
| qolz | some |
| imt | every |
| slolwe | all |
| euglep | few |
| strekles | many |
Numerals[]
The numeral system is base ten, with larger numbers formed by adding a number to a factor of ten, and repeating if necessary. Numbers act mostly as determiners attached to noun phrases. To have the numbers act as sequencers, attach the prefix /o/ for consonant initials, and /ot/ for vowel initials.
| Number | Meaning |
|---|---|
| efp | one |
| biwe | two |
| ih | three |
| ofg | four |
| fpefb | five |
| euwb | six |
| gifk | seven |
| mfek | eight |
| hih | nine |
| hok | ten |
| kiwk | fifty |
| weuf | hundred |
| vbeufp | five hundred |
| trost | ten thousand |
| ig | five thousand |
| pos | hundred thousand |
| sen | five hundred thousand |
| mongk | million |
Cases[]
Cases are marked by suffixes attached after the declined noun, and only form noun phrases if applicable.
| Suffix | Case | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| o | ergative | subject of a transitive verb |
| og | absolutive | subject of an intransitive verb and direct object of a transitive verb |
| oz | dative | recipient or affected |
| et | inessive | inside something |
| he | allative | movement to |
| hek | ablative | movement away |
| oz | instrumental | means or topic |
| ozre | comitative | accompaniment or means |
| onet | benefactive | beneficiary |
| ogo | causal | cause, reason, or exchange |
Genitive Cases[]
There are several types of genitive cases in Old Keuti.
| Suffix | Type |
|---|---|
| eut | inalienable possession |
| ode | alienable possession |
| es | composition |
| esm | origin or reference |
| eon | description by noun |
Personal Pronouns[]
Personal pronouns inflect based on gender, person, and relation. Collective pronouns are formed by using the inclusive suffix /egle/ or the exclusive suffix /eufm/.
| Person | Masculine | Feminine | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | Filial | Subordinate | Superior | General | Filial | Subordinate | Superior | |
| First | strojos | sronos | odos | troskos | strojes | srones | odes | troskes |
| Second | strojeus | sroneus | odeus | troskeus | streujes | sreunes | eudes | treuskes |
| Third | strojis | sronis | odis | troskis | strijes | srines | ides | triskes |
Adjectives and Adverbs[]
Adjectives and adverbs are placed preceding the word they modify. The comparative suffix is /bozet/, and the superlative suffix is /tozego/. The order in which adjectives and adverbs must be attached to a head is this:
- Head
- Qualifier
- Number
- Quantifier
- Demonstrative/Interrogative
An important qualifier is the polarity adverb /hewe/, which changes the modified verb's polarity to negative.
Verb Phrase[]
The main verb expresses modality and some voice by inflecting the final cluster at the end of the verb. The infinitive and supine consonant cluster is /z/. An auxiliary verb is attached to form a verb phrase.
| Cluster | Mode/Voice | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| kwe | indicative | factual statements and positive beliefs |
| wren | subjunctive | hypothetical situations in dependent clauses |
| kmwe | conditional | to express something whose validity is dependent on a condition in a dependent clause |
| swek | optative | expresses hopes and wishes |
| skle | imperative | direct commands |
| mf | jussive | pleading and insistence |
| ple | tentative | the occurence is considered likely |
| sk | potential | capable to perform the action |
Auxiliary Verbs[]
The auxiliary verb must always accompany a verb to express politeness, tense, and aspect. There are some alternate forms based on gender, with the feminine form on the left and the masculine on the right if applicable. The auxiliary verb is placed after the main verb in the clause. The passive voice auxiliary verb /kong/ is attached preceding the auxiliary verb or the main verb to turn a transitive verb into an intransitive verb.
| Nonpast Tense | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aspect | Colloquial | Filial | Formal | |
| Perfective | zo | one; ono | zonoge | |
| Progressive | etoz; zoge | iz; zewe | esomeu | |
| Stative | beuq | feh; omf | beuqten | |
| Habitual | ek | kesk | egons | |
| Past Tense | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aspect | Colloquial | Filial | Formal | |
| Perfective | zim | oge; nob | zogob | |
| Progressive | enm | mfke; ezn | iskem | |
| Stative | sboq | wekfoh | nbeuq | |
| Habitual | oen | geus | onom | |
Copula[]
The copula is a verb that links a subject with its complement, describing state. If the state is permanent the copula is /heuz/; if the state is temporary it is /tmez/.
Postpositions[]
The noun with the postposition is attached preceding a noun phrase or verb phrase to form a postpositional phrase.
| Postposition | Meaning |
|---|---|
| eulesro | according to |
| koqe | thanks to |
| egetn | among |
| swi | behind |
| nole | in front |
| kston | middle |
| egoje | on top |
| ewe | around |
| ikst | next to |
Interjections[]
Interjections are placed preceding the clause when modifying them. Interjections are exceptions to the rules of phonotactics.
| Interjection | Usage |
|---|---|
| zis | yes |
| ng | passive agreement |
| konk | no |
| hese | interrogative |
| eu | observation of minor mistake |
| ht | quiet |
| hwi | informal greeting |
| kon | informal farewell |
| manohit samseswek feh/omf/beuqten | wish to tremblingly be serving; formal greeting |
| manohit teomtoswek feh/omf/beuqten | wish to tremblingly be bowing; formal farewell |
Conjunctions[]
Conjunctions are used to link words and clauses. Most of them are placed after the word or clause.
| Conjunction | Usage |
|---|---|
| swele | and (clause link) |
| sleget | and; reference to verb in previous clause (clause link) |
| slegef | and; reference to subject in previous clause (clause link) |
| slegig | and; reference to object in previous clause (clause link) |
| zeum | but (clause link) |
| sono | effect and cause (clause link) |
| freks | when (clause link) |
| tmink | although (clause link) |
| esokle | similar to (clause link) |
| meust | identical to (clause link) |
| sikik | in order to (clause link) |
| tong | and; listing (word link) |
| he | end to start; duration (word link) |
| pleble | to; purpose (word link) |
| weuh | relative (clause link) |
| nowe | conditional (clause link) |
| pobe | causative (clause link) |
| got | quotative (clause link) |
Sentence Structure[]
The canon word order is V2 for the main clause, and SOV in subordinate clauses. The most common V2 order is SVO. There are four kinds of subordinate clauses, relative, conditional, causative, and quotative which are marked by conjunctions preceding them when attached to an independent clause.
Relative[]
egonmeuso weuh ejowegesog kong tistkokwe zim heukwe zo kegog
def.child.erg rel .def.house.abs pas to-burn.ind pst.pfv cop.ind npst.pfv prox.abs
The child who burned the house is here.
The conjunction marks the subject of the subordinate clause.
Conditional[]
strojoso ngokmwe zoge strojiseut teuqegog nowe strojiso ejowegesog tistkowren zim
1.m.pro.erg to-eat.cond m.npst.prog 3.m.pro.gen flesh.abs cnj 3.m.pro.erg def.house.abs to-burn.sjv pst.pfv
I will be eating his flesh if he burned down the house.
The conjunction marks what will happen if the conditions in the subordinate clause are met.
Causative[]
egonmeuso pobe ejowegesog kong tistkokwe zim heukwe zo kegog
def.child.erg cau .def.house.abs pas to-burn.ind pst.pfv cop.ind npst.pfv prox.abs
The child who caused the house to burn is here.
The conjunction marks the reason of the occurrence in the subordinate clause.
Quotative[]
strojisog got egonmeuso pobe ejowegesog kong tistkokwe zim heukwe zo kegog hemekwe zim
3.m.pro.abs quot def.child.erg cau .def.house.abs pas to-burn.ind pst.pfv cop.ind npst.pfv prox.abs to-say.ind pst.pfv
He said, "The child who caused the house to burn is here."
The conjunction marks the speaker and changes the necessary verb "to say" into intransitive unless dictated otherwise.
Morphology[]
Some theorize the unattested tribal languages that the Old Keuti culture came in contact with imparted a derivational system not present in Proto Keutan-Dztan.
Concatenation/Compounding[]
Titles and geographic locations are placed undeclined preceding the modified noun. Compound words are formed with the modifier preceding the modified, unless it is a verb modifying a noun or adjective. If this is the case, the modifier is attached after the modified word.
Derivation[]
There are many derivational suffixes that change one word class to another. The verb suffix completely removes the final cluster, unless it is verb to action noun in which case it simply takes infinitive form.
- adjective to noun -tem
- adjective to verb -sez
- noun to adjective -ten
- noun to verb -kez
- verb to adjective -hit
- verb to agent noun -zeuh
- verb to abstract noun -nam
Leipzig-Jakarta List[]
Used for comparison with offspring and precursor languages.
| English | Old Keuti |
|---|---|
| ant | tosreg |
| arm/hand | hoskewe |
| ash | heuwes |
| back | keumg |
| big | sole |
| bird | zepzin |
| to bite | mfoz |
| bitter | eseun'gen |
| black | momnes |
| blood | mneom |
| to blow | hosez |
| bone | kinetren |
| breast | ponbet |
| to burn (intransitive) | tistkoz |
| to carry | kneneuz |
| child (reciprocal of parent) | konmeus |
| to come | lobez |
| to crush/to grind | ksoskez |
| to cry/to weep | esiz |
| to do/to make | himez |
| dog | eltesk |
| drink | homsem |
| ear | nensg |
| to eat | ngoz |
| egg | kinkres |
| eye | long |
| to fall | troez |
| far | poks |
| fire | kstolon |
| fish | epneun |
| flesh/meat | teuqek |
| fly | zez |
| to give | omnez |
| to go | leubez |
| good | ming |
| hair | nogeg |
| hard | sign |
| he/she/it/him/her | strojis/srines |
| to hear | nenez |
| heavy | stoms |
| to hide | oleuz |
| to hit/to beat | soqeuz |
| horn | oleuks |
| house | oweges |
| I/me | strojos/strojes |
| in | -et |
| knee | kolop |
| to know | oelez |
| to laugh | kegez |
| leaf | homen |
| leg/foot | sogeule |
| liver | streunk |
| long | sale |
| louse | kesig |
| mouth | nomoh |
| name | glolkewe |
| navel | grelih |
| neck | hokmen |
| new | esowe |
| night | bomwez |
| nose | foef |
| not | hewe |
| old | mongnon |
| one | efp |
| rain | heuzeus |
| red | mnikron |
| root | mgreon |
| rope | hifent |
| to run | zogoz |
| salt | himsoz |
| sand | honsen |
| to say | hemez |
| to see | loneuz |
| shade/shadow | zlebleum |
| skin/hide | sloben |
| small | zele |
| smoke | heuloh |
| soil | oms |
| to stand | egeuz |
| star | gimses |
| stone/rock | kigik |
| to suck | homeuz |
| sweet | ideng |
| tail | hefoks |
| to take | biz |
| thick | lamet |
| thigh | koqele |
| this | keg |
| to tie | hiloz |
| tongue | zeoz |
| tooth | osk |
| water | homgeng |
| what? | heuz |
| who? | otle |
| wide | weot |
| wind | heumfes |
| wing | wlofok |
| wood | neukle |
| yesterday | angjoksle |
| you (singular) | strojeus/streujes |
See also[]
- Old Keuti/Word List
- Old Keuti/Figurative Speech
- Old Keuti/Mathematics and Measurement
- Old Keuti/Naming
- Old Keuti/Arts
Example Text[]
Excerpt from The Virtuous Community[]
strojosegle'o sehiskle zonoge manozeon ofg ekinetrenog sikik homklenefeut pihegog kong konmekwe zonoge strojosegle'o ketoeskle beuqten etoseunog esokle solkeho ketoeskle beuqten boteugog sono strojosegle'eut soglit felteso ponbogekwe zogob telgeugten toseunog kego heukwe zonoge otefp ekinetrenog strojosegle'o sehiskle zonoge strojosegle'eut teuneopog swele klosetog peunitonamozre kong eteujiskle zonoge kego heukwe zonoge obiwe ekinetrenog strojosegle'o manohit teomtoskle zonoge strekles strojosegle'eut sepof atwesog sleget strekles atweseon dadeuh e'atwesog kego heukwe zonoge otih ekinetrenog strojosegle'o heuteojeskle zonoge manohit teojazozre omog zepzin tong homreh epneuneon ezebonog kego heukwe zonoge otofg ekinetrenog pelebizeuh e'atweso tesentemozre leukokmwe esomeu teugog slegef toenikmwe zonoge strojosegle'eut hewe ileteunameon songteghe kagonamog nowe strojosegle'eut pihegog kong konmewren zonoge
1.m.pro.col.erg to-obey.imp npst.pfv trembling.gen four structural-support.abs in-order-to.cnj life.gen purpose.abs pas to-fulfill.ind npst.pfv 1.m.pro.col.erg to-submit.imp npst.stat def.seal.abs similar-to.cnj daughter.erg to-submit.imp npst.stat mother.abs effect-cause.cnj 1.m.pro.col.gen great ancestor.erg to-craft.ind pst.pfv lapis seal.abs prox.dem.erg cop.ind npst.pfv first structural-support.abs 1.m.pro.col.erg to-obey.imp npst.pfv 1.m.pro.col.gen elder.abs and.cnj object.dem respectance.com pas to-treat.imp npst.pfv prox.dem.erg cop.ind npst.pfv second structural-support.abs 1.m.pro.col.erg tremblingly to-bow.imp npst.pfv many master.gen ultimate def.master.abs prox.dem.erg cop.ind npst.pfv third structural-support.abs 1.m.pro.col.erg to-honor.imp npst.pfv tremblingly to-prostrate.com mountain bird and.cnj river fish.gen def.spirit.abs prox.dem.erg cop.ind npst.pfv fourth structural-support.abs counter def.master.erg favor.com to-look.cond npst.prog stomach.abs and-subject.cnj to-allow.cond npst.pfv 1.m.pro.col.gen neg torment.gen realm.all passance.abs cond.cnj 1.m.pro.col.gen purpose.abs pas to-fulfill.sjv npst.pfv
"To fulfill life's Purpose, we must obey the Four Pillars of Prostration. Our great ancestors crafted the lapis seal in their desert wanderings, so we must be in a state of submission to the seal as a daughter must be in a state of submission to her mother. This is the first pillar. We must obey our elders and treat them with respectance. This is the second pillar. We must bow tremblingly to our honorable masters and to the ultimate master of masters. This is the third pillar. We must honor the spirits of Mountain Bird and River Fish with trembling prostration. This is the fourth pillar. Once our Purpose is fulfilled, the Counter Master will be looking upon our hearts with favor, and will allow our passance into the Realm of Nontormentance."
Writing System[]
The culture that spoke Old Keuti used an alphabetic writing system with a fairly shallow orthographic depth. Words are separated by spaces, and sentences are separated by a larger space. The script is written from left to right.
