Phinian

Phonology

Consonants

	Bilabial	Alveolar	Velar	Uvular	Glottal
Nasal	m̥ mʰ m	n̥ nʰ n	ŋ̊ ŋʰ ŋ
Plosive	p pʰ b	t tʰ d	k kʰ g kʷ kʷʰ gʷ	q qʰ ɢ qʷ qʷʰ ɢʷ	ʔ ʔʷ
Fricative		s			h ɦ hʷ ɦʷ
Affricate		ts tsʰ dz
Approximant				j	(w)
Trill		r
Lateral app.		l

Vowels

	Front	Central	Back
High	i		u
Mid	e	ə	o
Low		a

Phonotactics

Phinian possesses a highly complex syllable structure, with six onset and three coda positions, around a single vowel. Phonetic analysis reveals that epenthentic vowels, usually resembling [ə] but can vary between [ə~i~u], may be inserted into consonant clusters involving prefix h- and m-. This epenthentic vowel is non-phonemic and non-contrastive; as such, it is not reflected in orthography.

It should be noted that much of the complexity in syllable structure is due to derivational morphology, and lexical items are usually restricted to the form C(C)V(C). The root may begin with any phonemic consonant; then, a glide /r l j/ is optional, plus a compulsory vowel. Open syllables are permitted, and codas are restricted to liquids or bilabial, alveolar, and velar nasals and plosives. In coda position, there is no contrast between voicedness and aspiration.

Writing System

Letter	a	ia	e	o	u	i	r	l	j	w	s
Sound	a	e	ə	o	u	i	r	l	j	(w)	s
Letter	m	'm	m'	n	'n	n'	ng	'ng	ng'	ngw	'ngw	ngw'
Sound	m	m̥	mʰ	n	n̥	nʰ	ŋ	ŋ̊	ŋʰ	ŋʷ	ŋ̊ʷ	ŋʷʰ
Letter	p	p'	b	t	t'	d	k	k'	g	kw	kw'	gw
Sound	p	pʰ	b	t	tʰ	d	k	kʰ	g	kʷ	kʷʰ	gʷ
Letter	q	q'	gh	qw	qw'	ghw	*	h	hh	*w	hw	hhw
Sound	q	qʰ	ɢ	qʷ	qʷʰ	ɢʷ	ʔ	h	ɦ	ʔʷ	hʷ	ɦʷ

Grammar

Nouns

Phinian nouns are not inflected for case, gender, and number; however, there exists a system of deverbial, denominal, and de-adjectival derivation, by morphological affixes, that produces nouns.

Verbs

Phinian verbs are not inflected for mood, voice, person, number, tense, or aspect.  Like nouns, there also exists a system of denominal, deverbial, de-adjectival verbs.  Furthermore, factatives, resultatives, and causatives are regularly derived morphologically.  

Derivation

• Suffix -s derives agentives nouns from transitive verbs and reflexive objects from intransitive ones.
• Suffix -ʔ derives intransitive verbs from nouns and dimunutives.
• Infix -r- is an intensive, forming adjedtives in the comparative degree; the -r- infix must be distinguished from lexical -r-, which are part of many roots.
• Infix -j- changes transitive verbs into intransitive verbs and vice versa, creates relative verbs, imparts reflexive value, and possesess a range of other meanings; however, it rarely appears as a analyzable affix, and -j- is usually considered lexical.
• Prefix m- has an intransitivizing and stativizing function on verbs and marks inherent components when applied to living things, e.g. tsjek "foot" contra m-tsjek "root, foundation".
• Prefix n- has an introvertive/extrovertive alternation value, changing introvertive verbs (which imply a change in the state in the direct or indirect object) to extrovertive verbs (which create an observable effect). 
• Prefix s- derives causative verbs.
• Prefix h- derives resultative verbs and stative adjectives from verbs.

Syntax

Since nouns are not marked for case, and there is no verbal and adjectival agreement, word order is key to conveyance of meaning.  Phinian has a predominantly SVO order, though the object may be fronted for emphasis.  The verb may under no circumstance precede the subject in prose. Phinian permits both head-initial and head-final constructions, particularly in simple modifiers. Subordinate clauses that modify a single term may also occur on both sides, but head-final is the usual and unmarked construction; where head-initial constructions occur, the subordinate clause or phrase is usually interpreted as postpositive.

Lexicon

Definition	Lexeme
I	(ng)la
you	n(j)ej
we	ng(r)a(r)
this	dji
that	n(r)jij
who, what	g(r)a
not	m(j)a~me(t)
all	s-nung
many	tar
one	*et
two	njej
big	tjar
long	t(j)ang
small	n-saw
woman	m-nja*
man	m-pja
person	n(j)in
fish	(n)g-la
bird	puj
dog	kw'jian*
louse	r-sjik
tree	mok
seed	h-s(r)iang
leaf	lap(s)
root	(m)-kon
bark	bu*
skin	kar
flesh	njak
blood	h-s-*wit
bone	kwjit
grease	lur
egg	ron
horn	qrakw
tail	m-rju
feather	n-pjuj
hair	m-hat
head	du*
ear	n-s-kwon
eye	ngw(r)ing
nose	m-*it
mouth	go*
tooth	h-li*
tongue	m-lat
claw	h-nu-s
foot	n-s(j)ek
knee	h-s(j)ek
hand	tu*
belly	phu
neck	q(r)jang
breasts	n-qe*
heart	sjem
liver	h-*on
drink	lim
eat	g(j)ek
bite	s-n-li*
see	n-kian
hear	h-ling
know	t(j)it
sleep	gru
die	s-hjial
kill	n-hial
swim	gwljing*
fly	p(j)uj
walk	go
come	glek
lie	lan
sit	dzuj
stand	gljap
give	gla
say	gw(j)at
sun	n(j)it
moon	n-hwjat
star	siang
water	lul
rain	n-laj
stone	djak
sand	r-sal
earth	t'a*
cloud	gwjen
smoke	h-mek-s
fire	mer
ash(es)	n-miar
burn	sing-s
path	du*-s
mountain	s-ng(r)an
red	k'l(j)ak
green	ruk
yellow	gwang
white	bjiak
black	h-mek
night	ljil
hot	men
cold	glang
full	mon
new	s-*jing
good	hu*
round	gwjian
dry	qan
name	mjing