Semberek

Progress 81%
	Stats Nouns 98% Verbs 83% Adjectives 67% Syntax 83% Words 1000 of 1500

Semberek sɛmberɛk
Type
Polysynthetic
Alignment
Split
Head direction
Mixed
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

Semberek is a small family of languages spoken in the Aegic desert on the planet Halonia by escaped human slaves. It spits into two subgroups, North and South. The two most populous dialects are Sembare (~5000 speakers), a Southern language, and Hrilin (~12,000), from the North. These are descended from a form known as Old Semberek (OS), which originated about 600 years ago; divergence into North and South languages occurred about 200 years ago.

This article will deal with comparisons between the forms (using Sembare and Hrilin as bases) and the historical links between them. A separate article for Sembare dialect will be added soon.

In this article, forms with * are exclusive to Old Semberek, forms in bold are Sembare-only, and forms in italics are Hrilin-only. Forms with no marking whatsoever are found in all dialects/ stages.

Semberek has a relatively small phonemic inventory, with 13-17 consonants and 5-10 vowels (depending on dialect). OS and Sembare do not feature phonemic voicing, although Hrilin has acquired it; overall the language might sound something like Arabic to English speakers.

Comparative & Historic Phonology

Consonants

Old Semberek

	Bilabial	Labio-dental	Alveolar	Post-alveolar	Velar	Uvular
Nasal	m		n
Plosive	b		t		k	q
Fricative		f	s	š		*χ
Approximant				y [j]
Trill			r
Lateral app.			l

• There is no labiovelar glide [u] but it occurs naturally to link many vowel clusters.

Sembare Dialect

	Bilabial	Labio-dental	Dental	Alveolar	Post-alveolar	Velar	Uvular	Glottal
Nasal	m			n
Plosive	b		t [t̪]			k	q	h [ʔ]
Fricative		f		s	š			x [ɦ]
Affricate				ƾ [ts]	j [dž]
Approximant					y [j]
Trill				r
Lateral app.				l

• The sound denoted by 'x' in Sembare is more accurately thought of as the pharyngealization of the following vowel; e.g. axa = [aa̰], not [aɦa]. However it is more econmical to type it axa or [aɦa] - and many non-native speakers approximate the pharyngealized vowels by inserting an uvular, glottal or pharyngeal fricative before or after the appropriate vowel.

Hrilin Dialect

	Bilabial	Labio-dental	Dental	Alveolar	Post-alveolar	Velar	Uvular
Nasal	m			n
Plosive	b p			d t		k	q
Fricative		f	þ [θ]	s	š	x
Approximant					y [j]	w
Trill				r
Lateral app.				l

• voicing has become a distinctive feature in the bilabial and alveolar stops, allowing /b/ and /d/
  • voice onset is very early, aspiration is only occasionally present in the voiceless stops

Synchronic changes

The changes from OS to Sembare and Hrilin can be only partially summarized with the tables of phonemes; other sounds were redistributed, with splits and mergers; and other sounds have new allophones that were not present in OS.

Many of the allophonic changes described in Sembare have similar parrelels in Hrilin that operate at a phonemic level; the key difference is that in Sembare, most sounds merely assimilate or dissimilate, whereas in Hrilin, cluster reduction occurs. For example, OS [nb] clusters go to [np] in Sembare, but simply [p] in Hrilin.

• Sembare
  • /t/ is a result of fronting
  • /ts/ from
    • initial *[kj] or *[ki]
    •  *[tχ]
    •  *[ts]
  • /dž/ from *[nš] and *[tš]
  • /*χ/ goes to
    • /ʔ/ in most contexts
    • /ɦ/ where intervocalic
    • Ø word-finally
  • allophonic changes
    • s → θ/ _š
    • b → p/ _#, _n
    • t → ʔ/ _l
    • VV → VV̰ 
    • V: → VV̰
• Hrilin
  • /p/
    • word-final */b/
    •  *[nb] or *[mb]
  • /d/
    • word-initial */t/
    •  *[tl]
    • before /b/
  • /θ/ from *[fs] and *[sš]
  • /*χ/ goes to:
    • /x/ in most contexts
    • /w/ from intervocalic /*χ/
    • merges with /q/ before tense back vowels word-initially
    • merges with /k/ before other vowels word-initially

Vowels

	Front tense	Front lax	Back lax	Back tense
High	i	i [ɪ]	u [ʊ]	u
Mid	e	e [ɛ]	o [ʌ]	o
Low		a [æ]		a [ɑ]

Vowels have not changed at the phonemic level, for the mostpart, since OS; with the exception of Hrilin, where a longh/short distinction has been gained as well as tense/lax.

The tense/lax distinction itself is mostly predictable, but not enough so to merit its treatment as a system of allophones. Nevertheless, Semberek only writes with five vowels.

Alphabet

Semberek Alphabet version 3

Semberek is written in a cursive, top-down left-right abugida. Interestingly, the direction of the consonants is unimportant; any sound can be written 'backwards,' according to which letter preceeds it (the direction of the first letter in the word is up to writer preference). An English counterpart to this system would not merely be to write letters upside-down, but also to have them hanging under the baseline.

The romanized script is visible in the phonemic inventory charts above.

Phonotactics

Semberek allows syllabic nasals, hiatus, and consonant clusters.

Stress is trochaic, with right-to-left assignment, iterativity, and left-headedness. Heavy syllables include coda nasals (long vowels in Hrilin), as well as coda /l/ and /r/.

Grammar

	Gender	Cases	Numbers	Tenses	Persons	Moods	Voices	Aspects
Verb	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Nouns	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Adjectives	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
Numbers	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Participles	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Adverb	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
Pronouns	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No
Adpositions	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
Article	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Particle	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes

 Semberek is a polysynthetic language family with a rich case system and free word order (with the exception that adjectives should be adjacent to what they're describing). Its distinctive features inclde its high frequency of infixes and other stem-changing processes, and its three grammatical numbers (singular, plural, and aggregate).

Number

In Old Semberek, plural was marked with -yu and aggregate with -uχu, both of which were suffixes. The system is still similar in Hrilin, with the simplication of -yu to -i or -u depending on context and the expected sound change of -uχu to -uwu in the aggregate. In Sembare, these suffixes were generally incorporated into the stem, forming base mutations instead.

The aggregate number is used to refer to collective, non-count nouns, as well as groups; OS lusan 'horse,' plural lusanyu, could have its aggregate form lusanoχo translated as 'herd of horses.' There is no direct translation into English. It is not forced to agree with either singular or plural, since the rest of the language inflects with allowance for these forms.

In verbs, number is not marked on the pronoun itself, but the verb stem.

Vocabulary

No.	English	Semberek	Sembare	Hrilii
1	I	-abe	-be	-be
2	you (singular)	-efe	-fe	-fe
3	he	-ena	-na	-na
4	we	-še	-še	-þe
5	you (plural)	-aχfi	-hfi	-exfi
6	they	-qne	-hne	-aqne
7	this	kiš	kiš	kiš
8	that	qaša	qaš	qaš
9	here	nitu	ntu	ntu
10	there	iχta	hta	xþa
11	who	eχe	he	ewe
12	what	aχa	ha	awa
13	where	ito	hito	ito
14	when	χelo	helo	kelo
15	how	lɑš	laš	laš
16	not	χtor	htor	xtor
17	all	fislbun	filbun	fispuu
18	many	-kul	-kul	-kul
19	some	-qi	-qi	-qi
20	few	-qi	-qi	-qi
21	other	—	—	—
22	one	kun	kun	kuu
23	two	nisi	nisi	nisi
24	three	χurba	hurba	qurba
25	four	kqase	khase	kase
26	five	bes	bes	bes
27	big	χuχita	huxita	quwita
28	long	usšur	husšur	uþšur
29	wide	baturb	baturb	baturp
30	thick	lonbas	lonbas	lopas
31	heavy	tasun	tasun	dasuu
32	small	lyi	hyi	luyi
33	short	nus	nus	nus
34	narrow	tχis	tis	txis
35	thin	kimi	kimi	kimi
36	woman	pemiχkanes	pemihken	peixkee
37	man (adult male)	peboχkanus	pebohkun	peoxkuu
38	man (human being)	biyisos	biyiso	biyiso
39	child	anše	haje	anše
40	wife	tomikiles	tomikile	doikel
41	husband	tobokilus	tobokilu	doukul
42	mother	samitues	samite	saite
43	father	sabotuus	sabotu	sautu
44	animal	of	hof	of
45	fish	χtiso	htiso	xtiso
46	bird	asante	hasante	asante
47	dog	telfa	kuiro	delfa
48	louse	litnise	linise	liþnise
49	snake	ksuksuχ	ksuksu	šukšu
50	worm	yurt	yurt	yurt
51	tree	aretom	haretom	aretow
52	forest	aretuχu	hareteye	aretuwu
53	stick	biq	biq	biq
54	fruit	brimis	brimis	brimis
55	seed	misatk	misak	misaþk
56	leaf	yišaqef	yišaqef	yišaqef
57	root	luš	luš	luš
58	bark	fiyibe na aretom	fyinhar	fibanareþ
59	flower	emyuta	hemyuta	emyuta
60	grass	tyusim	tsusim	susii
61	rope	ruk	ruk	ruk
62	skin	fiyibe	fyiba	fiba
63	meat	fatrin	fatrin	fatrii
64	blood	sen	sen	see
65	bone	busurk	busurk	busurk
66	fat	kra	kra	kura
67	egg	yuben	yuben	yubee
68	horn	tor	tor	dor
69	tail	lasša	lasša	laþša
70	feather	bχifišel	bifišel	pifišel
71	hair	yatuχu	yatiyi	yatuwu
72	head	burseš	burseš	burseš
73	ear	χor	hor	qor
74	eye	bir	bir	bir
75	nose	bal	bal	bal
76	mouth	mifbe	mifbe	mifpe
77	tooth	tyinšana	tsjana	sinšana
78	tongue	lata	lata	lata
79	fingernail	tχis	tis	txis
80	foot	amburu	hmburu	puru
81	leg	fenšat	fejat	fenšaþ
82	knee	klasat	klasat	klasaþ
83	hand	fæχla	fæʔla	fæxla
84	wing	našel	flešel	našel
85	belly	buk	buk	buk
86	guts	sburaklo	sburaklo	spuraklo
87	neck	litema	litema	litema
88	back	qašte	qašte	qašte
89	breast	lum	lum	luw
90	heart	bulχu	bulhu	bulxu
91	liver	nšuene	juene	nšuene
92	drink	trisik	trisik	trisik
93	eat	yaser	yaser	lumuš
94	bite	kyinšana	tsjana	cinšana
95	suck	tlilom	tlilom	tlilow
96	spit	nikyu	nitsu	nicu
97	vomit	burarben	burarben	burarbee
98	blow	šaχal	šaxal	šawal
99	breathe	fel	fel	fel
100	laugh	taχaχk	tahaxak	daxawak
101	see	bir	bir	bir
102	hear	χor	hor	qor
103	know	misko	misko	misko
104	think	χubul	hubul	qubul
105	smell	bal	bal	bal
106	fear	alšo	haljo	alšo
107	sleep	kubub	kubub	kubup
108	live	sia	sia	sia
109	die	kuχ	kuxu	kuw
110	kill	tunšatu	jatu	dunšatu
111	fight	binšakom	bijakom	binšakow
112	hunt	tχɪlsi	tɪlsi	txɪlsi
113	hit	katarχ	katar	katar
114	cut	tšilsum	jilsum	cilsuw
115	split	nisibar	nisibar	nisibar
116	stab	nason	nason	nasoo
117	scratch	kyinšim	tsjim	cinšiw
118	dig	tusbat	tusbat	duspaþ
119	swim	lulma	lulma	lulma
120	fly	flešel	flešel	flešel
121	walk	tenšat	tejat	denšaþ
122	come	firenta	firenta	firenta
123	lie	qntaχre	hntahre	aqnaxre
124	sit	lelat	lelat	lelaþ
125	stand	nas	nas	nas
126	turn	luris	luris	luris
127	fall	kulus	kulus	kulus
128	give	mesraχat	mesraxat	mesrawaþ
129	hold	tlimasken	tlimasken	tlimaskee
130	squeeze	skibiti	skibits	skibis
131	rub	—	—	—
132	wash	—	—	—
133	wipe	—	—	—
134	pull	—	—	—
135	push	—	—	—
136	throw	—	—	—
137	tie	—	—	—
138	sew	—	—	—
139	count	—	—	—
140	say	—	—	—
141	sing	—	—	—
142	play	—	—	—
143	float	—	—	—
144	flow	—	—	—
145	freeze	—	—	—
146	swell	—	—	—
147	sun	χæloχinoxu	filo	filo
148	moon	χutras	hutras	qutras
149	star	χælo	ʔælo	qɑlo
150	water	yasar	yassinoyo	yasar
151	rain	χælosχ	ʔælo	qɑlos
152	river	alesen	halesen	alesee
153	lake	yasin	yassin	yasii
154	sea	našleya	našleya	qutumos
155	salt	kχyan	kyan	kxyan
156	stone	bosχeba	boseba	bosxeba
157	sand	ištal	hištal	ištal
158	dust	tusum	tusum	dusuw
159	earth	nurake	nurake	nurake
160	cloud	klis	klis	klis
161	fog	ambeti	hambeti	aapeti
162	sky	χal	hal	xal
163	wind	obis	hobis	obis
164	snow	nšoma	joma	nšoma
165	ice	tšilkom	jilkom	tšilkow
166	smoke	nukim	nukim	nukiw
167	fire	afana	hafana	afana
168	ash	—	—	—
169	burn	afana	hafana	afana
170	road	balesa	balesa	balesa
171	mountain	kumors	kumors	kumors
172	red	χuntisan	huntsan	qunsaa
173	green	lalis	lalis	lalis
174	yellow	kχyis	kyis	kxyis
175	white	kutom	kutom	kutom
176	black	nene	nene	nɛnɛ
177	night	telatše	tatsje	telatše
178	day	mebasin	mat	mebaa
179	year	kaχuyu	kaxuyu	kawuyu
180	warm	qure	qure	qure
181	cold	tlamo	tlamo	tlamo
182	full	—	—	—
183	new	—	—	—
184	old	—	—	—
185	good	—	—	—
186	bad	—	—	—
187	rotten	—	—	—
188	dirty	—	—	—
189	straight	—	—	—
190	round	—	—	—
191	sharp	—	—	—
192	dull	—	—	—
193	smooth	—	—	—
194	wet	—	—	—
195	dry	—	—	—
196	correct	—	—	—
197	near	—	—	—
198	far	—	—	—
199	right	—	—	—
200	left	toχo	toʔo	towo
201	at	—	—	—
202	in	—	—	—
203	with	—	—	—
204	and	—	—	—
205	if	—	—	—
206	because	—	—	—
207	name	—	—	—