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'''Azkali grammar''' is the structural rules which the [[Azkali language]] follows, including the rules for words, phrases, clauses, and sentences.  
'''Azkali grammar''' is the structural rules which the [[Azkali language]] follows, including the rules for words, phrases, clauses, and sentences.  


== Parts of speech ==
== Morphology ==
There are seven different parts of speech that are commonly identified by linguists in Azkali: nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adpositions, conjunctions, and interjections. It is generally not possible to identify which part of speech an Azkali word belongs to by itself. However, a large amount of words belong to multiple parts of speech.


=== Nouns ===
=== Overview ===
Azkali nouns are overtly declined for six grammatical cases (the ergative, absolutive, possessive, privative, dative, and instrumental) and three numbers (the singular, paucal, and plural), with any form or realization of grammatical gender being completely absent. Azkali nouns are constructed agglunatively, contrasting with verbs. In addition, Azkali also features a robust inverse number system, though it is only regularly used in formal speech.
Azkali is a language isolate, and it's grammar is extremely distinct in comparison languages in its surroundings, such as Oikan and Baphian. Colloquial Azkali, the variety of Azkali which will be discussed in this article, is extremely regular — there are no irregular verbs and very few irregular nouns. Azkali, like Baphian, is an agglutinative language; Azkali is notable in the fact that Azkali nouns can become extremely long. For example, the noun ''arizentzirozatzitouzana'' means "as y'all's few tables" (definite).
 
Affixes occur in a relatively set order, displayed in the below noun template chart:
{| class="wikitable"
|+Azkali noun template
!Content
|(Definite article)
!NOUN ROOT
|Case
|Number
|(Definite article)
|Inverse number
|-
!Slot
!'''(1a)'''
!2
!'''3'''
!'''4'''
!'''(1b)'''
!'''5'''
|}
 
==== Case ====
[[File:Ergative alignment.svg|thumb|283x283px|A diagram highlighting ergative alignment. '''A''' is the subject of a transitive verb, '''O''' is the object of a transitive verb, and '''S''' is the subject of an intransitive verb. '''S''' and '''O''' are marked in the absolutive case, and '''A''' is marked in the ergative case.]]
Case inflection in Azkali is fairly straightforward; the affixes only change depending on the lack of presence of a root final vowel. There are six grammatical cases in Azkali. The ergative case is used for subjects of transitive verbs. The absolutive case is used for subjects of intransitive verbs and objects of transitive verbs. The possessive case is used for direct ownership. The privative case is used to mark the lack of direct ownership. The dative case is used to mark the indirect object of an action, as well as the purpose of an action. In addition, in extremely formal varieties of Azkali, the dative case is occasionally used to denote a noun that is owned by the noun in the phrase with the possessive case. Finally, the instrumental case is used to mark that the noun is the instrument in which the action is achieved, or occurs; the instrumental case can be used for both physical objects, or ideas and concepts.
 
In formal varieties of Azkali, the possessive case is used more like a genitive case; the distinction here is that in most forms of Azkali, the possessive case is used purely in the context of possession. Contrastingly, in formal varieties, it's use has broadened to include generic modification. In colloquial forms of Azkali, generic modification is marked by the adposition ''haoz,'' meaning "of".
 
The following chart shows each case suffix.
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Case
!Vowel ending
!Consonant ending
|-
!Ergative
| -n
| -en
|-
!Absolutive
! colspan="2" |∅
|-
!Possessive
| -k
| -ek
|-
!Privative
| -z
| -az
|-
!Dative
| -ti
| -eti
|-
!Instrument
| -gez
| -ez
|}
Shown below are several examples of these cases in use for various words, and their respective meanings. Note the usage of (-∅) for nouns rendered in the absolutive case.
{| class="wikitable"
|+
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |
! colspan="3" |Word
|-
!''akimateya'' - (a) relative
(as in family)
!''nedhathu -''
(a) message
!''koroz'' - (a)
bridge
|-
! rowspan="6" |Case
!Ergative
|akimateyan
''(relative)''
|nedhathun
''(message)''
|korozen
''(bridge)''
|-
!Absolutive
|akimateya(-∅)
''(relative)''
|nedhathu(-∅)
''(message)''
|koroz(-∅)
''(bridge)''
|-
!Possessive
|akimateyak
''(a relative's (...))''
|nedhathuk
''(a message's (...))''
|korozek
''(a bridge's (...))''
|-
!Privative
|akimateyaz
''(lacking a relative)''
|nedhathuz
''(lacking a message)''
|korozaz
''(lacking a bridge)''
|-
!Dative
|akimateyati
''(to a relative)''
|nedhathuti
''(to a message)''
|korozeti
''(to a bridge)''
|-
!Instrumental
|akimateyagez
''(done with a relative)''
|nedhathugez
''(done with a message)''
|korozez
''(done with a bridge)''
|}
Some nouns, particularly common culturally important nouns in [[Turruism]], have irregular case forms. A non exhaustive list of irregular nouns, and their respective forms, follows:
 
* ''Tuhakoi'' (the sun) ''- Tuhakoin, Tuhakoi, Tuhakola, Tzerakaiz, Tukahoti, Tuhakoigez''<ref>''Tuhakoi'' is inherently definite, so it does not need the definite article.</ref>
* ''Agnetok'' (hill) - ''Agnetoken, Agnetok, Agnetokak, Agnetoaz, Agnetai, Agnitegaz''
* ''Turru'' (earth) - ''Turrune, Turru, Kacha Turru, Za Turru, Gatzurru, Gaziturru''
* ''Ra'' (air) - ''Ran, Ra, Rak, Raiz, Rai, Reis''
* ''Dharran'' (knowledge) ''Dharren, Dharran, Dharrangak, Dharranaz, Dharrenati, Dharregez''
 
==== Number and inverse number ====
Number inflection always follows, when even present, case. As mentioned before, there are three grammatical numbers in Azkali - the singular, which is unmarked, the paucal, and plural. The following chart shows each number suffix; one should note that when used in combination with the dative case, the number affixes take the vowel ending form, due to the presence of a vowel at the end of the dative affix.
{| class="wikitable"
!Number
!Vowel ending
!Consonant aside from "tz" ending
!"Tz" ending
|-
!Singular
! colspan="3" | ∅
|-
!Paucal
| -tz
| -etz
| -et
|-
!Plural
| -rek
| colspan="2" | -erek
|}
For nouns that end with "tz", a special affix for the paucal number exists. For example, the paucal version of the word ''leizitz'', meaning lizard, is ''leizitzet'', not the expected ''leizitzetz''.
 
An inverse number system exists in Azkali. For the most part, it is only regularly used in formal speech and common phrases, but it can be seen regularly even in informal speech in Allotian and Otzeipao dialects of Azkali. Inverse number is mostly used on nouns with inherent grammatical number, i.e (a pair of) ''socks'' (with a dual implication), ''cattle'' (with a plural implication), (a pair of) ''scissors'' (with a plural implication), and so on.
 
=== Pronouns ===
In Azkali, pronouns are often combined with determiners to form the pronoun part of speech.
 
==== Personal and reflexive pronouns ====
The following table shows each personal pronoun in Azkali, declining for case and number. In addition, there are also reflexive pronouns included; while not a case in itself, in most Azkali grammars, the reflexive pronouns are included with the personal ones.
{| class="wikitable"
|+Personal pronouns
! colspan="9" |Singular
|-
! colspan="2" |
!Ergative
!Absolutive
!Possessive
!Privative
!Dative
!Instrumental
!Reflexive
|-
! colspan="2" |1st
|go
| colspan="2" |en
|goz
|get
|gokoz
|go ten
|-
! colspan="2" |2nd
| colspan="2" |tu
|tuek
|tukoz
|tet
|tukoz
|tu ten
|-
! rowspan="3" |3rd
!Masculine
| colspan="2" |mai
|maik
|maiz
| rowspan="3" |het
| rowspan="3" |hekoz
| rowspan="3" |ha ten
|-
!Feminine
|kut
|kurez
|kutek
|keiz
|-
!Neutral
| colspan="2" |hakel
|harek
|heiz
|-
! colspan="9" |Paucal
|-
! colspan="2" |1st
|tzo
| colspan="2" |tzen
|tzeiz
| colspan="2" |tzego
|tzo ten
|-
! colspan="2" |2nd
| colspan="2" |tzu
|tzuk
|tzuiz
| colspan="2" |tzeutu
|tzu ten
|-
! colspan="2" |3rd
|tzare
|rutzez
|tzak
|tzaiz
| colspan="2" |tzere
|tzare ten
|-
! colspan="9" |Plural
|-
! colspan="2" |1st
|ko
| colspan="2" |komo
|tzaoz
| colspan="2" |geo
|geo ten
|-
! colspan="2" |2nd
|ku
|kumu
|zku
|tzauz
| colspan="2" |teo
|teo ten
|-
! colspan="2" |3rd
|kei
|keime
|ezkei
|eztzeu
| colspan="2" |keo
|keo ten
|}
The neutral pronouns are used
 
=== Verbs ===
Like most agglutinative languages, Azkali features very few irregular verbs: between four and five in most dialects (though some, particularly Southern Azkali dialects, have as many as twenty irregular verbs). Verbs conjugate for 3 tenses, ''far past, past'', and ''nonpast'', and 4 moods, ''indicative, conditional, hypothetical,'' and ''imperative'', though in two verbs, ''to be'' and ''to have'', marking for person exists. The auxiliary verb ''itu,'' conveying a future tense, also changes depending on person and grammatical aspect, of which there are three: the ''imperfective, perfective'', and ''bisective.''
 
==== Conjugation ====
{| class="wikitable"
|+Primary class conjugation
! colspan="2" |
!Vowel ending
!Consonant ending
|-
! rowspan="3" |Indicative
!Far past
| -z
| -ez
|-
!Past
| -ze
| -eze
|-
!Non past
| -mi
| -emi
|-
! rowspan="3" |Conditional
!Far past
| -retz
| -eretz
|-
!Past
| -hez
| -ehez
|-
!Non past
| -hezi
| -ehezi
|-
! rowspan="3" |Hypothetical
!Far past
| -nim
| -im
|-
!Past
| -nir
| -ir
|-
!Non past
| -no
| -o
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Secondary class conjugation
! colspan="2" |
!Vowel starting
!Consonant starting
|-
! rowspan="3" |Indicative
!Far past
|ezin-
|ezi-
|-
!Past
|zin-
|zi-
|-
!Non past
! colspan="2" |''∅ (no prefix)''
|-
! rowspan="3" |Conditional
!Far past
|erin-
|eri-
|-
!Past
|rin-
|ri-
|-
!Non past
|zin-
|zi-
|-
! colspan="2" |
!Vowel ending
!Consonant ending
|-
! rowspan="3" |Hypothetical
!Far past
| -nira
| -ira
|-
!Past
| -nir
| -ir
|-
!Non past
| -nari
| -ari
|}
 
==== ''Itu'' ====
''Itu'', as stated previously, is an auxiliary verb that conveys a future tense. Itu, unlike any other regular verb, conjugates for grammatical aspect ''and'' person. Unlike ''isan (to be)'' and ''huka (to have)'', which both conjugate for person (including the singular and a combined paucal/plural), itu conjugates for the singular, paucal, and plural. The imperfective and perfective aspects are defined as how they work in other languages. The bisective aspect, however, is unique to Azkali; it denotes a scenario in which the action is stopped by another action that the subject of the verb performs, or has performed to it, before the previous action is started again. An example of the bisective aspect in use can be highlighted in the example sentence ''"Go nakuz eki ngataz mai"'', meaning "I will see, then find him, before seeing again." In the bisective aspect, the interrupting action ''follows'' the auxiliary verb, while the action that is interrupted precedes it.
{| class="wikitable"
|+Forms of the auxiliary verb ''itu''
! rowspan="2" |
! colspan="3" |Singular
! rowspan="2" |Paucal
! colspan="3" |Plural
|-
!1p
!2p
!3p
!1p
!2p
!3p
|-
!Imperfective
| colspan="2" |itu
|ikun
|itzo
|higo
|hiu
|hego
|-
!Perfective
|iru
| colspan="2" |irun
| colspan="4" |esa
|-
!Bisective
|eki
| colspan="2" |ikugo
|shugo
| colspan="3" |eki
|}
<references />
 
==== ''Isan'' ====
''Isan'' is the Azkali verb meaning to be.
Retrieved from "https://lot.icosahedr.online/wiki/Azkali_grammar"