Azkali language: Difference between revisions
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The Azkali language has a five phonemic vowel system, notably including the lack of a rounded back mid vowel, instead being unrounded. The estimated number of allophones of these vowels is between ten and twelve, though some dialects have as many as fifteen. | The Azkali language has a modest five phonemic vowel system, notably including the lack of a rounded back mid vowel, instead being unrounded. The estimated number of allophones of these vowels is between ten and twelve, though some dialects have as many as fifteen. | ||
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Contrasting with almost all of the languages that geographically surround it, Azkali has no true voiced stops. The only analog to a voiced stop, romanized as <g>, is a voiced velar lateral affricate ([ɡʟ̝]) in | Contrasting with almost all of the languages that geographically surround it, Azkali has no true voiced stops. The only analog to a voiced stop, romanized as <g>, is a voiced velar lateral affricate ([ɡʟ̝]) in somewhat more than half of all recorded dialects. The other half pronounce it as /g/. Dialects that pronounce g as /ɡʟ̝/ are what are known as ''[[Zigeran (Azkali language)|zigeran]]'' dialects. | ||
The Azkali consonant system is characterized by (1) four nasal phonemes, two of which, the voiced palatal and velar nasals (marked in parentheses in the above table), are fairly uncommon; (2) in most dialects, the lack of voiced stop altogether; (3) in about half of all dialects, the presence of the voiced velar lateral affricate /ɡʟ̝/, an extremely rare phoneme, in the place of a voiced velar stop; (4) the existence of a distinction between lamino-dental and apico-alveolar voiceless sibilant fricatives; (5) the existence of voiceless and voiced dental fricatives; and (6), the distinction between the voiced labialized post-alveolar approximant and the voiced alveolar tap. | The Azkali consonant system is characterized by (1) four nasal phonemes, two of which, the voiced palatal and velar nasals (marked in parentheses in the above table), are fairly uncommon; (2) in most dialects, the lack of voiced stop altogether; (3) in about half of all dialects, the presence of the voiced velar lateral affricate /ɡʟ̝/, an extremely rare phoneme, in the place of a voiced velar stop; (4) the existence of a distinction between lamino-dental and apico-alveolar voiceless sibilant fricatives; (5) the existence of voiceless and voiced dental fricatives; and (6), the distinction between the voiced labialized post-alveolar approximant and the voiced alveolar tap. | ||
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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 type of grammatical gender being completely absent in all attested dialects. Azkali verbs conjugate for four moods (the '''indicative, conditional, hypothetical''', and '''imperative'''), three tenses (the '''far past, past,''' and '''non past'''), and person. Azkali verbs also have past and future participle, gerundive, and agentive forms. Save irregular verbs, Azkali verbs have some fifteen unique verbal forms. | 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 type of grammatical gender being completely absent in all attested dialects. Azkali verbs conjugate for four moods (the '''indicative, conditional, hypothetical''', and '''imperative'''), three tenses (the '''far past, past,''' and '''non past'''), and person. Azkali verbs also have past and future participle, gerundive, and agentive forms. Save irregular verbs, Azkali verbs have some fifteen unique verbal forms. | ||
[[File:Old book gathering.jpg|thumb|The oldest surviving copy of the [[Azalyi Gazi Chixgartai Ka]], at the [[Museum of Azkali History (Otzeipao)|Museum of Azkali History]] in Otzeipao. The copy shown is estimated to have been written between 900 BCE to 1,100 BCE.]] | [[File:Old book gathering.jpg|thumb|The oldest surviving copy of the [[Azalyi Gazi Chixgartai Ka]], at the [[Museum of Azkali History (Otzeipao)|Museum of Azkali History]] in Otzeipao. The copy shown is estimated to have been written between 900 BCE to 1,100 BCE.]] | ||
Azkali is usually considered an agglunative language, though its verbs are fusionally constructed. Azkali nouns are constructed much more agglutinatively than verbs; for example, the noun ''[[ | Azkali is usually considered an agglunative language, though its verbs are fusionally constructed. Azkali nouns are constructed much more agglutinatively than verbs; for example, the noun ''[[Anakimateyagezereketara (song)|anakimateyagezereketara]]'' means "accomplished with the great relatives", or "with the help of the great relatives"; this can be broken down as ''a-(n)-akimateya-gez-(e)-rek-(e)-tar-a'', where: | ||
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!(e) | !(e) | ||
!-rek- | !-rek- | ||
!(e) | |||
!tar | |||
!-a | !-a | ||
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|epenthetic | |epenthetic | ||
!plural marker | !plural marker | ||
|epenthetic | |||
!Superlative suffix | |||
!Definite article | !Definite article | ||
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Azkali is primarily a head-initial language. Azkali nouns go before adjectives, auxiliary verbs go before main verbs, and possesses go before possessors. Notably, Azkali uses a combination of postpositions and prepositions, with prepositions predominating. Further still, a number of prepositions fuse with the noun they modify. | Azkali is primarily a head-initial language. Azkali nouns go before adjectives, auxiliary verbs go before main verbs, and possesses go before possessors. Notably, Azkali uses a combination of postpositions and prepositions, with prepositions predominating. Further still, a number of prepositions fuse with the noun they modify. | ||
== | == Argot and slang == | ||
== Vocabulary == | == Vocabulary == | ||
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* ''(Formally)'' '''Maerana:''' Farewell. | * ''(Formally)'' '''Maerana:''' Farewell. | ||
* ''(Informally)'' '''Mara:''' Bye. | * ''(Informally)'' '''Mara:''' Bye. | ||
== | == Dialects == | ||
== Examples == | == Examples == | ||
== Notes == | == Notes == | ||