Tsaihänni
Intro
Tsaihänni is the first language I've put serious thought into for a while (as of 8 Nov. 2015). This document is a sketchpad of all I've written on it thus far. Many things are missing or incomplete (phoneme frequencies, basic lists for TAM/cases/etc), but I feel that it's ready enough for feedback. Please, once you're done, go back to the thread if that's what brought you here and tell me what you think. If you don't really want to look at the phonology, hover over the sidebar to the left and click on "Grammar Testing Bed" for all sorts of examples.
Tsaihänni
tsai=hä-nni
tsɑ͡içɐnːi
1PL=talk-NMZ
'*our speech*'
Culture
There is no culture yet, but I imagine that there will be soon. (TODO).
Phonology
| Phonemes | Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | Hard | m | n | ɲ | ŋ | |
| Round | mʷ | nʷ | ɲʷ | ŋʷ | ||
| Soft | mʲ | nʲ | ɲʲ | ŋʲ | ||
| Plosive | Hard | p b | t d | k g | ||
| Round | pʷ bʷ | tʷ dʷ | kʷ gʷ | |||
| Soft | pʲ bʲ | tʲ dʲ | kʲ gʲ | |||
| Affricate | Hard | t͡s d͡z | t͡ɕ d͡ʑ | |||
| Round | bʷ͜vʷ | tʷ͜sʷ dʷ͜zʷ | tʷ͜ɕʷ dʷ͜ʑʷ | |||
| Soft | bʲ͜vʲ | tʲ͜ʃʲ dʲ͜ʒʲ | tʲ͜ɕʲ dʲ͜ʑʲ | |||
| Fricative | Hard | f v | s z | ɕ ʑ ç | x ʝ~ɣ | χ~ħ ʁ~ʕ |
| Soft | fʲ vʲ | ʃʲ ʒʲ | ɕʲ ʑʲ | xʲ ɣʲ | χʲ ʀj~ʀ̆j | |
| Approximants | w | l lʲ | ɥ j | |||
| Graphemes | Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | Hard | m | n | gn | ng | |
| Round | mw | nw | gnw | ngw | ||
| Soft | mj | nj | gnj | ngj | ||
| Plosive | Hard | p b | t d | k g | ||
| Round | pw bw | tw dw | kw gw | |||
| Soft | pj bj | tj dj | kj gj | |||
| Affricate | Hard | ts dz | tsh dzh | |||
| Round | bvw | tsw dzw | tshw dzhw | |||
| Soft | bvj | tsj dzj | tshj dzhj | |||
| Fricative | Hard | f v | s z | sh zh h | kh gh | hh r |
| Soft | fj vj | sj zj | shj zhj | khj ghj | hhj rj | |
| Approximants | w | l lj | ui j | |||
| Phonemes | Front | Center | Back |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | i ʏ~y | ɨ | u |
| Mid-High | e~ɛ ɪ | o | |
| Mid-Low | ɛ̞ œ | ə | ɔ |
| Low | æ~a | ɑ | |
| Dipthongs | e͡i œ͡y o͡i ɑ͡ɪ ɐ͡i ɑ͡ɔ ɐ͡o | ||
| Graphemes | Front | Center | Back |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | i ü | ï | u |
| Mid-High | e ì | o | |
| Mid-Low | ë ö | a | å |
| Low | æ | aa | |
| Dipthongs | e͡i œ͡y o͡i ɑ͡ɪ ɐ͡i ɑ͡ɔ ɐ͡o | ||
- For all round consonants, [ʷ] become [ᶣ] before rounded vowels.
- Consonant voicing tends to assimilate with the preceding consonant in the cluster,
where a cluster is a series of two consonants not spanning a syllable boundary (i.e. in an onset or coda position). - /e/ and /ɛ/ are merging. /e/ is almost always [ɛ] in closed syllables.
- Coda palatalisation is sometimes realised as offglide /i̯/.
Syllable Structure
- C: Any Plosive or Nasal
- F: Any Fricative or Affricate
- R: Any Approximant
- V: Any Vowel
The Structure is: (F)(C|R)V(j|ʁ|l|w)(C)(s|ɕ)(t)[1].
TODO: Phoneme frequency.
Stress and Isochrony
Primary stress almost always falls on the penultimate syllable. Secondary stress is more finicky and needs to be sorted out (TODO).
TODO: The rest.
Basic Grammar and Syntax
The default word order is SVO, but parts can shift around in a non-configurationalmanner, with less important or older elements dropping toward the end of the sentence.
There are no noun classes, save a vestigial class for animate females and endeared terms, with its usage transitioning toward only the latter.
Verbs
Ye Table of Declensions
| A | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | mä- | - |
| 2 | - | |
| 3 | e- | |
| 3F | ta- | tü- |
| A | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||
| 2 | ||
| 3 | ||
| 3F |
Some ideas
- Logophoricity, f ye!
Grammar Testing Bed
Sample Sentences
Dao gwöügn.
dao gwöü-gn
dɑ͡ɔ gʷœ͡yɲ
man[ABS] [3S.A]eat-ANTIP
The man eats (it).
Daom egwöü må.
dao-m e-gwöü må
dɑ͡ɔm ˈe.gʷœ͡y mɔ
man-ERG 3S.ERG-eat[3S.P] bread[ABS]
The man eats the bread.
Må gwöüyn.
må gwöü-yn
mɔ gʷœ͡yɥn
bread[ABS] eat[3S.P]-PASS
The bread is eaten.
Tshïh legwöügn.
tshï-h le-gwöü-gn
tɕɨç ˈle.gʷœ͡yɲ
3[ABS]-PL 3PL.A-eat-ANTIP
They are eating (something, e.g. a meal).
Gwöükwä!
gwöü-kwä
gʷœ͡ykʷa
Eat!
Vrom tapit sä.
vro-m ta-pi-t sä
vʁom ˈtɑ.pɪt sɐ
3S.F-ERG 3S.F.A-set[3S.P]-PST it[ABS]
She set it down.
Vro tapisht.
vro ta-pi-sh-t
vʁo ˈtɑ.pɪɕt
3S.F[ABS] 3S.F.A-set-REFL-PST
She set herself down. (She sat down.)
Vro tapishtign.
vro ta-pi-sh-t-(i)gn
vʁo ˈtɑ.pɪɕ.tɪɲ
3S.F[ABS] 3S.F.A-set-REFL-PST-ANTIP
Reflexive verbs are always intransitive, and thus cannot be antipassive.
Vrom tapisht.
vro-m ta-pi-sh-t
vʁom ˈtɑ.pɪɕt
3S.F-ERG 3S.F.A-set-REFL-PST
Reflexive verbs are always intransitive, and thus cannot take an ergative argument.
Vro tapimt.
vro ta-pi-m-t
vʁo ˈtɑ.pɪmt
3S.F[ABS] 3S.F.A-set-STAT-PST
She sat. (She was sitting.)
Vro tapimtign.
vro ta-pi-m-t(i)-gn
vʁo tɑˈpɪm.tɪɲ
3S.F[ABS] 3S.F.A-set-STAT-PST-ANTIP
Stative verbs are always intransitive, and thus cannot be antipassive.
Vro tapimsht.
vro ta-pi-m-sh-t
vʁo ˈtɑ.pɪmɕt
3S.F[ABS] 3S.F.A-set-STAT-REFL-PST
A verb cannot be both stative and reflexive.
Vro tapisht shönen.
vro ta-pi-sh-t shön-en
vʁo tɑˈpɪɕt ˈɕœn.ɛn
3S.F[ABS] 3S.F.A-set-REFL-PST quick-ADV
She sat quickly.
Vro natapishät shönen.
vro na-ta-pi-sh-ät shön-en
vʁo nɑ.tɑˈpɪɕ.ɐt ˈɕœn.ɛn
3S.F[ABS] EVID-3S.F.A-set-REFL-FUT quick-ADV
She will sit quickly.
Dzjï napishätkja shönen fiyenës
dzjï na-pi-sh-ät-kja shön-en fiy-ën=ës
dʑʲɨ nɑ.piˈɕɐt.kʲa ˈɕœn.ɛn fiˈjɛn.ɛs
2S[ABS] EVID-[2S.A]set-REFL-FUT-IMP quick-ADV smooth-ADV=and
You will sit quickly and smoothly.
Em mähät i vro
e-m mä-hä-t i vro
em mɐˈçɐt i vʁo
1S-ERG 1S.A-say[3S.O]-PST PREP 3S.F
I said (it) to her.
Em mähänwäsjt i sä
e-m mä-hä-gnj-äsj-t i sä
em mɐçɐɲjɐi̯ʃʲtʲ i sɐ
1S-ERG 1S.A-say-APL-3S.F.O-PST PREP it
I told (her) it.
Phrasebook
Erlä hhaf!
erlä hhaf
eʁlɐ ħɑf
morning[ABS] hello
Good morning!
Colloquially “Ëlläkhakh!”, a corruption of the original phrase.
Tshja, tshja. Mïnyi ghunnje is.
tshja tshja mïn-yi ghun-nje is
tɕʲɑ tɕʲɑ ˈmɨn.ji ˈɣun.nʲe is
yes yes very big-GEN [3S.A]be[3S.O]
[Yes, yes. It's very big.](https://www.reddit.com/r/conlangs/comments/3s3m9s/how_many_words_are_in_your_conlangs/cwtzlgv)
Sentences for Testing Conlang Syntax
Tjæ såkhäng.
tjæ så-kh-äng
tʲæ sɔxɐŋ
sun[ABS] [3S.A]illuminate-IMPRS-GNO
The sun illuminates. (*gnomic*)
Tjæ såkh.
tjæ så-kh
tʲæ sɔx
sun[ABS] [3S.A]illuminate-IMPRS
The sun illuminates. (The sun is shining.)
Tjæ såkht.
tjæ så-kh-t
tʲæ sɔxt
sun[ABS] [3S.A]illuminate-IMPRS-PST
The sun illuminated. (The sun shone.)
Tjæ nasåkhät.
tjæ na-så-kh-ät
tʲæ nɑˈsɔx.ɐt
sun[ABS] EVID-[3S.A]illuminate-IMPRS-FUT
The sun will shine. (The speaker knows this to be true.)
Also:Tjæ såkhätnäng.
tjæ så-kh-ätn-äng
tʲæ sɔˈxɐt.nɐŋ
sun[ABS] [3S.A]illuminate-IMPRS-FUT-GNO
The sun will shine. (It is general knowledge so.)
Tjæ nuiösåkhät.
tjæ nuiö-så-kh-ät
tʲæ nɥœˈsɔ.xɐt
sun[ABS] HSY-[3S.A]illuminate-IMPRS-FUT
The sun will shine. (The speaker has heard this to be true.)
Tjæ nusåkhät.
tjæ nu-så-kh-ät
tʲæ nuˈsɔ.xɐt
sun[ABS] INFER-[3S.A]illuminate-IMPRS-FUT
The sun will shine. (The speaker infers.)
Tjæ maisåkhät
tjæ mai-så-kh-ät
tʲæ mɑ͡iˈsɔ.xɐt
sun[ABS] UNSURE-[3S.A]illuminate-IMPRS-FUT
The sun will shine. (The speaker is uncertain, but thinks it likely.)
Tjæ sååkhëni
tjæ så~å-kh-ëni
tʲæ ˈsɔːx.ɛni
sun[ABS] [3S.A]illuminate~PERF.CONT-IMPRS-PERF.CONT
The sun has been shining.
Tjæ såkh mïn
tjæ så-kh mïn
tʲæ sɔx mɨn
sun[ABS] [3S.A]illuminate-IMPRS more
The sun is shining again.
Tjæ nasåkhät erläb.
tjæ na-så-kh-ät erlä-b
tʲæ nɑˈsɔ.xɐt eʁlɐb
sun[ABS] EVID-[3S.A]illuminate-IMPRS-FUT morning-ESS
The sun will shine tomorrow.
Tjæ såkh hhlien.
tjæ så-kh hhli-en
tʲæ sɔx ˈħli.e̞n
sun[ABS] [3S.A]illuminate-IMPRS blind-ADV
The sun shines brightly. (The sun shines blindingly.)
Tjæ hhliyi såkh.
tjæ hhli-yi så-kh
tʲæ ˈħli.ji sɔx
sun[ABS] blind[ABS]-PTCP [3S.A]illuminate-IMPRS
The bright sun shines. (The blinding sun shines.)
Ghjoh immje sigaltign.
ghjo-h im-nje si-gal-t(i)-gn
ɣʲoç imːʲe̞ siˈgɑl.tɪɲ
person[ABS]-PL all-GEN 3PL.A-shout-PST-ANTIP
All the people shouted.
Ghjoh sunnje sigaltign.
ghjo-h sun-nje si-gal-t(i)-gn
ɣʲoç sunːʲe̞ siˈgɑl.tɪɲ
person[ABS]-PL some-GEN 3PL.A-shout-PST-ANTIP
Some of the people shouted.
The final (t) only appears when not preceeded by a /t/ or /d/. ↩︎