Table of Contents


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 ɲʷ ŋʷ
Soft 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

Syllable Structure

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

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.

TODO: The rest of these.


  1. The final (t) only appears when not preceeded by a /t/ or /d/. ↩︎