[SVG]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scalable_Vector_Graphics
# Phonology
## Vowels
Front Central Back
------- ---------- ----------- ----------
Close «i» #/i/ «y» #/ʉ/ «u» #/u/
Mid «e» #/ɛ/ «o» #/ɔ/
Open «a» #/ɑ/
------- ---------- ----------- ----------
There are three tones, indicated by diacritics:
- High, with an acute accent «á» #/ɑ˥/
- Low, with no accent «a» #/ɑ˩/
- Falling, with a grave accent «à» #/ɑ˥˨/
Vowels can be nasalised, which is indicated by an «n» following the vowel (and
offglide if there is one).
## Consonants
Labial Alveolar Retroflex Velar
----------------- ----------- --------------- --------------- -----------
Plosive «p ph pp» «t th tt» «d dh dd» «k kh kk»
#/p pʰ pʼ/ #/t tʰ tʼ/ #/ʈ ʈʰ ʈʼ/ #/k kʰ kʼ/
Click «px» «tx lx» «dx»
#/ᵏʘ/ #/ᵏǀ ᵏǁ/ #/ᵏǃ/
Affricate «ts tsh tts» «dz dzh ddz»
#/ts tsʰ tsʼ/ #/ʈʂ ʈʂʰ ʈʂʼ/
Lateral Affricate «tl tlh ttl» «dł dłh ddł»
#/tɬ tɬʰ tɬʼ/ #/ʈꞎ ʈꞎʰ ʈꞎʼ/
Fricative «f» «s sh» «z zh» «h»
#/f/ #/s sʰ/ #/ʂ ʂʰ/ #/χ/
Lateral Fricative «l» «ł»
#/ɬ/ #/ꞎ/
Nasal «m» «n» «ņ» «ŋ»
#/m/ #/n/ #/ɳ/ #/ŋ/
Nasal Click «mx» «nx nlx» «ņx»
#/ɴʘ/ #/ɴǀ ɴǁ/ #/ɴ!/
----------------- ----------- --------------- --------------- -----------
* Between two vowels or glides, non-aspirated pulmonic consonants become voiced:
#/ɬ ꞎ/ become #[l ɭ].
* Before #/i j/, #/x/ becomes #[ç]; before #/ɔ u w/ it becomes #[ɸ].
* The phoneme #/χ/ changes based on the following vowel or glide:
+ to #[ç] before #/i/ or #/j/, or
+ to #[ɸ] before #/o/, #/u/, or #/w/.
The rest of the time it is _uvular_, not velar.
* Syllable-final #/p t k/ are unreleased.
- \#/ᵏǀj/ and #/ᵏǃj/ are pronounced #[ᵏǂ], and #/ɴǀj ɴ!j/ as #[ɴǂ].[^nc]
[^nc]: This is not true of #/ǁ/ because I can't hear any difference whatsoever between #[ǁ] and #[ǂˡ]. This might be why the latter doesn't have a symbol of its own.
# Writing system
Tengan has a featural writing system similar to Hangul, called #|twén phỳk ná|, or 'syllable writing'. Each syllable is written in a block indicating different features of each part of the syllable.
## Initials
Initials are classed first into six basic shaped based on place of articulation. Laterals are counted as distinct places.
Other consonants are built by systematically adding modifiers above these bases. For example, for #|ta|:
## Glides
Glides look the same before and after a vowel, and also when it is the initial consonant.
## Vowels
The vowel symbols have no further internal structure.
## Tones and nasalisation
The nasalisation is written below the offglide, and the tone after that.
## Coda consonants
Coda consonants are the same as their initial counterparts, but are usually written slightly narrower.
# Pronouns
There is an distinction between 'we' inclusive and exclusive of the listener(s).
Singular Plural
-- ---------- -----------------
1 #|fa| #|ŋa|, #|khwi|
2 #|thò| #|dyt|
3 #|zéj| #|ņaw|
4 #|han| #|kkù|
\#|ŋa| is the inclusive pronoun and #|khwi| the exclusive.
Third and fourth person pronouns are used as determiners ('this' and 'that'); fourth for new information in the conversation, and third for old.
Honorific forms of non-first person pronouns add #|txiw| afterward. Humble first person pronouns add #|lok|. (#|ŋa| doesn't allow either.)
# Verbs
## Aspect
Tense in Tengan is not expressed explicitly. The adverb #|dxop| 'earlier' is frequently used to emphasise an action took place in the past, but is not mandatory, and more specific time phrases are also common. The perfective aspect is marked using #|zú| after the modality marker.
## Modality
The main verb of each clause requires a modality marker of some sort after it.
### Evidentials
The indicative mood is split into six evidentiality levels, indicating why and how strongly the speaker believes the information to be true:
* first-hand direct sensory information with #|sa|;
* inferred with #|ddzé|;
* assumed with #|kwé| (weaker than #|ddzé|);
* reported (second-hand) with #|phàj|;
* reported _dubious_ information with #|mot|;
* \#|tow| for hypotheticals.
When telling a story from the third person, #|phàj| is used.
### Interrogative
Yes-no questions are marked with #|maj|. Content questions, e.g., with #|fon| 'what', do not also use #|maj|.
### Imperative
The imperative, with #|łó|, is used both for commands and plural propositions. The subject is not dropped in imperatives.
## Auxiliary verbs
* \#|dxùn| fail
* \#|hék| not
* \#|jat| repeatedly
* \#|khéw| begin
* \#|kzun| may
* \#|mxá| try
* \#|nỳ| must
* \#|pojn| decide
* \#|tsap| finish
* \#|ttjò| stop, abandon
* \#|zwèp| want
* \#|kkjaw| can
# Attitude particles
Attitude particles can come before any word to indicate the speaker's feelings
toward that referent or action. #|sén| is commonly attached to
compliments, and #|kkow| or #|dùp| to excuses.
* \#|dùp| regret
* \#|kkow| disappointment
* \#|sén| approval
* \#|dxák| disgust (vulgar)
* \#|ppwa| surprise
# Causatives
The verb #|phyn| is used to make a causative sentence, for example:
- - -
- SVO