289 lines
8.4 KiB
Markdown
289 lines
8.4 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: unnamed volapük style language
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...
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What if Volapük didn't see the world
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through an extremely 19^th^ century lens?
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(And also what if it wasn't trying to be an IAL
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so I can put some interesting stuff in there if I want to)
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# Phonology
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## Vowels
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:::figure
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Front Back
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------------- ----------------- -----------------
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High `{i ü}` `/i y/` `{ï u}` `/ɯ u/`
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High central `{e ö}` `/e ø/` `{o}` `/o/`
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Low `{ä}` `/æ/` `{a}` `/ɑ/`
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:::
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- You can write `{ü ö ä ï}` as `{ᵫ œ æ ꜵ}` if you want.
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- Lowercase `{ᵫ}` is `U+1D6B`.
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Capital `{}` is not in the unicode standard (yet?), but some specialist
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medievalist fonts, such as [the one I'm using here][Junius], have it in the
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private use area at `U+E8C8` following the
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[[MUFI]]{title="Medieval Unicode Font Initiative"}.
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- `{Œ œ}` are `U+0152` and `U+0153`.
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- `{Æ æ}` are `U+00C6` and `U+00E6`.
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- `{Ꜵ ꜵ}` are `U+A734` and `U+A735`.
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- In unstressed syllables,
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high vowels become lax,
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high central vowels become lax low central,
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and `/ɑ/` becomes `[ə]`.
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- Word-initially before another vowel,
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`/i y u ɯ/` become `[j ɥ w ɰ]`.
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- If, after applying the above rule,
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a vowel follows another,
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an approximant or fricative is inserted
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based on the second vowel:
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<div class=twocol>
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- `[ʝ]` before `/i y/`;
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- `[ɣ]` before `/u ɯ/`;
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- `[j]` before `/e/`;
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- `[w]` before `/ø o/`;
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- `[ʢ]` (approximant) before `/æ ɑ/`.
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</div>
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- **TODO** expand this
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[Junius]: https://github.com/psb1558/Junicode-New
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[MUFI]: https://mufi.info
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## Consonants
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:::figure
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Labial Alveolar Velar, etc
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---------- --------- ---------- ------------
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Plosive `/p b/` `/t d/` `/k ɡ/`
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Fricative `/f v/` `/s/` `/h/`
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Nasal `/m/` `/n/`
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Lateral `/l/`
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:::
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Consonants are all written with the same letter as in IPA.
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- An `/s/` becomes `/z/` next to a voiced consonant
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other than `/l v/`.
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- `/v/` becomes `[f]` after one of `/s k/`.
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- `/n/` becomes `[ŋ]` before `/k ɡ/`.
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- `/h/` becomes `[ɣ]` between two vowels.
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- `/l/` is velarised when it is
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after a back vowel or `/æ/` and
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either before another consonant or at the end of a word.
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It is palatalised at the end of a word (only) when after a front vowel.
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- The sequences `/ks ts/` are written `{x z}`
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when they are not interrupted by a morpheme boundary.
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- A `[ʔ]` is inserted between a word ending with a vowel
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and a word beginning with one
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(unless the latter becomes a glide).
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- `{te ob}` `[te ʔob]`; `{ni ob}` `[ni ʔob]`; `{la iäm}` `[lɑ jæm]`\
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**TODO** examples with actual words
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- **TODO** expand this
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## Phonotactics
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This description is written in [EBNF].
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Basically, parts in
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[\[]{.ebnf-brack}square brackets[\]]{.ebnf-brack}
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are optional, and parts in
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[{]{.ebnf-brack}braces[}]{.ebnf-brack}
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can be repeated (or skipped). A vertical bar
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[|]{.ebnf-punc} separates alternatives and a comma
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[,]{.ebnf-punc} just indicates a sequence of things.
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[EBNF]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extended_Backus-Naur_form
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:::figure
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```ebnf
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word = [init cons], ?vowel?, {[inner cons], ?vowel?}, [final cons];
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init cons
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= ?consonant?
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| 's', ?plosive?
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| ?plosive?, 'l'
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| 's', ('f' | 'v' | 'l')
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| ('f' | 'v'), 'l'
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| ('p' | 'b' | 'k' | 'ɡ'), 'n'
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| ('t' | 'd' | 'k' | 'ɡ'), 'm'
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| ('kv' | 'gv')
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;
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inner cons
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= ?consonant?
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| 's', ?consonant? - ('s' | 'h')
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| ['m'], ('p', ['s'], 't' | 'b', ['s'], 'd')
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| ['n'], ('k', ['s'], 't' | 'ɡ', ['s'], 'd')
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| sonorant-plosive, ['s']
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| ['m' | 's'], ('p' | 'b'), 'n'
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| ['n' | 's'], ('k' | 'ɡ'), 'n'
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| ['n' | 's'], ('t' | 'd' | 'k' | 'ɡ'), 'm'
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| ['n' | 's'], ('kv' | 'gv')
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;
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final cons
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= ?consonant? - ('h' | 's'), ['s']
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| sonorant-plosive, ['s']
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| 's'
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;
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sonorant-plosive
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= 'm', ('p' | 'b')
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| 'n', ('t' | 'd' | 'k' | 'ɡ')
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| ['l'], ?plosive?
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;
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```
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:::
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In most cases a syllable break is between the first and second consonant of a
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cluster, but in cases like `/–nk.s–/` it is between the second and third. The
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exact rules are:
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1. If there is only one consonant, then the break is before it.
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2. If there are more than one, then there is at least one consonant either side
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of the break.
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3. The cluster after the break is accepted by [init cons]{.ebnf-nt}.
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4. As many consonants are placed after the break as possible while still
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following the other rules.
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Example words:
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:::twocol
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- `{aeia}` `/ɑ.e.iˈɑ/` `[ə.je.ʝiˈʢɑ]`
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- `{gnolbs}` `/ɡnolbs/` `[ɡnoɫbz]`
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- `{bünz}` `/bynts/` `[bynts]`
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- `{svihel}` `/sviˈhel/` `[sfɪˈɣelʲ]`
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- `{hänxtis}` `/hænkˈstis/` `[hæŋkˈstis]`
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:::
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- **TODO** real words for examples
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# Verbs
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Verb stems begin with one or more consonants, and end with exactly one.
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- zero prs copula
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- "\<pronoun> is \<noun>" attaches the pronoun (not the verb subject marker)
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to the noun
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## Person & number
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If the subject and/or [primary] object are pronouns, they are instead marked on
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the verb as suffixes.
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(**TODO** link to secundativity section)
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For first and second person, the subject marker is the pronoun itself, and the
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object marker is the pronoun with the initial `{o–}` replaced with `{i–}`. These
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vowels change to `{u– ä–}` respectively for the dual or plural. For third person
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it is just the vowel with no consonant. In this case, independent third-person
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pronouns can be used instead of verb markers if it makes the sentence less
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confusing.
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:::figure
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`!SG!` `!DU/PL!`
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-------- ---------- -------------
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`!SBJ!` `{o–}` `{u–}`
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`!OBJ!` `{i–}` `{ä–}`
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:::
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If the subject or object are a noun phrase other than a single pronoun, they
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are not reflected on the verb at all.
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:::twocol
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- `{böl gelb pülku}` the lizard sees the dog
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- `{böl{ob} pülku}` I see the dog
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- `{böl{ib} gelb}` the lizard sees me
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- `{böl{obit}}` I see you
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:::
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## Tense & aspect
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Verbs have a distinction between past & nonpast, and [imperfective]
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& [perfective]. The tense/aspect marker comes directly after the person markers.
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blah blah blah
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[imperfective]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperfective_aspect
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[perfective]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfective_aspect
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:::figure
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`!IPFV!` `!PFV!`
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--------- ---------- -----------
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`!NPST!` `{–}` `{–n–}`
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`!PST!` `{–e}` `{–n–ö}`
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:::
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For the perfective, an `{n}` is inserted before the last consonant of the stem.
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It interacts with the consonant already there in a few ways:
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- It is `{m}` before a labial consonant.
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- After this new `{n}`/`{m}`, the letters `{f}`, `{v}`, `{l}` become
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`{p}`, `{b}`, `{n}`.
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- A double `{nn}` or `{mm}` produced this way is pronounced the same as a
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single one.
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:::twocol
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- `{pnumob}` I am sleeping/will be sleeping/etc
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- `{pnumo{m}b}` I slept/will sleep
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- `{pnumob{e}}` I was sleeping
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- `{pnumo{m}b{ö}}` I slept
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:::
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# Nouns
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Noun roots end in either a vowel or a consonant other than `{s}`
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(or `{x}`/`{z}`). They have no restriction on what they begin with.
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- dual number. why not
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- dual is `{–di}` after vowel or just `{–i}` after consonant
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- plural is `{s}` like in v, so nouns don't end in that
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- 4–5 cases, but not *those* ones. maybe nom, acc+loc+all, ins+thm, gen+abl
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- acc/loc/all sg is `{-u}`
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- list acc in the table last like people do with latin for some reason
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- ~~dechticaetiative~~ secundative
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- vocative prefix, probably sth like `{iä–}`.
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- i guess that's a sixth case but i was thinking suffixes for the others
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- fuck regularity this isn't an IAL any more
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- indefinite article but no definite. maybe from 'this'. maybe a prefix
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# Pronouns
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Personal pronouns have a distinction between inclusive/exclusive `!(I/E)!` first
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person, e.g. `{ov}` means "you and me", but `{om}` means "me and someone else".
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The third person singular is listed as `{ok}`, but that is only a default.
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People can choose to be referred to with `{o–}` plus any consonant or cluster
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that isn't already another pronoun. `{Ok}` is used for strangers or objects, or
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for people who just want to be called `{ok}`.
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:::figure
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`!1;E!` `!1;I!` `!2!` `!3!`
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--------- --------- --------- --------- --------
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`!SG!` `{ob}` --- `{ot}` `{ok}`
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`!DU!` `{om}` `{ov}` `{ond}` `{ong}`
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`!PL!` `{oms}` `{obs}` `{oz}` `{ox}`
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:::
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**TODO** yes i know this isnt the only type of pronoun obviously
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# Word order etc
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- VSOX by default but NPs can be shuffled around
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- head initial NPs, prepositions [mostly?]
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