Commonthroat: Difference between revisions
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= History = | = History = | ||
Old Commonthroat was spoken in the area around Newman's Dale, the urheimat of the yinrih species, at the end of the Age of Decadence. Since the [[Bright Way]] was headquartered there at the time, the language was used as a de facto standard among the clergy. after the War of Dissolution ended the Bright Way's reign as a system-spanning for-profit megacorp and restored its religious character, Old Commonthroat was adopted by the re-emerging secular government of Yih. | Old Commonthroat was spoken in the area around [[Newman's Dale]], the urheimat of the yinrih species, at the end of the Age of Decadence. Since the [[Bright Way]] was headquartered there at the time, the language was used as a de facto standard among the clergy. after the War of Dissolution ended the Bright Way's reign as a system-spanning for-profit megacorp and restored its religious character, Old Commonthroat was adopted by the re-emerging secular government of Yih. | ||
When the Partisans threatened to conquer the entire system, Yih and the other inner planets, save Hearthside, formed a defensive alliance in order to maintain the independence they had just clawed back from the clergy. Over time, this union grew more culturally and economically integrated. Other languages on Yih, Newhome, and Welkinstead, as well as among Sweetwater's benthic cities, were displaced by the more prestegious Commonthroat. This left Focus with only three languages with state recognition and reasonably sized communities of speakers at the time of First Contact. Hearthside retains a unique language, and Outlander is the official language of both Moonlitter and Partisan Territory. Tiny isolated communities on the surface of Sweetwater and in the Spacer Confederacy still retain their own languages, including quite a few that were devised by founding groups of [[Atavism | Atavists]]. | When the Partisans threatened to conquer the entire system, Yih and the other inner planets, save Hearthside, formed a defensive alliance in order to maintain the independence they had just clawed back from the clergy. Over time, this union grew more culturally and economically integrated. Other languages on Yih, Newhome, and Welkinstead, as well as among Sweetwater's benthic cities, were displaced by the more prestegious Commonthroat. This left Focus with only three languages with state recognition and reasonably sized communities of speakers at the time of First Contact. Hearthside retains a unique language, and Outlander is the official language of both Moonlitter and Partisan Territory. Tiny isolated communities on the surface of Sweetwater and in the Spacer Confederacy still retain their own languages, including quite a few that were devised by founding groups of [[Atavism | Atavists]]. | ||
At the time of First Contact, Commonthroat has attained a status similar to English on Earth--a de facto international language used in business, diplomacy, and international communication. Most pups on Hearthside and Moonlitter grow up with at least a passive understanding of the language thanks to exposure to Allied Worlds media, though Partisan Teritory's aggressive cultural controls mean that most citizens there only speak Outlander. | At the time of First Contact, Commonthroat has attained a status similar to English on Earth--a de facto international language used in business, diplomacy, and international communication. Most pups on Hearthside and Moonlitter grow up with at least a passive understanding of the language thanks to exposure to Allied Worlds media, though Partisan Teritory's aggressive cultural controls mean that most citizens there only speak Outlander. | ||
= Sounds = | = Sounds = | ||
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But what about length? If the first vowel is short and the second is long, then the change from one vowel to the other occurs earlier in the syllable, so we call these contours ''early''. If the first vowel is long and the second is short, the change occurs later in the syllable, so these contours are called ''late''. | But what about length? If the first vowel is short and the second is long, then the change from one vowel to the other occurs earlier in the syllable, so we call these contours ''early''. If the first vowel is long and the second is short, the change occurs later in the syllable, so these contours are called ''late''. | ||
For a complete list of plain vowels and contours along with their phonetic features, see the [[# | For a complete list of plain vowels and contours along with their phonetic features, see the [[#Vowel Pronunciation Table|Vowel Pronunciation Table]] in the appendix. | ||
== Consonants == | == Consonants == | ||
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Before discussing the grammar, we need to touch on interlinear glosses. A gloss is a word-by-word translation of a language sample. In this document, glosses contain three parts. The first part is a sample of Commonthroat. Prefixes and suffixes may be set off from the rest of their parent word by hyphens. The second part, directly below, is a word-by-word translation of the sample, with the English word left-aligned to its corresponding Commonthroat word above. Abbreviations of linguistic terms are written using capital letters. Simple glosses may not hyphenate prefixes or suffixes to make the example clearer. | Before discussing the grammar, we need to touch on interlinear glosses. A gloss is a word-by-word translation of a language sample. In this document, glosses contain three parts. The first part is a sample of Commonthroat. Prefixes and suffixes may be set off from the rest of their parent word by hyphens. The second part, directly below, is a word-by-word translation of the sample, with the English word left-aligned to its corresponding Commonthroat word above. Abbreviations of linguistic terms are written using capital letters. Simple glosses may not hyphenate prefixes or suffixes to make the example clearer. | ||
For definitions of many of the words used in these examples, see the [[#Glossary|glossary]]. | |||
== Syntax == | == Syntax == | ||
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So far, so good, right? But what if we didn’t know or didn’t care where this stuff was happening? Commonthroat uses an ''indefinite'' suffix for that: <code>-g</code> /short low weak growl/. It’s abbreviated as ''I'' in glosses. | So far, so good, right? But what if we didn’t know or didn’t care where this stuff was happening? Commonthroat uses an ''indefinite'' suffix for that: <code>-g</code> /short low weak growl/. It’s abbreviated as ''I'' in glosses. | ||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | |||
{| | {| | ||
|sfc-g || lPr || HJq-g | |sfc-g || lPr || HJq-g | ||
| Line 265: | Line 266: | ||
|pup-I || climb || tree-I | |pup-I || climb || tree-I | ||
|} | |} | ||
''A pup climbed a tree.'' | ''A pup climbed a tree.'' | ||
</div> | |||
The indefinite form of a noun is the base form seen in dictionaries. It’s used when the precise nature of the object the noun refers to is not known, not important, or when the word refers to a general class of objects rather than a specific object. This example could also be translated as ''Pups climb trees''. This usage, where a noun refers to a general class of objects, is referred to as ''gnomic''. | The indefinite form of a noun is the base form seen in dictionaries. It’s used when the precise nature of the object the noun refers to is not known, not important, or when the word refers to a general class of objects rather than a specific object. This example could also be translated as ''Pups climb trees''. This usage, where a noun refers to a general class of objects, is referred to as ''gnomic''. | ||
| Line 274: | Line 275: | ||
There’s also no reason why the pup and the tree in these examples must share the same deictic suffix. You could say | There’s also no reason why the pup and the tree in these examples must share the same deictic suffix. You could say | ||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | |||
{| | {| | ||
|sfc-Mr || lPr || HJq-g | |sfc-Mr || lPr || HJq-g | ||
| Line 279: | Line 281: | ||
|pup-P || climb || tree-I | |pup-P || climb || tree-I | ||
|} | |} | ||
''This pup climbs trees.'' | ''This pup climbs trees.'' | ||
</div> | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | |||
{| | {| | ||
|sfc-qN || lPr || HJq-p | |sfc-qN || lPr || HJq-p | ||
| Line 287: | Line 290: | ||
|pup-M || climb || tree-D | |pup-M || climb || tree-D | ||
|} | |} | ||
''That pup climbed yonder tree.'' | ''That pup climbed yonder tree.'' | ||
</div> | |||
To summarize, let’s look at a noun with each of the suffixes we’ve discussed so far. We’ll look at the word <code>sFsFg</code> /yip, long high strong whine, yip, long high strong whine, short low weak growl/ which means ''friend''. | To summarize, let’s look at a noun with each of the suffixes we’ve discussed so far. We’ll look at the word <code>sFsFg</code> /yip, long high strong whine, yip, long high strong whine, short low weak growl/ which means ''friend''. | ||
| Line 304: | Line 307: | ||
|} | |} | ||
=== | === Expressing Quantity === | ||
Nouns do not indicate number on their own. <code>HJqp</code> can mean ''the tree'' or ''those trees'' depending on context. The base form of the noun is referred to as the ''general number''. If you want to specify how many of something there are, one way is to use a numeral or other quantifying word. Unlike normal adjectives, words that indicate quantity come before the noun they describe. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
|sfc- | |rdr || sfc-p || lPr || HJq-p | ||
|- | |- | ||
|pup- | |one || pup-D || climb || tree-D | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''One pup climbed the tree.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
|sfc- | |H || sfc-p || lPr || HJq-p | ||
|- | |- | ||
|pup- | |none || pup-D || climb || tree-D | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''No pups climbed the tree.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
|sfc- | |rdr || sfc-p || lPr || BC || HJq-p | ||
|- | |- | ||
|pup- | |one || pup-D || climb || all || tree-D | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''One pup climbed all those trees.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
There is also a ''plurative particle'' <code>h</code> /short low strong growl/ that indicates more than one thing, just like the English suffix -s. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | |||
{| | |||
|h || sfc-p || lPr || HJq-p | |||
|- | |||
|PL || pup-D || climb || tree-D | |||
|} | |||
''Those pups climbed the tree.'' | |||
</div> | |||
Note that <code>h</code> is a particle, not an adjective. It cannot be used like a verb or a noun in the same way adjectives can. Traditionally, the plurative particle is only used if there is no other quantifying adjective associated with the noun. However, younger speakers are increasingly using it in front of nouns that are already explicitly marked. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
|sfc-p || lPr || HJq- | |qBf || sfc-p || lPr || HJq-p | ||
|- | |- | ||
|pup- | |two || pup-D || climb || tree-D | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''Two pups climbed the tree.'' (Standard) | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
|sfc- | |h || qBf || sfc-p || lPr || HJq-p | ||
|- | |- | ||
|pup- | |PL || two || pup-D || climb || tree-D | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''Two pups climbed the tree.'' (Younger speakers) | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
=== | === Personal Deixis === | ||
If Commonthroat only used those demonstrative suffixes, it wouldn’t be so alien, but it doesn’t stop there. Demonstratives are part of what’s called ''spatial deixis'', which relates to where an object is relative to the speaker. There’s also ''personal deixis'', which covers how the speaker identifies himself, how he identifies the listener, and how things that are neither the speaker nor the listener is identified. In English, we use ''personal pronouns'' like ''me'' when referring to yourself, ''you'' when referring to the listener, and ''he'', ''she,'' or ''it'' when referring to someone or something that is neither the speaker nor the listener. You may recognize that I’m talking about ''first person'', ''second person'', and ''third person''. | |||
All the noun endings I’ve introduced are in the third person. From now on, the glosses of third person suffixes will include a 3 as a reminder. Any noun can also be inflected in the first or second person if the noun refers to the speaker or listener. So, if the speaker were the pup in the above examples, he’d say | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | |||
{| | |||
|sfc-l || lPr || HJq-g | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | |pup-1 || climb || tree-3I | ||
| | |||
| | |||
|} | |} | ||
''I, a pup, climbed a tree.'' | |||
</div> | |||
If the speaker wanted to indicate that the listener was the pup, he’d say | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | |||
{| | |||
|sfc-qn || lPr || HJq-g | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | |pup-2 || climb || tree-3I | ||
| | |} | ||
''You, the pup, climbed a tree.'' | |||
</div> | |||
But it gets weirder. It’s perfectly grammatical for the speaker to indicate that they or the listener are the tree. When a noun that is clearly not a person is given a first- or second-person suffix, it is understood to be metaphorical. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | |||
{| | {| | ||
|sfc-g | |sfc-g || lPr || HJq-qn | ||
|- | |- | ||
|pup-3I | |pup-3I || climb || tree-2 | ||
|} | |} | ||
''A pup climbed you as though you were a tree.'' | |||
</div> | |||
=== Interrogative Nouns === | |||
There’s one last noun ending we need to cover. If you don’t know which pup climbed the tree, or which tree the pup climbed, and want the listener to identify the tree or the pup, you’d use the interrogative ending <code>-BD</code> /long rising weak whine/, which is abbreviated ''INT'' in glosses | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | |||
{| | |||
|sfc-p || lPr || HJq-BD | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | |pup-3D || climb || tree-INT | ||
|} | |} | ||
''What tree did that pup climb?'' | |||
</div> | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
|sfc-BD || lPr || HJq-g | |||
|- | |- | ||
|pup-INT || climb || tree-3I | |||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''Which pup climbed a tree?'' ''What pup climbs trees?'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
=== Deictic Suffixes === | |||
That’s all the forms a noun can have. Here’s a table of all thelsuffixes along with their gloss abbreviations. | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
! Deixis !! Suffix !! Gloss | |||
| | |- | ||
| 1st || -l || 1 | |||
|- | |||
| 2nd || -qn || 2 | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | | 3rd indefinate || -g || 3I | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | 3rd proximal || -Mr || 3P | ||
| | |- | ||
| 3rd medial || -qN || 3M | |||
|- | |||
| 3rd distal || -p || 3D | |||
| | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | | Interrogative || -BD || INT | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | And here’s <code>sFsFg</code> ''friend'' again in all its forms. | ||
= | {| class="wikitable" | ||
! Deixis !! Inflection !! Translation | |||
|- | |||
| 1st || sFsFl || I, the friend | |||
|- | |||
| 2nd || sFsFqn || You, the friend | |||
|- | |||
| 3rd indefinate || sFsFg || a friend, some friend, friends in general | |||
|- | |||
| 3rd proximal || sFsFMr || This friend | |||
|- | |||
| 3rd medial || sFsFqN || that friend | |||
|- | |||
| 3rd distal || sFsFp || yonder friend | |||
|- | |||
| Interrogative || sFsFBD || What friend? | |||
|} | |||
=== Possession === | |||
There are two ways of indicating possession. One method uses the preposition <code>b</code> /short low weak whine/, translated as ''of'' in English, and it behaves identically as well. | |||
{| | {| | ||
|g || | |sfc-g || b || dcr-p || lPr || HJq-p | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |pup-3I || of || dam-3D || climb || tree-3D | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''One of the mother’s pups climbed the tree.'' | ||
The second method uses the possessive particle <code>g</code> /short low weak growl/, which comes before a noun. It shifts the meaning of the noun suffix. Instead of the suffix pointing to the noun itself, it now points to the possessor of the noun. A table best illustrates this. | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
! Regular Noun !! Meaning !! Possessed Noun !! Meaning !! | |||
|- | |||
| sFsFl || I, the friend || g sFsFl || my friend | |||
|- | |||
| sFsFqn || you, the friend || g sFsFqn || your friend | |||
|- | |||
| sFsFg || a friend || g sFsFg || someone's friend | |||
|- | |||
| sFsFMr || this friend || g sFsFMr || my friend | |||
|- | |||
| sFsFqN || that friend || g sFsFqN || your friend | |||
|- | |||
| sFsFp || yonder friend || g sFsFp || his/her/their friend | |||
|- | |||
| sFsFBD || what friend? || g sFsFBD || whose friend? | |||
|} | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |g || sfc-p || lPr || HJq-p | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |POS || pup-3D || climb || tree-3D | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''Her pup climbed the tree.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
'' | You may notice that there are two ways of saying ''my friend'' and ''your friend''. The difference has to do with something called ''inalienable possession''. A possession that’s inalienable is an integral part of the possessor. These include parts of the body, like <code>rnqg</code> ''paw'' or <code>slPqg</code> ''tail''; metaphysical things like sLg ''soul'' or <code>sfBg</code> ''mind''; and aspects of identity such as <code>rJhg</code> ''language'' or <code>sBfGHg</code> ''faith''. | ||
Things that are inalienable use the first- and second-person noun suffixes, and things that are alienable use the 3rd person proximal suffix for ''my…'' and the 3rd person medial suffix for ''your…''. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |bc || g || rnq-l || qgKq-p || sMp | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |on || POS || paw-1 || yinrih-3D || tread | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''That yinrih stepped on my paw.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |bc || g || sgHq-Mr || qgKq-p || sMp | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |on || POS || grass-3P || yinrih-3D || tread | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''That yinrih stepped on my grass.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
In the first example, the speaker is referring to his paw, which is an integral part of his body. In the second, the speaker may own the grass being stepped on, but it isn’t an inseparable part of him. | |||
Words that describe a relationship between two people, such as <code>sFsFg</code> ''friend'' can take either form, depending on how strong the relationship is according to the speaker. Someone you address as <code>g sFsFMr</code> is likely to be a casual acquaintance, but <code>g sFsFl</code> is someone you can really rely on. | |||
You can also combine the two ways of expressing possession. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |rGhq-p || b || g || sFsF-l || jr | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |house-3D || of || POS || friend-1 || big | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''My friend’s house is big.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
=== What About Pronouns? === | |||
Commonthroat does not have any pronouns. There’s no ''me'' or ''she'' or ''they'' or ''what''. You’ve got to use a noun, even when referring to yourself or the listener. The noun you use can be chosen based on a few factors. | |||
How you feel about the situation you’re describing: | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |g || qCD-Mr || kHr || rkHr-l | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |POS || brother-3P || strike_with_tail || angry-1 | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''My brother struck me, the angry one, with his tail.'' | ||
''My brother hit me, and I’m angry about it.'' | |||
</div> | </div> | ||
Or what was going on when the event occurred: | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |Plq-qn || fCq || rDBq-qN | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |digger-2 || find || money-3M | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''You, the digger, found money.'' | ||
''You found money while digging.'' | |||
</div> | </div> | ||
But the easiest and most common strategy is to simply drop the word altogether. If context makes it clear who’s doing what, you can drop the subject or object. This is especially true for first person subjects. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |qCq || g || sFsF-l | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |see || POS || friend-1 | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''[I] saw my friend'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
You can even do this with both the subject and the object. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |qCq | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |see | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''[I] saw [him].'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
But this would not be done in isolation like this example. It would be used as a response or in the middle of a conversation where context could fill in the blanks. | |||
=== | === Compound Words === | ||
English | In English compound words, the first word modifies the second word. A ''doghouse'' is a kind of house, and a ''house dog'' is a kind of dog. In Commonthroat, the second word modifies the first. | ||
Commonthroat | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |rnq-CDq-g | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |paw-hold-3I | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''holding paw (human hand)'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |rnq-rfbr-g | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |paw-walk-3I | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''walking paw (human foot)'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
Both compounds start with <code>rnqg</code>, as both are considered types of paws. Since yinrih use all four paws for both grasping and movement, Commonthroat does not distinguish between the forepaws and rear paws in the same way that English does with ''hand'' and ''foot''. Examples 33 and 34 are Commonthroat’s way of telling human extremities apart. | |||
=== Proper Names === | |||
Names in Commonthroat are formed from noun or verb phrases combined into one word, with a name suffix added. The content of the name does not indicate the person’s gender, but the suffix does. | |||
Many names have something to do with light or phenomena that produce light, as light is heavily associated with the divine. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |qfr-rmK-sk-Mr | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |fire-hearth-MALE.NAME-3P | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''Hearthfire (male)'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |qfr-rmK-sd-Mr | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |fire-hearth-FEMALE.NAME-3P | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''Hearthfire (female)'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |qMNr-Mr-BCq-sd-Mr | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |sun-3P-shine-FEMALE.NAME-3P | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''She shines like the sun.'' | ||
''Sunshine'' | |||
</div> | </div> | ||
=== Direct Address === | |||
English uses vocal inflection to indicate that the speaker is directly addressing the listener. This is indicated by commas in writing. Compare ''Let’s eat, grandma.'' and ''Let’s eat grandma.'' | |||
Commonthroat also uses pauses to indicate direct address. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
|qfrrmKsk- | |qfrrmKsk-qn, || sfc-p || lPr || HJq-p | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |hearthfire-2, || pup-3D || climb || tree-3D | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''Hearthfire, the pup climbed the tree.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
Don’t confuse this with inflecting the subject or object in the second person. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |qfrrmKsk-qn || lPr || HJq-p | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |hearthfire-2 || climb || tree-3D | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''You climbed the tree, Hearthfire.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
In the first example, Hearthfire is being addressed, but he isn’t climbing the tree, the pup is. In the second, the speaker is relating that Hearthfire climbed the tree ''to Hearthfire himself''. In English, this expression requires the use of the second person pronoun ''you'' as the subject and the name of the listener set off as a direct address, but in Commonthroat, the deictic ending on the noun makes it clear that the noun refers to the listener. | |||
=== Simple Declaratives === | |||
If you want to say ''That’s a…'' or ''I’m a…'', you can simply state the noun inflected with the appropriate suffix. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |sfc-l | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |pup-1 | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''I’m a pup.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |HJq-Mr | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |tree-3P | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''This is a tree.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
You can include adjectives. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |sfc-Mr || jk | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |pup-3P || little | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''This is a small pup.'' | ||
This is | ''This pup is small.'' | ||
</div> | |||
Note that this example can be interpreted in two different ways in English, even though the overall meaning is the same. There is a pup close to the speaker, and he is small. | |||
This is also how you introduce yourself. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | |||
{| | |||
|qfrrmKsk-l | |||
|- | |||
|Hearthfire-1 | |||
|} | |||
''I’m Hearthfire.'' | |||
''My name is Hearthfire.'' | |||
</div> | |||
=== | === Conjunctions === | ||
Words like <code>j</code> /short high weak growl/ ''and'', and <code>l</code> /short low weak grunt/ ''or'', work similarly to how they do in English. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |qCq-0 || qMqm-g || j || qgKq-g | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |see-A || human-3I || and || yinrih-3I | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''I saw a human and a yinrih.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |DB-0 || rfbr-0 || l || DB-0 || rDB-0 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |can-A || walk.on.4.legs-A || or || can-A || walk.on.2.legs-A | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''You can walk on four legs or you can walk on two legs.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
If you want to say ''both… and…'' or ''either… or…'' repeat the conjunction at the beginning of the list. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |qCq-0 || j || qMqm-g || j || qgKq-g | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |see-A || and || human-3I || and || yinrih-3I | ||
|} | |} | ||
''I | ''I saw both a human and a yinrih.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |l || rBFr || sNLr-g || l || qBf || sNLr-g | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |or || four || leg-3I || or || two || leg-3I | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''Either four legs or two legs.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
This is a proverb that means something that applies equally to humans and yinrih. | |||
== Verbs == | |||
Verbs lack a lot of the inflection seen in other languages. They don’t indicate tense. <code>lPr</code> can mean ''climb'', ''climbed'', or ''will climb'', depending on context or clarifying adverbs like ''yesterday'' or ''soon''. There are no complicated conjugations to memorize. <code>lPr</code> is always <code>lPr</code> regardless of who’s doing the climbing or how many of them there are. | |||
=== Moods === | |||
Verbs do change based on ''mood''. Mood is a complicated and nuanced topic in Commonthroat, and the same verb form can mean different things in different situations. | |||
==== The Authoritative and Nonauthoritative Moods ==== | |||
All the examples so far have been in the ''authoritative mood''. It’s considered the default verb form and has no suffix, or in linguistics terms it’s said to have a null suffix. You’ll see this marked as -0 in the top line of glosses, and it has a glossing abbreviation of -A. In general, the authoritative mood indicates that the speaker is confident that the statement is true. The sentence ''The pup climbed the tree'' ' is presented below with the authoritative mood marked in the gloss. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |sfc-p || lPr-0 || HJq-g | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |pup-3D || climb-A || tree-3I | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''The pup climbed the tree.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
The authoritative mood is contrasted with the ''nonauthoritative mood'', marked with the suffix <code>-b</code> /short low weak whine/. The nonauthoritative mood indicates a hedge on the part of the speaker regarding the truth of the statement. Nonauthoritative verbs are usually translated as ''I think that…'' or ''it seems that…'' or with words like ''may'' or ''might''. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |sfc-p || lPr-b || HJq-g | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |pup-3D || climb-NA || tree-3I | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''The pup may have climbed a tree.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
===== Egophoricity ===== | |||
When the subject of a sentence is in the first person, the verb ending indicates whether the action was intentional or not. This is referred to as ''egophoricity''. Authoritative verbs indicate the action was done on purpose. Nonauthoritative verbs indicate the action was unintentional. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |B || HJq-p || smpr-b | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |from || tree-3D || fall-NA | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''I fell from the tree (accidentally).'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |B || HJq-p || smpr-0 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |from || tree-3D || fall-A | ||
|} | |} | ||
''I | ''I fell from the tree (on purpose).'' | ||
''I dropped down from the tree.'' | |||
</div> | </div> | ||
Egophoricity also occurs in questions when the subject is in the second person. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |mp || B || HJq-p || sFsF-qn || smpr-b | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |INT || from || tree-3D || friend-2 || fall-NA | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''Did you fall from the tree?'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
===== Evidentiality ===== | |||
If you have a main clause with a verb like ''see'', ''hear'', etc, where the object of the verb is another clause describing what is seen or heard, the verb in the object clause can be in the authoritative form if the speaker directly witnessed the event (not necessarily visually). If the speaker is inferring the event based on indirect evidence, the second verb is in the nonauthoritative form. | |||
Consider the following scenario: A dam is watching one of her pups play outside, and she sees him cut his tail against a thorny plant. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |0 || qCq-0 || rdc-qn || rlnq-0 || g || slPq-qn | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |[I] || see-A || poor-2 || cut-A || POS || tail-2 | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''I saw you cut your tail, poor dear.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
A similar situation, but the child comes inside after playing, and one of his dams notices that his tail is bleeding, but didn’t see him cut his tail. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |0 || qCq-0 || rdc-qn || rlnq-b || g || slpq-qn | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |[I] || see-A || poor-2 || cut-NA || POS || tail-2 | ||
|} | |} | ||
''I | ''I see you cut your tail, poor dear.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
The | These two examples illustrate another use for first and second person nouns. The word <code>slpqg</code> /yip, short rising strengthening grunt, huff, short low weak growl/ means ''poor'' or ''pitiable'', and is a term often used when the speaker wishes to express empathy for the listener’s plight. | ||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ==== The Dogmatic Mood ==== | ||
The dogmatic mood is marked with the suffix <code>-K</code> /long high strong growl/. It is used when the truth of the statement is being emphasized. It may be translated using the emphatic ''do'' in English. In glosses it has the abbreviation -DOG. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | |||
{| | {| | ||
|p || | |sfc-p || lPr-K || HJq-p | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |pup-3D || climb-DOG || tree-3D | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''The pup did climb a tree.'' | ||
''I swear the pup climbed the tree.'' | |||
</div> | |||
The dogmatic mood is also used when making promises. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |sjr || 0 || rGKqsfb-K | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |tomorrow || [I] || return-DOG | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''I promise I’ll be back tomorrow.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
And when making threats. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |0 || sNMq-K || khqkh-qn | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |[I] || kill-DOG || guy-2 | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''I WILL kill you.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
Other uses of the dogmatic mood include proclaiming laws, making axiomatic statements, and expressing confidence or trust. | |||
==== The Mirative Mood ==== | |||
The ''mirative mood'' is used to indicate surprise on the part of the speaker. Mirative verbs end in <code>-sfsf</code> /yip, short high strong whine, yip, short high strong whine/. In glosses it has the abbreviation -MIR. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |sfc-p || lPr-sfsf || HJq-g | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |pup-3D || climb-MIR || tree-3I | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''Wow! The pup climbed a tree!'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
The mirative mood can be used to express sarcasm. If one speaker makes an assertion using the dogmatic mood: | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |p || g || rMLcdr-Mr || nl-K || khqkhfd-g || NPr | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |in || POS || computer-3P || is_at-DOG || little.guy-3I || odd | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''I swear there’s a funny little guy in my computer.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
The responder may repeat the assertion, inflecting the verb in the mirative mood in mock surprise: | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |p || g || rMLcdr-qN || nl-sfsf || khqkh-fd-g || NPr | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |in || POS || computer-3M || is_at-MIR || guy-DIM-3I || odd | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''Really? There’s a funny little guy in your computer?'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
=== Modal Particles === | |||
The four basic verbal moods can be further narrowed by using ''modal particles''. Modal particles are placed at the beginning of a sentence before the subject or any adverbs. | |||
==== The Imperative mood ==== | |||
The imperative mood is formed using the modal particle <code>G</code> /long low weak growl/. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |G || qMP-0 || g || rnq-qn | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |IMP || wash-A || POS || paw-2 | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''Wash your paws.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
You can make it more polite by inflecting the verb in the nonauthoritative mood. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | |||
{| | {| | ||
| | |G || qMP-b || g || rnq-qn | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |IMP || wash-NA || POS || paw-2 | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''Please wash your paws.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
You can also use the imperative mood when the subject is in something other than the second person. This is sometimes called the ''jussive mood''. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |G || qMP-0 || g || rnq-p | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |IMP || wash-A || POS || paw-3D | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''He must wash his paws.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
You can make a negative command by using the adverb <code>rnL</code> ''not''. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |G || rnL || P || BFr-p || 0 || sD-0 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |IMP || not || in || room-3D || [you] || go-A | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''Don’t go in there!'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
'' | ===== The Prohibitive Mood ===== | ||
The ''Prohibitive mood'' is not part of the standard language. It's used by Moonies (inhabitants of the moons of Welkinstead) as well as within the Spacer Confedaracy. While the Imperitive mood orders you to do something, the Prohibitive mood orders you not to do something. It uses the modal particle <code>Gr</code> /long low weak growl, chuff/ which is a contraction of the more usual <code>G rnL</code>. | |||
Standard Commonthroat | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
|G || | |G || rnL || qdBq-0 || scBq-p || qnlqCb-K | ||
|- | |- | ||
|IMP || | |IMP || not || drink-A || water-3D || make_sick-DOG | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''Don't drink that water; it'll make you sick!'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
Moony Dialect | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | |||
{| | {| | ||
| | |Gr || qdBq-0 || scBq-p || qnlqCb-K | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |PROH || drink-A || water-3D || make_sick-DOG | ||
|} | |} | ||
''Don't drink that water; it'll make you sick!'' | |||
</div> | |||
==== The Optative Mood ==== | |||
The ''optative mood'' expresses hopes, wishes, and desires. It is formed with the particle <code>L</code> /long low weak grunt/ along with the nonauthoritative form of the verb. The most well-known use of the optative is in the ''Holy Greeting''. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |L || rLPq-p || BCq-b || sFsF-qn! | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |OPT || light-3D || illuminate-NA || friend-2 | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''Light shine upon you, friend!'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
==== The Hortative Mood ==== | |||
The hortative mood expresses encouragement. It is often confused with the polite imperative in some dialects. It uses the particle <code>Ln</code> /late rising weak grunt/. The hortative can act like an imperative, but implies that the listener would benefit from performing the action. It can be translated as ''you really should…'' or ''Let’s…'' The festive greeting during the winter feast uses the hortative mood. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |Ln || sFsF-qn || rpMr-b || hgq || h || MNq-Mr || rgj-0 || rmn | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |HORT || friend-2 || happy-NA || for || PL || day-3P || become-A || long | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''Take heart, friend, for the days grow longer.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
== | ==== The Necessitative Mood ==== | ||
The ''necessitative mood'' expresses need or requirement. It uses the particle <code>pM</code> /early falling strong grunt/. It differs from the imperative in that the speaker isn’t commanding that an action be done, and it differs from the optative mood in that the speaker may not ''want'' what he’s describing, but he does ''need'' it. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |pM || sG || g || rGhq-Mr || sD-0 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |NEC || to || POS || home-3P || go-A | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''I need to go home.'' | ||
''I should go to my home.'' | |||
</div> | </div> | ||
There is a subtle difference between the necessitative mood and the 3rd person imperative. The imperative implies the subject as the agency necessary to carry out the action, but the necessitative does not. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |G || HJq-p || rgj-0 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |IMP || tree-3D || grow-A | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''That tree must grow.*'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
The example above sounds ungrammatical to native speakers because the tree has no say in whether it grows or not. | |||
{| | {| | ||
| | |pM || HJq-p || rgj-0 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |NEC || tree-3D || grow-A | ||
|} | |} | ||
This sentence sounds better to native speakers. | |||
=== Verb Serialization and Coverbs === | |||
Commonthroat verbs have no infinitive form. Instead, you serialize verbs to indicate things like the purpose or result of a verb of motion, as well as to indicate aspect. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |rGKq || qJq | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |come || swim | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''[I’m] coming to swim.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |lPr || HJq-Mr || rCFq || qcD-g | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |climb || tree-3.PROX || eat || fruit-3.INDEF | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''[I’m] climbing this tree to eat some fruit.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
== Asking Questions == | |||
One way to ask questions has already been covered. By inflecting a noun with an interrogative ending, you can ask the listener to identify the noun so inflected. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | |||
{| | {| | ||
| | |rMLcdr-BD || qgJ-0 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |computer-INT || use-A | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''Which computer do I use?'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
If | If you want to ask how many of something there are, you inflect the noun Cbg /late low weakening whine, short low weak growl/ ''number, amount'' with the interrogative ending. | ||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |Cb-BD || g || qhq-qN || j || dcr-qN | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |Amount-INT || POS || sire-3M || and || dam-3M | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''What number are your sires and dams?'' | ||
'' | ''How many sires and dams do you have?'' | ||
</div> | |||
This is not a trivial question, as yinrih can have anywhere from two to twelve natural parents. | |||
You can ask simple yes/no questions by sticking the word <code>mp</code> /short rising strong grunt/ at the beginning of the sentence. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |mp || rMLcdr-Mr || qgJ | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |INT || computer-3P || use | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''Do I use this computer?'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |qln-DB || 0 || qfdr-0 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |manner-INT || [you] || stand-A | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''How do you stand?'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
This is how you ask someone if they’re OK. | |||
=== | === Using the Nonauthoritative Mood When Asking and Answering Questions === | ||
When you ask a question with a third person subject, you can mark the verb as nonauthoritative if you think it’s a stupid question. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |mp || BC-K || qMqm-g || rBD-b | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |INT || all-time || human-3I || walk.on.hind.feet-NA | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''Stupid question, but do humans walk on their hind feet all the time?'' | ||
''I should really know this already, but do humans walk on their hind feet all the time?'' | |||
''I know you told me before, but I forgot. Do humans walk on their hind feet all the time?'' | |||
</div> | </div> | ||
As with normal yes/no questions, the person answers by repeating the main verb. If he inflects it in the dogmatic mood, that indicates he regards the answer as definitive. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |rBD-K | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |walk.on.hind.feet-DOG | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''Yes, they do walk on their hind feet [all the time].'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
If, however, the person answering the question wants you to take his response with a grain of salt, or wants you to trust but verify his answer, he can infelect the verb in the nonauthoritative mood. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |rBD-b | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |walk.on.hind.feet-NA | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''Yes, I think they do.'' | ||
''I’m pretty sure they do.'' | |||
''I think so, but don’t take my word for it.'' | |||
</div> | |||
=== Rhetorical Questions === | |||
Just like in English, questions can be rhetorical rather than literal. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |rnL || nq || h || qnlq-g || lNrm-DB || rnP-0 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |not || Among || PL || sick-3I || healer-INT || live-A | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''What healer does not abide among the sick?'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
== Indirect Objects == | |||
Words like ''give'' and ''show'' take an indirect object denoting to whom something is being given or shown. In Commonthroat, the preposition <code>rl</code> /chuff, short low weak growl/ indicates an indirect object. In glosses, this is abbreviated DAT for dative, reflecting a similar construction in Latin and Greek. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |rl || g || sFsF-Mr || 0 || dFr-0 || HJq-Mr | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |DAT || POS || friend-3P || [I] || show-A || tree-3P | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''I showed the tree to my friend.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
Commonthroat has several phrases that use the verb <code>qcDr</code> /huff, early rising weakening whine, chuff/ ''to give'' along with an indirect object to form phrases that English uses a single verb for. These include: | |||
;rl ___ qcDr qgjg | |||
: ''to give care to ___'' : To care for ___, to show reverence for ___ | |||
; rl ___ qcDr rfDqg | |||
: ''to give interest to ___'' : To be interested in ___, to pay attention to ___ | |||
; rl ___ qcDr nLqg | |||
: ''to give honor to ___'' : To honor ___, to venerate ___ | |||
; rl ___ qcDr kgg | |||
: ''to give glory to ___'' : to worship ___ | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |rl || rdr || rLPq-p || g || sL-l || qcDr-K || kg-g | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |DAT || one || light-3D || POS || soul-1 || give-DOG || glory-3I | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''My soul shall give glory to the one Light.'' | ||
''My soul shall worship the Light alone.'' | |||
</div> | </div> | ||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | |||
{| | |||
|j || rl || h || snp-qN || qcDr-K || nLq-g | |||
|- | |||
|and || DAT || PL || holy-3M || give-DOG || honor | |||
|} | |||
''And to the saints I shall give honor.'' | |||
''And I shall honor the saints.'' | |||
</div> | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |j || rl || rjGJfd-Mr || sMlr || qcDr-K || qgj-g | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |and || DAT || little_creation-3P || dear || give-DOG || care-3I | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''And to this dear little Creation I shall give care.'' | ||
''And I shall care for this dear little Creation.'' | |||
</div> | </div> | ||
=== | == Voice and Coverbs == | ||
=== The Passive Voice === | |||
Most sentences are in the ''active voice'', which is when the subject of the sentence does something to the object. In English, we’d say ''The dog bit the man''. The subject (the dog) is doing something (biting) to the object (the man). Here’s a typical Commonthroat sentence in the active voice. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | |||
| | {| | ||
|rBFrrnqsk-Mr || kHr-0 || sPlqBdsk-p | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | |four.paw-3P || strike-A || wet.nose-3D | ||
|} | |} | ||
''Fourpaws struck Wetnose.'' | |||
</div> | |||
What if we wanted to put the focus on the object instead of the subject? We’d use the ''passive voice'', in which the subject of the sentence is being acted upon. In English, you form the passive voice by using the verb ''to be'' plus the past participle of the main verb. You can indicate who’s doing the acting by using the preposition ''by''. ''The man was bitten by the dog''. | |||
'' | In Commonthroat, we use a ''coverb''. Coverbs are a kind of hybrid between a verb and a preposition. Like prepositions, they can take an object. Like verbs, they are inflected for mood. The example below expresses the same idea as the previous one, but it uses the passive coverb <code>rj</code> /chuff, short high weak growl/. The object of <code>rj</code> is the person performing the action expressed by the main verb, and the subject of the whole sentence is the one being acted upon. In linguistics, this is called the ''patient'', and the person doing the action is called the ''agent''. | ||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |sPlqBdsk-p || rj-0 || rBFrrnqsk-Mr || kHr-0 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |wet.nose-3D || PAS-A || four.paw-3P || strike-A | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''Wetnose was struck by Fourpaws.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
Just as in English, you can avoid mentioning who’s performing the action by simply dropping it. ''The man was bitten''. It may not be important who bit the man, or the speaker may wish to avoid saying who bit the man. | |||
In Commonthroat, we can also drop the agent, but we must keep the coverb to indicate the sentence is passive. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |sPlqBdsk-p || rj-0 || kHr-0 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |wet.nose-3D || PAS-A || strike-A | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''Wetnose was struck.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
=== The Reciprocal Voice === | |||
Many languages have a way of expressing that the subject and the object of a sentence acted upon one another. English uses the reciprocal construction ''one another''. ''The dog and the man bit one another''. | |||
Commonthroat uses another coverb, <code>pr</code> /short high strong grunt, chuff/. If there are two different parties acting on one another, one is placed at the head of the sentence as the subject and the other is the object of the coverb <code>pr</code>. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
|0 || | |rBFrrnqsk-Mr || pr-0 || sPlqBdsk-p || kHr-0 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |four.paws-3P || RECP-A || wet.nose-3D || strike-A | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''Wetnose and Fourpaws struck one another.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
If you have a plural noun or a noun that otherwise indicates a group such as <code>LMrg</code> ''assembly, moot'', you can simply place that in the subject position and use the coverb without an object as you would with a passive construction whose agent is missing. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | |||
{| | {| | ||
| | |LMr-Mr || pr-0 || rDB-0 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |moot-3P || RECP-A || speak-A | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''The congregation spoke amongst themselves.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
=== The | === The Reflexive Voice === | ||
The agent can also be the patient of the same action. This is called the ''reflexive voice''. It’s used when someone does something to himself. English uses reflexive pronouns ''myself'', ''yourself'', ''herself'', etc. | |||
Commonthroat uses another coverb. This time it’s <code>rp</code> /chuff, short high strong grunt/. It’s used in the same manner as the passive voice without an agent. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |rBFrrnqsk-Mr || rp-0 || kHr-0 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |four.paws-3P || RFLX-A || strike-A | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''Fourpaws struck himself.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
As with the reciprocal voice, you can use a noun referring to more than one person, or to a group. In this case it indicates that each member of the group acted upon himself as an individual. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | |||
{| | |||
|LMr-Mr || rp-0 || rDB-0 | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | |||
{| | |||
| | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | |moot-3P || RFLX-A || speak-A | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''The members of the congregation spoke each to himself.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
< | === Words that Change Meaning Depending on Voice === | ||
| | Some words take on a different meaning when used with a certain voice. For example, the word <code>rDB</code> /chuff, long falling weak whine/ means ''to say'' or ''to speak''. In the reciprocal voice, <code>pr rDB</code>, it means ''to discuss''. The word <code>sf</code> /yip, short high strong whine/ in the active voice means ''to yip'', as in to utter the sound denoted by the letter <code>s</code>. In the reciprocal voice <code>pr sf</code> it means ''to chit-chat'' or ''to make small talk''. | ||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
|+ A selection of words that change based on voice | |||
! Verb !! Active Meaning !! Reflexive (rp) !! Reciprocal (pr) | |||
|- | |||
| rDB || say, speak || || discuss | |||
|- | |||
| PMrCb || calm (transitive) || unwind, relax || | |||
|- | |||
| rNmplr || ferment || grow old || | |||
|- | |||
| BFq || concern, occupy || worry || | |||
|- | |||
| sf || yip || || chit-chat | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | | sKj || jostle, shake || shake oneself off, as to rid one's fur of dust or water || | ||
|} | |} | ||
== Aspect == | |||
''Aspect'' refers to how the action described by a verb extends over time. That sounds a lot like tense, doesn’t it? However, tense has to do with when in time an action takes place. For example, the sentences ''I walk'' and ''I am walking'' are both in the present tense, but the first sentence is in the ''simple'' aspect, while the second is in the ''progressive'' aspect. This distinction also exists in the past tense. ''I walked'' and ''I was walking'', as well as the future tense, ''I will walk'' and ''I will be walking''. The simple aspect describes actions that are regarded as a complete whole, while the progressive describes actions that are ongoing, and often occur simultaneously with other actions. ''I '''was walking''' and I '''saw''' my friend.'' | |||
While Commonthroat verbs do not indicate tense. You have to use context or time-related adverbs to relate when an action takes place. Verbs by themselves don’t have inherent aspect, either, but Commonthroat has a number of fixed serial verb constructions that indicate aspect, and this can give a different shade of meaning to the verb. | |||
The | === The Prospective Aspect === | ||
The ''prospective'' aspect indicates that an action is on the verge of occuring, and uses the verb <code>Lmq</code> /late low strengthening grunt, huff/, which means ''to fix'' or ''to repair''. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
{| | {| | ||
| | |0 || Lmq-0 || lPr-0 || HJq-Mr | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |[I] || fix-A || climb-A || tree-3P | ||
|} | |} | ||
'' | ''I’m about to climb this tree.'' | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
= | === The Completative Aspect === | ||
The ''completative'' aspect indicates that an action has come to a natural end. It uses the verb <code>bf</code> /short rising strengthening whine/, which means ''to finish'', or ''to complete''. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | |||
{| | |||
|0 || bf-0 || rCFq-0 | |||
|- | |||
|[I] || finish-A || eat-A | |||
|} | |||
''I’ve finished eating.'' | |||
</div> | |||
< | Quick word of warning: you might be tempted to say <code>qhgl</code> ''I’m full'' if you want to politely decline a second helping of food. This is actually a euphemistic way of saying ''I have to use the restroom''. It still means you’re full, '''just not your stomach'''. While we’re on this tangent, don’t say <code>qhgqn</code> ''you’re full'', either. It means ''you’re full of it!'' | ||
== | === The Cesative Aspect === | ||
The completative aspect contrasts with the ''cesative'' aspect. The cesative aspect indicates that an action stopped abruptly, without coming to a natural conclusion. Compare ''I finished talking'' and ''I stopped talking''. The first sentence indicates that you were done, while the second does not. The cesative aspect uses the verb <code>fb</code> /short falling weakening whine/ which means ''to stop'' or ''to halt'' | |||
| | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | |||
{| | |||
|0 || fb-0 || rCFq-0 | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | |[I] || stop-A || eat-A | ||
|} | |||
''I stopped eating.'' | |||
</div> | |||
| | |||
=== The Inchoative Aspect === | |||
The ''inchoative'' aspect indicates that the action described by a verb is just starting. It uses the verb <code>sg</code> /yip, short low weak growl/ ''to begin''. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | |||
{| | |||
|0 || sg-0 || lPr-0 || HJq-p | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | |[I] || begin-A || climb-A || tree-3D | ||
|} | |||
''I begin climbing the tree.'' | |||
</div> | |||
=== The Superfective Aspect === | |||
The ''superfective'' aspect uses the verb <code>GJq</code> /long rising weak growl, huff/ which means ''to persist'' or ''to keep on''. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | |||
{| | |||
|rdc-Mr || GJq-0 || sFb-0 | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | |poor-3P || persist-A || vomit-A | ||
|} | |||
''This poor guy keeps vomiting.'' | |||
</div> | |||
| | |||
| | === Words that change meaning depending on aspect === | ||
| | |||
Why am I making a big deal about these aspects? They just seem like regular serial verb constructions. Well, some verbs have different meanings depending on their aspect. | |||
<code>rn</code> ''I know'' becomes <code>sg rn</code> ''I find out'' and <code>fb rn</code> ''I forget''. | |||
Important note: <code>sg</code> specifically means to start a task or start doing something. If you want to say ''start'' in the sense of ''turn on'', that’s <code>rMNq</code> ''ignite''. Similarly, to say you turned something off, that’s <code>qNMr</code> ''extinguish''. | |||
<code>fCq</code> /early falling strong whine, huff/ means ''have'' or ''possess''. <code>sg fCq</code> means ''begin to have'', ''find'' or ''come across''. <code>fb fCq</code> ''stop having'' means ''to lose'' or ''relinquish''. | |||
These aspects are well-established across dialects, but other looser constructions exist as well. | |||
== Adverbial phrases expressing time == | |||
In English, we think of the past as being behind us and the future as being ahead. In Commonthroat, the past is ''below'' and the future is ''above''. When discussing at which point in time an event occurred, you use the adverbial phrase <code>DC m</code> /long falling strengthening whine/ ''below.'' for events that occurred in the past, and <code>CD`` m</code> /long rising weakening whine/ ''above'' for events that will occur in the future. You precede this phrase with time words like sdFr shkqg ''a few years'' or KJq MNqg ''three days'' and so forth. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | |||
{| | |||
|qBf || MNq-p || DC || m || 0 || bf-0 || GJHG-p | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | |two || day-3D || below || ADV || [I] || finish-A || task-3D | ||
|- | |} | ||
| | ''I finished that task 2 days ago.'' | ||
</div> | |||
| | |||
|- | <div style="margin-left: 4em"> | ||
| | {| | ||
|sdFr || MNq-Mr || CD || m || 0 || sBr-0 | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | |some || day-3P || above || ADV || [I] || leave-A | ||
|} | |||
''I’m leaving in a few days.'' | |||
</div> | |||
Notice that the word <code>Mnqg</code> ''day'' can take deictic suffixes. In general, which suffix is used indicates whether the timespan was long or short in the speaker’s estimation. Using the proximal suffix indicates that the event described happened in the recent past or will happen in the immediate future. The distal suffix is used if the timespan is judged to be very long. | |||
The first example may also be translated ''I’ve been done with that task for two days already''. The second could also be translated ''I’m leaving in just a few days.'' | |||
Similarly, you can use the interrogative suffix to ask how long ago or how long from now an event will take place. | |||
<div style="margin-left: 4em"> | |||
{| | |||
|MNr-BD || DC || m || 0 || bf-0 || GJHG-p | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | |day-INT || below || ADV || [you] || finish-A || task-3D | ||
|} | |||
''How many days ago did you finish that task?'' | |||
</div> | |||
= Writing = | |||
== Visual System == | |||
Commonthroat is written using a reverse abjad. Vowels are full letters. Consonants (huffs, chuffs, and yips) are written as mandatory diacritcs when they form the onset of a syllable, and as full letters when in coda position. The romanization used throughout this article matches the writing system 1:1, with the exception that the Romanization renders onsets as full letters as well. | |||
== Tactile Systems == | |||
Yinrih rely on their rear paws almost as much as their front paws for manipulating objects. This is especially true for spacers, who live permenantly aboard orbital colonies in microgravity. The labels of containers and controls are written in a tactile writing system to ease identification and orientation without looking. | |||
Along with this endemic system, yinrih on Earth additionally use a Braille system adapted for Commonthroat. | |||
The Braille system is featural. Dots 1, 2, and 4 together indicate the phonation type. Dots 1-4 is a whine, 1-2-4 a growl, and 2-4 a grunt. Dots 3, 5, and 6 indicate length, tone, and strength, respectively. An unraised dot represents short, low, or weak. A raised dot represents long, high, or strong. Consonants do not follow a pattern. Dots 3-4 is a huff, 3-4-5 a chuff, and 3-4-6 a yip. | |||
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible" | |||
|+ Commonthroat Braille | |||
! Print Romanization !! Computer Braille !! Braille Symbol (Unicode) !! Dots !! Sound | |||
|- | |||
| | |||
|- | |||
| | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | | b || c || ⠉ || 14 || short low weak whine | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | B || m || ⠍ || 134 || long low weak whine | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | c || % || ⠩ || 146 || short low strong whine | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | C || x || ⠭ || 1346 || long low strong whine | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | d || d || ⠙ || 145 || short high weak whine | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | D || n || ⠝ || 1345 || long high weak whine | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | f || ? || ⠹ || 1456 || short high strong whine | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | F || y || ⠽ || 13456 || long high strong whine | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | g || f || ⠋ || 124 || short low weak growl | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | G || p || ⠏ || 1234 || long low weak growl | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | h || $ || ⠫ || 1246 || short low strong growl | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | H || & || ⠯ || 12346 || long low strong growl | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | j || g || ⠛ || 1245 || short high weak growl | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | J || q || ⠟ || 12345 || long high weak growl | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | k || ] || ⠻ || 12456 || short high strong growl | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | K || = || ⠿ || 123456 || long high strong growl | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | l || i || ⠊ || 24 || short low weak grunt | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | L || s || ⠎ || 234 || long low weak grunt | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | m || [ || ⠪ || 246 || short low strong grunt | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | M || ! || ⠮ || 2346 || long low strong grunt | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | n || j || ⠚ || 245 || short high weak grunt | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | N || t || ⠞ || 2345 || long high weak grunt | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | p || w || ⠺ || 2456 || short high strong grunt | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | P || ) || ⠾ || 23456 || long high strong grunt | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | q || / || ⠌ || 34 || huff | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | r || > || ⠜ || 345 || chuff | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | s || + || ⠬ || 346 || yip | ||
|} | |} | ||