Verse:Mwail/Ryooteq: Difference between revisions
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''' | '''Lyaateq''' (''Lyaateq tahyeq'') is a language isolate of Angai North America. It is mainly inspired aesthetically by Burmese, Japanese, Navajo, and Ancient Greek, and its grammar is meant to be "Navajo-lite" (agglutinative, strongly prefixing, strongly head-final, and head-marking, though not fully polysynthetic; noun incorporation is limited to certain formal styles). | ||
== Lexicon == | == Lexicon == | ||
* Nyu-Mɛ Kɛ{{acute}}q: inventor of | * Nyu-Mɛ Kɛ{{acute}}q: inventor of Kite guitar-type guitars | ||
* su- = ''frozen derivation'' | * su- = ''frozen derivation'' | ||
* wáá = person | * wáá = person | ||
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* mé = to be (copula) | * mé = to be (copula) | ||
** ''Upwe namé.'' 'I am a boy.' | ** ''Upwe namé.'' 'I am a boy.' | ||
** '' | ** ''Lyaateq imé.'' 'He is a Lyaateq.' | ||
* ze = to eat | * ze = to eat | ||
* zé = to stack | * zé = to stack | ||
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== Phonology == | == Phonology == | ||
=== Initials === | === Initials === | ||
Lyaateq has a large number of initials; however, prefixes do not allow aspirated or voiced initials. | |||
* Historical velar stops: k kh g ŋ ky khy gy ŋy kw khw gw ŋw kyw khyw gyw ŋyw /k kʰ g ŋ tɕ tɕʰ dʑ ɲ kw kʰw ŋw tɕɥ tɕʰɥ dʑɥ ɲɥ/ | * Historical velar stops: k kh g ŋ ky khy gy ŋy kw khw gw ŋw kyw khyw gyw ŋyw /k kʰ g ŋ tɕ tɕʰ dʑ ɲ kw kʰw ŋw tɕɥ tɕʰɥ dʑɥ ɲɥ/ | ||
* Historical alveolar stops: t th d n s sh z ny tw thw dw nw sw shw zw nyw /t tʰ d n s sʰ z ɲ tw tʰw dw nw sw sʰw zw ɲɥ/ | * Historical alveolar stops: t th d n s sh z ny tw thw dw nw sw shw zw nyw /t tʰ d n s sʰ z ɲ tw tʰw dw nw sw sʰw zw ɲɥ/ | ||
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== Morphology == | == Morphology == | ||
=== Nouns === | === Nouns === | ||
Lyaateq nouns are often, though not always, monosyllabic, like ''mɔ́'' 'blood'. Here is an example of a noun inflected for possession: | |||
* ''namɔ́'' = my blood | * ''namɔ́'' = my blood | ||
* ''himɔ́'' = thy blood | * ''himɔ́'' = thy blood | ||
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Possession is indicated by using the appropriate possessive form after the possessor: ''Eqsiq tamɔ́'' (E. 3-blood) 'Eqsiq's blood'. | Possession is indicated by using the appropriate possessive form after the possessor: ''Eqsiq tamɔ́'' (E. 3-blood) 'Eqsiq's blood'. | ||
=== Verbs === | === Verbs === | ||
Lyaateq verb roots are always monosyllabic. | |||
== Syntax == | == Syntax == | ||
=== Obviation === | === Obviation === | ||
Like Navajo, | Like Navajo, Lyaateq shows various levels of animacy in its grammar, with certain nouns taking specific verb forms according to their rank in this animacy hierarchy. For instance, Lyaateq nouns can be ranked by animacy on a continuum from most animate (a human or lightning) to least animate (an abstraction): | ||
humans > infants/big animals > midsize animals > small animals > insects > natural forces > inanimate objects/plants > abstractions | humans > infants/big animals > midsize animals > small animals > insects > natural forces > inanimate objects/plants > abstractions | ||
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: 'The girl is being looked at by the boy.' | : 'The girl is being looked at by the boy.' | ||
But example sentence (3) sounds wrong to most | But example sentence (3) sounds wrong to most Lyaateq speakers because the less animate noun occurs before the more animate noun: | ||
: ''*Hipyii unɛń hyenkywáq.'' | : ''*Hipyii unɛń hyenkywáq.'' | ||
: bird girl PST-OBV-peck | : bird girl PST-OBV-peck | ||