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Lahob languages: Difference between revisions

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* *wānəme as ethnonym for e.g. the Bɔni, Wonum, Waam, Bāmn, the ''-vānem'' part in Chlouvānem (''chlǣvānem'' originally meant "Golden Horde"), and the ''-wan'' in Minwan (''min wan'' meaning "our folk"); also reflected as e.g. ''wang'' (group) in Łohof-aðá and ''womme'' (village) in Tɬow.
* *wānəme as ethnonym for e.g. the Bɔni, Wonum, Waam, Bāmn, the ''-vānem'' part in Chlouvānem (''chlǣvānem'' originally meant "Golden Horde"), and the ''-wan'' in Minwan (''min wan'' meaning "our folk"); also reflected as e.g. ''wang'' (group) in Łohof-aðá and ''womme'' (village) in Tɬow.


<!-- ==Common characteristics==
==Common characteristics==
Due to the presence of Chlouvānem languages and, to a lesser extent, Šlokhowdeš, all highly divergent, it is difficult to point out features common to all Lahob languages. Some notable ones are:
It is difficult to point out general characteristics common to all Lahob languages because of the high divergence between the Core Lahob ones and the Chlouvānem branch. General traits are:
* Proto-Lahob had a complex morphosyntactic alignment based on triggers, and this situation is exactly as in classical Chlouvānem and - with a few less voices - in its daughter languages, as well as in the Pwaɬasd-Ngos and Central Lahobic branches. The other Lahob languages have evolved this system into a typical ergative/absolutive alignment, though many languages maintain various "locative verbs" derived from the old locative-trigger voice.
* A complex morphosyntactic alignment based on triggers, present with seven triggers in Proto-Lahob and retained with no change in classical Chlouvānem, and varyingly modified in other languages, typically with a few less voices (among modern languages, the only ones that retain the full set of triggers are some Southern Chlouvānem languages, notably including the Tariatindī vernacular). The most typical trigger system surviving among Core Lahob languages is patient-agent-locative(-instrumental).
* Unmarked SOV word order (with S meaning what concords with the verb, at least where verbs conjugate for person) is common to all Lahob languages except Šlokhowdeš and the Woŋom-Baan branch (all predominantly SVO).
* Unmarked SOV word order (with S being the direct-case argument selected by the trigger) and consistently head-final. A change to SVO has however taken place in the central Core Lahob area (i.e. all Łogawenek languages, most Central Lahobic ones (but not Łohof-aðá, the branch's most spoken one), and a few Nayzehenyn ones) and, independently, in the Near Eastern Chlouvānem languages.
* Location is expressed in all Lahob languages by means of numerous verbs with prefixes changing to convey the sense of different English prepositions.
* All Lahob languages express location by means of numerous verbs with changing prefixes in order to convey the sense of different English prepositions; motion verbs have two series of these prefixes, one lative and one ablative.
* Most Lahob languages treat verbs as a mostly closed verb class, with only a few basic verbs (usually from 10 to 30) used as compounds with other verbs or nominal roots; in languages where derivation is possible, verbs can usually only be derived from other verbs, and the only possible derived forms are usually causatives or applicatives. Chlouvānem is a partial exception, as it kept most PLB verbal roots and borrowed many others, and may derive other verbs via prefixes, still verbs can't be derived by nouns except for a few cases.
* Verbs are typically a closed class: most Lahob languages have a very small set of verbs in common use, and use many of those as light verbs with other roots in order to form newer meanings; verbs can typically only be formed by other verbs, and only with causative, applicative, or frequentative meanings. Chlouvānem is a partial exception, because while sharing the same restrictions to forming new verbs it has some hundreds of verb roots in common use. Some vernaculars, particularly the Jade Coastal ones, however, have developed on their own traits closer to other Lahob languages, particularly the heavy use of light verbs.
* Except for the Chlouvānem branch, Lahob languages all have very small case systems (absolutive and ergative, rarely dative) if they exist at all; they rely on a large number of adpositions instead. This is a major contrast to Proto-Lahob, which is reconstructed with eleven cases (just like classical Chlouvānem).


===Numeral system===
The following traits are widely found across most Core Lahob languages (which share many grammatical features), but not in Chlouvānem ones:
* A relatively small phonemic inventory, averaging around 15 consonants and 5 vowels.
* Small case systems (if they have case at all), with rarely more than three cases.
 
<!-- ===Numeral system===
All Lahob languages have a purely duodecimal number system, and it is one of only a few human language families on Calémere to use that. It has been hypothesized that the duodecimal system was an influence from the Orcs, as Orcs in both hemispheres all have duodecimal number systems and all human language families with non-borrowed duodecimal systems have a current or proto-homeland near Orcish populations.<br/>
All Lahob languages have a purely duodecimal number system, and it is one of only a few human language families on Calémere to use that. It has been hypothesized that the duodecimal system was an influence from the Orcs, as Orcs in both hemispheres all have duodecimal number systems and all human language families with non-borrowed duodecimal systems have a current or proto-homeland near Orcish populations.<br/>
Lahob languages have also been unique in spreading duodecimal systems: in the West, northern dialects of Gathura have a system of duodecimal numerals (up to 48<sub>10</sub> (40<sub>12</sub>)) coexisting with their native decimal ones, most probably because of early Gathura explorers and settlers of the far northern lands adopting this in order to better trade with indigenous Lahob-speaking tribes. In the East, Brono-Fathanic, and Gorjonur dialects of [[Skyrdagor]], as well as the Bazá dialects spoken in Chlouvānem areas, all have a native decimal system and a duodecimal one borrowed from Chlouvānem. This has gone even further in regional vernaculars of [[Verse:Chlouvānem Inquisition|the Inquisition]], such as Hūnakañumi, which do not use their native (usually decimal or quinary) systems anymore, having substituted them with the duodecimal Chlouvānem system (all of these languages usually count with native numerals up to 5 or 10 and then use the Chlouvānem numerals). In [[Qualdomelic]], the primary system is also duodecimal - with a mixture of borrowed and native roots -, with the native decimal system being also only used in certain specific context, though not as much abandoned as in vernaculars of the Inquisition. -->
Lahob languages have also been unique in spreading duodecimal systems: in the West, northern dialects of Gathura have a system of duodecimal numerals (up to 48<sub>10</sub> (40<sub>12</sub>)) coexisting with their native decimal ones, most probably because of early Gathura explorers and settlers of the far northern lands adopting this in order to better trade with indigenous Lahob-speaking tribes. In the East, Brono-Fathanic, and Gorjonur dialects of [[Skyrdagor]], as well as the Bazá dialects spoken in Chlouvānem areas, all have a native decimal system and a duodecimal one borrowed from Chlouvānem. This has gone even further in regional vernaculars of [[Verse:Chlouvānem Inquisition|the Inquisition]], such as Hūnakañumi, which do not use their native (usually decimal or quinary) systems anymore, having substituted them with the duodecimal Chlouvānem system (all of these languages usually count with native numerals up to 5 or 10 and then use the Chlouvānem numerals). In [[Qualdomelic]], the primary system is also duodecimal - with a mixture of borrowed and native roots -, with the native decimal system being also only used in certain specific context, though not as much abandoned as in vernaculars of the Inquisition. -->
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