Appendix:Qatama grammar
From Dick
Contents |
Intro
Qatama grammar is relatively straightforward.
| Qatama | |
| Alternative Names | Qatam / Q`tam |
| Author | Sano |
| Type | personal language |
| Year began | ~1998 |
| Demographics | |
| Population | ~80 million |
| Spoken in | The Qatama Empire |
| Genetic Classification | Humanoid |
| Grammar | |
| Most Common Word-Order | OVS |
| Morphological Typology | Isolating |
| Morpho-syntactic Alignment | Nom-Acc |
- There are no verb conjugations; plurals are marked by a particle, articles that can be disregarded in speech, and only three genders.
- The language lacks conjugation, declension, or any inflection at all (there are minor exceptions).
- Concepts like plural or past tense are expressed in a syntactical way.
- Due to the nature of Qatama, most words are not limited to one word class, but can in fact work as verbs, nouns or adjectives. In fact, quite a number of them even can work as adpositions or linked verbs (whatever we wish to analyze them as - the usual difference being that linked verbs can occur as postpositions).
- There are no visible morphological signs that would give away what function a specific word has in a sentence - syntax and intonation convey this information.
Phonology
- Vowels
a = /a/ o = /o/ u = /u/ ` = /?/ Between vowels and [@] between consonants
- Plosives
t = /t/ d = /d/ k = /k/ g = /g/ q = /q/ (or [X] as a final)
- Affricates
j = [tS] or [dZ] or /Z/ (These variations are dialectal, /Z/ being most common)
- Nasals
m = /m/ n = /n/ ng = /N/
- Trills
r = /r/ or the Approximant [r\]
- Fricatives
h = /h/ tl = /t_K/
- Approximants
l = /l/ y = /j/ and u = [w] before /a/
Phonotactics
Qatama phonotactics are very easy because all of the words are formed by predictable syllables.
Qatama phonotactical chart.
- Only an o syllable can precede another o syllable, so where omoq is correct, amoq would be incorrect.
- Note that o can not immediately precede an l, so where mal and mul are correct, mol is not.
Syntax
Word order
Unlike English, word order in Qatama is object-verb-subject.
- object -- verb -- subject
- Questions are formed by adding the interrogative particle qa to the end of declarative statements.
- object -- verb -- subject -- qa
- particles -- noun -- adjectives
- adverbs -- auxiliaries -- verb
Dependent Clauses
- Dependent clauses are handled by placing the particle ruq before the clause and ra after.
- I met a man and a woman yesterday. The woman, who had a thick black hair, was very pretty.
- kang ma mung ngumaq ko`oga ta | al mung ruq unuq ohada ma oga kura na ra ung t`ha aya
- man and woman yesterday to-meet 1SG | ART woman general-clause-particle-initial hair thick and black to-have 3SG general-clause-particle-final PAST very pretty/beautiful
- kang ma mung ngumaq ko`oga ta | al mung ruq unuq ohada ma oga kura na ra ung t`ha aya
- I met two women yesterday, one with thick black hair and one with soft brown hair. The woman who had a thick black hair was very pretty.
- mung to ngumaq ko`oga ta ruq noj unuq ohada ma oga ong ma noj unuq ayuha ma myoga ong ra | al mung ruq unuq ohada ma oga kura na ra ung t`ha aya
- woman two yesterday to-meet 1SG general-clause-particle-initial with hair thick and black one an with hair soft and brown one general-clause-particle-final | ART woman general-clause-particle-initial hair thick and black to-have 3SG general-clause-particle-final PAST very pretty/beautiful
- mung to ngumaq ko`oga ta ruq noj unuq ohada ma oga ong ma noj unuq ayuha ma myoga ong ra | al mung ruq unuq ohada ma oga kura na ra ung t`ha aya
Plurals
- The particle uj is placed in front of nouns to mark plurality.
- When uj is present there is no other particle/article used.
- Adjectives are not pluralized.
Demonstratives
- Qatama demonstratives do change depending on number, but not gender.
As pronouns
As subordinators
- He hopes you proceed with the speech
- muaha ga noj al mutara kanuj nada
- He hopes that you proceed with the speech
- muaha ga nuq noj al mutara kanuj nada
Adjectives
Adjective always follow the word they modify in Qatama.
Articles
Qatama makes use of several articles that could be analyzed as particles.
- al - This is used as both definite and indefinite, but could also be thought of as particle that marks words as nouns.
- m'ja -- n. blood, v. to bleed | m'ja ongo ta = I see bleeding | al m'ja ongo ta = I see (the) blood.
- o - This is an honorific article used to show respect for the concept or topic being referred to.
- oyo - This is a diminutive article used to show a lack of importance, disdain or malice toward the concept or topic being referred to, often accompanied by profanity or vulgarity.
- um - This is an emphatic article is used to show immediacy or importance of the concept or topic being referred to. It is often used in imperatives.
- goku al tamu -- The house burns./The house is burning. | goku um tamu -- The house is burning!
- kya mada naj um kama -- Come (back) to the village!
Questions
- Questions are asked using the interrogatory particle qa, always placed at the end of a phrase.
- Qatama does not ask questions the same way as English.
- The syntax of a question is exactly the same as a declarative statement.
- There are no interrogatives such as who, what, or when in Qatama.
- Questions are asked by placing the desired result as the object and placing qa at the end of what would normally be a statement.
- tamu kojra al mung qa | "[the] house love the woman [interrogative]" = Does the woman loves the house?
Tense
There are five basic tenses in Qatama. The tense particle is always placed immediately before the verb it modifies.
- Negative Past
- Past
- Simple Present
- Negative Future
- Future
The tense need not be marked if it is clearly indicated by another word in the same phrase: kumaq kuda na, He cooks(prepare food) (will cook) tomorrow.
Pronouns
Qatama pronouns (uj uta) are fairly straightforward.
- Note that the polite form of the 2nd person is used in both singular and plural.
- The 3PLM and 3PLF do not have possessive forms.
- It is important to use the correct form of the 1PL, inclusive and exclusive.
- The reflexive of any pronoun is formed by placing ayu after it.
Imperatives
There are four distinct imperatives in Qatama.
- kya -- general imperative, always placed in front of the verb phrase
- gya -- used specifically for the demand of an item, i.e. to give
- kyo -- used specifically to demand silence
- kyala -- general negative imperative, always placed in front of the verb phrase
Semantic Morphology
- Semantic Morphology is not as prevalent in Qatama as it is in other languages, but there is a semi-constant theme that runs throughout a portion of the lexicon.
- What is important to remember is that not every time you see one of these particular syllables does it change the word in a consistent or predictable way.
-ha
- Appended to;
- m - often indicates the augmentative
- n - often used to create an obscure relation
- ng - often indicates the augmentative
- l - often used to create a related lexical entry
- r - often used to create a related lexical entry
-la
- Appended to;
- q - often indicates negation or opposition
- m - often used to create an obscure relation
- ng - often indicates negation or opposition
- j - often used to create a related lexical entry
-ra
- Appended to;
- q - often indicates a close semantic relation
- m - often used to create an obscure relation
- ng - often indicates an extreme relation to the base root
- j - often used to create a related lexical entry
