PROTO-TIMTU =========== by Jörg Rhiemeier (WeepingElf) Phonology ========= Consonants ---------- Voiceless p t s k Voiced w ð r ɣ Nasal m n Vowels ------ i u a Syllable structure ------------------ CV(N) (N=nasal) If a non-final syllable has a coda nasal, the following syllable must begin with a voiceless or nasal consonant. Voiced consonants (/w ð r ɣ/) turn into the corresponding voicless consonants (/p t s k/) when they end up behind a nasal. Accent ------ On the penultimate syllable. Morphology ========== Root structure -------------- Roots are mostly bisyllabic. There are also some monosyllabic CVN roots and a few trisyllabic roots. Nouns ----- There are four numbers: singular, dual, trial, plural. The suffixes are: Singular -0 Dual -ta Trial -ri (-si after a nasal) Plural -mu Cases are absolutive, ergative and postpositional. Case suffix follows number suffix. Absolutive -0 Ergative -kan Postpositional -ni The possessive prefixes are: Sing. Du. Tr. Pl. 1st excl. ti- tita- tiri- timu- incl. ku- kuri- kumu- 2nd ma- mata- mari- mamu- 3rd masc. kan- kanta- kansi- kanmu- 3rd fem. tum- tumta- tumsi- tummu- Some nouns (body parts, kinship terms) must be possessed; they never occur without a possessive prefix. Pronouns -------- The forms given here are the absolutives; they inflect regularly. Sing. Du. Tr. Pl. 1st excl. ti tita tiri timu incl. ku kuri kumu 2nd ma mata mari mamu 3rd masc. kan kanta kansi kanmu 3rd fem. tum tumta tumsi tummu 'this' si sita siri simu 'that' mu muta muri mumu 'who' win 'what' ram Postpositions ------------- Genitive ðin Dative ra Instrumental kim 'with' pin 'without' kimpin Local postpositions are compounds: at to from at ta tama tari in mi mima miri on ru ruma ruri under kin kinma kinsi near ɣa ɣama ɣari beside ðum ðumma ðumsi Adjectives ---------- No separate part of speech; they are verbs. To use an adjective attributively, add the subordinator -ki to form a relative clause. Example: _timtu_ 'person', _ðimi_ 'young': ðimiki timtu 'young person', lit. 'person who is young' Verbs ----- Verbs take suffixes for aspect, mood, evidentiality and voice, in this order. Last goes the subordinator, when the verb is used in a subordinate clause. Aspects: Imperfective -0 Perfective -wa (-pa after nasal) Mood: Indicative -0 Subjunctive -san Optative -ði (-ti after nasal) Imperative -kim Evidentiality: Factual -0 Inferred -mu Hearsay -ka Hypothetical -si Voice Active -0 Antipassive -ðanta (-tanta after nasal) Subordinator -ki Conjunctions ------------ wum and pi and; while, on the other hand pam but waɣum or mumma also, too kumma neither, not... either, nor Derivation ---------- There are several derivational suffixes. Noun -> Noun: Diminutive -kin, -tam, -miri Augmentative -wu, -taku a kind of X -niri sth. related to X -pini mass of X -tumka Singulative -kiki Verb -> Noun: Agent -ða (-ta after nasal) Instrument -kim Location -pa Result of action -ninta Verbal abstract -kasi Noun -> Verb: to make a -kanti to be a -miri to have a -ðuði (-tuði after nasal) Verb -> Verb: to begin X-ing -timi to stop X-ing -mumpi to continue X-ing -rini (-sini after nasal) to cause to X -taka Compounding ----------- Compounding is head-final and highly productive. Syntax ====== Proto-Timtu is head-final. The basic word order is SOV; modifiers precede their head noun. Example of a clause: ðimiki timtukan kaðaki ɣamma wantaka. be.young-SUB person-ERG be.big-SUB deer hunt-HS 'They say the young person hunted the big deer.' Subordinate (relative and complex) clauses are marked by the subordinating suffix -ki on the verb and precede the noun phrase or matrix clause. The above example actually contains two relative clauses. Example: kaðaki ɣamma wantaki timtukan kuntawaki titaðakan santiwa. be.big-SUB deer hunt-SUB person-ERG die-PERF-SUB my-father-ERG say-PERF 'My father said that the person who hunted the big deer has died.' Lexicon ======= (IP) = inherently possessed, i.e. must take a possessive prefix. ðaɣi v. to be small. ðaka v. to be slow. ðamta v. to doubt. ðapin v. to drink. ðan v. to work. ði v. to be. ðiðaðu n. fool. ðimi v. to be young. ðinsi v. to be wide. ðita v. to be late. ðuku v. to be healthy. ðum v. to be the same. ðumma v. to take. ðutu v. to seem. ɣam n. self. (IP) ɣamma n. deer. ɣanti v. to make. ɣapa n. dust. ɣawam v. to be wet. ɣimi v. to be feeble. ɣimpu v. to keep. ɣini n. salt. ɣinsin v. to be thick. ɣintam v. to be green. ɣitin v. to let. ɣipi v. to boil. ɣiri v. to be ill. ɣisi n. future. ɣumu v. to amuse. ɣunka v. to sense. ɣuru v. to be round. kaða v. to be big. kaɣana v. to be serious. kaɣi n. sand. kaki n. blood. kampani v. to be ready. kantu v. to be black. karu n. stone. kasi n. earth. kapam v. to bite. kampa v. to agree. kansa v. to be tight. katam n. animal. kapan v. to be tall. kapi v. to answer. kapu n. sheep. karan n. pair of trousers. karu v. to be hard. kasi n. leg. (IP) kata v. to talk. kawa v. to waste. kawi n. world. kiði v. to be red. kiɣu v. to be yellow. kika n. day. kim v. to come. kimi part. not. kimun n. ring. kini v. to be high. kinsa v. to be certain. kinsi v. to be soft. kipam n. earth. kipiði n. right. kiputa n. nail (of finger, toe). (IP) kiri n. girl. kisa v. to be cold. kiti v. to slip. kitun v. to be poor. kuðam v. to give birth to. kuɣin n. shadow. kuki v. to need. kuma n. box. kumim n. shirt. kumpi n. brain. (IP) kumsi v. to be blue. kumu v. to be loose. kunsa v. to be false, to be wrong. kunta v. to die. kupan n. tree. kupi v. to be hollow. kupu v. to wound. kupun n. night. kura v. to live. kuri v. to be bent. kuruku v. to thunder. kusam n. neck. (IP) kutam n. slope. kuti n. moon. kutu n. rod. kutum n. month. kuwa n. wood. maðan n. friend. (IP) maði v. to be white. maɣa v. to be wise. maɣin v. to smell. maɣu v. to sit. makata v. to be loud. makan n. grain, seed. mam n. mother. (IP) manim n. mountain. manka v. to rest. masa n. food. mata n. ear. (IP) mawa n. war. miðan v. to force. miði n. force. miðun n. rain. miɣu n. sea. mika n. lip. (IP) mimpa n. hole. mini v. to grasp. minki v. to hope. minsin v. to be tired. minta n. group. minti n. summer. mipun v. to grow. mira n. sun. miri v. to smile. mirun v. to be beautiful. miti n. ray. miwam n. boat. miwu n. wind. muðan n. to remain. muku n. fruit. muni n. shoe. mupin n. toe. (IP) murimi v. to be smooth. naðan v. to be solid. naði n. country. naɣan v. to be good. nakata v. to damage. naku n. skin. (IP) namki v. to hide. nampa v. to hear. nanka v. to be long. nanta v. to hate. napa v. to decide. nara n. fire. naram v. to burn. nasim v. to fear. nata n. tooth. (IP) natin n. flower. nawi v. to weigh. niða n. fat. niðiri v. to be low. niɣa v. to shine, to be bright. nikan v. to care. nimkan v. to swim. nimki v. to love. nimpi v. to be clean. nimtam n. daughter. (IP) nimti n. present. ninki v. to be kind. nintin n. number. nipi v. to sneeze. niri v. to get. niwan v. to wash. nuðu v. to look. nuɣan v. to be full. nupa v. to cook. numti n. sister. (IP) nuri n. peace. nurum n. pleasure. paði n. finger. (IP) paɣa n. sky, heaven. pakan n. pain. paki v. to break. paku v. to change. pam conj. but. pamta n. pin. pansa v. to be safe. pansin v. to be strong. panta n. body. (IP) paru n. grass. patam n. milk. pati n. pig. pawi n. ribbon. pi conj. and. piða n. middle. piði v. to be thin. piki n. bread. pimka n. brother. (IP) pimtu v. to hang. pinti n. hair. (IP) pintu v. to bake. pipiði v. to stick. pipun v. to tell. piran n. bird. pirata v. to be mixed. piri v. to think. pisan n. path. piwam v. to be grey. puðu v. to blow. puɣa n. hand. (IP) puki n. cloth. pumta v. to marry. pun n. mind. (IP) puna v. to be brown. punu n. table. pusun n. leaf. putam n. hill, mountain. raðim v. to open. raɣa n. side. raka v. to be shut. rakani v. to close. ramki n. band (of people). rampan n. bridge. ranta n. leather. rapam v. to meet. rapi n. autumn. rasa n. horn. (IP) ratan v. to move. rawan n. basket. riða n. powder. riðin v. to be smooth. rika v. to learn. rikini v. to teach. rimpa v. to meet. rinu v. to be free. rinni v. to laugh. ripa n. meat. ripini v. to be secret. riti v. to be quick. riwan v. to be angry. riwi n. year. ruði v. to be new. ruɣun n. sign. rukun n. hook. rum n. man. rumpa n. bee. rumtu n. fog, mist. runi n. tail. (IP) rupi v. to smoke. ruwa n. ball. saðin v. to feel. saɣa n. head. (IP) saɣina v. to be different. saku n. rat. samkana n. edge. santi v. to say. sanpa n. steam. sapi v. to end. siðam n. family. siɣi v. to sleep. sikun v. to stitch. simka n. winter. simki n. snow. sinni v. to see. sinta v. to be happy. sipa n. name. (IP) sipin v. to fly. sira n. snake. siri v. to be sweet. sita v. to taste. siti v. to be sour. situm n. knot. situn v. to tie. siwa n. worm. suðin v. to give. suɣi v. to be short. suɣun n. shame. suku v. to fall. sumin n. spring (season). sumka n. power. sumpu n. island. sunki n. fish. sunti n. voice. (IP) sura n. mouth. (IP) surin n. brush. suru n. time. susina n. cow. taða n. father. (IP) taɣan n. wall. taɣi n. face. (IP) takan n. knife, blade. taku v. to be narrow. tama v. to be deep. tamu n. past. tampa n. hammer. tamta v. to put. tansa v. to be warm. tantu v. to be cruel. tapa v. to be flat. tapam v. to step. tawa n. bag. tiɣan v. to shake. tiɣi n. wing. (IP) tika n. stick. tikiði v. to be sharp. timka n. insect. timpa n. music. timtu n. person. tinmi v. to join. tinsi v. to be awake. tinti n. cake. tipama n. left. tipan n. horse. tipi n. star. tiraki v. to be quiet. tiri v. to pull. tirun n. needle. tisan n. knee. (IP) tisu n. roof. tiwa n. bed. tuða n. cloud. tuɣanta v. to be dark. tuɣi n. dog. tuɣun n. nose. (IP) tuku n. question. tukuɣu v. to be true. tum v. to be dead. tumpa n. nut. tunka n. pot. tunti v. to use. tupa n. hat. tupi n. soul. (IP) tutu v. to be bad. tutu n. stem, trunk (of tree). tuwan n. egg. waða n. door. waðim v. to be old. wampu n. house. wanka n. ant. wapam n. net. wari v. to bathe. watan n. arm. (IP) wiði n. water. wiki n. apple. wima n. baby. wini v. to be early. wintan v. to be strange. winti n. eye. (IP) wiri v. to be dirty. Numbers ------- kaða 1 miki 2 pira 3 ðata 4 piɣi 5 sima 6 tatu 7 kupun 8 numti 9 kaɣan 10 tiki 100 pira tiki ðata kaɣan miki = 342