It is a heavily agglutinative language highly reminiscent of/ripped off from southern Bantu languages like Zulu
Phonology
This is the phonology as it stands at its most original - i.e. it has not yet underdone even the most basic sound changes and there is only one allophone (which I include this early because to hell with you I'm a free man)
/m n ɲ ɳ ŋ ŋʷ/
<m n ny rn ng ngw>
/pʰ tʰ kʰ kʰʷ ʔʰ/
<p t k kw ‘h>
/b d ɖ g gʷ ʔ/
<bh dh rd g gw ‘>
/ɓ ɗ/
<b d>
/β s h/
<w s h>
/tsʰ dz ʧʰ ʤ/
<z dz ty dy>
/r l j ʎ/
<r l y ly>
/a i u ə/
<a i u ə>
/ɑ/ is an allophone of /a/ before /s/
Dipthongs
/ai/ <ay>
/aw/ <au>
Noun morphology
Nyataku is a poor man's Bantu language - with several noun classes divided along (at this point) semi-logical semantics. Don't fret - that'll change very soon into its history. The classes are identified through suffixes attached to nouns in an vaguely indefinite manner. For example the word da /ɗa/ means "father" and is of the 1st Class - "male humans" - and so in the indefinite singular (a father) and plural (fathers) it takes the 1st Class singular and plural suffixes - wa and biya - dawa /ɗaβa/ and dabiya /ɗaɓija/. The noun does not take the class suffix in a definite (the father), demonstrative (that father) or possessive (my father) context.
If anyone can show me how to better list these things in a table or something that'd be really helpful for me and you
Classes
Code: Select all
Class singular plural example
1. Male humans ma/m/wa biya/bay/wi/way dawa (father) dabiya (fathers)
2. Female humans, fruits mu/m/mi/may bhu/bhi bhahim (woman) bhahibhi (women)
3. Animals, fruits, plants u/aw/u’ aw laypu (orange) laypaw (oranges)
4. Plants, fibres, produce ku/kwa ngu/ngwa/ng pukakwa (base of tree) pukang (bases of trees)
5. Geography, location zi/si zimi/simi tayzi (bridge) tayzimi (bridges)
6. Body parts, motions ku/kwa nga lətyaku (ear) lətyanga (ears)
7. Body parts, languages, inalienable and/or uncountable things ku/kwa kulaku (skin) nyataku (Nyata language)
8. Fire, states, emotions nya/nyi nali/nili bhanya (fire) bhanili (fires)
9. Buildings, location dya/dyi m gikadya (storehouse) gikam (storehouses)
10.Names, family, people ki/tyi wi Tepaki (O, Tepa!) Tepawi (Tepa clan)
11.Various collectives aba/iba dawaba (fatherhood) lawba (water)
12.Actions, motions wa/u/m ba/bi ngawa (opening), ngaba (openings)
13.Verbal nouns, actions: pa tyapa (eating), kubapa (obstructing)
14.Fruits, plants, trees nu/n/naw dhu/dhi tyakun (lemon) tyakudhu (lemons)
15. Pertaining to object mu/m bhu/bhi gwangam (stored object) gwangabhu (stored objects)Verbal Morphology
Verbs in Nyata consist of a root and various affixes. There are a group of prefixes which radically alter the mood and aspect of the verb stem but majoritively verb stems are appended with suffixes which indicate tense and person
Personal suffixes, Subject/Object
1st Sing. ni/nay
2nd Sing an/mita
3rd Sing tay/'a
1st Pl. nga/titya
2nd Pl. ti/kim
3rd Pl. may/maza
The example verb stem shall be -ty- - to eat.
Infinitive
The infinitive is used much in the same way as English - accompanying other verbs. It also operates as a header of a topic e.g. "walking: some people enjoy it" or "leaving: I agree it is for the best". The suffix "a" indicates the verb is happening or about to happen - a realis mood. Removing this from the infinitive indicates a hypothetical or retrospective angle depending on context e.g. "eating was a bad idea" or "maybe he will want to eat"
Formation: Ka + Verb Stem + (Object) + (a)
e.g. katy'a - "to eat him/her/it"
Present
The present indicates the verb is happening in the present, as you would imagine. However, as Nyata adjectives are actually stative verbs the Present is often used instead of the Stative to indicate that the adjective has and always will apply to the verb. The Stative would imply you were happy at that moment in context, the Present would imply you are happy as you always are. The present is therefore used in a descriptive tone (he is tall).
Formation: Verb Stem + yi/i/iy + Subject + Object + a
e.g. tyini'a- "I eat it"
Participle
The participle indicates that the verb is happening in an adverbial (I eat whilst I speak) or conjunctive (I eat and speak) function.
Formation: Ay + Verb Stem + anga + Subject + Object + a
e.g. aytyangani'a- "I eat it whilst..."
Subjunctive/Optative
The subjunctive is used to express wishes, suggestions or obligation as well as in conjunction with particles which affect the meaning of the verb. Examples include - "I hope we eat soon", "you should go" and "He merely chuckled"
Formation: Verb Stem + Subject + Object + ay
e.g. ityni'ay- "I should eat it"
Perfect Recent
The perfect recent is used to indicate the verb has just been completed as of the present or the present of the contextual time frame.
Formation: Verb Stem + ili + Subject + Object + a
e.g. tyilini'a- "I have just eaten it"
Perfect Past
The perfect past indicates the verb was completed in the past and there was a period between its completion and the present. It can also be used in a contradicting sense i.e. "I've already done that" or "I did do it!"
Formation: Aw + Verb Stem + ili + Subject + Object + a
e.g. awtyilini'a- "I had eaten it/I have eaten it before..."
Historical Past
The historical past is a rare tense used in the telling of stories or the reporting of past events. It functions as a present tense with the understanding that the events described have long since past i.e. "so I was telling him..."
Formation: Verb Stem + an/am/ang + Subject + Object +
e.g. tyanni'a- "I was eating it"
Stative/Competitive/Conclusive
The stative is used for states of being or description e.g. "I am sick" or "the sky is blue". It juxtaposes with the present tense in that the present indicates the description is a permanent quality inalienable from the object itself whereas the stative suggests there was a time when the object did not possess the quality. "a famous market" in the present indicates it was famous from the get-go whereas in the stative it indicates the market became famous for a reason. The subject can be used as an amplifier e.g. "the market, it is famous"
Formation: Subject + Verb Stem + ilay
e.g. taysaykalilay- "it is famous" from root "saykal" - to be known
Future
The future is used in juxtaposition with the subjunctive in that the subjunctive indicates hypothetical or desired events whereas the future is more predicting and certain. Compare "It might rain tomorrow" with "it will certainly rain tomorrow".
Formation: Verb Stem + i/a + Subject + Object + zaw
e.g. tyini'azaw- "I will eat it"
Example Text
Kazatyi tan parakaznay,
dhaya bina payrilitay'a.
Kami dyanəng suzu walingitay,
dhaya taypunyailay say wa'a.
love-habitual NEG pass-love-1S.obj
earth river need-PRF-3S.subj-3S.obj-REAL
1S.POSS heart breast walk.in.circles-PRS-3S.obj
land 3S.subj-result-STAT little soil
kʰazaʧʰi tʰan pʰarakʰatsʰnai
daja ɓina pʰairilitʰaiʔa
kʰami ʤanəŋ sutsʰu βaliŋitʰai
daja tʰaipʰuɲailai sai βaʔa
The lover not myself loved,
the earth needs the river.
My heart walks in circles around my breast,
the earth ends up with less land.
