Kàleshian

[Shemtov]

The Proto-Lang's phonology:
/p pʼ b t tʼ d k kʼ g kʷ kʷʼ gʷ/
/m n -ŋ/
/s x xʷ h/
/l/
/j w/

/i ɨ u/
/e̞ ə o/
/æ/
/ ä/


Kàleshian Phonology:

/p t tʼ c cʼ k kʼ / <p t t' c c' k k'>
/m n ɲ/ <m n ny>
/f s ʃ ç x h/ <f s sh ch kh h>
/r/ <r>
/l/ <l>

/i u/ <i u>
/e o/ <e o>
/ä/ <a>
/ẽ õ/ <eṁ oṁ>
/ã/ <aṁ>

/˧ ˨˩/ <a à>
(tone is shown on vowel <a>, though any vowel can take low tone, marked by a grave accent.)
Phonotactics:
(C)V(C)

Sound Changes:
/p/>/f/
/kʷ kʷʼ gʷ xʷ/>/p pʼ b f/
/pʼ/>/ʔ/>/h/
/s t tʼ d n l x k kʼ g/>/ʃ t͡ʃ t͡ʃʼ d͡ʒ ɲ ʎ ç c cʼ ɟ/ _i _e _æ
/ɨ ə/>/i e/
/æ/>/ä/
/Vŋ/>/Ṽ/
/l/>/ɾ/>/r/
/ĩ ũ/>/ẽ õ/
/ʎ/>/l/
/b d ɟ g d͡ʒ/>/p˨˩ t˨˩ c˨˩ k˨˩ t͡ʃ˨˩/
/t͡ʃ t͡ʃʼ/>/ʃ cʼ/
/j w/>/ʒ v/>/ʃ˨˩ f˨˩/

Kàleshian Indicative Active Verbs:
Kàleshian Verbs distinguish between Relative and Absolute tense and have honorifics that mark the position of the speaker to the subject of the verb.

ABSOLUTE TENSE ON THE VERB <Siroṁshas> "To eat":
Regular speech:
This marks the subject and the speaker as equals.
Past:Siroṁshasti
Present: Siroṁshas
Future: Siroṁshaska

Superior Speech:
This is used when the speaker is referring to a superior :
Past:Siroṁshasshi
Present: Siroṁshasshì
Future: Siroṁshasca

Humble Speech:
This is used as an alternative to superior speech when the speaker wishes to mark his/her inferior status to the referrant more overtly:
Past:Siroṁshastir
Present: Siroṁshasar
Future: Siroṁshaskar

Inferior Speech:
Used when speaking about inferiors; can be an insulting reference to others
Past:Siroṁshast'e
Present: Siroṁshasat'
Future: Siroṁshask'a

Relative Tense is marked by taking the "Normal Speech" existential verb (<mar>- it is supletive) conjugated to the correct tense, followed by the main verb in the correct honorific present tense with the prefix <fò>

Tenses of <Mar>:
Past: Met
Present: Mar
Future: Makà

Kàleshian Nouns:
Nouns in Kàleshian have 4 cases regularly in use: Nominative, Accusative, Oblique, and Genitive. There is also two numbers, singular and plural. The case-number endings are different when they are posessed by someone to whom the speaker would have to use Superior or Humble speech. These are called "Honorific Cases".

Noun used in examples: <Fàlat> "Dog"

Singular Endings:
Nominative: Fàlat
Accusative: Fàlatma
Oblique:Fàlatoṁ
Genitive: Fàlator

Plural Endings:
Nominative: Fàlati
Accusative: Fàlatam
Oblique:Fàlatoṁ
Genitive: Fàlater

Honorific Cases:
Singular Endings:
Nominative: Fàlatsha
Accusative: Fàlatma
Oblique:Fàlateṁ
Genitive: Fàlatle

Plural Endings:
Nominative: Fàlatshi
Accusative: Fàlatam
Oblique:Fàlateṁ
Genitive: Fàlatli

[Shemtov]

Example sentence:
Shèshà siroṁshastir pàshenam, met fòminak'ar pòraṁam
Shèshà siroṁshas-tir pàshen-am, met fò-minak'-ar pòraṁ-am
king eat-PST.HUMB be.PST meat-ACC REL-won-HUMB battle-ACC
"[When] the King ate meat, we had [already] won the battle."

[Shemtov]

Kàleshian Moods:
Moods in Kàleshian are categorized by a focus on Epistemic Modality. Non-Indicative Moods are formed much as relative tense indicative verbs are, with the verb <Mar> taking the tense , and the verb itself taking the mood and honorific. However, <fò> is not prefixed.

MOODS ON VERB <Siroṁshas> "To eat":
Presumptive:
This means that the speaker believes the statement to be true; however, the have not witnessed it or heard it from a reliable witness; usually it implies deduction or abduction was involved. It is also used with the protasis of a conditional sentence when the speaker believes the condition is likely to be or have been fulfilled.
Regular speech: Siroṁshaste
Superior Speech: Siroṁshasche
Humble Speech: Siroṁshastar
Inferior Speech: Siroṁshast'e


Dubitative:
This means the speaker believes the statement to be untrue; can be used to mark clearly false, yet hypothetical utterances with the prefix <Shì>. It is also used with the protasis of a conditional sentence when the speaker believes the condition is unlikely to be or have been fulfilled.
Regular speech: Siroṁshasri
Superior Speech: Siroṁshasli
Humble Speech: Siroṁshasrili
Inferior Speech: Siroṁshast'i

Conditional:
Used for the apodosis of conditional clauses; is unmarked by honorifics.
Siroṁshaspàr

Realitive tense for Nonindicative moods is formed by the use of the tense-inflected copula <Rer> with the prefix <fò> before the verb.


Tenses of <Rer>:
Past: Let
Present: Rer
Future: Rekà

[Travis B.]

So you have systematic variation in word endings by register... but you don't do anything like have completely different stems or wordings in different registers? I would expect that more than having different versions of word endings on the same stems in each register.

And with registers, I would expect them to have the most impact on pronouns - don't tell me that your pronouns have the same stems in each register and just vary in their endings.

(Contrast with the Middle Tshyak 2nd sg. ning (familiar or speaking to lower status) / sat ma "my brother" or nay ma "my sister" (respectful, speaking to similar status or age) / sat moh ma "my (paternal) uncle" or nay di ma "my (maternal) aunt" (respectful, speaking to somewhat higher status or older age) / ngyeh ma "my son" or rkha ma "my daughter" (respectful, speaking to somewhat lower status or younger age) / rbyat ma "my lord" or mthak ma "my lady" (respectful, speaking to markedly higher status) / tlyer ma "my servant" (asserting markedly higher status over someone).)

[Shemtov]

So you have systematic variation in word endings by register... but you don't do anything like have completely different stems or wordings in different registers? I would expect that more than having different versions of word endings on the same stems in each register.

And with registers, I would expect them to have the most impact on pronouns - don't tell me that your pronouns have the same stems in each register and just vary in their endings.

(Contrast with the Middle Tshyak 2nd sg. ning (familiar or speaking to lower status) / sat ma "my brother" or nay ma "my sister" (respectful, speaking to similar status or age) / sat moh ma "my (paternal) uncle" or nay di ma "my (maternal) aunt" (respectful, speaking to somewhat higher status or older age) / ngyeh ma "my son" or rkha ma "my daughter" (respectful, speaking to somewhat lower status or younger age) / rbyat ma "my lord" or mthak ma "my lady" (respectful, speaking to markedly higher status) / tlyer ma "my servant" (asserting markedly higher status over someone).)

Wait until I post about something. My pronouns do have different forms for each register, and there are different verb stems and nouns for each register, but I was focusing on those that don't change stem first.
For example, the stem for to "drink" in Regular Speech is "Pàleṁ" but in Superior speech is "C'isut", but I was planning to devote a whole post to this topic.

[Shemtov]

Here's a more in-depth look on the different root forms for honorific verbal roots:
Some verbal roots have distinct forms based on the referent and what register of speech would be used for them.
There are two distinct kinds of these suppletive roots, which are called by native grammarians "Distributed verbs " and "Complete verbs".
Distributed verbs have two forms: One used for "Regular Speech" and one for "Superior Speech". In these uses they take the ending of Non-suppletive verbs in "Regular Speech" However, the "Superior" root can take "Humble" endings to indicate "Humble" meaning, and the "Regular" root "Inferior" endings to indicate "Inferior" meanings. For example, the 'regular" root for "To Drink" is <Pàleṁ> and the "Superior" form is <C'isut>.
"Complete verbs" (short for "Completely differentiated") have a different form for all for registers, taking the endings for each register in past and future tense. For example the root for "To Talk" varies in the four registers as follows (in past tense):
Regular speech: Rec'in-ti
Superior Speech: Ropàr-shi
Humble Speech: Nyasa-tir
Inferior Speech: Tà-t'e

Some "complete Verbs" take "Regular speech" endings in all cases:
"Thought":
Regular speech: Mati-ti
Superior Speech: Fàkànyi-ti
Humble Speech: Nopà-ti
Inferior Speech: Tìl-ti

[Shemtov]

In Kàleshian, the Topic-Comment construction is used when the subject is culturally seen as "below" the interlocutors. In such cases, the grammatical object is fronted and takes the topic-suffix <-Nya>. This often used with inferior speech to show a level below it, or with other speech levels to show complete contempt for the subject or for the subject's action, i.e. the action expressed is below the subject or too high-class for it, or to express a "Gentle" version of inferior speech when used with regular speech.

Hak'enya, femkhast'oṁ pàleṁt'e.
Hak'en-ya, femkhast'oṁ pàleṁ-t'e.
wine-TOP barbarian drink-INF.PST
"The barbarian drank wine [how dare he do that!]

Cìtàc'enya, shèshànor c'isuttir
Cìtàc'e-nya, shèshànor c'isut-tir
weak.beer-TOP prince drink-HUMB.PST
"The prince drank weak beer [how beneath him!].