User:Thefam/Xanz

This is a draft of the Xanz / Hãnz language.

This page is in userspace because all of it (including the name) is subject to revision. It will be moved to a normal page when the name is finalized.

Phonology
With nasal versions of all of them.

Diphthongs: eu, iu [others?]

Stops become nasal after nasal vowels.

nasal+stop ok as coda if voicing matches

Primary stress falls on the initial syllable and secondary stress on alternate syllables following. Unstressed e, y, and o delete in medial syllables (so, páxel + i → páxli).

No word final "real" fricatives (/s/ ok because it patterns with stops)? (nope, there's multiple final th).

Romanization
Acute accent indicates a nasal vowel when nasality is not clear from context. (e.g. in "xanz" it's clearly nasal from the n, but in "páxel" it wouldn't be clear)

Sajem Tan
Xanz -> ST:
 * m̥ n̥ ɲ̊ > fm fn sn
 * l > sl (actually the borrowing is before ST /l r/ become lateral fricatives)
 * eu > el, iu > ol

Words:
 * t_t_t > tetyt (king)
 * l_t_b > slitim (striped)

Vowel Patterns

 * _á__(e) - agentive noun
 * _a_a_ - intensive
 * _á_e_ - passive voice
 * _a_i_ - habitual or stative verb
 * _e_á_ - perfective
 * _e_y_ - patient noun
 * _eu_eu_ - middle voice
 * _eu_éú_ - witnessive (usually either saw someone doing something or saw while doing something, depending on the verb)
 * _ó_a_ - instrument
 * _u_í_ - active voice
 * _y_o_ - causative

Nouns
So for páxel "island"

Verbs
Verbs agree with both subject and object. Intransitive verbs historically had their own prefixes, but these have merged with the 3rd person objects in most instances.

Tenses other than the present are normally formed by adding one of the following affixes between the person prefix and the stem:


 * ji - distant past (prior to yesterday)
 * ??? - recent past (earlier today or yesterday)
 * ti - intended future
 * wa - possible (all time frames)
 * zú - desired (usually future, but sometimes present or past)

However, there are some irregularities, so the full table is presented below

2/3 potential isn't entirely consistent as to whether following stress reduction treats it as underlyingly 2 syllables or 3.

Lexember roots

 * 1) xdz wisdom
 * 2) gsd organize
 * 3) ttd follow
 * 4) kbp confuse
 * 5) pxl surround
 * 6) kdd speak
 * 7) zbk flow, xtd attract
 * 8) fthb sail
 * 9) wlb sing
 * 10) g'd sit
 * 11) bdd sleep
 * 12) sjd tangent
 * 13) 'dp walk
 * 14) thfb finish
 * 15) ddl shenanigan
 * 16) bwd drink (cultural stuff TODO)
 * 17) tjw story
 * 18) bgth eat
 * 19) dxd remember
 * 20) ssp greet
 * 21) wts demonstrate
 * 22) assorted numbers
 * 23) pkd fish
 * 24) pds celebrate
 * 25) gxth count
 * 26) fb' give
 * 27) sjj burn
 * 28) jps wash
 * 29) twt small
 * 30) tbg laugh
 * 31) kgj begin

Numbers
Xanz Dec 22 b-d-th /b-d-θ/ 1, alone (banthe) t-g-th /t-g-θ/ 2, repeat, recur (tegyth) f-l-th /f-l-θ/ 3 (falith) b-g-l /b-g-l/ 4 (bagil) t-d-x /t-d-x/ 5 (tedyx) j-f-' /j-f-ʔ/ 6 (jáfe') k-g-w /k-g-w/ 12 (kagiw) b-th-d /b-θ-d/ 144 (bathid) -(e)k /(ɛ)k/ and (enclitic)

So yeah, base 6/12 with nothing terribly strange as yet. I think at least one more of the numbers besides 1 and 2 has a verbal meaning, but I'm not sure which one.

Numerals are nouns and enumerate objects appear in the genitive case: páxli banthe - 1 island páxli tegyth - 2 islands páxli jáfi tegyth - 7 islands páxli kagiwek falith - 15 islands

One of the derivative cases can be used to refer to a number of items out of a larger group: amháxeli banthe - 1 of the islands amháxeli tegyth - 2 of the islands

And using the other derivative case, ratios: etedyxi amháxeli tegyth - 2 islands out of the 5 etedyxi tegyth - 2 out of 5, 2/5