phonology and romanization
| Vowels | Front | Central | Back |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close | i | (u) | u |
| Openmid | e | o | |
| Open | ae | a |
| - | bilabial | labiodental | alveolar | palatal | velar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| nasal | m | n | ny | ||
| stop | p b | t | k g | ||
| Sib. Affricate | ts | ||||
| Sib. Fricative | s | sh | |||
| Non. Affricate | f v | ||||
| Approximant | w | y | l | ||
| Tap/Flap | r | ||||
| Trill | p' | r' |
l is a velarized dental/alveolar lateral approximant
all nasals and velar plosives palatalize (+ʲ) before i, central i and u
tapped and trilled r are phonemically distinct
labiovelar approximant w is pronounced between v and w
n is velarized before k, g, l
e and o are openmid, pronounced like bEd and nOt in RP english
Front-Central/Back Vowel Harmony, which corresponds to gender: (i/ɛ) (u/ɔ/ä)
the harmony is derived from the gender of the root word, then all affixes are shifted
i → (u) / u → i / ɛ → ɔ / ɔ → ae / a → ae
Catus Case System (suffixes)
| name | front | back |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | (-ki)/ | (ku)/ |
| accusative | -ti | -tou |
| dative | -fi | -fu |
| genitive | -gyɛ | -guɔ |
| locative | -bfae | -bfo |
| object complement | (-wi)/ | (-wu)/ |
Here is the verb conjugation system
| Mood | Tense | Front | Back |
| Indicative | Past | -bæn | -ban |
| Present | -bi | -bou | |
| Future | -bili | -bilou | |
| Gerund | Present | -shwɛ | -tvo |
| Imperative | Regular | -p'wae | -p'va |
| Hon./Formal | -wae | -va | |
| Impolite | -pwae | -p'va | |
| Conditional | Past | -pme- -baen- | -pmo- -ban- |
| Present | -pme- -bi | -pmo- -bu |
Sample text:
"I can't jump"
"you sra yup'shobou vto"
Basic Vocabulary
| English | Catus | r'omanized |
| B | ||
| thick | bbää | bbaa |
| sweet/sugar | bɛi | bei |
| cranberry | bɛirræ | beir'r'ae |
| to lose | bmɔu | bmou |
| to siege | bmuä | bmua |
| god, “great one” | briɕää | br'ishaa |
| (1) to hit (precisely), to stab (2) because of, due to | brɔu | br'ou |
| to eat | btɔ | bto |
| round | btɔä | btoa |
| (1) plate (2) dish, serving | btɔtvɔ | btotvo |
| (1) dinner (2) second serving/dish | btɔtvɔfpɔu | btotvofpou |
| B | ||
| all | ʙbɔ | p'bo |
| hand | ʙʙii | p'p'ii |
| sausage | ʙʙɨnɕɔu | p'p'unshou |
| snow | ʙʙjɛ | p'p'ye |
| (1) stick, (2) tree bark, trunk, wood slab | ʙʙɔu | p'p'ou |
| cloud | ʙɕää | p'shaa |
| to be able | ʙɕɛɛ | p'shee |
| to tie | ʙɛi | p'ei |
| where | ʙfɔ | p'fo |
| to blow | ʙnɛ | p'ne |
| egg | ʙɔ | p'o |
| (1) krill (2) crustaceans in general | ʙɾɔ | p'ro |
| shrimp | ʙɾɔpnʲæ | p'ropnae |
| foot | ʙsä | p'sa |
| dust | ʙtä | p'ta |
| sharp | ʙtɛ | p'te |
| wide | ʙvää | p'vaa |
| man | ʙvää | p'vaa |
| milk | ʙvɔä | p'voa |
| to throw | ʙʋɛi | p'wei |
| ɕ | ||
| tree | ɕä | sha |
| (1) flat, dull | ɕää | shaa |
| (2) kingdom, king | ɕää | shaa |
| here | ɕäfɲä | shafnya |
| to conquer | ɕbä | shba |
| white | ɕbä | shba |
| sky | ɕbää | shbaa |
| fort | ɕbäɔ | shbao |
| to explore | ɕbɛi | shbei |
| name, brand | ɕbɔu | shbou |
| narrow | ɕʙää | shp'aa |
| one, 1 | ɕʙäɔ | shp'ao |
| garlic | ɕʙɛ | shp'e |
| (1) queen (2) to annex, to unite, to take | ɕʙɔ | shp'o |
| black | ɕɕi | shshi |
| to fly | ɕfä | shfa |
| (1) earth, ground (2) world, earth (3) dry | ɕfää | shfaa |
| god, “one from the earth” | ɕfäɕää | shfashaa |
| black | ɕfɛɛ | shfee |
| to have | ɕgʲuɔ | shguo |
| 2SG | ɕi | shi |
| there | ɕifɲi | shifnyi |
| pig/pork | ɕii | shii |
| red | ɕjɛ | shye |
| to write | ɕkä | shka |
| to rule | ɕkʲu | shku |
| who | ɕmäɔ | shmao |
| (1) to die (2) city, town | ɕmʲu | shmu |
| (1) nomad (2) homeless (slightly dispregiative) (3) other, another, stranger | ɕnä | shna |
| (1) how, in what way (2) louse, pest, mite (3) heart (figurative), honour, empathy | ɕnää | shnaa |
| aristocracy | ɕɔ | sho |
| to give | ɕɔä | shoa |
| constitution, foundaments | ɕpää | shpaa |
| republic | ɕpɔ | shpo |
| to spit, disgust, to be disgusted | ɕrɛ | shr'e |
| four, 4 | ɕɾäɔ | shrao |
| few | ɕtää | shtaa |
| grass | ɕti | shti |
| day | ɕtɔ | shto |
| what | ɕvää | shvaa |
| god, “one from the sky” | ɕvɔɕää | shvoshaa |
| progress | ɕvu | shvu |
| to win | ɕwɔu | shwou |
| (1) woman (married), woman (grown) (2) to sew, to make clothes | ɕwuä | shwua |
| F | ||
| ash | fbjɛ | fbye |
| to scratch | fʙää | fp'aa |
| tongue | fɕɔu | fshou |
| ear | fɕuä | fshua |
| wet | ffää | ffaa |
| bad | ffjɛ | ffye |
| snake | ffɔ | ffo |
| n. soup/stew broth | ffu | ffu |
| to hold | fɫɔu | fɫou |
| fog | fmɔ | fmo |
| mouth | fpää | fpaa |
| (1) night, darkness (2) and, then | fpɔu | fpou |
| v. to swell n. fast/rapid/speed | frä | fr'a |
| v. to think, to elaborate, to calculate, to compute n. thought/idea | frää | fr'aa |
| fingernail | fruä | fr'ua |
| v. to fear n. fear, trauma | fɾɔ | fro |
| to hear | fvä | fva |
| at | fʋɛɛ | fwee |
| I | ||
| and | i/ii | i/ii |
| then, after | if | if |
| nor (this nor that), not even, not | in | in |
| J | ||
| god, “my lord” | jɨgɨɾbɔäpnä | yugurboapna |
| 1SG | jɔu | you |
| K | ||
| duke/count/feudatary | kämɔs | kamos |
| catus | kätus | katus |
| to flow | kɕää | kshaa |
| to kill | kɕi | kshi |
| feather | kɕuä | kshua |
| old | kɛ | ke |
| to split | kkä | kka |
| short | kmää | kmaa |
| horn | knää | knaa |
| flower | knʲu | knu |
| this | kɲɛɛ | knyee |
| to laugh | kɔ | ko |
| belly | kpäɔ | kpao |
| when | kpɔä | kpoa |
| bone | kpɔä | kpoa |
| ice | krɛɛ | kr'ee |
| dog | krjɛ | kr'ye |
| lake | ksää | ksaa |
| island | ktii | ktii |
| bird | ktjɛ | ktye |
| n. liver, guts, digestive system n. green n. greenery, nature n. cold, chill | kvää | kvaa |
| a. some | kväɔ | kvao |
| n. small, delicate n. eye (organ), evil eye, vision, sight, face (sometimes) | kvɔä | kvoa |
| stone | kvɔu | kvou |
| M | ||
| river | mgä | mga |
| fire | mmʲuɔ | mmuo |
| that | mnää | mnaa |
| mountain | mnɛɛ | mnee |
| straight | mɲää | mnyaa |
| road | mɲɔu | mnyou |
| far | mɾii | mrii |
| long | mʋɛɛ | mwee |
| N | ||
| to rub | nää | naa |
| heavy | nʙää | np'aa |
| new | nɕɛɛ | nshee |
| to turn | nɕɛi | nshei |
| meat | nɕɔu | nshou |
| 1PL female | nʲi | ni |
| 1PL male/neutral | nʲu | nu |
| to conscript | nnʲu | nnu |
| correct | nnʲuä | nnua |
| tail | nnɔ | nno |
| blood | nrɔ | nr'o |
| sun | nrɔu | nr'ou |
| to cut | nruä | nr'ua |
| Ɲ | ||
| n. rope n. feline, catus/volpanian | ɲää | nyaa |
| thin | ɲɕɔ | nysho |
| to hunt | ɲɛ | nye |
| v. to see, to know of n. nation, country, peoples | ɲgää | nygaa |
| to build | ɲgʲæ | nygae |
| cow/beef | ɲkää | nykaa |
| father | ɲkää | nykaa |
| to rebel | ɲkʲu | nyku |
| to unite | ɲkʲu | nyku |
| head | ɲmʲi | nymi |
| right | ɲmɔä | nymoa |
| skin | ɲɲää | nynyaa |
| to come | ɲɲää | nynyaa |
| sea | ɲɔu | nyou |
| cat | ɲrää | nyr'aa |
| to suck | ɲräɔ | nyr'ao |
| fox | ɲrɔu | nyr'ou |
| region | ɲɾɔ | nyro |
| O | ||
| or | ɔ | o |
| P | ||
| n. human n. two, 2 | pmää | pmaa |
| if | pmjɛ | pmye |
| to know | pmɔ | pmo |
| to squeeze | pnää | pnaa |
| good/great | pnʲæ | pnae |
| white | pnʲuä | pnua |
| to wash | pnɔ | pno |
| to stab | pɲää | pnyaa |
| to smell | pɔä | poa |
| to drink | prää | pr'aa |
| to fall | ptɔ | pto |
| to stand | pʋɛi | pwei |
| n. fat | pʋi | pwi |
| R | ||
| near | rä | r'a |
| leg | rää | r'aa |
| leaf | rɕää | r'shaa |
| to sit | rɕɔä | r'shoa |
| p. 2PL female n. orange (color) | ri | r'i |
| knee | rɲɔ | r'nyo |
| left | rɲuä | r'nyua |
| berry | rrä | r'r'a |
| in | rrää | r'r'aa |
| strawberry | rräɕjɛ | r'r'ashye |
| raspberry | rrärsɔu | r'r'ar'sou |
| v. to sing v. to gossip, to talk in a shallow way | rrɔä | r'r'oa |
| worm | rsɔ | r'so |
| many, much, a lot of | rsɔu | r'sou |
| sand | rtäɔ | r'tao |
| fish | rtɔu | r'tou |
| toothfish | rtuɕfɛɛ | r'tushfee |
| bass | rtukvää | r'tukvaa |
| cod | rtuɾmʲi | r'turmi |
| ɾ | ||
| to sleep | ɾäɔ | rao |
| god | ɾbɔä | rboa |
| religion | ɾfɔ | rfo |
| fruit | ɾgää | rgaa |
| onion | ɾgäänʙää | rgaanp'aa |
| yellow | ɾmʲi | rmi |
| v. to fight n. aggressive/violent | ɾnä | rna |
| palace | ɾɔu | rou |
| salt | ɾpää | rpaa |
| to swim | ɾpi | rpi |
| to float | ɾsä | rsa |
| red | ɾsɔ | rso |
| year | ɾtää | rtaa |
| five, 5 | ɾuä | rua |
| S | ||
| rotten | sbɔu | sbou |
| to pull | sʙjɛ | sp'ye |
| to vomit | sʙɔ | sp'o |
| to heal, to cure | sɛɛ | see |
| c. with (instrumental), c. with (union, company) | sɛi | sei |
| back | sgʲi | sgi |
| Three, 3 | smɛɛ | smee |
| wing | snää | snaa |
| warm | snäɔ | snao |
| wind | snɔ | sno |
| moon | sɲɔ | snyo |
| not | srä | sr'a |
| to breathe | srɔu | sr'ou |
| smooth | sruä | sr'ua |
| dirty | sʋää | swaa |
| tooth | sʋäɔ | swao |
| neck | sʋɔ | swo |
| to push | sʋɔä | swoa |
| root | sʋuä | swua |
| carrot | sʋwäknä | swwakna |
| T | ||
| seed | tää | taa |
| dynasty | täɔ | tao |
| colony | tʙɔ | tp'o |
| hair | tʙɔä | tp'oa |
| document | tʙɔu | tp'ou |
| emperor | tɕää | tshaa |
| nose | tɕɛi | tshei |
| breast | tɕii | tshii |
| treaty | tɕjɛ | tshye |
| husband | tɕɔ | tsho |
| rain | tfää | tfaa |
| star | tgä | tga |
| smoke | tgää | tgaa |
| wife | tgʲi | tgi |
| water | tmää | tmaa |
| to freeze | tmii | tmii |
| part | tmʲi | tmi |
| to lie down | tmɔä | tmoa |
| tea | tmɔpnʲi | tmopni |
| guts | tnʲu | tnu |
| but, altough | tɔ | to |
| monarchy | tɔu | tou |
| narrative | tri | tr'i |
| full | tɾɛ | tre |
| heritage | tsä | tsa |
| to play | tsää | tsaa |
| civilization | tsɔ | tso |
| v. revolution, rebellion v. to revolt, to rebel n. empire | ttä | tta |
| to do | ttää | ttaa |
| ancestry | ttjɛ | ttye |
| deer/raindeer | tu | tu |
| antlers | tuknää | tuknaa |
| forest | tvää | tvaa |
| to be | tväɔ | tvao |
| mother | tvjɛ | tvye |
| to walk | tvɔä | tvoa |
| V | ||
| to burn | vʙii | vp'ii |
| to roast | -vʙii- ɕfäägʲɨɔ | -vp'ii- shfaaguo |
| to dig | vmi | vmi |
| child | vnʲu | vnu |
| to say | vräɔ | vr'ao |
| to bite | vrɛ | vr'e |
| to count | vrɛi | vr'ei |
| 3PL | vri | vr'i |
| big | vrii | vr'ii |
| to jump | vtɔ | vto |
| to live | vvjɛ | vvye |
| ʋ | ||
| 3SG | ʋi | wi |