Middle Catus Language

History

The protofelinic language emerged in 320 bE, during the bronze age, in what we call southwestern yakutia in our world.

Between 300 and 200 aE, it splitted into its most recognizable families: Catus, spoken across the siberian coast, and Volpanian, spoken in central yakutia. The Catus family later split into Central (From which standard catus is derived), Western (or Stellantis) and Kraanta (or Eastern).

Between 200 and 100 aE the felinic peoples formed the Kingdom of All Kat, also known as the First Kingdom of Kat, in which the Catus language was phonologically and grammatically influenced by Volpanian, as well as recieving loanwords from Mongolian, Kipchak Turkic, Manchu and Protosinotibetanic.

The Kingdom of Kat fell in 67 bE and by this point Early Middle Catus had been fully formed.

Notable records in Early Middle Catus include administratory records from Kat, translations of the Buddhist Canon, and the Book of Reason.

phonology and romanization

Vowels	Front	Central	Back
Close	i	ù	u
Openmid	e		o
Open	ae	a

Consonants of Catus

-	bilabial	labiodental	alveolar	palatal	velar
nasal	m		n	n'
stop	p b		t		k g
Sib. Affricate			ts
Sib. Fricative			s	s'
Non. Affricate		f v
Approximant		w		j	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-Back(+central) 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. If it refers to people, the root word can be shifted immediately to the preferred gender.

i → ù; ɛ → ɔ

a → ae; ɔ → ae; u → i

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"

"jù sra jup’s’oobì tfo"

Basic Vocabulary

English	IPA	Romanized
1SG	jɔu	jou
2SG	ɕi	śi
3SG	ʋi	ʋi
1PL	nɔu	nou
2PL	rʲi	ri
3PL	vrʲi	wri
this	kɲɛɛ	kńee
that	mnää	mnaa
here	ɕämɕä	śamśa
there	ɕimɕi	śimśi
who	ɕmäɔ	śmao
what	ɕvää	śwaa
where	ʙfɔ	ṕfo
when	kvɔä	kwoa
how	ɕnää	śnaa
not/no	srä	sra
all	bbɔ	bbo
many	rsɔu	rsou
some	kväɔ	kwao
few	ɕfää	śfaa
other	ɕnä	śna
big	vrʲæ	wrae
long	mʋɛɛ	mʋee
wide	ʙvää	ṕwaa
thick	bbää	bbaa
heavy	nʙää	nṕaa
small	kvɔä	kwoa
short	kmää	kmaa
narrow	ɕʙää	śṕaa
thin	ɲɕu	ńśu
woman	fgʲi	fgi
man	ʙvää	ṕwaa
human	vmää	wmaa
child	vnwɔu	wnwou
wife	fgʲi	fgi
husband	fɕu	fśu
mother	ffjɛ	ffje
father	ɲkää	ńkaa
animal	fvä	fwa
fish	frɔu	frou
bird	krʲɛ	kre
dog	krʲɛ	kre
louse	ɕnää	śnaa
snake	ffɔ	ffo
worm	rsu	rsu
tree	ɕä	śa
forest	ffää	ffaa
stick	ppɔu	ppou
fruit/vegtable	ɾgää	ŕgaa
seed	fää	faa
leaf	rɕää	rśaa
root	ssuä	ssua
tree bark	ppwɔu	ppwou
flower	knwɔu	knwou
grass	ɕfi	śfi
rope	ɲää	ńaa
skin	ɲɲää	ńńaa
meat	nɕwɔu	nśwou
blood	nru	nru
bone	kvɔä	kwoa
fat (noun)	vpi	wpi
egg	bpɔ	bpo
horn	knää	knaa
tail	nnɔ	nno
feather	kɕuä	kśua
hair	fʙɔä	fṕoa
head	ɲmʲi	ńmi
ear	fɕuä	fśua
eye	kvɔä	kwoa
nose	fɕɛi	fśei
mouth	fvää	fwaa
tooth	ssäɔ	ssao
tongue	fɕɔu	fśou
fingernail	rfuä	rfua
foot	ʙsä	ṕsa
leg	rää	raa
knee	rɲu	rńu
hand	ppii	ppii
wing	snää	snaa
belly	kväɔ	kwao
guts	fnwɔu	fnwou
neck	sʋu	sʋu
back	sgʲi	sgi
breast	fɕii	fśii
heart	ɕnää	śnaa
liver	kvää	kwaa
to be	ffäɔ	ffao
to have	ɕgu	śgu
to do	ttää	ttaa
to win	ffɔu	ffou
to drink	prää	praa
to eat	bfɔ	bfo
to jump	tfɔ	tfo
to bite	vrʲɛ	wre
to suck	ɲräɔ	ńrao
to spit	ɕrʲɛ	śre
to vomit	sʙu	sṕu
to blow	ʙnʲɛ	ṕne
to breathe	srɔu	srou
to laugh	kɔ	ko
to see	ɲgää	ńgaa
to hear	ffä	ffa
to know	vmu	wmu
to think	ffää	ffaa
to smell	pɔä	poa
to fear	fɾu	fŕu
to sleep	ɾäɔ	ŕao
to live	vvjɛ	wwje
to die	ɕmwɔu	śmwou
to kill	kɕi	kśi
to fight	ɾnä	ŕna
to hunt	ɲɛ	ńe
to hit	brwɔu	brwou
to cut/remove	nruä	nrua
to split	kkä	kka
to stab	pɲää	pńaa
to scratch	fʙää	fṕaa
to dig	vmi	wmi
to swim	pɾi	pŕi
to fly	ɕfä	śfa
to walk	ffɔä	ffoa
to come	ɲɲää	ńńaa
to lie down	fmɔä	fmoa
to sit	rɕɔä	rśoa
to stand	pʋɛi	pʋei
to turn	nɕɛi	nśei
to fall	fru	fru
to give	ɕɔä	śoa
to hold	fvu	fwu
to squeeze	pnää	pnaa
to rub	nää	naa
to wash	pnɔ	pno
to be able	ʙɕɛɛ	ṕśee
to pull	sʙjɛ	sṕje
to push	ssɔä	ssoa
to throw	ʙʋɛi	ṕʋei
to tie	ʙɛi	ṕei
to sew	ffuä	ffua
to count	vrʲɛi	wrei
to say	vräɔ	wrao
to sing	rrɔä	rroa
to play	fsää	fsaa
to float	ɾsä	ŕsa
to flow	kɕää	kśaa
to freeze	ffäɔkɔ	ffaoko
to swell	frä	fra
sun	nrɔu	nrou
moon	sɲu	sńu
star	fgä	fga
water	fmää	fmaa
rain	ffää	ffaa
river	mgä	mga
lake	ksää	ksaa
sea	ɲɔu	ńou
salt	pɾää	pŕaa
stone	kvɔu	kwou
sand	fräɔ	frao
dust	ʙfä	ṕfa
earth	ɕfää	śfaa
cloud	ʙɕää	ṕśaa
fog	fmu	fmu
sky	ɕbää	śbaa
wind	snɔ	sno
snow	brʲɛ	bre
ice	krʲɛɛ	kree
smoke	fgää	fgaa
fire	mmu	mmu
ash	fɾʲɛ	fŕe
to burn/cook	vʙii	wṕii
road	mʲwɔu	mwou
mountain	mnʲɛɛ	mnee
red	ɾsu	ŕsu
green	kvää	kwaa
yellow	ɾmʲi	ŕmi
white	pnuä	pnua
black	ɕɕi	śśi
night	fvu	fwu
day	ɕfu	śfu
year	fɾää	fŕaa
warm	snäɔ	snao
cold	kvää	kwaa
full	fɾɛ	fŕe
new	nɕɛɛ	nśee
old	kʲɛ	ke
good	pnʲæ	pnae
bad	ffjɛ	ffje
rotten	sbwɔu	sbwou
dirty	sʋää	sʋaa
straight	mʲɔä	moa
round	bfɔä	bfoa
sharp	ʙfɛ	ṕfe
dull (flat)	ɕää	śaa
smooth	sruä	srua
wet	ffää	ffaa
dry	ɕfää	śfaa
correct	ɲɲuä	ńńua
near	rä	ra
far	mɾii	mŕii
right	ɲmɔä	ńmoa
left	rɲuä	rńua
at	fɫɛɛ	flee
in	rrää	rraa
with	sɛi	sei
and	fvɔu	fwou
if	ŋgʲɛ	ŋge
because	bɾwɔu	bŕwou
name	ɕbɔu	śbou
dynasty	fäɔ	fao
empire	ttä	tta
emperor	fɕää	fśaa
agreement	fɕjɛ	fśje
colony	fʙɔ	fṕo
to conquer	ɕbä	śba
to explore	ɕbɛi	śbei
to rule	ɕkɔu	śkou
to write	ɕkä	śka
nomad	beje	beje
aristocracy	ɕu	śu
progress	ɕvu	śwu
kingdom	ɕää	śaa
king	ɕää	śaa
queen	ɕʙɔ	śṕo
to annex	ɕʙɔ	śṕo
nation	ɲgää	ńgaa
to rebel/resist	ɲku	ńku
to conscript	ɲɲɔu	ńńou
fox	ɲrɔu	ńrou
cat	ɲrää	ńraa
feline	ɲää	ńaa
to lose	smu	smu
to siege	smuä	smua
region	ɲɾɔ	ńŕo
god	bɾɔä	bŕoa
religion	ɾfɔ	ŕfo
palace	ɾwɔu	ŕwou
orange	ri	ri
white	ɕbä	śba
fort	ɕbäɔ	śbao
black	ɕfɛɛ	śfee
red	ɕjɛ	śje
city	ɕmɔu	śmou
to build	ɲgʲæ	ńgae
to unite	ɲkwɔu	ńkwou
island	kfii	kfii
part	fmʲi	fmi
administrator/baron/count/duke	tnää	tnaa
carrot	ssuäknää	ssuaknaa
pig/pork	ɕii	śii
cow/beef	ɲkää	ńkaa
cranberry	bɛirræ	beirrae
berry	rrä	rra
strawberry	rräɕjɛ	rraśje
raspberry	rrärsɔu	rrarsou
deer/raindeer	fu	fu
antlers	fuknää	fuknaa
sweet/sugar	bɛi	bei
krill/crustaceans/shrimp	ʙɾɔ	ṕŕo
milk	ʙgɔä	ṕgoa
onion	ɾgäänʙää	ŕgaanṕaa
garlic	ɕʙɛ	śṕe
soup/broth/stew	ffu	ffu
to end/finish	ɕʋi	śʋi
more	sʋi	sʋi
garbage/filth	kuät	kuat
to be part of	päi	pai
to attack/battle	ppɔ	ppo
1	ɕʙäɔ	śṕao
2	vmää	wmaa
3	smʲɛɛ	smee
4	ɕɾäɔ	śŕao
5	ɾuä	ŕua
10	fnɔɕʙäɔ	fnośṕao
11	mnɔɕʙäɔ	mnośṕao
12	mnɔvmää	mnowmaa
13	mnæsmʲɛɛ	mnaesmee
14	mnɔɕɾäɔ	mnośŕao
15	mnɔɾuä	mnoŕua
20	fnɔvmää	fnowmaa
21	vmääɕʙäɔ	wmaaśṕao
100	vrʲæmʋɛ	wraemʋe
And	ii	ii
Or	ɔ	o
Nor	in	in
But	fɔ	fo
Then	if	if
from	kvjɛ	kwje
to add	ttääsnää	ttaasnaa
yes	vä	wa
opening	ämäsär	amasar
hate	fgʲɛ	fge
house	fɔu	fou
ilness/disease	ɕnä	śna
day/frequency advb	bɔdɨr	bodùr
never	sräbɔdɨr	srabodùr
reason/to reason	fäpnä	fapna
book/document	fʙɔu	fṕou
restriction	vmʲiinuä	wmiinua
to stop	fmii	fmii