phonology and romanization
| Vowels | Front | Central | Back |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close | i i: | ɯ ɯ: u: | |
| Mid | e: | ə ə: | o |
| Open | a a: |
| Consonants | Bilabial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Uvular | Glottal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | m | n | ɴ | |||
| Stop | p b | t d | k g | |||
| Affricate | ts dz | (ʨ) (ʥ) | ||||
| Fricative | s | (ɕ) | (χ) | h | ||
| Approximant | j | w | ||||
| Liquid/Tap | r/l |
χ allophone of h before w
ʨ,ʥ,ɕ,ʑ palatalized allophones of ʦ,ʣ,s,z
Case Particle System
| type | particle |
|---|---|
| accusative | to |
| genitive | zes |
| dative | kɯɴ |
| allative | tsu |
| ablative | ɕi |
| instrumental | hɯ |
| terminative | ra |
| topic | so |
Basic Vocabulary
| Pronouns | --- |
| 1SG | do |
| 2SG | mwi |
| 3SG | pjɯ |
| 1PL | twə |
| 2PL | sɯ |
| 3PL | ga |
| Question Words | --- |
| who | bwə |
| what | məli |
| where | ʥə |
| when | pwa |
| how | li:ɴ |
| Conjunctions | --- |
| And | nəɾəɴ |
| Or | dɯ |
| But | bɯ:ɴ |
| Then | ʣɯʣɯ |
| While | mjəɴ |
| Before | bɯ |
| After | ʣɯ |
| Even if | ʨi:ɴ |
| neither, or | məɾə |
| because | sə |
| therefore | sɾə |
| although | gɯ:ɴ |
| particles | --- |
| this | ʨɯ |
| that | ʣɯ |
| there | kjə |
| day/today | nɯ |
| yesterday | nɯʣɯ:ɴ |
| now | nɯɴ |
| later | də |
| earlier | tə |
| many | gɯ |
| few | nəɾə |
| empty | niɴ |
| full | pəɴ |
| good | ɾəɴ |
| bad | bwiɴ |
| correct | ɾwə |
| near | kə |
| far | pi |
| right | ʣəɴ |
| left | ʣəɴmɯ:ɴ |
| at | kɯ |
| in | ʦɯ |
| with | məɾes |
| if | bwəɴ |
| often | χɯ:ɴ |
| usually | ʦɯ:ɴ |
| never | pɯ |
| sometimes | ha |
| in the past | ʣɯ:ɴ |
| in the future | na |
| imperative | po |
| subjunctive | sɯ |
| nouns | --- |
| woman/female | ka |
| man/male | ʣɾɯ:ɴ |
| human/person/people | mɯɴ |
| child | ʦɯmɯɴ |
| wife | gi |
| husband | ljɯɴ |
| mother | ʣes |
| father | ti::ɴ |
| animal | mjɯ |
| fish | gəmjɯ |
| bird | na:ɴ |
| dog | məɾəɴ |
| louse | pɯmjɯ |
| snake | dəɴ |
| worm | pɯdəɴ |
| tree | nɯbə |
| forest | nɯbəgɯ |
| stick | sɾə |
| fruit | hɾɯ |
| seed | ɾɯ:ɴ |
| leaf | ljɯ |
| root | dɯɴ |
| tree bark | mɯɴ |
| flower | χwi |
| farm | mjə:ɴ |
| rope | djaɴ |
| skin | baɴ |
| meat | ʣɯ |
| blood | ɾɯ |
| bone | ʦo |
| fat (lipid) | hɯɴ |
| egg | ʥə |
| horn | ɾa:ɴ |
| tail | mə |
| feather | bɯ |
| hair | ʣwaɴ |
| head | ʦɯ:ɴəɾɯ |
| ear | χwa:ɯ |
| eye | bwəɴkɯ:ɴ |
| nose | ɾaɾɯ |
| mouth | ʣɯ:ɴəɾɯ |
| tooth | də:ɴ |
| tongue | ʣakɯ:ɴ |
| fingernail | nɯ |
| foot | nəɾɯɾɯ |
| leg | təɾɯ |
| knee | hə:ɴ |
| hand | ljɯ:ɴ |
| wing | ʨo |
| belly | pɯɾɯ |
| guts/organs | kɯ:ɴ |
| neck | ɕaɾɯ |
| back | nɯ |
| breast | nwoɾɯ |
| heart | ʥəɴkɯ:ɴ |
| liver | ʦɯ:ɴkɯ:ɴ |
| sun | ʨa |
| moon | bi:ɴ |
| star | ʨə |
| water | njo |
| rain | li: |
| river | ʣɾɯ |
| lake | hɯ |
| sea | nəlinəli |
| salt | dwes |
| stone | kɯ |
| onion | ma |
| turnip | sɾɯ |
| carrot | pes |
| cow, beef | ʣɾɯɴ |
| pig, pork | mo |
| dust | ʥɯ |
| earth | bə |
| cloud | sɯ |
| fog | gə |
| sky | kɯ |
| wind | ʣɯ |
| snow | ɾɯɴ |
| ice | dɯ |
| smoke | ha |
| fire | ɾwə:ɴ |
| ash | gwo |
| road | mja |
| mountain | ɾwa |
| red | ʦə:ɴ |
| green | ɾɯ |
| yellow | po |
| white | nɯ:ɴ |
| black | kəɾɯ:ɴ |
| night | ʣɯ |
| shadow | sli |
| year | bɯ |
| warm | ʣɾes |
| cold | məli:ɴ |
| new | nɯ:nɯ:ɴ |
| old | gɯɴpɯ |
| rot | gi:ɯ |
| dirt | kes |
| straight | bo |
| round | pə:ɴ |
| sharp | ɾɯ:ɴ |
| dull (flat) | gi |
| smooth | tjɯɴ |
| wet | tjə |
| dry | ʣɯɴ |
| name | ʣes |
| story | liɴ |
| family | bes |
| monarchy | dwə |
| dynasty | ʦɯ |
| revolution | kɯɴ |
| empire | məɾaɴəɾɯ:ɴ |
| emperor | ɾɯ:ɴ |
| agree | ɾe:s |
| document | nəɾɯ |
| part | ɾɯ |
| stranger | hɯmɯɴ |
| grass | ɾɯbə |
| wedding | ʦɯʣwa |
| aristocracy | ʣwa |
| kingdom | məɾaɴ |
| king | χɯ:ɴʣɾɯ:ɴ |
| queen | ɾe:s |
| fox | ka:ɯʦə:ɴ |
| cat | ka:ɯ |
| territory, land | doməɾaɴ |
| god | ga |
| religion | ɾes |
| palace | pɯɾwa |
| orange | ljɯ:ɴ |
| verbs | --- |
| to be | gɯɴ |
| to have | məɾə |
| to do | mɯ:ɴ |
| to win | ɾa |
| to drink | nə |
| to eat | mə |
| to jump | ɾes |
| to bite | mes |
| to suck | nəlimɯ:ɴ |
| to spit | kɯ:ɴmɯ:ɴ |
| to vomit | ʣli:ɴ |
| to blow | sɾɯ |
| to breathe | da |
| to laugh | li:gɯɴ |
| to see | des |
| to hear | nəli:ɴgɯɴ |
| to know | məɾəɴ |
| to think | nɯgɯɴ |
| to smell | bo |
| to fear | kəɾegɯɴ |
| to sleep | nəɾɯ:ɴgɯɴ |
| to live | nɯ |
| to die | ti:ɴ |
| to kill | sa:ɴ |
| to fight | ʣaɴ |
| to hunt | ɕɯ |
| to hit | ʣwaɯ |
| to cut | gə:ɴ |
| to split | dwa:ɯ |
| to stab | ɾəmɯ:ɴ |
| to scratch | mɯɴ |
| to dig | pɯ:ɴ |
| to swim | gamɯ:ɴ |
| to fly | ʣɾomɯ:ɴ |
| to walk | ʣɯ:ɴmɯ:ɴ |
| to come | bɯ:ɴ |
| to lie down | ma:ɴ |
| to sit | mwes |
| to stand | ʣə:ɴ |
| to turn | ʣɾɯ |
| to fall | bwəgɯɴ |
| to give | ʣɯɴ |
| to hold | ʦɯ |
| to squeeze | sɯ:ɴmɯ:ɴ |
| to rub | nəɾəbaɴ |
| to wash | ʦɯ:ɴmɯ:ɴ |
| to be able | gəmɯ:ɴ |
| to pull | kɯ:ɴbo |
| to push | ɾɯmɯ:ɴ |
| to throw | ɾomɯ:ɴ |
| to tie | ʦwi |
| to sew | ʣwiɯ |
| to count | sə |
| to say/talk | go |
| to sing | məɾa:ɴ |
| to play | pi:mɯ:ɴ |
| to float | da |
| to flow | gɯmɯ:ɴ |
| to freeze | gəgɯɴ |
| to swell | mjɯ:ɴ |
| to make | di:ɴ |
| to build | ɾɯ |
| to burn | mjɯgɯɴ |