Noalath Grammar: Difference between revisions

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(Created page with "{{LangBar|Noalath|The Shannara Chronicles}} {{stub}} ==Nouns== Nouns decline for number. Most nouns have singular and plural number. Some nouns have basic forms which are notionally plural, and a singulative can be formed from these by means of a suffix ''-ach''. ===Noun Derivation=== From other nouns: * '''Augmentative''': ''-ath'' e.g. ''noal'' “tongue” > ''noalath'' “grand tongue (name of the language)” * '''Characterized by''': ''-(d/t)rik'' e.g. ''lead''...")
 
 
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{{LangBar|Noalath|The Shannara Chronicles}}
{{LangBar|Noalath|The Shannara Chronicles}}
{{stub}}
{{stub}}
'''Noalath''' is a mainly {{w|analytic language}} with some {{w|agglutinative tendencies}}. Initial {{w|consonant mutation}} is a prominent morphological process throughout its grammar.


==Nouns==
==Nouns==
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==Adjectives==
==Adjectives==


===Adjective derivation===
Adjectives are compared to three forms of comparison: positive, comparative, and superlative.
 
===Adjective Derivation===
From other adjectives:
From other adjectives:
* '''Negative''': ''fi-'' e.g. ''thik'' “ripe” > ''fishik'' “unripe”
* '''Negative''': ''fi-'' e.g. ''thik'' “ripe” > ''fishik'' “unripe”
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From nouns:  
From nouns:  
* '''Adjectival''': ''-(i)m'' e.g. ''shail'' “elf” > ''shailim'' “elven/elfin”
* '''Adjectival''': ''-(i)m'' e.g. ''shail'' “elf” > ''shailim'' “elven/elfin”
==Adverbs==
Adverbs can be regularly formed from adjectives (and their forms of comparison) using the suffix ''-(a)sh''.


==Verbs==
==Verbs==
Verbs do not show any agreement with their arguments. Verbs only have two forms: a generic form (the unmarked citation form) and a reduplicated perfective form. Most tense-aspect-mood information is handled through a collection of particles combined in various ways, which induce different initial mutations in the root:
* '''Generic''': ''serna'' “charges”
* '''Perfective''': ''seherna'' “charged”
* '''Imperative''': ''E herna!'' “Charge!”
* '''Infinitive''': ''u herna'' “to charge”
* '''Present''': ''hi sherna'' “is charging”
* '''Imperfective''': ''hish sherna'' “was charging”
* '''Future''': ''hi yu herna'' “will charge”
* '''Conditional''': ''hish u herna'' “would charge, was to charge”
* '''Anterior''': ''hi (yan) tserna'' “has charged”
* '''Past Anterior''': ''hish (an) tserna'' “had charged”
===Voice===
Passive verbs are formed with an auxilliary ''ad'':
* Generic: ad X an tserna (thun Y) “is charged (by Y)”
* Perfective: adhad X an tserna “was charged”
* Imperative: E yad (e X) an tserna! “Be charged!”
* Infinitive: u yad an tserna “to be charged”
* Present: hi yad X an tserna “is being charging”
* Imperfective: hish yad X an tserna “was being charging”
* Future: hi yu'rad an tserna (ba X) “will be charged”
* Conditional: hish yu'rad an tserna (ba X) “would be charged, was to be charged”
* Anterior: hi (yan) nad X an tserna “has been charged”
* Past Anterior: hish (an) nad X an tserna “had been charged”
===Polarity===
The negative for the active voice is formed with the auxillary ''mi'':
* Generic: mi X an tserna “does not charge”
* Perfective: mema X an tserna “did not charge”
* Imperative: E mi (e X) an tserna! “Don’t charge!”
* Infinitive: u mi yan tserna “to not charge”
* Present: hi mi X an tserna “is not charging”
* Imperfective: hish mi X an tserna “was not charging”
* Future: hi yu mi yan tserna (ba X) “will not charge”
* Conditional: hish yu mi yan tserna (ba X) “would not charge”
* Anterior: hi (yan) mi X an tserna “has not charged”
* Past Anterior: hish (an) mi X an tserna “had not charged”
Negative passives are formed with the auxillary ''ku'':
* Generic: ku X an tserna (thun Y) “is not charged (by Y)”
* Perfective: koa X an tserna “was not charged”
* Imperative: E hu (e X) an tserna! “Don’t be charged!”
* Infinitive: u hu yan tserna “to not be charged”
* Present: hi chu X an tserna “is not being charging”
* Imperfective: hish chu X an tserna “was not being charging”
* Future: hi yu hu yan tserna (ba X) “will not be charged”
* Conditional: hish yu hu yan tserna (ba X) “wouldn’t be charged”
* Anterior: hi (yan) gu X an tserna “has not been charged”
* Past Anterior: hish (an) gu X an tserna “had not been charged”


===Verb Derivation===
===Verb Derivation===

Latest revision as of 06:25, 1 April 2024

Noalath Language Navigation: Home, Phonology, Grammar, Vocabulary, Dialogue

Noalath is a mainly analytic language with some agglutinative tendencies. Initial consonant mutation is a prominent morphological process throughout its grammar.

Nouns

Nouns decline for number. Most nouns have singular and plural number. Some nouns have basic forms which are notionally plural, and a singulative can be formed from these by means of a suffix -ach.

Noun Derivation

From other nouns:

  • Augmentative: -ath e.g. noal “tongue” > noalath “grand tongue (name of the language)”
  • Characterized by: -(d/t)rik e.g. lead “tree” > leadrik “druid”

From verbs:

  • Agentive: -(a)dash e.g. por “to shift” > poradash “Changeling”
  • Implement: -et e.g. dulva “to curse” > dulvet “curse”

From adjectives or verbs:

  • Nominalization: -arach e.g. alan “free” > alanarach “freedom”

From any part of speech:

  • Place: -(a)vak e.g. deam “book” > deamavak (meaning not listed, probably something like “library”)

Adjectives

Adjectives are compared to three forms of comparison: positive, comparative, and superlative.

Adjective Derivation

From other adjectives:

  • Negative: fi- e.g. thik “ripe” > fishik “unripe”
  • Intensive: sin- e.g. rano “new” > sindano “brand new”

From nouns:

  • Adjectival: -(i)m e.g. shail “elf” > shailim “elven/elfin”

Adverbs

Adverbs can be regularly formed from adjectives (and their forms of comparison) using the suffix -(a)sh.

Verbs

Verbs do not show any agreement with their arguments. Verbs only have two forms: a generic form (the unmarked citation form) and a reduplicated perfective form. Most tense-aspect-mood information is handled through a collection of particles combined in various ways, which induce different initial mutations in the root:

  • Generic: serna “charges”
  • Perfective: seherna “charged”
  • Imperative: E herna! “Charge!”
  • Infinitive: u herna “to charge”
  • Present: hi sherna “is charging”
  • Imperfective: hish sherna “was charging”
  • Future: hi yu herna “will charge”
  • Conditional: hish u herna “would charge, was to charge”
  • Anterior: hi (yan) tserna “has charged”
  • Past Anterior: hish (an) tserna “had charged”

Voice

Passive verbs are formed with an auxilliary ad:

  • Generic: ad X an tserna (thun Y) “is charged (by Y)”
  • Perfective: adhad X an tserna “was charged”
  • Imperative: E yad (e X) an tserna! “Be charged!”
  • Infinitive: u yad an tserna “to be charged”
  • Present: hi yad X an tserna “is being charging”
  • Imperfective: hish yad X an tserna “was being charging”
  • Future: hi yu'rad an tserna (ba X) “will be charged”
  • Conditional: hish yu'rad an tserna (ba X) “would be charged, was to be charged”
  • Anterior: hi (yan) nad X an tserna “has been charged”
  • Past Anterior: hish (an) nad X an tserna “had been charged”

Polarity

The negative for the active voice is formed with the auxillary mi:

  • Generic: mi X an tserna “does not charge”
  • Perfective: mema X an tserna “did not charge”
  • Imperative: E mi (e X) an tserna! “Don’t charge!”
  • Infinitive: u mi yan tserna “to not charge”
  • Present: hi mi X an tserna “is not charging”
  • Imperfective: hish mi X an tserna “was not charging”
  • Future: hi yu mi yan tserna (ba X) “will not charge”
  • Conditional: hish yu mi yan tserna (ba X) “would not charge”
  • Anterior: hi (yan) mi X an tserna “has not charged”
  • Past Anterior: hish (an) mi X an tserna “had not charged”

Negative passives are formed with the auxillary ku:

  • Generic: ku X an tserna (thun Y) “is not charged (by Y)”
  • Perfective: koa X an tserna “was not charged”
  • Imperative: E hu (e X) an tserna! “Don’t be charged!”
  • Infinitive: u hu yan tserna “to not be charged”
  • Present: hi chu X an tserna “is not being charging”
  • Imperfective: hish chu X an tserna “was not being charging”
  • Future: hi yu hu yan tserna (ba X) “will not be charged”
  • Conditional: hish yu hu yan tserna (ba X) “wouldn’t be charged”
  • Anterior: hi (yan) gu X an tserna “has not been charged”
  • Past Anterior: hish (an) gu X an tserna “had not been charged”

Verb Derivation

From other verbs:

  • Frequentative/Continuative: -(r)od e.g. ker “to measure” > kerod “to count”
  • Opposite: ru(h)- e.g. aich “to grab” > ruhaich “to drop”

From adjectives:

  • Inchoative: fen- -a e.g. laid “still, unmoving” > fennáida “to settle”