Old Nusibara

Old Nusibara Vocabulary

=Name and History=

Old Nusibara is a daughter language of Old Sumrë, having began to diverge roughly around the 24th Century. The language was spoken in the Nusiba by the Nusibnai people. Around the 32nd Century is when Old Nusibara began to diverge into it's three main "dialects"; East Nusibara, West Nusibara and North Nusibara. Even after when the three dialects had diverged, Old Nusibara continued to be used as the written standard and official standard language of the Kingdom although vernaculars have some prescence in local literature.

=Phonology=

Phonological History
MOBILE ACCENT BECOMES FIXED

{n̩ m̩} r̩ l̩ s̩ v̩ → a or ol as av

k kʰ g gʱ → s h j ɦ/_{i ʏ e ø ɛ œ}

e o ɔ → a

ɛ {ɔʊ ʌ} → e o

z → r

h → Ø

ɕ ʑ → h ɦ

t͡ɕ d͡ʑ → t͡ʃ d͡ʒ

$(C)V(C){r l n m} → $(C){r l n m}V(C) kj gj > t͡ʃ d͡ʒ

{$C1C2$ $C1.C2$} → $.C2$

w j → u i/C_{r l n m}

w → v

ʏ ø œ→ ʊ o ɔ/(K)_(K)

ə → a

e o→ i u/_#

ʏ ø œ → i ɪ e

aː eː oː uː iː ɪː → ai ei ou uɑ ia ɪa

pʰ bʱ tʰ dʱ kʰ gʱ → f v θ ð s z

V{h ɦ}$ > V:$

Orthography
Underdots are used to denote a high pitch on a word with a fixed pitch pattern.

=Nouns=

Case
Out of Old Sumrë's 20 cases, Old Nusibara preserved 15 of them which are as follows:


 * 1) Nominative
 * 2) Accusative
 * 3) Genitive
 * 4) Vocative
 * 5) Affectionate Vocative
 * 6) Complimentary Vocative
 * 7) Rude Vocative
 * 8) Superessive
 * 9) Illative
 * 10) Allative
 * 11) Commitative
 * 12) Delative
 * 13) Supressive
 * 14) Prolative
 * 15) Inessive

Nominative
The nominative case is the unmarked case which is used to refer to the subject of a verb. In the paucal number the nominative case in marked with the suffix -hi for paucal 1 and -i (or -hi- after vowels) in paucal 2:


 * mig ("fish") > migi ("fish-")
 * ipatu ("toad") > ipatuhi ("toad-")
 * iranana ("dog") > irananahi ("dog-")
 * duața ("fishing bait") > duațahi ("fishing bait-")

Some nouns have a rather irregular paucal form. These nouns tend to end in rV, lV, nV, mV:
 * mana ("deer") > maihi ("deer-")
 * maivara ("buzzard") > maivanai ("buzzard-")
 * agra ("pigeon") > agnahi ("pigeon-")
 * lema ("frog") > lekki ("frog-")
 * faduni ("owl") > fadunia ("owl-")
 * mi ("centre") > nia ("centre-")

Buzzard Plural

In the buzzard gender the nominative plural is marked with -a or -i if the noun already ends in a:
 * rịniț ("ant") > rịnița ("ants")
 * reat ("eyebrow") > reata ("eyebrows")
 * ira ("arctic char") > irai ("arctic chars")
 * mi ("centre") > mia ("centres")
 * etlait ("child") > etlaita ("children")

Buzzard gender U-nouns on the other hand form the plural with -vu:
 * redu ("tattoo") > redvu ("tattoos")
 * ipatu ("toad") > ipatvu ("toads")

Deer Plural

In the deer gender the nominative plural is -ai which replaces the final vowel(s):
 * ahti ("paw") > ahtai ("paws")
 * niti ("passerine") > nitai ("birds")
 * liagia ("doe in heat") > liagai ("does in heat")
 * giua ("hillpath") > gai ("hillpaths")

There is a small subset of deer ablaut nouns which experience a change in their medial vowels and even consonants in some instances:
 * roni ("hedgehog") > rainai ("hedgehogs")
 * bataja ("minnow") > bamaijai ("minnows")

-Gea Plurals Inanimate Gea nouns form their nominative plural by replacing the final -gea with -rea:
 * lagea ("sleeve") > larea ("sleeves")
 * loagea ("quiver") > loarea ("quivers")

B-noun Plurals There are two ways in which B-nouns may form their nominative plural and it is not predicatable which noun will take which plural. The first way is for the final -b to be replaced by -va:
 * ragab ("fool") > ragava ("fools")

The second way is to simply add the suffix -a:
 * maib ("trapper") > maiba ("trappers")

A-Noun Plurals A-nouns take the nominative plural by replacing the final vowel with n followed by the final vowel of the stem. If the n finds itself after another consonant, said consonant will be dropped:
 * ralai ("wing") > ralani ("wings")
 * rirai ("ember") > rirani ("embers")

H-noun plurals Animate H-nouns take the nominative plural by replacing the final Vk or Vg with the suffix -a:
 * leg ("shrew") > lea ("shrews")

Inanimate H-nouns take the nominative plural by replacing the final Vk or Vg with the suffix -kas:
 * reag ("sword") > reakas ("swords")

J-noun plurals Animate J-nouns take the nominative plural by replacing the final Vg with the suffix -ja:
 * mig ("fish") > mija ("fish-")

Inanimate J-nouns take the nominative plural with the suffix -as:
 * liag ("fish trap") > liagas ("fish traps")

Null-noun plurals Animate null-nouns take the nominative plural by replacing the final Vk with -a. If the suffix comes before the plosives p b t d k g then they will alternate to f v th dh s z:
 * redak ("cat") > redha ("cats")

Inanimate null-nouns take the nominative plural with the suffix -as:
 * riak ("dome") > riakas ("domes")

D-noun plurals Animate D-nouns take the nominative plural with the suffix -da:
 * ria ("ant hill") > riada ("ant hills")

Inanimate D-nouns take the nominative plural by placing an n before the final vowel. If the n comes before a consonant then said consonant is dropped (an exception is atja ("bread") which has the plural atina):

S-noun plurals Animate S-nouns take the nominative plurals by replacing the final b with the suffix -va:
 * nusib ("serpent") > nusiva ("serpents")

Inanimate S-nouns take the nominative plural with the suffix -as:
 * riab ("bat") > riabas ("bats")

R-noun plurals Both animate and inanimate R-nouns take the nominative plural by replacing the final s, f, d, v, t with the suffix -a and by placing an r before the final vowel of the stem (if the r occurs after a consonant then said consonant is dropped). If the final vowel of the stem is a then the suffix is i:
 * liaf ("grass") > lirai ("grasses")
 * maves ("pine tree") > marea ("pine trees")

Several irregular R-noun plurals are rajas ("wit") and mavas ("mammoth") which have the nominative plurals of rairya and marea.

S-Plurals The formation of the nominative plural in S-plurals is rather irregular and not predictable beyond that it has an s:
 * naib ("mudhut") > nais ("mudhuts")
 * ni ("valley") > repes ("valleys")
 * tiv ("tongue") > tifes ("tongues")

Accusative
The accusative case is used to mark the direct object of transitive verbs. The accusative is also used to mark an extent of space: muai mareau ("I walked (the length of) a mammoth)". The accusative is also governed by the prepositions taba ("made from, made out of"), beakatub ("in front of") and zi ("alongside, by").

In the paucal number the accusative is marked with the suffix -hia for paucal 1 and -ia (or -hia when after vowels) for paucal 2:
 * mig ("fish") > migia ("fish-")
 * ipatu ("toad") > ipatuhia ("toad-")
 * iranana ("dog") > irananahia ("dog-")
 * duața ("fishing bait") > duațahia ("fishing bait-")

Buzzard gender In the buzzard gender the accusative singular is marked with the suffix -au (or simply -u if the nouns ends in a)and the accusative plural is marked with -mau. If the stem ends in a consonant then the final consonant is dropped before the suffix -mau:
 * rịniț ("ant") > rịnițau ("ant-"), rịnimau ("ant-")
 * reat ("eyebrow") > reatau ("eyebrow-"), reamau ("eyebrow-")
 * ira ("arctic char") > irau ("arctic char-"), iramau ("arctic char-")
 * mi ("centre") > miau ("centre-"), mimau ("")
 * etlait ("child") > etlaitau ("child-"), etlaimau ("child-")

Buzzard gender U-nouns on the other hand form the accusative with -va (sg) and -ma (pl") - note that the suffix -ma does not delete consonants that it comes into contact with:
 * redu ("tattoo") > redva ("tattoo-"), redma ("tattoo-")
 * ipatu ("toad") > ipatva ("toad-"), ipatuma ("toad-")

Deer accusatives

In the deer gender the accusative singular suffix is -uo and the plural -mou which replace the final vowel(s):
 * ahti ("paw") > ahtou ("paw-"), amou ("paw-")
 * niti ("passerine") > nitou ("passerine-"), nimou ("passerine-")
 * liagia ("doe in heat") > liagou ("doe in heat-"), liamou ("doe in heat-")
 * giua ("hillpath") > giou ("hillpath-"), gimou ("hillpath-")

There is a small subset of deer ablaut nouns which experience a change in their medial vowels and even consonants in some instances:
 * roni ("hedgehog") > reinou ("hedgehog-"), reimou ("hedgehog-")
 * bataja ("minnow") > bamoujou ("minnow-"), bamoumou ("minnow" ")

-Gea accusatives Inanimate Gea nouns form their accusative singular by adding the suffix -u and the plural by replacing the final -gea with -reao:
 * lagea ("sleeve") > lageau ("sleeve-"), lareao ("sleeve-")
 * loagea ("quiver") > loageau ("quiver-"), loareao ("quiver-")

B-noun accusatives There are two ways in which B-nouns may form their accusatives and it is not predicatable which noun will take which plural. The first way is for the final -b to be replaced by -vau in the singular and to add the suffix -a in the plural:
 * ragab ("fool") > ragavau ("fool-"), ragaba ("fool-")

The second way is to simply add the suffix -au in the singular and -a in the plural:
 * maib ("trapper") > maibau ("trapper-"), maiba ("trapper-")

A-Noun accusatives A-nouns take the accusative singular with the suffix -au and the plural with the suffix -aoa:
 * ralai ("wing") > ralaiau ("wing-"), ralaiaoa ("wing-")
 * rirai ("ember") > riraiau ("ember-"), riraiaoa ("ember-")

H-noun accusatives Animate H-nouns take the accusative singular by replacing the final Vk or Vg with the suffix -au and the plural with -mu:
 * leg ("shrew") > leau ("shrew-"), lemu ("shrew-")

Inanimate H-nouns take the accusative singular by replacing the final Vk or Vg with the suffix -kau and the plural with -kas:
 * reag ("sword") > reakau ("sword-"), reakas ("sword-")

J-noun accusatives Animate J-nouns take the accusative singular by replacing the final Vg with the suffix -jau and the plural with -imu (if the vowel before the suffix is i then the suffix is -iamu):
 * mig ("fish") > mijau ("fish-"), miamu ("fish-")

Inanimate J-nouns take the accusative singular with the suffix -au anf the plural with -gas:
 * liag ("fish trap") > liagau ("fish trap-"), liagas ("fish trap-")

Null-noun accusatives Animate null-nouns take the accusative singular by dropping the final velar stop and the vowel preceeding it, and form the plural with the suffix -i. If the suffix -i comes before the plosives p b t d k g then they will alternate to f v th dh s z:
 * redak ("cat") > red ("cat-"), redhi ("cat-")

Inanimate null-nouns take the accusative singular with the suffix -au and the plural with the suffix -as:
 * riak ("dome") > riakau ("dome-"), riakas ("dome-")

D-noun accusatives Animate D-nouns take the accusative singular with the suffix -dau and the plural with the suffix -mu:
 * ria ("ant hill") > riadau ("ant hill-"), riamu ("ant hill-")

Inanimate D-nouns take the accusative singular with the suffix -dau and the plural with the suffix -(a)s:
 * atja ("bread") > atjadau ("bread-"), atjas ("bread-")

S-noun accusatives Animate S-nouns take the accusative singular deleting the final b, and the plural with the suffix -va which replaces the final b:
 * nusib ("serpent") > nusi ("serpent-"), nusiva ("serpent-")

Inanimate S-nouns take the accusative singular with the suffix -au and the plural with -as:
 * riab ("bat") > riabau ("bat-"), riabas ("bat-")

R-noun accusatives Both animate and inanimate R-nouns take the accusative singular by replacing the final s, f, d, v, t with the suffix -au and by placing an r before the final vowel of the stem (if the r occurs after a consonant then said consonant is dropped). The plural is formed with -mu which follows the same rules regarding the r epenthesis as the singular:
 * liaf ("grass") > lirau ("grass-"), liramu ("grass-")
 * maves ("pine tree") > mareau ("pine tree-"), maremu ("pine tree-")

Several irregular R-noun plurals are rajas ("wit") and mavas ("mammoth") which have the accusative forms of raireau (sg), rairimu (pl) and mareau (sg), marimu (pl).

S-Plurals The formation of the accusative pluralin S-plurals is rather irregular and not predictable beyond that it has an s, the singular is formed regularly according to the noun's gender:
 * naib ("mudhut") > naibau ("mudhut-"), naevos ("mudhut-")
 * ni ("valley") > niau ("valley-"), rebos ("valley-")
 * tiv ("tongue") > tivau ("tongue-"), tivos ("tongue-")

Possessive Suffixes
Old Nusibara's possessive suffixes descend from dative pronouns in Old Sumrë. They always attach to the noun after any case endings.

When the possessed noun ends in a consonant, the final consonant is dropped when a possessive suffix is added: This does not happen although when the final consonant is part of a case ending:
 * rakot ("tree") > rakoma ("my tree")
 * jekat ("game") > jekalmerea ("its game")
 * reri ("father") > reriat ("father-") > reriatma ("to my father")

Numbers
The number system in Old Nusibara is very typical of Sumro-Letaeric languages, with the order being determined by animacy and agreement determined by the use of adjectives. The way that numbers agree with the head noun can be irregular due to the inflection descending directly from those in Proto-Sumro-Naukl and not experiencing analogy like nouns did.

Order
A number may follow or precede its noun. If the noun is semantically (or grammatically if it is an animate noun) animate then the number follows. If the noun is inanimate then the number goes before the noun:


 * Animate: raila da ("one bear")
 * Inanimate: dai sapa ("one flower")

Agreement
Numbers do not agree with the buzzard or deer genders, instead they agree only with animate or inanimate. If a noun has the buzzard or deer gender then the number will agree to the semantic animacy of the noun (i.e if the noun represents a living sentient being). In terms of agreeing with number, the number 1 agrees with no number for obvious reasons. The numbers 2-3 agree with the paucal numbers and the numbers 3-10 agree with the plural. It is important to note that numbers higher than 10 do not agree whatsoever with the noun.

Numbers only agree with the four traditional cases (nominative, accusative, genitive and dative). For any other case the nominative form of the noun is used. Numbers also only agree with the nouns case if an adjective is modifying the noun, if there is no adjective then the numbers takes the nominative case:


 * railai da (bear- one-) "one bear's"
 * railai renmaa dai (bear- big- one-) "one big bear's"
 * railani remani da (bear- big- one-) "by one big bear"

Number 1

The number one agrees only with the singular number and takes the following forms:


 * Animate nom: da
 * Inanimate nom, inanimate/animate acc, inanimate/animate gen: dai
 * Animate dat: mai
 * Inanimate dat: daiet

Numbers 2-3

The numbers 2 and 3 agree only with the paucal numbers and take the following forms:

ak ("two")

ri ("three")


 * Animate/inanimate nom.sg: ak, ri
 * Animate acc.sg, inanimate gen.sg: ao, reo
 * Animate gen.sg, dat.sg: ai, rea
 * Inanimate dat.sg: aet, reit
 * Animate nom.pau1/2: ari, nehi
 * Inanimate nom.pau1/2: asi, rei
 * Animate/inanimate acc.pau1, animate gen.pau2: ariu, néia
 * Animate gen.pau1, animate dat.pau1: aria, néia
 * Inanimate gen.pau1, inanimate dat.pau1: asia, reia
 * Animate acc.pau2: arua, nerua
 * Inanimate acc.pau2: akua, neua
 * Inanimate gen.pau2: asiu, reiu
 * Animate dat.pau2: ariet, néiet
 * Inanimate dat.pau2: asiet, reuit

Number 4
 * Animate/inanimate nom.sg: ku
 * Animate nom.pl, animate gen.sg, animate dat.sg: kua
 * Inanimate nom.pl, inanimate gen.pl: kuau
 * Animate/inanimate acc.sg, inanimate gen.sg, animate gen.pl: kua
 * Animte accc.pl, inanimate acc.pl: nua
 * Innimate.dat, animate.dat.sg: kuet
 * Inanimate dat.pl: kuetu

Number 5
 * Animate/inanimate nom.sg: rat
 * Animate nom.pl, animate gen.sg, animate dat.sg: rata
 * Inanimate nom.pl, inanimate gen.sg/pl, animate/inanimate acc.sg: retu
 * Animate acc.pl: remu
 * Inanimate acc.pl: renou
 * Ianimate dat.sg, animate/inanimate dat.pl: retet

Number 6
 * Animate/inanimate nom.sg: ni
 * Animate nom.pl, animate dat.sg, animate/inanimate gen.sg:: nea
 * Inanimate nom.pl: neai
 * Animate/inanimate acc.sg, inanimate gen.sg, animate gen.pl, nanimate acc.pl: neu
 * Inanimate acc.pl: nemu
 * Inanimate gen.pl: neua
 * Inanimate dat.sg, animate dat.pl: neit
 * Inanimate dat.pl: neitu

Number 7
 * Animate/inanimate nom.sg: kmuti
 * Animate nom.sg, animate dat.sg, animate gen.sg, inanimate nom.pl: kmutia
 * Animate/inanimate acc/sg, inanimate gen.sg, animate gen.pl: kmutiu
 * Animate acc.pl, inanimate acc.pl: kmumiu
 * Inanimate gen.pl: kmutiua
 * Inanimate dat.sg, animate dat.pl: kmutiet
 * Inanimate dat.pl: kmutietu

Number 8
 * Animate/inanimate nom.sg: biapiad
 * Animate nom.pl, animate dat.sg: biapiada
 * Ianimate nom.pl: biapiadai
 * Animate acc.sg, inanimate gen.sg, animate gen.pl: biapiatu
 * Inanimate acc.sg: biapiadu
 * Animate acc.pl: biapiamu
 * Inanimate acc.pl: biapianu
 * Animate gen.sg: biapiata
 * Inanimate gen.pl: biapiatua
 * Inanimate dat.sg, animate dat.pl: biapiatet
 * Inanimate dat.pl: biapiatetu

Number 9
 * Animate/inanimate nom.sg: piadik
 * Animate nom.pl: piadisa
 * Inanimate nom.pl: piadikai
 * Animate acc.sg, inanimate gen.sg, animate/inanimate gen.pl: piadiu
 * Inanimate acc.sg: piadiku
 * Animate acc.pl: piamiu
 * Inanimate acc.pl: piadinu
 * Animate gen.sg, animate dat.sg: piadia
 * Inanimate dat.sg, animate dat.pl: piadiet
 * Inanimate dat.pl: piadietu

Number 10
 * Animate/inanimate nom.sg: pimi
 * Animate nom.pl, animate dat.sg, animate gen.sg: pimia
 * Inanimate nom.pl: pimiai
 * Animate/inanimate acc.sg, inanimate gen.sg, animate gen.pl: pimiu
 * Animate acc.pl: pimimu
 * Inanimate acc.pl: piminu
 * Inanimate gen.pl: pimiua
 * Inanimate dat.sg, animate dat.pl: pimiet
 * Inanimate dat.pl: pimietu

Numbers 11-19 The Numbers 11-19 are totally uninflectable and are as follows:
 * 11 dapig
 * 12 apig
 * 13 mepig
 * 14 kupig
 * 15 rapig
 * 16 mepig
 * 17 kmupig
 * 18 biapiapig
 * 19 piadipig

The numbers cause the noun to take the delative plural and they always go before the noun:
 * mare kmupig vesamoa (herald- seventeen badger-) "there are 17 badgers"

Numbers 20+ The numbers 20-100 are also don't agree with nouns and also trigger the delative plural case. The numbers 20-100 are as follows:
 * 20 aik
 * 30 neik
 * 40 kuik
 * 50 raik
 * 60 neik
 * 70 kmutik
 * 80 biapiasik
 * 90 piadisik
 * 100 pimiak

To form numbers such as 25 or 74, the smaller number is placed before the larger number, with the larger number taking the comitative suffix -es:
 * rat aikes (five twenty-) "25"
 * ku kmutises (four seventy-) "74"

To form numbers such as 200 or 300, the number pimiík ("100") is made plural as pimiísa and modified by another number (which may follow or come before). The words for "1000" or "2000" are simply made in this manner by saying "10 100s" or "20 1000s" up until "10,000" which is "100 100s":
 * pimiasa ak, ak pimiasa (hundred- two) "200"
 * pimiasa kmuti, kmuti pimiasa (hundred- seven) "700"
 * pimiasa pimi (hundred- ten) "1000"

For more specific numbers like "438" or "694" the smaller number is placed before or after the larger number, with the last number taking the conjunctive clitic -ak ("and"):
 * pimiasa ku biapiad neisesak (hundred- four eight thirty-) "438"
 * pimiasa ni ku piadikisesak (hundred- six four ninety-) "694"

=Verbs=

Imperative