/r/conlangs Chat Network Relay Game - 2nd Relay (Spring 2015)

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#1Ryqnu by salpfish
RyqnuEnglish

Ojynurvat nopnu

Ysynurvat kojn pojlytrujprol, nan kojn pojlytrujprol!
Rakakupralhum mipimqpral sa, rotolot majutsinanatupral,
Paplat kymo mojsyrlot rutvanrupralhit kon.

Tsavinurvat ruphunap pralninqasjynryp, nan ruphunap pralninqasjynryp!
Tytsyngokakupralhum rulvatjupralhum, ritjatsurhiqklispi,
Anka talumtitasisan novlonhononuronprol sa kon.

The forest fruit song

Ground-fruits die in the summer, indeed they die in the summer!
Pick the purple ones, unless their leaves are pointy in three places,
Those and the red ones we do not touch.

Tree-fruits live into autumn, indeed they live into autumn!
If eaten when still green, they will make your teeth hurt,
So wait and let them grow large and bright.

forest.SG-GEN.INAL-fruit.PL song.SG

ground.SG-GEN.INAL-fruit.PL summer.SG
3SG.ERG.G(II)-kill.GNOM-3PL.ACC.G(VI) indeed summer.SG
3SG.ERG.G(II)-kill.GNOM-3PL.ACC.G(VI) blue-look_like.IRR-3PL.ACC.G(VI)-COND
pick.DEON-3PL.ACC.G(VI) IMP leaf.PL
three-3PL.ACC.G(IV)-be_pointy.IRR-3PL.ACC.G(VI) that-NMZ-PL and red-NMZ-PL
1PL.ERG-touch.GNOM-3PL.ACC.G(VI)-NEG EMPH tree.SG-GEN.INAL-fruit.PL
LOC-autumn.SG 3PL.ERG.G(VI)-strong-amount.SG-keep.GNOM-3PL.ACC.G(II) indeed
LOC-autumn.SG 3PL.ERG.G(VI)-strong-amount.SG-keep.GNOM-3PL.ACC.G(II)
green-look_like.IRR-3PL.ACC.G(VI)-COND 1PL.ERG-chew.IRR-3PL.ACC.G(VI)-COND,
1PL.ERG-GEN.INAL-tooth.PL hurt.GNOM-3PL.ACC.G(V)-RES
thus large-and-bright-DAT grow.STAT-CAUS-wait.DEON-3PL.ACC.G(VI) IMP EMPH

  • an | aff. translative case
  • ankah | conj. thus, therefore
  • at | aff. plural noun
  • hit | aff. negative marker
  • honuroj | v. to wait
  • hum | aff. conditional mood
  • hunap | n. autumn
  • i | aff. inalienable genitive
  • ispi | aff. resultative aspect
  • ki | v. to look like, to have the appearance of
  • kojn | n. summer
  • kon | ptcl. emphatic
  • kymo | conj. and
  • la | aff. nominalizer
  • lvati | v. to chew
  • lytuji | v. to kill
  • maju | num. three, 3
  • mipi | v. to pick, to pluck
  • mojsyrmo | adj. red
  • mti | aff. and
  • nan | conj. indeed
  • nanati | v. to be pointy
  • nimma | adj. strong
  • nopnu | n. song
  • novloj | v. to grow
  • nusu | n. fruit
  • oj | n. forest, orchard
  • p | pn. gII 3sg accusative
  • paj | pn. gII 3sg ergative
  • pap | corr. that, those
  • pral | pn. gVI 3pl accusative
  • qa | aff. amount, level
  • ql | pn. gV 3pl accusative
  • rama | adj. blue
  • rotol | n. leaf
  • ru | pn. 1pl ergative
  • rup | aff. locative case
  • sa | ptcl. imperative mood
  • sjyny | v. to keep, to maintain
  • suhiki | v. to hurt, to ache
  • taluma | adj. large
  • tasisma | adj. bright
  • tja | n. tooth
  • tsav | n. tree
  • tsi | pn. gIV 3pl accusative
  • tvani | v. to touch
  • tytsyngomo | adj. green
  • ys | n. ground
  • SOV word order.
  • Split tripartite alignment.
    • Transitive verbs take ergative subjects and accusative objects.
    • Active intransitive verbs take absolutive subjects.
    • Stative intransitive verbs take accusative subjects.
  • Noun cases:
    • Main three cases:
      • Ergative
        • Unmarked on nouns
      • Accusative
        • Unmarked on nouns
        • Accusative pronouns can also function as nominalizers
      • Absolutive
        • Marked as -‹un› on nouns
    • Pronouns preserve all three cases
  • Verbs:
    • Dictionary form ends in -‹i›, -‹y›, or -‹j›.
      • Basic stem (S): remove the ending of the dictionary form.
      • Stems:
        • Realis stem: S
          • Transitive verbs and active intransitive verbs use this stem.
          • Other stems built onto this stem.
        • Stative stem: S with nasal mutation (e.g. final stops become prenasalized)
          • Stative intransitive verbs use this stem.
        • Irrealis stem: S with ‹a› and a reduplicated consonant infixed, plus -‹u› or -‹v›
          • Standing alone, means “without ---ing”.
          • With the conditional mood, means “if ---”.
        • Gnomic stem: S with ‹r› infixed
          • Means something that is known to happen, rather than a single action (e.g. “birds fly”).
          • With the negative affix, can mean “--- is not allowed”.
        • Deontic stem: S with a reduplicated consonant infixed, plus nasal mutation
          • With the imperative particle, is simply a command
        • Incorporation:
          • Nouns and adverbs can be part of the verb, placed before the stem.
  • Adjectives:
    • End in -ma by default, but various constructions do not use the suffix.
    • If incorporated into verb without the suffix, functions as an adverb.
  • Phonology
    • Vowel harmony:
      • Default group is ‹a i u› /a i u/; secondary group is ‹o y u› /ʌ ɨ u/.
      • Prefixes and suffixes shift to match the harmony of the root they’re attached to.
    • Allophony and sandhi:
      • ‹i y› /i ɨ/ and ‹u› /u/ become ‹j› /j/ and ‹v› /ʋ/ after other vowels
      • ‹q› /ʔ/ sometimes swaps places with stops
      • Geminate stops shift to /ʔ/ + stop clusters
      • ‹s› /s/ sometimes becomes ‹r› /r/ in clusters
  • Noun classes
    • gII: used for animals, spirits, and forces
    • gIV: tools and structures
    • gV: body parts
    • gVI: plants