Namono language

Namono​ (IPA: [na.mɔ.ˈno]) is a language that is spoken by the Nahmon people, primarily in Naiparku. It is closely related to the Mouried language, spoken by the Mouriu minority ethnic group in the Yanyuhoshe region. Namono is largely analytic, with three word classes (positive, negative and neutral), four numbers in pronouns (singular, dual, plural and collective). Namono distinguishes clusivity and deixis based on the visibility of the referent. Two unique features of Namono possesses two unique features: 1) a handful of "polar" verbs have completely separate roots for the positive and negative forms; 2) the lack of dedicated color terms.

Four main dialect branches exist: western (centered around Orohapan), eastern (centered around Karakankėm), northern (centered around Dominu), and insular (centered around Zinurpaja).

Vowels
text

Consonants
text * Dental ** Dental or alveolar depends on environment

Phoneme order
i, y, u, w, e, ė, o, a, b, p, d, t, g, k, z, s, sh, ch, v, j, h, m, n, r

Phonotactics
Namon syllables structure is (C)(C2)V(C3):


 * C2: y/w/r


 * C3: all consonants but voiced obstruents and glides

Words with glide r, coda p and ch, or initial e, ė, sh, ch, s, z are rare.

Stresses fall on the last open syllable that is before a closed syllable, starting from the ante-penultimate syllable. There are some exceptions: for example, the adverbial suffixes -di/de/ri/re are never stressed. Stressed syllables are higher in pitch and with slightly longer vowel. The vowel ė is elided when preceding a stressed syllable.

Word classes
Positive Negative Neutral Most nouns are neutral (except for nouns describing actions), and most verbs and adjectives are either positive or negative (except for copulas)

Suffixes

 * -ik: nominal, agent
 * -wa: nominal, agent (profession, intention)
 * -(a/e)r: nominal, action
 * -o: nominal, patient
 * -u: nominal, location
 * -an: nominal, instrument
 * -te: opposite of…
 * -pe: augmentative
 * -ja: diminutive


 * -di/de: adverbial (attached to a positive root; modifying a positive/negative verb)
 * -ri/re: adverbial (attached to a negative root; modifying a positive/negative verb)
 * -(u/e)t: adjectival (attached to a positive root; modifying a positive/negative verb)
 * -(u/e)n: adjectival (attached to a negative root; modifying a positive/negative verb)

Syntax
Head-initial (noun-adjective, VSO, prepositions)

Pronouns
Table


 * the default is for neutral to be used when the group referred to are of mixed word classes, so these are not often used (especially the collective ones are rarely used)

Demonstratives
Table


 * Can be followed by 3rd person pronouns if referent is non-person
 * Can be followed by 3rd person pronouns if referent is person

Tenses
Table

Modality
Table

Voices
Examples:
 * You die: sharim naki
 * I kill you: wana sharim nwi naki
 * I have him killed: wana wana sharim nwi dok
 * I make you kill him: wana wana sharim nwi dok tet naki
 * You are killed by me: odon wana sharim naki kak nwi
 * You are made by me to kill him: odon wana wana sharim naki dok kak nwi


 * You hit me: batuk naki nwi
 * I am hit by you: odon batuk nwi kak naki
 * I have him hit: wana batuk nwi dok
 * I make you hit him: wana batuk nwi dok tet naki

Polar verbs
Table

Copula
Copula: a

Prepositions and conjunctions
Table

Adverbs

 * tunke: really, truly
 * pi: very
 * zuzu: just, only, solely (only this and not others)
 * mutin: just, only, merely (only this much and not more)
 * mwir: already
 * shoki: still, yet
 * tiya: even
 * rwa: also, too, as well

Vocabulary
One special feature of Namono is that there are no dedicated color terms: rather, colors are described using analogy with other objects ordinarily possessing that color. Nahmon people believe that this actually makes expressing color more flexible and nuanced.

Examples

 * na: any sentient being
 * namon: Nahmon species (species that hears/listens)
 * namono: language (thing that the species hears/listens to)
 * naiparėku: Naiparku Country, natural habitat of the Nahmon species

Common phrases

 * Hello (on land): Yepar inahat / Yepinah (“Graceful running”)
 * Hello (in water): Panar inahat / Paninah (“Graceful running”)
 * Hello (in dwelling, to the person coming): Jatinar inahat / Jatinah (“Graceful coming”)
 * Hello (in dwelling, to the person staying): Iparėkar inahat / Iparinah (“Graceful living”)
 * Goodbye (on land): Yep kurjadi vai / Yepkur (“Run swiftly!”)
 * Goodbye (in water): Pana kurjadi vai / Pankur (“Swim swiftly!”)
 * Goodbye (in dwelling, to the person leaving): Mus kurjadi vai / Muskur (“Go away swiftly!”)
 * Goodbye (in dwelling, to the person staying): Avah dwakishde vai / Avadwak (“Stay safely!”)
 * Thank you: A madok kara byosat / Amado kabyo / Amaka (“That is plenty of water”)
 * I'm sorry: Wana ginu buri nwi / Wangibur (“I have let (you bleed)”)