Namono language

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

- Vowels

- Consonants


 * Actually 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: (C)(C2)V(C3) C2: y, w, r (r is rare) C3: all but voiced obstruents and glides (p and ch are rare) Words starting with e, ė, sh, ch, s, z rare

Stress falls on the last open syllable that is before a closed syllable, starting from the antepenultimate syllable (exceptions: the adverbial suffixes -di/de/ri/re are never stressed) Stressed syllables are higher in pitch and with slightly longer vowel The vowel ė becomes elided if before 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)

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

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

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)

Prepositions and conjunctions: Table

Copula: a

Polar verbs: 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

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

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)”)