Hazōken

Hazōken [ha.zɔː'ken]
Period	c. 500 YP
Spoken in	Hazāka
Total speakers	c. 400,000
Writing system	modified Ōshinese script
Classification	Dumic languages
Typology
Basic word order	SOV
Morphology	agglutinating
Alignment	ERG-ABS
Credits
Created by	Moose-tache

A mudflat typical of the Hazāka coast.

Hazōken, also known as Tsimuzusi, is the koine dialect spoken as a first or second language across most of the southern shore of the Tagimī Bay (known in Hazōken as Tēmī).

Phonology

The traditional dress of an elite woman from the cities of the Tagimī region.

Consonants

	Labial	Coronal	Velar	Glottal
Plosive	p	t · d	k · ɡ
Nasal	m	n
Fricative		s · z		h
Approximant	β	ɾ

β and ɾ are transcribed v and r, respectively. After a consonant in the same word, β is pronounced (and written) w.

Vowels

There are four long vowels and three to five short vowels in Hazōken.

	front	back
high	i · iː	u · uː
mid	(e) · eː	(o) · oː
low	a

Long vowels are transcribed with a macron.

Short e and o are only marginally phonemic. In native words that are almost always predictable variants of the other short vowels. But they are used in loan words (for example huke, "deep water boat," and tsepa, "calendar," both of Anatolionesian origin) suggesting that they are considered their own sound by Hazōken speakers.

The exact realization of the long mid vowels varies. Ē May be pronounced anywhere between cardinal eː and æː, with the most common pronunciation being ɛː. Similarly, ō hovers around ɔː, with some pronunciations wandering between oː and ɒː.

Syllables

Hazōken syllable structure is C(C)V(C). Onsets are generally obligatory, although the sequence vu is realized u at the beginning of a word.

The following clusters are allowed at the beginning of a word or between vowels: ps ts ks dz gz pr tr kr dr gr pw tw kw dw gw sp st sk zd zg sw zw. Any cluster that occurs between vowels is split by the syllable boundary, creating a coda consonant.

The only coda that is not the result of a split cluster, and the only coda that can occur word-finally, is n.

Prosody

Stress is ultimate if the final syllable has a coda or long vowel, penultimate otherwise. Words of more than three syllables have secondary stress. The stress moves back from the primary stress two syllables if this would put secondary stress on a closed or long syllable, and three syllables back otherwise. Thus, long words in Hazōken tend to be made of a combination of iambs and anapests.

There is a general tendency for pitch to fall over the course of a clause or sentence, and for questions to rise at the end. But these are not obligatory practices.

Nouns

A typical urban house in the dense towns and cities of the Hazāka region.

Case and Number

Hazōken nouns have two numbers, singular and plural, and three cases, absolutive, ergative, and oblique. Unlike verbs, there is only one class of nouns, though remnants of the previous system are visible for some words.

Singular nouns are unmarked, while plural nouns are marked with mu. This suffix comes before any case suffix, and interacts with them as described below.

The absolutive is unmarked. The ergative is marked with the suffix ka. These cases are used as expected; the absolutive is the subject of an intransitive verb, and the object of a transitive verb, while the subject of a transitive verb is ergative. The syntax section provides more information on when these cases may be omitted, how they are ordered within a clause, and how their precise usage varies.

The third case, oblique, is used for any non-core argument. It may appear on its own as a topic or theme, or as a sort of adverbial phrase. More often it appears before a postposition or a possessive construction.

Sika

sika

winter-abs

kiza.

kiza

cold

Winter is cold.

Siken

sika-n

winter-obl

kiza.

kiza

cold

In the winter, it’s cold.

The chart below summarizes the grammatical morphology of nouns.

	Singular	Plural
Absolutive	0	mu
Ergative	ka	mū
Oblique	n	mun

Nouns that end in n in the absolutive insert i between the root and any of the other suffixes. For the plural suffixes, this will usually result in short e becoming a before the (previously final) n. For example, the plural of Hazōken would be Hazōkanimu,

Some animals have common irregular plurals. They are listed in the absolutive, but the ergative and oblique plurals are formed from the absolutive plural in the usual way.

	Singular	Plural
Goose	kara	kromu
Fish	suki	skimu
Cow	sena	suzinomu
Crow	horu	harīmu
Bird	hera	hirōmu
Owl	muhu	muhīmu
Louse	sinu	sinīmu
Tick	tsimu	tsimīmu
Hare	vīna	vīnōmu

Some archaic animal plurals survive in formal speech:

	Singular	Plural
Squirrel	ksaza	kīsomu
Wasp	rozu	razīmu
Lion	rīmu	rīmīmu
Moth	vīnu	vīnīmu
Eagle	sapa	spōmu
Bear	uru	vavurumu
Mosquito	tuzu	tsīmu
Crayfish	tsizeru	tsidrumu
Crab	kēzi	kēzīmu

Some nouns are uncountable, and appear only in the singular. For example, kē “sand.” Some nouns appear only in the plural, and function in a similar manner to uncountable nouns. This category includes some body parts, like kīdamu “fingernail(s),” and razdamu “horn(s).” A single fingernail might be described as kaza kīdamun skana “one blade of fingernail.” Other examples include social categories, like zaksamu “slaves, as a class” and nagrīmu “aristocrats, as a class.” Some nouns are singular, but describe a pair or set. Most of these words are body parts, like ksida “pair of legs,” sīnada “pair of breasts,” and wisida “pair of eyes.” Sometimes these terms have related words for a single body part, for example a single leg is kazda. In other cases the singular item is unrelated, as in mōmi “breast.”

Pronouns

Standalone pronouns have the same case and number information as nouns, with an inclusive/exclusive distinction in the first person plural. Unlike nouns, pronouns must show plurality if they are plural.

		Absolutive	Ergative	Oblique
1st person exclusive	Singular	ti	tē	tin
	Plural	timu	timū	timun
1st person inclusive	Dual	koda	kudō	kuden
	Plural	kumu	kumū	kumun
2nd person	Singular	ma	mō	men
	Plural	momu	mamū	mamun
3rd person masculine	Singular	ka	kaka	kōni
	Plural	kōnu	kōnū	kōnun
3rd person feminine	Singular	tu	tuka	tīmi
	Plural	tīnu	tīnū	tīnun

Possessive pronouns take the form of a prefix, identical in form to the pronouns listed above. These prefixes cause a mutation in initial consonants. The third person prefixes cause s, z, and r to merge with t, v to merge with m, and h to merge with k. The other prefixes cause t, s, and k to voice to d, z, and g. The chart below summarizes these mutations.

	Type I (1st or 2nd person pronouns)	Type II (3rd person pronouns)
p	p	p
t	d	t
k	g	k
d	d	d
g	g	g
m	m	m
n	n	n
s	z	t
h	h	k
z	z	t
r	r	t
v	v	m

Consonant clusters are generally immune to mutation.

Possession

Possession with a stated possessor also uses pronoun prefixes, but with the possessor immediately before in the oblique case.

Kuhan

kuha-n

tree-obl

kakuzu.

ka-huzu-0

3sg-leaf-abs

The tree’s leaves.

Postpositions

Postpositions are a closed class. They can appear on their own, or after a noun in the oblique case. They can also carry a pronoun prefix, with or without a noun in the oblique case. Postpositions usually do not take any case marking, regardless of what role they play in the clause.

Hunun

hunu-n

table-obl

katu

kaⁿ-ru

3sg-top

mōho.

mō-ho

sit-indicative

It’s on the table.

Verbs in the subjunctive (which, as a nominalized verb, then takes the oblique case) can act like postpositions. But they cannot take pronoun prefixes.

Tō

tō-0

knife-abs

zīmazan

zīma-za-n

carry-subj-obl

kakisi.

kaki-si

run-optative

Run carrying a knife.

Correlatives

The demonstrative and interrogative prefixes can be used to create a functionally infinite group of correlatives.

Ratasi

ra-tasi-0

inter-place-abs

kimi

kimi

negative

kakisi.

kaki-si

go-optative

Don’t go anywhere.

Numbers and Quantifiers

Hazōken uses a base 10 number system. These are the numbers 1 through 10:

1	kaza
2	mī
3	hera
4	zada
5	hī
6	sema
7	todu
8	kuhu
9	nusi
10	kō

The number one hundred is tīti, and one thousand is tīvu. Numbers at multiple orders of magnitude simply use the numbers one through nine for each power of ten.

hera

hera

3

tīvu

tīvu

1000

hī

hī

5

kō

kō

10

kuhu

kuhu

8

3,058

Some powers of ten have archaic forms. These are always optional.

20	mē
30	hirā
40	zadā
50	hē

Attribution

Verbs fill the role of adjectives in Hazōken. The modified noun takes the role of the absolutive belonging to the attributive verb.

Derivation

The most common form of derived noun is the compound noun. Compounding is very common in Hazōken. Some compound nouns have taken on a meaning unpredictable from their constituent roots, and a very small number of compound nouns have undergone sound changes that alter the roots involved from their independent form.

There are also derivational suffixes. The following form nouns from nominal roots.

• ki is a diminutive.

Tīki.

tī-ki

dog-diminutive

Puppy.

• dū creates related concepts, often abstract or generalized, or associated things. It is also a very archaic honorific.

Katapakidū.

katapaki-dū

katapaki-general

The cultural and material life of the Katapaki, “Katapakiana.”

• niri is similar to English “ness,” and creates an abstract quality from a noun. For nouns that have a distinct plural stem, this suffix attaches to the plural stem.

Skiniri.

suki-niri

fish-ness

Fishiness.

These suffixes form nouns form verbal roots.

• zara is one who fills an absolutive role in a verb.
• zera is one who fills an ergative role in a verb.
• ha indicates a place where something happens, a reason for something that happens, or a tool or method used to do something. Because of its various uses, each instance is best memorized as a separate lexical item.

Verbs

The small craft used to trade up and down the Tagimī coast.

Verbs are the core of any clause. Unlike nouns, they come in two morphological classes. Main verbs come in one of three moods, while other morphological and syntactic elements embed non-main verbs within larger clauses.

Main Verbs

The main verb of a sentence carries one of three moods. The indicative is unmarked, though monosyllabic verbs take a suffix hV, where V repeats the previous vowel, but is always short. The optative suffix is zi, or si for class II verbs. The conditional suffix is mu.

The optative has three main uses.

• Wishes and desires
• Polite requests
• Future intentions

Niswin

niswin

soon

havī

havī

clams

nīna.

nīna-zi

eat-optative

I’m planning to eat clams soon.

The conditional has five main uses:

• Apodosis in if-then constructions
• Potential futures
• Probable but unconfirmed present or past events
• Inferences and deductions
• Softening declarative statements

Koda

koda

1pl.inclusive

perumu

peru-mu

sailors

zimu.

zi-mu

be-conditional

Then we are sailors.

Subjunctive

The subjunctive is mutually exclusive with the mood suffixes mentioned above. Its main purpose is to nominalize a clause, so that it becomes an argument in a larger clause. This means that subjunctive verbs have absolutive, ergative, and oblique forms.

Subjunctive forms

	Class I	Class II
Absolutive	za	ta
Ergative	zō	tō
Oblique	zen	sen

Sapa

sapa

eagle

sihisen

sihi-sen

fly-subjunctive.oblique

kumu

kumu

1pl.inclusive

sita.

sita

happy

With the eagle flying, we are happy.

Attributive

The attributive is similar to a participle. It indicates that a verb, and hence a clause, modifies the following noun or noun phrase. The attributive ending is incompatible with the subjunctive, but compatible with the main verb endings and the anti-passive suffix. It always appears after any other suffixes. Like the subjunctive, it is not used for main verbs. The modified noun phrase fills the role of the absolutive within the attributive clause.

The form of the suffix is ki for class II verbs. Class I verbs change the final vowel to ē or ī. The former is for verbs that end in a, and the latter is for everything else, including verbs ending in n.

Katī

katu-i

black-attributive

Mī

mī

sea

ta

ta

negative

katu.

katu

black

The Black Sea isn’t black.

Valence

Verbs are inherently transitive or intransitive. Transitive verbs can be rendered intransitive with the suffix zda for class I verbs, and tata for class II. A mutually exclusive construction is the reflexive prefix, which can only be used on transitives, and causes a similar reduction of valency. Its form is ha, and it causes type II mutation (see the section on pronouns for an explanation of mutation).

Ti

ti

1sg

hirizdaza

hiri-zda-za

think-intransitive-subjunctive

ziza.

zi-za

be-subjunctive

sīnī.

sīnī

show

I think, therefore I am.

Note that the copula allows both core arguments to be absolutive.

Transitivity is not the only way that verbs can differ. Lexical aspect and the exact role of the absolutive may be lexically determined.

Derivation

Probably none of it is productive, but talk about historical developments from Kataputi.

Syntax

Mung bean is the primary plant protein in the local diet.

Hazōken syntax is broadly similar to its ancestor Kataputi.

Alignment

Hazōken is an ergative-absolutive language. While there is no set order of core arguments within a clause, if both are present, the ergative almost always precedes the absolutive, unless the absolutive is introducing a new topic.

It is possible to have an ergative and no stated absolutive. This differs from the antipassive in that the object is not so thoroughly demoted in relevance. Most often it is used when a noun or pronoun would be repeated several times in the absolutive.

Some speakers, especially younger speakers and city dwellers, will use the ergative for the subject of an intransitive verb, if the subject of the verb is considered to have a high degree of agency. This most often applies to intransitive verbs of motion like run or swim. Technically, this would make Hazōken a split-ergativity language, but this practice is very limited and not at all standard.

Kaka

kaka

3sg.erg

hiku.

hiku

jump

He jumped.

Numbers and Quantifiers

Numbers in Hazōken are indeclinable. They precede their head noun. They cannot head a noun phrase, and must describe some head noun even if it provides little semantic information.

hī

hī

five

takamu

taka-mu

tool-plural

kumu

kumu

be.loose

Five ones are loose.

Order Of Attributives

In addition to numbers and quantifiers, mentioned above, nouns may be modified by attributive verbs. Any number of such verbs may preceed a head noun. Indications of size, age, and shape tend to come before material, origin, or purpose. Prepositional phrases modifying nouns always appear before attributive verbs. Demonstrative prefixes of course go between the noun and any preceding attributives.

Subjunctive

The subjunctive turns a clause into the argument of a larger clause. This can include both core arguments and non-core arguments, and is the most common way to build auxiliary constructions. It also marks reported speech (see below).

Tē

tē

1sg.ergative

zota

zo-ta

go-subjunctive.absolutive

hasimizi

hasimi-zi

start-optative

I want to start going.

Mō

mō

2sg.ergative

kakita

kaki-ta

run-subjunctive.absolutive

kīhi

kī-hi

need-indicative

You need to run.

Tē

tē

1sg.ergative

Ma

ma

2sg.absolutive

kakita

kaki-ta

run-subjunctive.absolutive

kīhi

kī-hi

need-indicative

I need you to run.

Negation

The main way to negate a clause is to insert ta immediately before the main verb. Another negative, kimi, is used for emphasis and negative commands.

Sina

sina

cow

ta

ta

neg

sīni?

sīni

look.at

Did you not look at the cow?

Questions

Yes/no questions are marked by the addition of the particle ūtō imediately after the main verb.

Ma

ma

2sg.absolutive

ruhi

ruhi

angry

ūtō?

ūtō

question

Are you angry?

Content questions require one of the arguments to be replaced by ra, or carry the prefix ra. The particle ūtō is optional here, but still very common.

Ma

ma

2sg.absolutive

ren

ra-n

interrogative-oblique

ruhi

ruhi

angry

ūtō?

ūtō

question

What are you angry about?

Commands

There is no overt morphology or syntax for commands in Hazōken. Polite requests use the optative, while more forceful commands use the indicative. Negative commands use kimi, though polite requests in the optative use ta instead. One difference between a command and a statement is that the role of the listener is more often (though not obligatorily) omitted.

Rīmīmu

rīmīmu

lion.plural

ta

ta

negative

kovazi.

kova-zi

kill-optative

Don't kill the lions.

kavazda!

kava-zda

destroy-antipassive

Destroy!

Reported Speech

Reported speech is rendered in the subjunctive, and treated as an argument of the verb of communication.

Tē

tē

1sg.ergative

tin

tin

1sg.oblique

nīnaza

nīnaza

food.absolutive

suzeta

suzi-ta

give-subjunctive

sasi.

sasi

say

I said they gave me food.

Lexicon

The Hazōken lexicon can be found here: Hazōken/lexicon

Writing System

Hazōken is written in a syllabary based on ideograms imported from the east.