Thud

Thud
Period	c. 0 YP
Spoken in	Vüha Island
Total speakers	~10000
Writing system	unknown
Classification	Team B languages
Typology
Basic word order	SOV
Morphology	agglutinative/fusional
Alignment	unknown
Credits
Created by	User:Nort

Thud [tʰudɯ] is a language spoken on a small island off the southwestern coast of Peilaš.

Phonology

Thud will be presented entirely in phonetic transcription for now. (^:

Pronouns

Personal pronouns

The pronouns of Thud contrast for number (singular vs. plural) as well as first-person plural clusivity. First-person pronouns never take plural verb agreement.

	1SG	2SG	3SG	1INCL	1EXCL	2PL	3PL
NOM	nwo	ˀtɕe	ˀpa	nwɔvɑŋ̠ɑ	ˀtæŋ̠ɑ	ˀtɕɛvɑŋ̠ɑ	ˀpa
INS	nwou	ˀtɕeu	ˀpau	nwɔvɑŋ̠ɑu	ˀtæŋ̠ɑu	ˀtɕɛvɑŋ̠ɑu	ˀpazu
COM	nwɔχɑ	ˀtɕɛχɑ	ˀpɑχɑ	nwɔvɑŋ̠ɑχɑ	ˀtæŋ̠ɑχɑ	ˀtɕɛvɑŋ̠ɑχɑ	ˀpɑŋ̠ɑχɑ
GEN	nɔ	ˀtɛ	ˀpa	nwɔvɑŋɔ	ˀtæŋɔ	ˀtɕɛvɑŋɔ	ˀpanɔ
ALL	nɔˀtɛ	ˀtɛˀtɛ	ˀpɔˀtɛ	nwɔvɑŋɔˀtɛ	ˀtæŋɔˀtɛ	ˀtɕɛvɑŋɔˀtɛ	ˀpanɔˀtɛ
LOC	nɔ	ˀtɛ	ˀpa	nwɔvɑŋ̠æ	ˀtæŋ̠æ	ˀtɕɛvɑŋ̠æ	ˀpanɛ
DAT	nɔna	ˀtɛna	ˀpana	nwɔvɑŋ̠æna	ˀtæŋ̠æna	ˀtɕɛvɑŋ̠æna	ˀpanɛna

Demonstratives

Thud has a two-way deictic contrast between 'this' and 'that'.

	this.SG	this.PL	that.SG	that.PL
NOM	mu	muvɑŋ̠ɑ	mps	mbɯvɑŋ̠ɑ
INS	muzu	muvɑŋ̠ɑu	mbiu	mbɯvɑŋ̠ɑu
COM	muʁa	muvɑŋ̠ɑχɑ	mpsχɑ	mbɯvɑŋ̠ɑχɑ
GEN	mbɔ	mbɔvɑŋɔ	mbu	mbuvɑŋɔ
ALL	mbɔˀtɛ	mbɔvɑŋɔˀtɛ	mbuˀtɛ	mbuvɑŋɔˀtɛ
LOC	mbɛ	mbævɑŋ̠æ	mbu	mbuvɑŋ̠ɑ
DAT	mbɛna	mbævɑŋ̠æna	mbuna	mbuvɑŋ̠ɑna

Question words

	ANIM.SG	ANIM.PL	INAN.SG	INAN.PL
NOM	ma	mɑvɑŋ̠ɑ	m	ɱvɑŋ̠ɑ
INS	mau	mɑvɑŋ̠ɑu	m̩u	ɱvɑŋ̠ɑu
COM	mɑχɑ	mɑvɑŋ̠ɑχɑ	mχɑ	ɱvɑŋ̠ɑχɑ
GEN	ma	mɑvɑŋɔ	m̩ɔ	m̩ɔvɑŋɔ
ALL	maˀtɛ	mɑvɑŋɔˀtɛ	jegɔˀtɛ	m̩ɔvɑŋɔˀtɛ
LOC	ma	mɑvɑŋ̠æ	jeks	jegɯvɑŋ̠ɑ
DAT	mana	mɑvɑŋ̠æna	jeksna	jeksvɑŋ̠ɑna

Other question words: TODO

Nouns

Declension

Some nouns have two forms. The first form is used for the nominative, instrumental, and comitative; the second form is used for all other cases.

	person	grease	fish	skinning knife	ground	animal skin	pig	hut
NOM	ɛza	sɯbwo	qˀɑ	ŋdu	mɛn	ŋdʑenkss	tɕʰevɯ	pʰɛŋje
INS	ɛzau	sɯbwou	qˀɑzu	ŋdusʰu	mɛn̩u	ŋdʑenks̩iu	tɕʰeviu	pʰɛŋjeu
COM	ɛzaχɑ	sɯbwɔχɑ	qˀɑŋ̠ɑ	ŋduʁɑ	mɛnχɑ	ŋdʑenkssχɑ	tɕʰevɯχɑ	pʰæŋjɛχɑ
GEN	ɛzaɔ	jelbwɔɔ	jɛχɑmɔ	ŋtftɔ	mɛn̩ɔ	ŋdʑenks̩ɔ	tɕʰevɔ	pʰɛŋjeɔ
ALL	ɛzaɔˀtɛ	jelbwɔɔˀtɛ	jɛχɑmɔˀtɛ	ŋtftɔˀtɛ	mɛn̩ɔˀtɛ	ŋdʑenks̩ɔˀtɛ	tɕʰevuˀtɛ	pʰɛŋjeɔˀtɛ
LOC	ɛza	jelbɔ	jɛχɑmɛ	ŋtftɛ	mɛn̩ɛ	ŋdʑenks̩ɛ	tɕʰevu	pʰæŋ̠æ
DAT	ɛzana	jelbɔna	jɛχɑmɛna	ŋtftɛna	mɛn̩ɛna	ŋdʑenks̩ɛna	tɕʰevuna	pʰæŋ̠æna

Construct state

The construct state is used to mark nouns possessed by the subject of the sentence. Construct-state nouns are declined as follows:

	grease	fish	skinning knife	animal skin	pig	hut
NOM	jelbwoma	jɛχɑma	ŋdumʰa	ŋdʑenks̩ɯma	tɕʰevɯma	pʰɛŋjema
INS	sɯbwomazu	ˀqɑmazu	ŋdumʰazu	ŋdʑenks̩ɯmazu	tɕʰevɯmazu	pʰɛŋjemazu
COM	jelbwɔmɑŋ̠ɑ	jɛχɑmɑŋ̠ɑ	ŋdumʰɑŋ̠ɑ	ŋdʑenks̩ɯmɑŋ̠ɑ	tɕʰevɯmɑŋ̠ɑ	pʰæŋjɛmɑŋ̠ɑ
GEN	sɯbwomanɔ	ˀqɑmanɔ	ŋdumʰanɔ	ŋdʑenks̩ɯmanɔ	tɕʰevɯmanɔ	pʰɛŋjemanɔ
ALL	sɯbwomanɔˀtɛ	ˀqɑmanɔˀtɛ	ŋdumʰanɔˀtɛ	ŋdʑenks̩ɯmanɔˀtɛ	tɕʰevɯmanɔˀtɛ	pʰɛŋjemanɔˀtɛ
LOC	jelbwon̩ɛ	jɛχɑn̩ɛ	ŋdunʰn̩ɛ	ŋdʑenks̩ɯn̩ɛ	tɕʰevɯn̩ɛ	pʰɛŋjen̩ɛ
DAT	jelbwon̩a	jɛχɑn̩a	ŋdunʰn̩a	ŋdʑenks̩ɯn̩a	tɕʰevɯn̩a	pʰɛŋjen̩a

Cases

Nominative

Subject

The nominative is used for the subject of most verbs.

• fʰɯbjedʑi tʰɯˀtu
  dog.NOM sleep-PRES
  The dog is sleeping.

• fʰɯbjedʑi qʰæ n̩gu
  dog.NOM man-LOC see-PRES
  The dog sees the man.

Nonhuman pure transitive object

The nominative is used for nonhuman objects of pure transitive verbs. (Talking animals in folktales, gods, animistic forces, etc. are considered human.)

• fʰɯbjedʑi pʰɛŋje n̩gu
  dog.NOM hut.NOM see-PRES
  The dog sees the hut.

Instrumental

Instrument

• nwo lɯvɯiu tʰalvi
  1SG.NOM spoon-INS SAP-eat-EGO
  I am eating with a spoon.

Subject of tool-use verbs

Tool-use verbs take instrumental subjects. These are the formal (albeit not, from an Anglophone perspective, semantic) subjects of the verb, as is shown by verbal absolutive number agreement:

• kʰjeɔ muzu ŋdumʰazu maŋftu
  man.GEN this.INS skinning_knife-C.INS IM-skin-PRES
  The man is skinning with a skinning knife.

• kʰjeɔ muvɑŋ̠ɑu ŋfɯdumʰazu maŋfubau
  man.GEN these.INS PL~skinning_knife-C.INS IM-skin-PL-PRES
  The man is skinning with skinning knives.

Note that the verb must be made impure with ma- to allow it not to take an object, allowing the number agreement to apply to the instrumental subject.

Theme

Some verbs take an instrumental theme:

• nwo fʰɯnɛ ɔzu tʰaitʰwoi
  1SG pot.NOM water-INST SAP-fill-EGO
  I am filling the pot with water.

Comitative

TODO

Genitive

Possession

The genitive is used for possession. There is no contrast between alienable and inalienable possession.

• kʰjeɔ pʰɛŋje
  man.GEN hut
  the man's hut

Telic impure transitive object

The genitive is used for objects of impure transitive verbs when the action is of telic or completive nature.

• kʰje uʁɑɔ madʑiʁɑ
  man.NOM meat-GEN IM-eat-PST
  The man ate up the meat / ate his fill of meat.

• nwo jɛχɑmɔ tʰɑmæʁɑluʁɑ
  1SG fish-GEN SAP-DIR:up-hook-EGO.PST
  I hooked a fish (and caught it).

Agent of tool-use verbs

The genitive is used for the agent (which is not the subject!) of tool-use verbs.

• kʰjeɔ ŋdumʰazu twovwoidu ɱfugɯvau
  man-GEN skinning_knife-C.INS carcass.NOM skin-PL-PRES
  The men are skinning carcasses with skinning knives.

Postpositional

Certain postpositions, especially those that cannot be used for both motion and direction, always take the genitive.

• kʰwai jesχæɔ ˀpikʰjemˀta matalu
  smoke fire.GEN above rise-PRES
  Smoke is rising above the fire.

Allative

Direction of motion

The allative is used with locational expressions to indicate direction.

• nwo amjeɔˀtɛ tʰasfqæi
  1SG.NOM coast-ALL SAP-DIR:down-walk-EGO
  I am walking to the coast.

Prepositional direction

The allative is used with certain postpositions when they are used to refer to motion. In general, prepositions of location that take locative complements may refer to motion with the allative.

• kʰje ˀtwovwoɯɕia uʁɑɔˀtɛ ɕi sɯmjeuǀman.NOM skewer.NOM meat-ALL through pierce-PRES
  The man is putting a skewer through meat.
  {{{3}}}

Temporal ordering

The allative is used with temporal expressions to express "after X".

• nwo jetftanɔˀtɛ ˀtɯgwa tʰawaful
  1SG.NOM sunset-ALL sleep.IRR-PTCP SAP-FUT-EGO
  I want to sleep after/around sunset.

Locative

Human pure transitive object

The locative is used for human objects of pure transitive verbs.

• fʰɯbjedʑi qʰæ n̩gu
  dog.NOM man-LOC see-PRES
  The dog sees the man.

• ˀtɕe tʰɑvɑwɔʁɑnmgwa, ɯzɯmjeje ˀtɛ tʰazɯ
  2SG.NOM SAP-behave.IRR-NEG-PTCP, sea_monster 2SG.LOC SAP-eat.IRR
  If you don't behave, the sea monster will eat you!

Location

• kʰje pʰɛŋjen̩ɛ tʰɯga
  man hut-C.LOC sleep-PST
  The man slept in his hut.

Prepositional location

The locative is used with certain prepositions when they are used to refer to location.

• ˀtwovwoɯʑia uʁɑ ɕi ˀpu
  skewer meat.LOC through COP.PRES
  The skewer is through the meat.

Temporal simultaneity

• nwo jetftanɛ ˀtɯgwa tʰawaful
  1SG.NOM sunset-LOC sleep.IRR-PTCP SAP-FUT-EGO
  I want to sleep at sunset/I want to be sleeping by sunset

Atelic impure transitive object

The genitive is used for objects of impure transitive verbs when the action is of atelic or incompletive nature.

• fʰɯbjedʑi uʁæ madʑiʁɑ
  dog.NOM meat-LOC IM-eat-PST
  The dog picked at the meat.

• kʰje pʰɛŋjen̩ɛ ȵidwonuŋ̠ɑ
  man.NOM hut-C.LOC DIR:away-enter-PST
  The man tried to enter his hut (but he tripped, or didn't realize the door was closed and walked into it, or something).

• nwo jɛχɑmɛ tʰamæʁɑluʁɑ
  1SG.NOM fish-LOC SAP-DIR:up-hook-EGO.PST
  I hooked a fish (but it got away).

Dative

Recipient

• ˀtɛna sʰɯˀpaje tʰapʰɛɯnksχɑ tʰakʰjetʰabɔi
  2SG-DAT dick.NOM SAP-DIR:2-show-EGO.PST IMP-SAP-DIR:1-say
  i showed you my dick answer me

Number

Nouns, like pronouns, inflect for two numbers, singular and plural; however, unlike pronouns, the plural exponent is prefixal.

Gloss	Singular	Plural
fishhook	qʰɑlu	qʰɑʁɑlu
ear	tʰɛ	tɕʰedɛ
spoon	lɯvɯ	lɯlɯvɯ
eye	jeva	jejeva
pig	tɕʰevɯ	tɕʰedʑevɯ
jar	tʰwovɯ	tʰwodwovɯ
oar	qʰæpf	kʰjɛʁæpf
foot	ˀpigɯ	ˀpɯvigɯ
flask	ˀtudʑe	ˀtɯdudʑe
belly	sʰɯvwo	s̩ɯvwo
skinning knife	ŋdu	ŋfɯdu
cloud	mʰos	aamʰos
tooth	tʰɔbje	tʰwodɔbje
hand	mana	mamana
neck	ˀtɕel	jɛɛdʑel
hut	pʰɛŋje	pʰjebɛŋje
knife	sɯvu	sɯlvu
fish	qɑ	jɛɛχɑ

Verbs

The verb template is SAP - direction - root - number - tense.

Verbs have three principal parts listed in the Thud dictionary (or will once it's up): the third-person present, the SAP-marked present, and the third-person irrealis.

SAP

If a core argument of the verb is a speech act participant (first or second person), the verb takes a prefix whose most common form is tʰa-. This may condition initial consonant alternations, and some verbs have irregular SAP forms.

• nwo fʰɯbjedʑi tʰangu
  1SG.NOM dog.NOM SAP-see-PRES
  I see the dog

• ˀpa fʰɯbjedʑi ngu
  3SG.NOM dog.NOM SAP-see-PRES
  he sees the dog

• fʰɯbjedʑi ˀtɛ tʰangu
  dog.NOM 1SG.NOM SAP-see-PRES
  the dog sees you

• nwo uʁɑ tʰalvi
  1SG.NOM meat.NOM SAP-eat-EGO
  I am eating meat

• ˀpa uʁɑ tʰalvu
  2SG.NOM meat.NOM SAP-eat-PRES
  you are eating meat

• fʰɯbjedʑi uʁɑ sɯvu
  dog.NOM meat.NOM eat-PRES
  the dog is eating meat

Direction

Directional prefixes are obligatory with certain verbs, including verbs of motion, and common with others.

Toward speaker	ˀpɔ-
Toward listener	pʰɛ-
Away from both	ȵi-
Inland, up	mɛ-
Coastward, down	sf-

• ˀpa uʁɑ nɔna ˀpɔŋfu
  3SG meat.NOM 1SG.DAT DIR:1-bring-PRES
  He is bringing me meat.

• ˀpa uʁɑ ˀtɛna pʰɛŋfu
  3SG meat.NOM 2SG.DAT DIR:2-bring-PRES
  He is bringing you meat.

• ˀpa uʁɑ mbuna fʰɯbjedʑiɛna ȵiŋfu
  3SG meat.NOM that.DAT dog-DAT DIR:away-bring-PRES
  He is bringing meat to that dog over there.

• nwo amjeɔˀtɛ tʰasfqæi
  1SG.NOM coast-ALL SAP-DIR:down-walk-EGO
  I am walking to the coast.

• kʰje pʰɛŋjemanɔ ȵidwonuŋ̠ɑ
  man.NOM hut-C.GEN DIR:away-enter-PST
  The man, walking away, entered his hut.

• nwo jɛχɑmɔ tʰɑmæʁɑluʁɑ
  1SG fish-GEN SAP-DIR:up-hook-EGO.PST
  I hooked a fish.

Number

The plurality of the absolutive argument is marked on the verb.

• fʰɯbjedʑi mazɯvu
  dog.NOM IM-eat-PRES
  The dog is eating.

• f̩ɯbjedʑi madʑibau
  PL~dog.NOM IM-eat-PL-PRES
  The dogs are eating.

• f̩ɯbjedʑi laŋʰa sɯvu
  PL~dog.NOM frog.NOM eat-PRES
  The dogs are eating a frog.

• fʰɯbjedʑi lalaŋʰa sɯbau
  dog.NOM PL~frog.NOM eat-PL-PRES
  The dog is eating frogs.

Certain verbs do not take number agreement.

First-person plural pronouns never take number agreement.

• nwɔvɑŋ̠ɑ mazɯvɯ
  1INCL.NOM IM-eat-EGO
  We are eating.

Tense

Egophoric present

There are two egophoric tenses, the present and the past. The egophoric tenses are used for volitional actions involving the speaker or in which the speaker is directly involved.

• nwo uʁɑ tʰalvi
  1SG.NOM meat.NOM SAP-eat-EGO.PRES
  I am eating meat.

• pʰa sps
  dog.NOM be.EGO
  I have a dog.

• pʰa tʰaps
  dog.NOM SAP-be.EGO
  I am a dog.

The egophoric is not used in non-volitional cases:

• nwo tʰadʑetfɯʁɑ
  1SG.NOM SAP-fall:INT-EGO.PST
  I fell down (intentionally)

• nwo tʰamadɯfɯχɑ
  1SG.NOM SAP-fall:UNINT-PST
  I fell down (unintentionally)

The egophoric marker varies depending on the class of the verb, but in a generally regular manner which is predictable from the allophoric present: (here presented with SAP marking)

Gloss	Allophoric present	Egophoric present
to behave	tʰavawogwaȵeu	tʰavawogwaȵei
to throw	tʰabɛnwou	tʰabɛnwoi
to burn	tʰakfχɑu	tʰakfχɑi
to fill	tʰaitʰwou	tʰaitʰwoi
to eat	tʰalvu	tʰalvɯ
to skin	tʰafftu	tʰaffs
to sit	tʰabwodu	tʰabwos
to fly	tʰadalu	tʰadal
to hook	tʰɑʁɑlu	tʰɑʁɑl
to sneeze	tʰazamu	tʰazam
to pass through	tʰaɯgɯnu	tʰaɯgɯn
to awaken	tʰadʑebjenu	tʰadʑebjen
to show	tʰaɯngu	tʰaɯnks
to see	tʰagu	tʰaks
to bring	tʰasfu	tʰass
to wash	tʰagwavjefu	tʰagwavjes

Mood

Imperative

tʰakʰje- + irrealis.

Numerals

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	100
kʰu	qʰɔ	tʰɛ	pʰana	ana	ɑŋ̠ɑgu	ɑŋ̠ɔ	ɑŋ̠ɑdɛ	ɑŋ̠ɑba	ˀta	ˀpaba

Multipliers precede; smaller additive quantities follow. Sufficiently large numbers would be most likely expressed in loans from Ethange or Jarang. The immediately penultimate non-multiplier numeral takes a special combining form:

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	100
kʰuŋ̠ɑ	kʰɔgwa	tʰæʁɑ	pʰɑnɑχɑ	nɑχɑ	ɑŋ̠ɑguŋ̠ɑ	ɑŋ̠ɔgwa	ɑŋ̠ɑdæʁɑ	ɑŋ̠ɑbɑŋ̠ɑ	ˀtɑŋ̠ɑ	ˀpɑbɑŋ̠ɑ

Examples:

• 23: qʰɔ ˀtɑŋ̠ɑ tʰɛ
• 42: pʰana ˀtɑŋ̠ɑ qʰɔ
• 69: ɑŋ̠ɑgu ˀtɑŋ̠ɑ ɑŋ̠ɑbɑ
• 420: pʰana ˀpɑbɑŋ̠ɑ qʰɔ ˀta
• 421: pʰana ˀpaba qʰɔ ˀtɑŋ̠ɑ kʰu

Dictionary

Here.