Introduction - Sound changes - Phonology - Nominal morphology - Verbal Morphology - Syntax - Sample text - Lexicon - Appendix

ɑˈgɑf language

Appendix

Occlusive analysis

Many points of the grammar of ɑˈgɑf - the actual status of the archiphonemes, the validity of some Sandhi rules - are controversed amongst the native scholars. But none divides them more than the analysis of the occlusives series.

There are basicly two competing theories. The first is the three way analysis which has been adopted for this grammar.

The second stands that there are actually only two series of occlusives, a fortis and a lenis one, with the following realisations :

Word initially and finally, fortis occlusives are realised [p t k], while lenis occlusives are realised [b d g].
Between vowel, or in contact with a voiced consonant, fortis occlusives are realised [pʰ tʰ kʰ] while lenis occlusives are realised [b d g].
In contact with a voiceless consonant, fortis occlusives are realised [pʰ tʰ kʰ] while lenis occlusives are realised [p t k].

(notice however that in practice, Sandhi rules prevent /g/ to appear word-finally).

The best evidence for the second theory is the treatment of Adata learned borrowings in ɑˈgɑf. Appart from some very educated speakers fluent in Adata, the original voiceless and aspirated series of Adata are treated the same way in ɑˈgɑf, voiceless word-initially and finally and aspirated elsewhere.

Eg :
Adata tetho (wide) - ɑˈgɑf tetʰo (plain, field)
Adata thekin (to trade) - ɑˈgɑf tekʰiɴ (trading, commerce)

Comparative linguistics

Here follows the translation of an example sentence meaning (roughly) "I conquered those who contested me in ten years" in various language of the Edak family.

· ˈrambe roŋ lɑid, somˈpisna i ʦis rɑi ˈmɐ̃ʊ̃kna i (Ndak Ta/Proto Edak)
   · i ro ˈpetʰan aː ˈate laːd ˈkero ˈmuːkejen ˈakaː in (Adata)
      · ɨɹˈfɛʦɑ̃ə ə ˈmyːxeɛ̃ɑxə ɨ̃ lɑːt kɛɹː (Ayasth)
         · øːˈbœɪxɑ øxʷ gʷøˈgæ ˈɑxʷɔk øˈdœpæ pæˈlʲɑt øː ŋʷø (Late vulgar Agaf)
      · ˈpeθfax ateˈlaːθaːx ˈcero ˈmucienaːxin (Athata)
         · ˈavlavlin acaˈla acaˈcar u ˈpazazax in (E'át)
      · jero hupʰin æd lað ru aːn æg wez mugjən æga jen (Æðadĕ)
         · jeːr huːpin ed lað ruː oːn eg øːz mudʒin eːg jen (Yad)
   · sovejɜn sla ro li waimɜl rom pɒstoŋe (Naidda)
   · ˈsiʃɛn i ˈgæjɛ ˈromə ˈjepəi ˈɑʧi ˈræbɛ rɔ kled ˈhupis (Fáralo)