Eβmiʔ morphology
- Main article: Eβmiʔ
This page gives an extensive description of Eβmiʔ morphological features.
As already mentioned, Eβmiʔ is a morphologically isolating language. Each lexeme does not undergo any morphological mutation. Syntactical roles are thus entirely expressed by syntax and word order. Lexemes can, however, combine in many derivative processes.
Nouns
Nouns in Eβmiʔ usually have a multisyllabic form; they very rarely have a monosyllabic form.
On the morphological level nouns display no number, case or definiteness, exhibiting always the same unaltered form:
mühɖa wolf - a wolf - the wolf - wolves - the wolves
Adjectives and pronouns
Adjectives and pronouns have their own form, but, like the nouns, they do not display any morphological change for either number, case or definiteness.
Adjectives
Attributive adjectives are always placed after the nouns they specify, while predicative adjectives are always placed before them or after the verb.
hosmɔç čihjun a young man
çɛʂa čihjun hosmɔç the man is young
Personal pronouns
The personal pronouns are:
Unlike any other elements of the sentence, the personal pronouns compulsorily distinguish the number singular from the plural.
In the 3rd person, a double distinction is made. There are, actually, two forms, referring respectively to either animated beings or inanimate entities.
For the 1st plural person, two forms are distinguished. The first form is called the first inclusive plural person, which includes both the speaker and the listener, while the second form is called the first exclusive plural person, which includes the speaker but excludes the listener.
All forms, if adjoined by the preposition gü, play the role of an indeclinable possessive adjective, being placed after a noun, or the role of indeclinable possessive pronoun, being placed after a demonstrative pronominal form.
vuɣner nuʔ ɽanʔan gü eʂeʂ hosʔan gü ɔn my father saw your mother
vuɣner nuʔ uʈ gü eʂeʂ hosʔan gü ɔn my father saw yours
Numerals
The numeral system relies on a decimal base.
Cardinal numerals
The first ten cardinal numbers are forms on their own:
| böm | |
| lar | |
| čuð | |
| ɖajh | |
| ʂu | |
| down | |
| gjih | |
| žyh | |
| βɔb | |
| ʂujl |
Numerals from 11 to 19 are built with the construction ʂujl + nɔ + NUM:
| ʂujlnɔböm | |
| ʂujlnɔlar | |
| ʂujlnɔčuð | |
| ʂujlnɔɖajh | |
| ʂujlnɔʂu | |
| ʂujlnɔdown | |
| ʂujlnɔgjih | |
| ʂujlnɔžyh | |
| ʂujlnɔβɔb |
The numerals for (one) hundred and (one) thousand are forms on their own:
| çijm | |
| ňɔhçijm |
The numerals for the multiples of tens, hundreds and thousands are built with the construction NUM + -(a)harʂujl / -(a)harçijm / -(a)harňɔhçijm:
| larharʂujl | larharçijm | larharňɔhçijm | |
| čuðharʂujl | čuðharçijm | čuðharňɔhçijm | |
| ɖajhaharʂujl | ɖajhaharçijm | ɖajhaharňɔhçijm | |
| ʂuharʂujl | ʂuharçijm | ʂuharňɔhçijm | |
| downharʂujl | downharçijm | downharňɔhçijm | |
| gjihaharʂujl | gjihaharçijm | gjihaharňɔhçijm | |
| žyhaharʂujl | žyhaharçijm | žyhaharňɔhçijm | |
| βɔbharʂujl | βɔbharçijm | βɔbharňɔhçijm |
Numbers above the multiples of thousands have no name and are specified by the lesser numerals.
Composite numbers are built by just putting them beside, without any conjunction, in descending order:
- 2985: larharňɔhçijm βɔbharçijm žyhaharʂujl ʂu
As for other parts of the language, all cardinal numerals are meant as invariable forms.
Ordinal numerals
Ordinal numerals are formed by adding the suffix -da to the cardinal numeral form, with some irregularities:
| bömda | |
| larda | |
| čuɖa | |
| ɖajhda | |
| ʂuda | |
| downda | |
| gjihda | |
| žyhda | |
| βɔbda | |
| ʂujlda | |
| ʂujlnɔbömda | |
| ʂujlnɔlarda | |
| ʂujlnɔčuɖa | |
| larharʂujlda | |
| čuðharʂujlda | |
| downharçijmda | |
| βɔbharňɔhçijmda |
If the numeral form is composite, the suffix is added to every form:
- 325th: čuðharçijmda larharʂujlda ʂuda
Verbs
Verbs in Eβmiʔ language usually have a multisyllabic form. Each verbal form carries only the semantical information, while other features are conveyed by other grammatic particles.
On the morphological level the verb display no person, or number, exhibiting always the same unaltered form:
godner (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) hear
The verbal person is conveyed by nouns and personal pronouns, which can convey also the number, unlike nouns:
godner ɔn I hear
godner eʂeʂ you (pl.) hear
The verb, however, can be adjoined by particles, which convey either the aspectual or the temporal value of an action or a state. The set of the verb form, carrying the meaning, together with the temporal and the aspectual particles is called verb cluster.
godner nuʔ bɔ hear - past - perfective
The aspectual particles are:
| progressive | |
| perfective | |
| resultative | |
| habitual | |
| repetitive | |
| experiential | |
| prospective |
The absence of an aspectual particle is understood as a gnomic aspect, namely pointing to an always extant and true action or state. The aspectual particle are always place after the verb, and are not usually left out. Examples:
godner ɔn I hear (always)
godner moʈ ɔn I am hearing
godner nuʔ ɔn I heard
The temporal particles are:
| present | |
| past | |
| future |
Temporal particles are similar to temporal adverbs, and sometimes they are regarded as such. However, they are somehow tied to the verb, as part of the verb cluster. They tend to be placed in the clause position for time referements.
These forms are not always expressed, only if deemed necessary for the temporal identification of the clause. In a common clause, only the aspect is expressed. The temporal referement is substantially indefinite and they are not expressed if a more definite temporal referement is already present in the clause.
godner moʈ ɔn sä I will be hearing
godner βoʔ ɔn he I've heard just a bit ago
Two additional particles can be placed before the verb, dji, which conveys a meaning of command, being thus an imperative particle, and ňi, which conveys a meaning of negative command or prohibition, being thus a prohibitive particle.
| imperative | |
| prohibitive |
These particles are mandatorily used when orders and prohibitions are to be conveyed. When used, personal pronouns, aspectual particles, and temporal particles are usually not required, but they can be optionally used.
dji ɣoʔreɖ go!
dji ɣoʔreɖ nuʔ go! (up to destination)
dji ɣoʔreɖ eʂ mu dji gonbåð uʈ you go, but he stay!
Negation
The verbal negation is conveyed by the negative adverb ne. This adverb is placed after the verb cluster, namely after the verb or the aspectual particles.
čimʈɑ moʈ βühɖa → čimʈɑ moʈ ne βühɖa the dog is sleeping → the dog isn't sleeping
öxner nuʔ hosmɔç βühɖa bɔ → öxner nuʔ ne hosmɔç βühɖa bɔ the dog had bitten the man → the dog hadn't bitten the man
A negative imperative, conveyed by the prohibitive particle ňi, does not need any additional negative particles.
ňi čimʈɑ don't sleep!
Double negatives are generally not allowed; the presence of another negative element in the sentence inhibits the negative adverb.
