Į̄mχɛ̱́ morphology

Main article: Į̄mχɛ̱́

This page gives an extensive description of Į̄mχɛ̱́ morphological features.

As already mentioned, Į̄mχɛ̱́ 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 Į̄mχɛ̱́ usually have a monosyllabic form, or a multisyllabic form, if morphologically derived or being loanwords.

On the morphological level nouns display no number, case or definiteness, exhibiting always the same unaltered form:

myhʐa
wolf - a wolf - the wolf - wolves - the wolves

A process similar to pluralization, conveying the meaning of an undefined amount bigger than one, can be achieved by placing the pluralizing particle he̱ after the noun:

myhʐa he̱
a lot of wolves

This particle has, however, a very marked use and highlight the meaning of a large quantity of the said entities or items.

Adjectives and pronouns

Adjectives closely resemble the noun form, not displaying any morphological change for either number, case or definiteness. Pronouns, while also morphologically unchanging, may exhibit different forms in the root form.

Adjectives

Attributive adjectives are always placed before the nouns they specify, while predicative adjectives are always placed after them.

χat nɔ̀χɛ̱́
a young man

nɔ̀χɛ̱́ ɟē χat
the man is young

Personal pronouns

Personal pronouns feature a distinction between three persons:

1st person	wo̱
2st person	θā
3st person	ðē

Unlike any other elements of the sentence, the personal pronouns compulsorily distinguish the number singular from the plural, by placing the plural particle he̱ after them:

	singular	plural
1st person	wo̱	wo̱ he̱
2st person	θā	θā he̱
3st person	ðē	ðē he̱

The 3^st person pronoun usually refers to semantically animate or human entities, although it may technically refer to every entity. For inanimate or unreal entities, demonostrative adjectives or pronouns are rather used.

All forms, if adjoined by the preposition θı̄, 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.

ta θı̄ wo̱ θū xø̌w ma θı̄ θā he̱
my father saw your mother

ta θı̄ wo̱ θū xø̌w ʂı̱́n θı̄ θā he̱
my father saw yours

Interrogative adjectives and pronouns

The basic interrogative adjective is:

• which: xó̱

It can play the role of a basic interrogative pronoun, if used alone. Other interrogative forms, however, can be built by using the interrogative adjective with other generic or specific nouns or also with prepositions:

• xó̱ žı̄: which thing? = what?
• xó̱ χɛ̱́: which person? = who?
• xó̱ wɛ: which amount? = how much, how many? (requires the partitive preposition)
• rɔ xó̱ wɛ: in which time? = when?
• hı̱n xó̱ řø̌ : in which place? = where?

Within an interrogative clause, pronouns usually are usually placed in their syntactical position according to their role.

Numerals

The numeral system relies on a decimal base.

Cardinal numerals

The first ten cardinal numbers are forms on their own:

digit	full form
1:	xō
2:	mɛ̱θ
3:	sɑ̀
4:	wuβ
5:	pın
6:	tį́
7:	χāt
8:	ma̱n
9:	šȳn
10:	ðɛ́n

Numerals from 11 to 19 are built with the construction ðɛ́n + NUM:

digit	full form
1:	ðɛ́n xō
2:	ðɛ́n mɛ̱θ
3:	ðɛ́n sɑ̀
4:	ðɛ́n wuβ
5:	ðɛ́n pın
6:	ðɛ́n tį́
7:	ðɛ́n χāt
8:	ðɛ́n ma̱n
9:	ðɛ́n šȳn

The numeral for (one) hundred is a form on its own, while the numeral for (one) thousand is a loanword from Eβmiʔ language:

digit	full form
100:	cı̄̀p
1000:	ńohçı́m (from E. ňɔhçijm)

The numerals for the multiples of tens, hundreds and thousands are built with the construction NUM + wɛ (time(s)) + ðɛ́n / cı̄̀p / ńohçı́m:

	tens	hundreds	thousands
2x:	mɛ̱θ wɛ ðɛ́n	mɛ̱θ wɛ cı̄̀p	mɛ̱θ wɛ ńohçı́m
3x:	sɑ̀ wɛ ðɛ́n	sɑ̀ wɛ cı̄̀p	sɑ̀ wɛ ńohçı́m
4x:	wuβ wɛ ðɛ́n	wuβ wɛ cı̄̀p	wuβ wɛ ńohçı́m
5x:	pın wɛ ðɛ́n	pın wɛ cı̄̀p	pın wɛ ńohçı́m
6x:	tį́ wɛ ðɛ́n	tį́ wɛ cı̄̀p	tį́ wɛ ńohçı́m
7x:	χāt wɛ ðɛ́n	χāt wɛ cı̄̀p	χāt wɛ ńohçı́m
8x:	ma̱n wɛ ðɛ́n	ma̱n wɛ cı̄̀p	ma̱n wɛ ńohçı́m
9x:	šȳn wɛ ðɛ́n	šȳn wɛ cı̄̀p	šȳn wɛ ńohçı́m

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:

• 1985: ńohçı́m šȳn wɛ cı̄̀p ma̱n wɛ ðɛ́n pın

Cardinal numerals usually precede their adjoining noun cluster, as an adjectival form. However, every numeral can be optionally used with a noun cluster introduced by the partitive preposition žø̄.

tį́ χon or tį́ žø̄ χon
six dogs

With semantically uncountable nouns and with pronouns, the partitive preposition is mandatorily used, with the meaning of “X units of Y”:

tį́ žø̄ kɔ̄̀m
six pieces/parts/balls/etc. of wool

šȳn žø̄ wo̱ he̱
nine of us

Ordinal numerals

Ordinal numerals are formed by putting the particle θē after the cardinal numeral form:

digit	full form
1st:	xō θē
2nd:	mɛ̱θ θē
3rd:	sɑ̀ θē
4th:	wuβ θē
5th:	pın θē
6th:	tį́ θē
7th:	χāt θē
8th:	ma̱n θē
9th:	šȳn θē
10th:	ðɛ́n θē

If the numeral form is composite, the ending is added only to the last numeral form:

• 25^th: mɛ̱θ wɛ ðɛ́n pın θē

Verbs

Verbs in Į̄mχɛ̱́ language usually have a monosyllabic form, or a multisyllabic form, if morphologically derived. 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:

ŕǿ̱θ 
(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:

wo̱ ŕǿ̱θ
I hear

θā he̱ ŕǿ̱θ
you (pl.) hear

The verb, however, can be adjoined by particles, which convey both the aspectual and the temporal value of an action or a state. The set of the verb form, carrying the meaning, together with the temporal-aspectual particles is called verb cluster.

ŕǿ̱θ xø̌w
hear - past+perfective

Personal pronouns are not considered to be part of the verb cluster, as they can be freely placed in other parts of the clause. Verbal particles, conversely, are strictly tied to the same verbal form.

The aspectual particles make a distinction between a present form and a past form:

aspect	present	past
progressive	ɑ̀rɛ́	ěw
perfective	xōrɛ́	xø̌w
resultative	čèrɛ́	čə̱̃w
repetitive	žy̌rɛ́	žy̌w
experiential	βɔ̄rɛ́	βø̌w
prospective	pu̱rɛ́	pứ̱w

The absence of an aspectual particle is understood as an tenseless habitual aspect, namely pointing to a usual or customary in time action or state, without any specific referement to time. The aspectual particle are always place after the verb, and are not usually left out. Examples:

wo̱ ŕǿ̱θ
I hear (always)

wo̱ ŕǿ̱θ ɑ̀rɛ́
I am hearing

wo̱ ŕǿ̱θ xø̌w
I heard

There are, however, addtional temporal particles:

time	particle
future	kūx
distant past	ŕə̄̀

These temporal particles are similar to temporal adverbs, and sometimes they are regarded as such. However, unlike real adverbs, they are tied to the verb, as part of the verb cluster. They are usually placed after the verb and after the aspectual particles. Their usage is combined with the aspectual particles, conveying different tenses.

wo̱ ŕǿ̱θ ɑ̀rɛ́
I am hearing

wo̱ ŕǿ̱θ ɑ̀rɛ́ kūx
I will be hearing

wo̱ ŕǿ̱θ ěw
I was hearing

wo̱ ŕǿ̱θ ěw ŕə̄̀
I was hearing (a long ago)

wo̱ ŕǿ̱θ ěw kūx
I would be hearing

These combinations are quite free, except for the fact that the distant past particle is never used with present aspectual particles.

Two additional particles can be placed after the verb, šı̄, which conveys a meaning of command, being thus an imperative particle, and šɑ̄, which conveys a meaning of negative command or prohibition, being thus a prohibitive particle.

	particle
imperative	šı̄
prohibitive	šɑ̄

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. Both particles are placed right after the verb.

šı̄ tı́
go!

šı̄ tı́ xōrɛ́
go! (up to destination)

θā šı̄ tı́ ða ðē šı́ ɟēn
you go, but he stay!

Negation

The verbal negation is conveyed by the negative adverb nɔ̄h . This adverb is placed before the verb cluster.

χon βu̱n ɑ̀rɛ́ → χon nɔ̄h βu̱n ɑ̀rɛ́
the dog is sleeping → the dog isn't sleeping

χon ḿɑ̌ xø̌w nɔ̀χɛ̱́ → χon nɔ̄h ḿɑ̌ xø̌w nɔ̀χɛ̱́
the dog had bitten the man → the dog hadn't bitten the man

A negative imperative, conveyed by the prohibitive particle šɑ̄, does not need any additional negative particles.

šɑ̄ βu̱n
don't sleep!

Double negatives are generally not allowed; the presence of another negative element in the sentence inhibits the negative adverb.