Rertu morphology
- Main article: Rertu
This page gives an extensive description of Rertu morphological features.
As already mentioned, Rertu 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 Rertu 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:
mṓrɟa 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
Both attributive and predicative adjectives are always placed after the nouns they specify.
rosmɔ ī́rjun a young man
ɛšaʔ rosmɔ ī́rjun 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 triple distinction is made. There are, actually, three forms, referring respectively to either human beings, 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 prepositions kṓ or lḗ, play the role of an indeclinable possessive pronoun, being placed after a demonstrative pronominal form.
bū́gnez ŋu rosan isɔn ukmi lḗ ešeš 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:
| pɛ̄́m | |
| laz | |
| hū́d | |
| ɟā̀r | |
| šuʔ | |
| tū̀ŋ | |
| kī́r | |
| žḗr | |
| bɔp | |
| šū̀l |
Numerals from 11 to 19 are built with the construction NUM + šū̀l, with one irregular form:
| pɛ̄́mšū̀l | |
| lašū̀l | |
| hū́dšū̀l | |
| ɟā̀ršū̀l | |
| šuʔšū̀l | |
| tū̀ŋšū̀l | |
| kī́ršū̀l | |
| žḗršū̀l | |
| bɔpšū̀l |
The numerals for (one) hundred and (one) thousand are forms on their own:
| ī̀m | |
| ɔrī̀m |
The numerals for the multiples of tens, hundreds and thousands are built with the construction NUM + -(a)rašū̀l / -(a)razī̀m / -(a)razɔrī̀m:
| lazrašū̀l | lazrazī̀m | lazrazɔrī̀m | |
| hū́drašū̀l | hū́drazī̀m | hū́drazɔrī̀m | |
| ɟā̀rarašū̀l | ɟā̀rarazī̀m | ɟā̀rarazɔrī̀m | |
| šuʔrašū̀l | šuʔrazī̀m | šuʔrazɔrī̀m | |
| tū̀ŋrašū̀l | tū̀ŋrazī̀m | tū̀ŋrazɔrī̀m | |
| kī́rarašū̀l | kī́rarazī̀m | kī́rarazɔrī̀m | |
| žḗrarašū̀l | žḗrarazī̀m | žḗrarazɔrī̀m | |
| bɔprašū̀l | bɔprazī̀m | bɔprazɔrī̀m |
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: lazrazɔrī̀m bɔprazī̀m žḗrarašū̀l šuʔ
As for other parts of the language, all cardinal numerals are meant as invariable forms.
Ordinal numerals
Ordinal numerals are formed by adding the prefix pe- to the cardinal numeral form:
| pepɛ̄́m | |
| pelaz | |
| pehū́d | |
| peɟā̀r | |
| pešuʔ | |
| petū̀ŋ | |
| pekī́r | |
| pežḗr | |
| pebɔp | |
| pešū̀l | |
| pepɛ̄́mšū̀l | |
| pelašū̀l | |
| pelazrašū̀l | |
| pehū́drašū̀l | |
| petū̀ŋrazī̀m | |
| pebɔprazɔrī̀m |
If the numeral form is composite, the prefix is added to every form:
- 325th: pehū́drazī̀m pelazrašū̀l pešuʔ
Verbs
Verbs in Rertu 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:
kotnez (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:
kotnez ɔn I hear
kotnez ešeš 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.
kotnez ŋu pɔ 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:
kotnez ɔn I hear (always)
kotnez moc ɔn I am hearing
kotnez ŋu 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.
kotnez moc ɔn sā́ I will be hearing
kotnez bo ɔn re I've heard just a bit ago
Two additional particles can be placed before the verb, tī́, which conveys a meaning of command, being thus an imperative particle, and nī́, 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.
tī́ gocaʔ go!
tī́ gocaʔ ŋu go! (up to destination)
tī́ gocaʔ eš mu tī́ konpɑ̄́drɛ̄́ ucmi 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.
cī́mrɛ̄́ moc bṓrɟa → cī́mrɛ̄́ moc ne bṓrɟa the dog is sleeping → the dog isn't sleeping
ʔɛ̄́hnez ŋu bṓrɟa rosmɔ pɔ → ʔɛ̄́hnez ŋu ne bṓrɟa rosmɔ pɔ the dog had bitten the man → the dog hadn't bitten the man
A negative imperative, conveyed by the prohibitive particle nī́, does not need any additional negative particles.
nī́ cī́mrɛ̄́ don't sleep!
Double negatives are generally not allowed; the presence of another negative element in the sentence inhibits the negative adverb.
