Lucien Cartier-Tilet
e346756986
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476 lines
18 KiB
Org Mode
#+title: Zikãti
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#+setupfile: headers
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* Zikãti
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Zikãti ({{{phon(d̻͡zikãti)}}}) is an agglutinative language I am currently
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working on as an experiment. It doesn’t have any worldbuilding around
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it yet and may never have. I’m mostly experimenting with vocabulary
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generation with a language relying heavily on affixes modifying the
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meaning of a root word.
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** Phonology
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*** Consonants
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Zikãti has a moderately small consonant inventory with seventeen
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phonemes. Three of these phonemes are prenasalized plosives, and its
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alveolar consonants are laminal.
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- b :: {{{phon(b)}}}
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- d :: {{{phon(d̻)}}}
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- g :: {{{phon(ŋ)}}}
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- h :: {{{phon(h)}}}
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- k :: {{{phon(k)}}}
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- l :: {{{phon(ʟ)}}}
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- m :: {{{phon(m)}}}
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- mb :: {{{phon(ᵐb)}}}
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- n :: {{{phon(n̻)}}}
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- nd :: {{{phon(ⁿd̻)}}}
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- nz :: {{{phon(ⁿd̻͡z)}}}
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- p :: {{{phon(p)}}}
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- q :: {{{phon(kʷ)}}}
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- r :: {{{phon(r̻)}}}
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- s :: {{{phon(s̻)}}}
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- t :: {{{phon(t̻)}}}
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- z :: {{{phon(d̻͡z)}}}
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| | bilabial | lamino-alveolar | velar | labial-velar | glottal |
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|------------------------------+----------+-----------------+-------+--------------+---------|
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| nasal | m | n | g | | |
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| nasalized plosive | mb | nd | | | |
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| nasalized sibilant affricate | | nz | | | |
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| plosive | p b | t d | k | q | |
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| affricate | | z | | | |
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| fricative | | s | | | h |
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| trill | | r | | | |
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| lateral approximant | | | l | | |
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*** Vowels
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Zikãti has a total of six vowels, which makes it relatively average in
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terms of size. Three of these vowels are nazalised:
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- a :: {{{phon(a)}}}
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- ã :: {{{phon(ã)}}}
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- ẽ :: {{{phon(ɛ̃)}}}
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- i :: {{{phon(i)}}}
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- õ :: {{{phon(ɔ̃)}}}
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- u :: {{{phon(u)}}}
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#+name: vow-dot-gen
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#+header: :var vowels=vowels-featural-list
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#+begin_src emacs-lisp :wrap "src dot :file ./zikati/vowel-feature-tree.png :eval no-export :mkdirp t :results none"
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(conlanging-graphviz-feature-tree vowels :label "vowels")
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#+end_src
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#+RESULTS[186d29b605ead5cf2fc03c537509869aa1e7cfd3]: vow-dot-gen
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#+begin_src dot :file ./zikati/vowel-feature-tree.png :eval no-export :mkdirp t :results none
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graph{graph[dpi=300,bgcolor="transparent"];node[shape=plaintext];"vowels-0ju8102v5o9f"[label="vowels"];"+round-0ju8102v5o9y"[label="+round"];"vowels-0ju8102v5o9f"--"+round-0ju8102v5o9y";"+nasal-0ju8102v5ob0"[label="+nasal"];"+round-0ju8102v5o9y"--"+nasal-0ju8102v5ob0";"/ɔ̃/-0ju8102v5obs"[label="/ɔ̃/"];"+nasal-0ju8102v5ob0"--"/ɔ̃/-0ju8102v5obs";"-nasal-0ju8102v5oba"[label="-nasal"];"+round-0ju8102v5o9y"--"-nasal-0ju8102v5oba";"/u/-0ju8102v5ocj"[label="/u/"];"-nasal-0ju8102v5oba"--"/u/-0ju8102v5ocj";"-round-0ju8102v5oa7"[label="-round"];"vowels-0ju8102v5o9f"--"-round-0ju8102v5oa7";"+low-0ju8102v5odd"[label="+low"];"-round-0ju8102v5oa7"--"+low-0ju8102v5odd";"+nasal-0ju8102v5oe3"[label="+nasal"];"+low-0ju8102v5odd"--"+nasal-0ju8102v5oe3";"/ã/-0ju8102v5oet"[label="/ã/"];"+nasal-0ju8102v5oe3"--"/ã/-0ju8102v5oet";"-nasal-0ju8102v5oec"[label="-nasal"];"+low-0ju8102v5odd"--"-nasal-0ju8102v5oec";"/a/-0ju8102v5ofj"[label="/a/"];"-nasal-0ju8102v5oec"--"/a/-0ju8102v5ofj";"-low-0ju8102v5odm"[label="-low"];"-round-0ju8102v5oa7"--"-low-0ju8102v5odm";"+nasal-0ju8102v5oga"[label="+nasal"];"-low-0ju8102v5odm"--"+nasal-0ju8102v5oga";"/ɛ̃/-0ju8102v5ogz"[label="/ɛ̃/"];"+nasal-0ju8102v5oga"--"/ɛ̃/-0ju8102v5ogz";"-nasal-0ju8102v5ogi"[label="-nasal"];"-low-0ju8102v5odm"--"-nasal-0ju8102v5ogi";"/i/-0ju8102v5oho"[label="/i/"];"-nasal-0ju8102v5ogi"--"/i/-0ju8102v5oho";}
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#+end_src
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#+html: <ImgFigure src="/img/zikati/vowel-feature-tree.png" alt="Zikãti Vowel Featural Tree">Zikãti Vowels Featural Tree</ImgFigure>
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**** Private Data :noexport:
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#+name: vowels-featural-list
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#+begin_src emacs-lisp
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'("round"
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("nasal" "/ɔ̃/" "/u/")
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("low"
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("nasal" "/ã/" "/a/")
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("nasal" "/ɛ̃/" "/i/")))
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#+end_src
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*** Syllable and word structure
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| Group | Consonants |
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|-----------+--------------------------------------|
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| C | m n g mb nd nz p b t d z k q s h r l |
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| C_{2} | g p b t d z k q r h |
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| V | i u ẽ õ a ã |
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| V[-nasal] | i u a |
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| V[+nasal] | ã ẽ õ |
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Prefixes follow the (C_{2})V[-nasal] phonetic structure, with C_{2} being
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optional. Suffixes follow the CV[+nasal](C_{2}) structure with C_{2} being
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optional.
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Roots are a bit more complex, with a C(V[+nasal](C_{2})C)V[-nasal](C_{2})
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structure.
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The only consonants that can follow the vowels /õ/ and /ẽ/ are non-nasal
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plosive consonants. These two vowels cannot follow the consonants /m/,
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/n/, or /g/. If such an occurence is created be it while constructing a
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word or when they co-occur between words, a dummy {{{phon(u)}}} is added.
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A word may contain one or more core roots which affixes cannot
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separate but which can aggregate around this word core. A word can
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consist of its bare core only, or the core surrounded by affixes. The
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amount of prefixes and suffixes that can be possibly added is
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independent from the amount of compounds forming the core of a word.
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An example is *sahlud* (/life/), which is a compound of *sah* (/spirit, mind/)
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and *lud* (/breath, life/).
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** Grammar
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*** Word structure
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**** Affixes
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Most words in Zikãti is an agglutination of affixes around one or more
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roots or words. Roots are relatively rare to find by themselves since
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most of them are bound morphenes and not words by themselves, such as
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/kãti/ which expresses the idea of a mountain but doesn’t really mean
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anything on its own, speakers of Zikãti cannot use it by itself.
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For the meaning of some abbreviations in the list of prefixes and
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suffixes, see [[file:zikãti.md#abbreviations][Abbreviations]].
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***** Prefixes
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- hi- :: INSTV
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- hu- :: TOOL
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- i- :: COL
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- ka- :: POSSIB
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- pi- :: DIM
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- qa- :: AUG
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- qi- :: ADJ
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- qu- :: PROG
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- ra- :: LOC
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- ru- :: NEG
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- ti- :: CAUS
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- zi- :: PERS
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When the negative prefix is associated with a verb, it acts as a
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negative towards the verb itself.
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***** Suffixes
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- -dãt :: PART
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- -gãs :: AGAT
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- -hãr :: NECESS
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- -hẽ :: INTR
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- -kõt :: PARTN
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- -nzẽz :: AVER
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- -rã :: TR
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- -sõr :: NOMIN
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- -zãr :: PASS
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- -qã :: SUBJ, attaches to verbs only, see [[file:zikãti#subclauses][subclauses]]
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*** Word order
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Zikãti is a postpositional language following the SOV word order in
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main clauses, meaning the verb comes last whereas the subject comes
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first and the object slots itself between the subject and the verb.
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However, due to the language’s agglutinative nature, the speaker can
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omit them in the sentence if the verb’s agreement is enough in context
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to determine what is being talked about.
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#+html: ::: tip Example
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sahhẽqulur
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- sah-hẽ-qu-lur
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- spirit.mind-INTR-PROG-2sg.NOM.PST
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You were thinking
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#+html: :::
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#+html: ::: tip Example
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zimbi mbisõr mbirãilih
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- zi-mbi mbi-sõr mbi-rã-i-lih
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- PERS-meat.food meat.food-NOMIN meat.food-TR-3s.NOM.NPST-3s.ACC.NPST
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The cook prepares a meal
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#+html: :::
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Other elements that are not the subject or the object, such as a
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dative or an oblique element, get slotted between the subject and the
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object.
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#+html: ::: tip Example
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zimbi pimbi ziirailik timbirãhilih
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- zi-mbi pi-mbi zi-i-ra-i-lik ti-mbi-rã-hi-lih
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- PERS-meat.food DIM-COL-LOC-COL-person.human
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CAUS-meat.food-TR-3s.NOM.PST-3s.ACC.PST
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A cook fed a villager a snack
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#+html: :::
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**** Noun phrase order
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In noun phrases, adjectives, relatives clauses, numerals, possessives,
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and genitives preceed the noun while determiners follow it. By order
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of element closest to the noun, they rank as follows:
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- determiner
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- possessive
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- adjective
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- numeral
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- genitive
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- relative
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*** Verbs
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Verbs in Zikãti agree with their subject and object in person and
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number, with anaphoric clitics, but these clitics also indicate the
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tense of the verb. Zikãti has two tenses: past and non-past which
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expresses present and future as well as near-past when its events
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still carry over to the present.
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Anaphoric clitics are suffixed to the verb with the subject first
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followed by the object’s clitic.
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| | non-past subject | non-past object | past subject | past object |
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|-----+------------------+-----------------+--------------+-------------|
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| 1s | qa | tut | raq | qut |
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| 2s | lu | pia | lur | a |
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| 3s | i | lih | hi | lih |
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| 4s | bu | qur | bu | qur |
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| 1px | gai | ar | gai | tar |
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| 1pi | zu | iq | qir | zur |
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| 2p | lai | iaz | uit | iaz |
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| 3p | pi | up | au | up |
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#+html: ::: tip Example
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- kãtikõthẽqa :: I hike
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- kãtikõthẽbu :: it hikes
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- kãtikõthẽgai :: we (but not the interlocutor) hike
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#+html: :::
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If the verb has an oblique argument, it will require an accusative
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anaphoric clitic and use a second one to agree with this third
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argument. If no object is available, a dummy accusative clitic *lih* or
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*qur* is used as a placeholder. The choice is made depending on whether
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the dummy object can be an animate or inanimate object respectively.
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**** Subclauses
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When using a subclause, the verb must be used in the subjunctive. This
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simply means speakers must add the *-qã* suffix at the end of the verb
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but before its anaphoric clitics, and the subclause itself must end
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with the nominalizer *-sõr*. The subclauses agrees with other verbs with
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the fourth singular person.
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#+html: ::: tip Example
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gi qusahsõr mbihẽhãrqãsõr sahrãraqqur
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- from PROG-spirit.mind-NOMIN meat.food-INTR-NECESS-SUBJ-1s.NPST.NOM-NOMIN mind.spirit-TR-1s.PST.NOM-4s.PST.ACC
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- gi qu-sah-sõr mbi-hẽ-hãr-qã-qa-sõr sah-rã-raq-qur
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I remembered I have to cook
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#+html: :::
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** Abbreviations
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- ACC :: accusative
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- ADJ :: adjective
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- adj. :: adjective
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- adv. :: adverb
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- AGAT :: agative (prone to smth, liking)
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- AUG :: augmentative
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- AVER :: avertive, badness
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- CAUS :: causative
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- COL :: collective, collection
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- con. :: concept
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- DIM :: diminutive
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- INSTV :: instantiative
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- INTR :: intransitive verb
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- LOC :: locative
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- n. :: noun
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- NECESS :: necessitive
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- NEG :: negative
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- NOM :: nominative
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- NOMIN :: nominalisation, nominalizer
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- NPST :: non-past
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- OBL :: oblique
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- PART :: participle
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- PARTN :: partisan
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- PASS :: passive verb
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- PERS :: person
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- POSSIB :: possibility, capacity, ability
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- PROG :: progressive, process
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- PST :: past
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- SUBJ :: subjunctive, irrealis
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- TOOL :: thing, tool
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- TR :: transitive verb
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** Vocabulary
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*** banzi - hand
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- banzi (n.) :: hand
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*** banzida - nail (hand)
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See [[file:./zikãti#banzi-hand][banzi]] and [[file:./zikãti#da-bone][da]].
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- banzida (n.) :: nail (of a hand)
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*** da - bone
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- da (n.) :: bone
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*** disur - body
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- disur (n.) :: body
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*** disurda - skeleton
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See [[file:./zikãti#disur-body][disur]] and [[file:./zikãti#da-bone][da]].
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- disurda (n.) :: skeleton
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*** disurtaq - core entity
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See [[file:./zikãti#taq-core-kernel][taq]] and [[file:./zikãti#disur-body][disur]].
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- disurtaq (n., con.) :: core entity or body, main entity or body
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*** gi - from
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- gi (adv) :: from
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- gisõr (n.) :: origin
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*** hiti - fire, light
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- hiti (n.) :: fire, light
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*** hitimbi - hearth, coocked food
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See [[file:zikãti#hiti-fire-light][hiti]] and [[file:zikãti#mbi-meat-food][mbi]].
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- hitimbi (n.) :: hearth, coocked food
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*** hitimiz - tea
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See [[file:zikãti#hiti-fire-light][hiti]] and [[file:zikãti#miz-water-stream][miz]].
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- hitimiz (n.) :: tea
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*** keti - mountain
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- kãti (n., con.) :: mountain
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- kãtisõr :: a mountain
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- pikãti (n.) :: a hill
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- qakãti (n.) :: summit
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*** lik - person, human
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- lik (n., con.) :: person, human
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- ailik (n.) :: house
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- iailik (n.) :: village
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- ilik (n.) :: family, group of people
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- ziiailik (n.) :: villager
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- ziilik (n.) :: family member, member of a group
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*** lud - breath, life
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- lud (n., con.) :: breath, life
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*** ludmiz - blood
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See [[file:zikãti#lud-breath-life][lud]] and [[file:zikãti#miz-water-stream][miz]].
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- ludmiz (n.) :: blood
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*** mbi - meat, food
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- mbi (n.) :: meat, food
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- mbisõr (n.) :: a meal
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- mbihẽ (INTR) :: to cook, to prepare food
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#+html: ::: tip Example
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qumbihẽqa
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- qu-mbi-hẽ-qa
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- PROG-meat.food-INTR-1s
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I’m preparing food / I’m cooking
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#+html: :::
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- mbirã (TR) :: to cook (something)
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#+html: ::: tip Example
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zimbi mbisõr qumbirãiqur
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- zi-mbi mbi-sõr qu-mbi-rã-i-qur
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- PERS-meat.food meat.food-NOMIN PROG-meat.food-TR-3s.NOM-4s.ACC
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The cook is cooking the meal
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#+html: :::
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- mbirãzãr (TR) :: to be cooked by
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#+html: ::: tip Example
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mbisõr zimbi qumbirãzãrbulih
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- mbi-sõr zi-mbi qu-mbi-rã-zãr-bu-lih
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- meat.food-NOMIN PERS-meat.food PROG-meat.food-TR-PASS-4s.NOM-3s.ACC
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The meal is being cooked by the cook
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#+html: :::
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- qimbi (adj.) :: edible
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- mbidãt (adj.) :: cooked
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- zimbi (n.) :: a cook, chef
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- rambi (n.) :: a kitchen
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- zirambi (n.) :: a chef
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- humbi (n.) :: a knife
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- humbihẽ (INTR) :: to stick a knife in something
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- humbirã (TR) :: to cut
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- zihumbi (n.) :: a butcher
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- zihumbihẽ (INTR) :: to prepare meat
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- zihumbirã (TR) :: to butcher
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- humbirãsõr (n.) :: a cut
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- timbirã (TR) :: to feed someone
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This verb can take up to three arguments
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- The agent, the thing or being doing the feeding
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- The patient, the thing or being being fed something
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- The oblique, the thing or being used as food
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#+html: ::: tip Example
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timbirãraqqurlih
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- ti-mbi-rã-raq-qur-lih
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- CAUS-meat.food-TR-1s.PST.NOM-1pl.PST.ACC-4s.PST.OBL
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You were feeding it to us
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#+html: :::
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- timbihẽ (INTR) :: to feed oneself
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- qambi (n.) :: a meal, feast
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- pimbi (n.) :: a snack
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*** miz - water, stream
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- miz (n., con.) :: water, stream
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*** sah - spirit, mind
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- sah (n., con.) :: spirit, mind
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- sahsõr (n.) :: being with a mind
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- sahsõrnzẽz (n.) :: being without a mind
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- sahzãr (PASS) :: to be though of, to be remembered
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- sahhẽ (INTR) :: to dream, to have one’s mind escape, to mentally wander
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- sahrã (TR) :: to think about, to remember, to be aware of
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To explicitly say “to remember”, seakers can say “to think about
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something from memory”.
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- tisah (CAUS) :: to remind someone
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The subject is the agent, the object is the patient, and the objique
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is the thing brought to the patient’s mind by the agent
|
||
- qisah (adj) :: mindful, attentive
|
||
- qisahsõr (n.) :: mindfulness, attention
|
||
- sahdãt (adj) :: though of, known, present in the mind
|
||
- zisah (n.) :: philosopher, guru, scientist
|
||
- rasah (n.) :: temple, school
|
||
- husah (n.) :: deep though, important dialog, important speech (made
|
||
to make people think deeply)
|
||
- qusah (n.) :: thinking back, research
|
||
- qusahsõr (n.) :: memory, knowledge
|
||
- hisah (n.) :: idea, thought
|
||
- rusah (n.) :: memory loss, memory lapse
|
||
#+html: ::: tip Example
|
||
timbiaulihrãqãsõr rusahqalihrã
|
||
- ti-mbi-au-lih-rã-qã-sõr ru-sah-qu-lih-rã
|
||
- CAUS-meat.food-3pl.PST.NOM-3s.PST.ACC-TR-SUBJ-NOMIN NEG-spirit.mind-1s.NPST.NOM-3s.NPST.ACC-TR
|
||
- the fact that they were fed it / I do not think it
|
||
I do not think they were fed it
|
||
#+html: :::
|
||
- pisah (n.) :: light, small, shallow idea or though
|
||
- qusah (n.) :: concept
|
||
- kasah (n.) :: ability to think
|
||
- kasahdãt sahsõr :: sentient being (on a higher level than just *sahsõr*, beings with a mind)
|
||
- sahŋãs (n.) :: philosopher, intellectual
|
||
- asah (n.) :: inner, in our own mind, in our own being
|
||
- sahkõt (n.) :: opinion
|
||
- isah (n.) :: agreement
|
||
- isahkõt (n.) :: belief
|
||
- sahnzẽz (n.) :: mental illness or mental handicap
|
||
|
||
The Zikãti people categorize things, both living and inanimate, into
|
||
three categories:
|
||
- sahsõrnzẽz :: things without a mind, which regroup objects but also
|
||
a lot of living things that are not animals. Some exceptions do
|
||
exist, such as some trees (generaly notably old trees) and water are
|
||
ranked in the following category
|
||
- sahsõr :: things with a mind but not able to think. This regroups
|
||
most animals, but also sometimes humans when the speaker wants to
|
||
dehumanize them
|
||
- kasahdãt sahsõr :: beings able to think, regrouping mostly humans,
|
||
but also higher or spiritual beings, such as ghosts, gods, or highly
|
||
sacred objects or plants (the latter are generally trees that are
|
||
extremely important in religious settings).
|
||
|
||
While they might not consider plants to have a mind, the Zikãti people
|
||
believes all things are a conduit for the energy of the world, with
|
||
some elements being able to move, flourish, and perish while some
|
||
other things have the gift of being inanimate. These are simply
|
||
considered as properties given by this universal energy flowing
|
||
through all things and all beings.
|
||
|
||
Animate things are considered to be alive, and therefore have a mind
|
||
and emotions, even possibly a will. However, they are not able of
|
||
thought and are therefore limited in terms of intelligence and they
|
||
cannot be reasoned with.
|
||
|
||
Beings with a mind capable of thought are beings able to have complex
|
||
thoughts and actions, such as humans.
|
||
|
||
*** sahlud - life
|
||
See [[file:./zikãti#sah-spirit-mind][sah]] and [[file:zikãti.md#lud-breath-life-concept][lud]].
|
||
|
||
*** taq - core, kernel
|
||
- taq (n., con.) :: core, kernel
|
||
|
||
*** taqdisur - heart
|
||
See [[file:./zikãti#taq-core-kernel][taq]] and [[file:./zikãti#disur-body][disur]].
|
||
|
||
- taqdisur (n.) :: heart
|