Xânčʻəl Language
Xânčʻəl (pronounced [χɑːn.tʃʰəl]; which also uses the exonym Yakhathi or Yakhathian from the Xânčʻəl word Yâxâtʻ [jɑː.xaːtʰ] "people") is the language of the Yakhathi people of Qərə.
Phonology[edit | edit source]
Consonants[edit | edit source]
Xânčʻəl has a medium-sized consonant inventory comprising 31 segments. Its plosives and affricates exist in three forms (voiceless, voiced, and aspirated) and its fricatives in two (voiceless and voiced). It has five series of consonants plus one glottal sound, [h].
Labial | Alveolar | Palato-alveolar | Velar | Uvular | Glottal | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Plosive | Voiceless | [p] p | [t] t | [k] k | [q] q | ||
Voiced | [b] b | [d] d | [g] g | ||||
Aspirated | [pʰ] pʻ | [tʰ] tʻ | [kʰ] kʻ | [qʰ] qʻ | |||
Affricate | Voiceless | [ts] c | [tʃ] č | ||||
Voiced | [dz] ç | [dʒ] ç̌ | |||||
Aspirated | [tsʰ] cʻ | [tʃʰ] čʻ | |||||
Fricative | Voiceless | [f] f | [s] s | [ʃ] š | [x ~ χ] x | [h] h | |
Voiced | [v] v | [z] z | [ʒ] ž | [ɣ ~ ʁ] ğ | |||
Nasal | [m] m | [n] n | [ŋ] ng | ||||
Approximant | [l] l | [j] y |
Vowels[edit | edit source]
Xânčʻəl has seven vowel qualities, three of which have long versions, bringing the total to ten.
Front | Central | Back | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Short | Long | Short | Long | ||
Close | [i] i | [ɨ] ı | [ɯ] u | ||
Mid | [e] e | [eː] ê | [ə] ə | [o] o | [oː] ô |
Open | [ɑ] a | [ɑː] â |
Syntax[edit | edit source]
Xânčʻəl is an SOV language.
Nouns[edit | edit source]
Case and number[edit | edit source]
Nouns take a case and number suffix that exists in one of twelve forms:
Singular | Plural | |
---|---|---|
Agentive | -y (if possessive) | -tʻ |
Patientive | -əy | -ətʻ |
Dative | -ay | -atʻ |
Core | -uy | -utʻ |
Locative | -ôy | -ôtʻ |
Instrumental | -ıy | -ıtʻ |
Transitive verbs use the Agentive and Patientive cases. Intransitive verbs use the Core case, while ambivalent verbs use either the Agentive or Patientive case for their core argument if they are intransitive:
Below is an example of an ambivalent intransitive verb, taking the Agentive:
Vıyğor nôxəča.
V.-(AGN) eat:PRF-3sINTRNS
"Viyghor has eaten." (Intransitive)
And the same sentence made transitive, taking the Agentive and Patientive:
Vıyğor nəy nôxəčəv.
V.-(AGN) 3s-PTN eat:PRF-3sTRNS
"Viyghor has eaten it." (Transitive)
And a true intransitive verb, taking the Core:
Vıyğoruy əqeçqıa.
V.-CORE dance:NFUT-3sINTRNS
"Viyghor will dance." (Intransitive)
The Dative is used for the indirect object of a verb, as well as a locative case indicating direction or
Possession[edit | edit source]
There are six possessive suffixes:
First person | Second person | Third person | |
---|---|---|---|
Singular | -a | -e | -u |
Plural | -ə | -o | -i |
The possessive suffixes appear after case marking:
Qʻçərbıyu çıl "çıl šeyerôtʻ beqôtʻ ğıqıo çnaexupıy xoyudocʻ!" yêrvəv.
INDEF-father-AGN:SG-3s REL "REL mountain-LOC:PL cold-LOC:PL go:PFV:I-3-2s:2ARG NEG-fur.coat-INST" speak:IMP:II-2-3s:2ARG
"Their father said 'you cannot go to the mountains without a fur coat!'"