Tazer

B {b] - boy   D [d] - Daniel   J [dʒ] - joy   F [f] - festival   G [ɡ] - gooseberry   Q/Gh [q] - Similar to cost (but deeper in the throat)   H {h] - hat   Y [j] - yard   K [kʰ] - cat   L {l] - land   M [m] - map   N [n] - neck   P [pʰ] - pen   R [ɾ] - Flapped or rolled R   S {s] - sock   Sh/Š [ ʃ ] - shake   T [tʰ] - tall   Ch/Č [tʃʰ] - chip   V [v] - oven   Kh/X {x] - loch (Scottish)   Z [z] - jazz   Zh/Ž [ʒ] - vision   No symbol [ʔ] - (Cockney button (GA and RP; see T-glottalization)       Marginal consonants   Ng [ŋ] - sing       Vowels:       A [æَ ]- bat   Â [ɒːَ] - Like the o of not in Received Pronunciation   E [eِ ] - bet   O [o] - short version of boat   I [iː] - beat   U/Oo/Ou [uː] - boot   Diphthongs   Ey [ejَ ] - bay   Ow [owَ ] - flow

Tazer has two numbers, Singular and Dual.   To show possession in Tazer, you must use one of these two sets, -e or -ye, -o or -yo and it indicates possession or association.   The typical human connector, as seen in Őntazra, Őntaz, and all other human languages, use -ta- to connect two words, Tazer's connector evolved into -e or -ye, used for possession, -o, -yo for association and as a partitive particle or connecting a noun to a verb. -â/-yâ, which is used as a temporal article, instrumental article, and a locative article, and -i, -ži when in a prepositional phrase to connect the word to the preposition. They can be used interchangeably. That being said, sometimes, they can replace the particles -o/-yo and -â/-yâ with -e/-ye, and rarely do the opposite. (I.E. -e/-ye is not replaced, whereas the others can be, although uncommon). However, replacing them are rare and mostly they don't outside of poetic needs and regional dialects.   Similarly to how Őntaz shortened the "-ía" to merely "-í," Tazer did so too.   To form a noun, in the sense of someone who performs X action, you can either add the ending "-i" which is most common in the southern dialects, or "-ig", which is the most common usage of it. For example, read to reader is Vâlidan to Vâlidanig. It can also form adjectives when connected to nouns, typically things "related to" or "pertaining to" that noun. For example, Geško to Geškonig.    

Pluralization

 

Nouns

  They have three numbers, however only two are commonly used.   Singular, Dual, and Plural, however dual is only used for natural pairs, like ears and eyes, not for two dogs or two trees.   Singular: Remains unchanged. For example: Voulam - Book   Dual: Only for natural pairs, add the ending "-e". For example: Xoše - Ears   Plural: Plural is very special, in the central regions of Awst-e shâ and is the original method, you add the ending "-i". For Example: Voulam - Voulami   Context is very important in plural because it is easy to get confused with the "-i" and the shortened ia, "-i".   Often times, Easterlings, especially in the younger generations, in the western regions of Awst-e shâ do not pluralize the noun. They will instead add the number, unless the number of things is unknown, then just at the word Some (or "Čant" in Tazer). For example: Čant voulam - Some books.   In the eastern regions will make it "-iš" instead, this is common amongst elders and youths to use this form rather than the "-i". For example: Voulam - Voulamiš  

Adjectives

  Adjectives must agree with the noun in number. The most common ending for adjectives, "-ley" however in the west, it is not uncommon to hear "-š" or "-eš" For example, in the common ending, "Voulami oulley" or "old books". Now in the eastern regions it becomes, "Voulamiš ouleš".  

Pronouns

 

Clarify Pronoun Usage and Forms

  Pronouns are complex, but for pluralization it's much more simple. Only personal and demonstrative pronouns become plural. They also do not have a form for Dual. The demonstrative pronouns are thus   Proximity:

• This - Im
• These - Imun

  Distance:

• That - Âl
• Those - Âlun

  Copula: The copula in Tazer is a word that combines the subject and its explanation. The verb “to be” is the English copula. Tazer has two copulas: An and Aŝt. Aŝt is used for existential interpretations, and has a negative counterpart iŝt.  

Pronouns

  Pronouns in Tazer have two forms, the standalone, and the possessive.  

Regular Pronouns

  I - Ko/-on   You - Vo/-et   He/She - Ton/-(t)ot   We - Fiâ/-âf   Y'all - Šovâ/-âvaŝt   They - Tetâ/-ât   To say, "this is my book" you say, "Im ko voulam aŝton" with Ko being put before the item and -on being put on the verb.   Here is that same sentence with the different pronouns:   "Im ko voulam aŝton   Im vo voulam aŝtet   Im ton voulam aŝtot   Imun fiâ voulam aŝtâf   Imun ŝovâ voulam aŝtâvaŝt   Imun tetâ voulam aŝtât  

Possessive Pronouns

  To say "This book is mine" you say, "Im voulam aŝt-e ko" You add the possessive connector, -e, to the verb and add the respective pronoun.   Im voulam aŝt-e ko   Im voulam aŝt-e vo   Im voulam aŝt-e ton   Imun voulam aŝt-e Fiâ   Imun voulam aŝt-e Šovâ   Imun voulam aŝt-e Tetâ"    

Cases

  the predicative nominal and the oblique case (used to mark nouns and pronouns as being direct and indirect objects) are used for other functions (indirect object, genitive possessor, complement of a preposition, subject/'agent' of the ergative construction). Case distinction is present in the plural of nouns, nouns of relationship (I.E. family terms) in the oblique, and in the first person singular pronoun.   The system is shown in the table below, using the words Jen, woman, and Mudar, Mother, as examples.     The Multiple Functions of the Oblique Case:  

• Direct Object: The oblique case marks direct objects of verbs in Tazer. For example:

"Jen-o mudâr" (woman-oblique sees mother-nominative) means, "The woman sees the mother."  

• Indirect Object: The oblique case can also mark indirect objects, often in combination with certain verbs or prepositions. For example:

"Ko Jen-i voulam-e dâdan" (I-nominative woman-oblique book-oblique give) means, "I give the book to the woman."  

• Possession: Highlight that the oblique is used for possessive constructions:

"Jen-e mudâr" means "The woman's mother."  

• Prepositional Complement: When a noun follows a preposition (like "in," "on," "under," "with"), it appears in the oblique case:

"Mudâr-i beh Jen-e" (mother-oblique with woman-oblique) meaning "with the woman's mother."   The Direct Case is unmarked, and is used primarily for Subjects of Intransitive Verbs, Subjects of Transitive Verbs in Nominative Alignment, and also used for simple subject-verb sentences without special marking.

• Subjects of Intransitive Verbs: Ko vâlidon ("I read")
• Subjects of Transitive verbs in nominative alignment: Jen mudâr dâdot -The woman sees the mother

  The Oblique Case is marked for various functions for each of purpose it serves.

• Direct and Indirect Objects
• Possession/Genitive
• Prepositional Complements
• Agent in the Ergative Construction: For transitive verbs in certain tenses/aspects, particularly the past.

  The Direct Object: Marked by the suffix, -jâ/-âjâ

• Jen-e mudârâjâ dâdot - The woman sees the mother

Here, the mother, mudâr, requires the -âjâ marker, because it is the direct object.   The Indirect Object: The Dative's Marker is -et.

• Ko Jenet voulam-e dâdan - I give the book to the woman

Here, the woman, Jen, acquires the -et ending to mark it as the recipient of the action.   Possession: Depending on the noun's ending letter, the ending would either be, -e, or -ye.

• Jen-e mudâr - The woman's mother

  Prepositional Complements: When a noun is in the ablative/is the object of a preposition, it will have the ending, -o, or -yo

• Mudâr-o beh Jen-e - With the woman's mother.

  Agent in Ergative Constructions: The Agent of a transitive verb in the past tense will take the oblique case, the patient (one affected by the action) remains in the direct case. It replaces the last vowel to an 'a', unless already an a, in which it becomes 'i'.

• Jan-e mudâr dâdot - The woman saw the mother

 

1. Direct Case: Unmarked; used for nominative subjects and ergative patients.
2. Oblique Markers:

• Direct Object (Accusative): -e or -i.
• Dative (Indirect Object): -et or -ti.
• Genitive (Possession): -en or -ye.
• Prepositional Complements: -i or -o.
• Ergative Agent (Past Tense): -e or -i for the agent performing the action.

  Ergative Construction Expansion:   For past tense and perfective aspect, transitive sentences may switch to an ergative pattern, where the subject, agent, takes on the oblique case and the object, patient, remains in the direct case.

• Jen-e voulam dâdot - The woman read the book.

Here, Jen is the agent in the ergative, and voulam is the object in the direct.   Relative Clauses with Oblique Case:   When forming relative clauses, the head noun retains its oblique or direct marking depending on its role in the subordinate clause.     The three most important tenses, and the three used the most are the future, past, and present perfects. There are, however, progressive aspects, future progressive, past progressive, and present progressive. There are not commonly used in daily speech, but when in a formal setting, or one is attempting to be very specific, they will use the progressive aspects.   There is also the perfective and imperfective aspects, (ongoing/habitual actions respectively).     There are four moods in Tazer. The indicative and imperative moods, for factual statements (indicative is the default form) and for commands (imperative) and the subjunctive and conditional, for hypotheticals/non-real situations, and if-then statements. The subjunctive and conditional have the same endings, so they are distinct depending on context.   Then there are the voices, Tazer only has the two standard voices, Active and Passive  

1. Infinitive: Base form of the verb (e.g., vâlidan, "to read").
2. Present tense: Default form with minimal marking is represented by the infinitive form.
3. Past tense: Remove the "-an" of the infinitive for past tense. Past tense is often implied in the sentence's context.
4. Future tense: Replace the -an with "-li".
5. Person: Distinct endings for different persons and pronouns.
6. Aspect:
   • Imperfective: Remove the "-an" and replace with "-ar".
   • Perfective: Replace the "-an" with, "-ât".
7. Mood:
   • Subjunctive: replace ending with -Kat
   • Imperative: Replace ending with "-âsh"
   • Conditional replace ending with "-Kish"
8. Voice: To make a verb passive change the ending to "-zhao".

  If the ending goes onto a consonant, and begins with a consonant, add 'e' before the ending, for example, ekish rather that kish.   Examples on the verb to read:  

1. Base Form (Infinitive): vâlidan (to read)
2. Present Tense: vâlidan
3. Past Tense: vâlid
4. Future Tense: vâlideli
5. Imperfective Aspect: vâlidar
6. Perfective Aspect: vâlidât
7. Subjunctive Mood: vâlidekat
8. Conditional Mood: vâlidekish
9. Imperative Mood: vâlidâsh
10. Passive Voice: vâlidezhao

    These endings can combine to have different moods, for example, to form the future perfective passive, you would have:  

1. Base verb: vâlidan
2. Remove "-an" and add perfective aspect "-ât": vâlidât
3. Add future tense "-li": vâlidâteli
4. Add passive voice "-zhao": vâlidâtelizhao

  Basically, start with the aspect, then the tense, and end with the mood and voice. If only combining Aspect and tense, start with aspect, end with tense, etc.   These combinations are extremely rare, and I must reiterate, that they most commonly use only the perfect tenses alone, and rarely ever combine them.       Verb Serialization: Two or more verbs can be combined to express a complex action. For example:   Ko mudâr-e âyâran vâlidan (I help mother to read) — Notice the two verbs joined without a conjunction.    

Derivational Morphology:

  Agent Nouns: Replacing the ending of a verb with -dar denotes someone who causes or brings about an action.

• Vâlidar - one who makes others read/a teacher.

  -ig, when placed on the ending of a verb, replaces the verb with the noun, represented as the doer of the verb.

• Čaštanig → Teacher

• Vâlidanig → Reader

 

Verb to Adjective

  Change the ending to -ax/-akh.   Vâlidan - To read → Vâlidax - Reading  

Nominalization

  Creating abstract nouns from verbs you change the 'n' in the ending to -ret.   Vâlidaret - The act of reading  

Augmentative and Diminutive Forms

 

Diminutive

 

Augmentative

   

Honourifics:

There are specifics particles used to signify formal tones, as well as specific titles given to certain peoples. These particles are often placed before the pronoun.

Tazer is an SOV language.   Interrogatives and Questions: You can enhance the structure of questions in Tazer by introducing specific interrogative particles or placing question words at the beginning of the sentence.   Interrogative words:   What: Am   Where: Zhâ   When: Čâr   Who: Tol   Why: Khâr     Am ko vâlidan voulam? (What book am I reading?)   Zhâ aŝtân voulam? (Where is the book?)     Yes/No Questions: You add the particle "-a/â" or "-imi/mi" to indicate the answer to a question.   -a/â - Yes   -imi/mi - No   Question: Vo âl vâlidan voulam? (Are you reading that book?)   Answer 1: Ko im voulam vâlidan-a? (Yes, I am reading this book)   Answer 2: Ko im voulam Vâlidan-imi (No, I am not reading this book)   There are two forms of negation for verbs:   Negation is done through the use of auxiliary verbs which is placed before the verb it negates.     Indefinite negation (no one or nothing):   na tet (nobody). Always used in unison   nalu (nothing).   This form of negation denies the presence or existence of an unspecified subject or object, and can be used in sentences to negate actions or states involving indefinite persons or things.   For example: "Na tet ijâ" - "Nobody is here."   Existential negation (non-existence): iŝt — there is not (used with Aŝt for existential).   Iŝt indicates the absence of something. For example, "Iŝt voulam" means "There is no book." It is typically used in contexts where the non-existence or absence of something specific or general is being emphasized.     Conditional Clauses: Conditional sentences are natural language sentences that express that one thing is contingent on something else. They use specific particles to represent condition.   The if-clause marker, "ki": Ki ko voulam vâlidan kish, ko mudâr-e âyâran (If I read the book, I will help my mother).   Tâsh: That/Which   Example: Ko vâlidon tâsh ton dâdot - I read the book that he gave.