Natively known as: Ribem /riˈbem/
...and he stood holding his hat and turned his wet face to the wind...
ku thab ra tormut lin ra ku ra tathi lapf voch lit khuro
Pronunciation: /kʊ θab rə ˈtormut lin rə kʊ rə ˈtaθi ǀapf voʧ lit ˈxʊro/
Ribem - Mormai Dialect word order: and stood his hat holding he and his wet face turned to the wind
Spelling & Phonology
Consonant inventory: /b k l m n p͡f r s t v x ǀ ɸ ʃ ʦ ʧ θ/
| ↓Manner/Place→ |
Bilabial |
Labiodental |
Dental |
Alveolar |
Palato-alveolar |
Palatal |
Velar |
| Nasal |
m |
|
|
n |
|
|
|
| Stop |
b |
|
|
t |
|
|
k |
| Affricate |
|
|
|
ʦ |
ʧ |
|
|
| Fricative |
ɸ |
v |
θ |
s |
ʃ |
|
x |
| Trill |
|
|
|
r |
|
|
|
| Lateral approximant |
|
|
|
l |
|
|
|
|
|
Vowel inventory: /a e i o u ə ɪ ʊ/
|
Front |
Central |
Back |
| High |
i |
|
u |
| Near-high |
ɪ |
|
ʊ |
| High-mid |
e |
|
o |
| Mid |
|
ə |
|
| Low |
a |
|
|
Syllable structure: (C)V(C)
Stress pattern: No fixed stress
Word initial consonants: b, k, l, m, n, pf, r, t, v, x, ǀ, ɸ, ʃ, ʧ, θ
Mid-word consonants: b, bb, bm, bn, bs, bʃ, k, km, kn, kʦ, l, lb, ll, lʃ, lʧ, m, mk, ml, mǀ, mǃ, mʃ, mʧ, n, nb, nl, nn, ns, nt, nx, nʦ, nʧ, pf, r, rm, rn, rʧ, s, sb, sk, sn, sr, sx, sʧ, t, tb, tl, tr, ts, tv, tx, tʃ, tʦ, tʧ, v, vl, x, xl, xm, xn, xr, xs, ǀ, ɸ, ʃ, ʃb, ʃl, ʃm, ʃn, ʃt, ʃʧ, ʦ, ʦk, ʦl, ʦn, ʧ, ʧl, ʧn, θ, θm
Word final consonants: b, k, l, m, n, pf, r, t, v, x, ɸ, ʃ, ʧ
Phonological changes (in order of application):
- o → e / _s
- n → ŋ / _#
- t → s / _i
- s → h / #_
- o → ɔ / _N
- ǀ → t / _V
- ǀ → t / V_
Spelling rules:
| Pronunciation |
Spelling |
| ʦ |
ts |
| ɪ |
i |
| ə |
a |
| ʊ |
u |
| ɸ |
p |
| θ |
th |
| ʃ |
sh |
| x |
kh |
| ʧ |
ch |
Grammar
Main word order: Object Verb (Prepositional phrase) Subject. "Mary opened the door with a key" turns into
The door opened with a key Mary.
Adjective order: Adjectives are positioned before the noun.
Adposition: prepositions
Nouns
Articles
| Definite |
pan /ɸan/
the |
| Indefinite |
rot /rot/
a, some |
Pronouns
| 1st singular |
i /i/
I, me, mine |
| 2nd singular |
mi /mi/
you, yours |
| 3rd singular masc |
ra /rə/
he, him, his |
| 3rd singular fem |
nu /nʊ/
she, her, hers |
| 3rd singular neut |
ǀi /ǀi/
it, its |
| 1st plural |
pa /ɸə/
we, us, ours |
| 2nd plural |
khot /xot/
you all, yours (pl) |
| 3rd plural masc |
rom /rom/
they (masc), them (masc), theirs (masc) |
| 3rd plural fem |
chit /ʧɪt/
they (fem), them (fem), theirs (fem) |
| 3rd plural neut |
nu /nu/
they (neut), them (neut), theirs (neut) |
Possessive determiners
| 1st singular |
nu /nu/
my |
| 2nd singular |
kum /kʊm/
your |
| 3rd singular masc |
ra /rə/
his |
| 3rd singular fem |
mip /miɸ/
her |
| 3rd singular neut |
thakh /θax/
its |
| 1st plural |
nipf /nɪpf/
our |
| 2nd plural |
shu /ʃu/
your (pl) |
| 3rd plural masc |
ku /ku/
their (masc) |
| 3rd plural fem |
pfo /p͡fo/
their (fem) |
| 3rd plural neut |
ve /ve/
their (neut) |
Verbs
|
Present |
Past |
Remote past |
| 1st singular |
Prefix ʧɪ-
chithat /ʧɪˈθat/
(I) learn |
Prefix e-
ethat /eˈθat/
(I) learned |
If ends with vowel: Suffix -t
Else: Suffix -ɪ
thatit /θaˈtɪt/
(I) learned (lonɡ aɡo) |
| 2nd singular |
Suffix -ɪ
thati /θaˈtɪ/
(you) learn |
Prefix ʃu-
shuthat /ˈʃuθat/
(you) learned |
Suffix -ik
thatik /θaˈtik/
(you) learned (lonɡ aɡo) |
| 3rd singular masc |
If ends with vowel: Suffix -ɸ
Else: Suffix -aɸ
thatap /θaˈtaɸ/
(he) learns |
If starts with vowel: Prefix ch-
Else: Prefix chɪ-
chithat /ʧɪˈθat/
(he) learned |
Suffix -u
thatu /ˈθatu/
(he) learned (lonɡ aɡo) |
| 3rd singular fem |
Suffix -a'v
thatav /ˈθatəv/
(she) learns |
Prefix ɪ-
ǐthat /ˈɪθat/
(she) learned |
Suffix -ɪt
thatit /θaˈtɪt/
(she) learned (lonɡ aɡo) |
| 3rd singular neut |
Prefix nu-
nuthat /ˈnuθat/
(it) learns |
If ends with vowel: Suffix -t
Else: Suffix -et
thatet /ˈθatet/
(it) learned |
If ends with vowel: Suffix -t
Else: Suffix -et
thate /θaˈtet/
(it) learned (lonɡ aɡo) |
| 1st plural |
If starts with vowel: Prefix m-
Else: Prefix mu-
muthat /ˈmuθat/
(we) learn |
If ends with vowel: Suffix -n
Else: Suffix -an
thatan /ˈθatan/
(we) learned |
Prefix bʊ-
buthat /ˈbʊθat/
(we) learned (lonɡ aɡo) |
| 2nd plural |
If ends with vowel: Suffix -v
Else: Suffix -uv
thatuv /θaˈtuv/
(you all) learn |
If ends with vowel: Suffix -m
Else: Suffix -ɪm
thatim /θaˈtɪm/
(you all) learned |
If ends with vowel: Suffix -l
Else: Suffix -al
thatal /θaˈtal/
(you all) learned (lonɡ aɡo) |
| 3rd plural masc |
Prefix ə-
athat /ˈəθat/
(they) learn |
If starts with vowel: Prefix ɸ-
Else: Prefix ɸə-
pǎthat /ɸəˈθat/
(they) learned |
If ends with vowel: Suffix -k
Else: Suffix -ik
thatik /ˈθatik/
(they) learned (lonɡ aɡo) |
| 3rd plural fem |
Suffix -i
thati /ˈθati/
(they) learn |
Suffix -ə
thata /ˈθatə/
(they) learned |
If ends with vowel: Suffix -pf
Else: Suffix -ipf
thatipf /θaˈtipf/
(they) learned (lonɡ aɡo) |
| 3rd plural neut |
If ends with vowel: Suffix -n
Else: Suffix -ən
thatan /ˈθatən/
(they) learn |
Suffix -ʊ
thatu /ˈθatʊ/
(they) learned |
If starts with vowel: Prefix b-
Else: Prefix bʊ-
buthat /ˈbʊθat/
(they) learned (lonɡ aɡo) |
Ribem - Mormai Dialect uses a standalone particle word for future tense:
| Future |
Particle before the verb: kɪv -
kiv that /kɪv θat/
will learn |
Imperfective aspect
The ‘imperfective’ aspect refers to ongoing actions, such as
I am learning and habitual actions, such as
I learn (something new every day).
Ribem - Mormai Dialect uses an affix for imperfective:
| Imperfective |
If starts with vowel: Prefix m-
Else: Prefix mɪ-
mithat /ˈmɪθat/
learns/is learninɡ |
Perfect aspect
The perfect aspect in English is exemplified in ‘I have read this book’, which expresses an event that took place before the time spoken but which has an effect on or is in some way still relevant to the present.
Ribem - Mormai Dialect uses an affix for the perfect aspect:
| Perfect |
If starts with vowel: Prefix l-
Else: Prefix li-
lithat /ˈliθat/
have learned |
Numbers
Ribem - Mormai Dialect has a base-20 number system:
1 - ta
2 - lat
3 - tob
4 - pak
5 - pfa
6 - i
7 - la
8 - nu
9 - tik
10 - tu
11 - lakhsit
12 - thannuv
13 - pfasre
14 - tubbiv
15 - tutbi
16 - rosru
17 - khoko
18 - thanu
19 - rat
20 - bulub
21 - bulubtat “twenty-one”
400 - that chukhru “one fourhundred”
401 - tat chukhru tat “one fourhundred one”
800 - lat chukhru “two fourhundred”
8000 - tat kitshu “one eightthousand”
Derivational morphology
Adjective → adverb = Prefix i-
Adjective → noun (the quality of being [adj]) = Prefix və-
Adjective → verb (to make something [adj]) = If starts with vowel: Prefix pf-
Else: Prefix pfa-
Noun → adjective (having the quality of [noun]) = Prefix ǀi-
Noun → adjective relating to noun (e.g. economy → economic) = Prefix ə-
Noun to verb = If starts with vowel: Prefix m-
Else: Prefix me-
Verb → adjective (result of doing [verb]) = Prefix ro-
Tending to = Prefix ʊ-
Verb → noun (the act of [verb]) = If starts with vowel: Prefix b-
Else: Prefix bɪ-
Verb → noun that verb produces (e.g. know → knowledge) = If starts with vowel: Prefix r-
Else: Prefix rə-
One who [verb]s (e.g. paint → painter) = If starts with vowel: Prefix k-
Else: Prefix kɪ-
Place of (e.g. wine → winery) = If starts with vowel: Prefix m-
Else: Prefix mi-
Diminutive = If starts with vowel: Prefix v-
Else: Prefix vo-
Augmentative = Prefix i-
Comments