Tsāszáian

Natively known as: tsāszá /ʦāˈʂá/

This is a tonal language with three tones: High, mid, and low.  Being a mostly monosyllabic language, the construction of sentences depend intimately on the tones used and the particles that signify sections of the sentence. This helps speakers understand context. Due to this, the language can be difficult to learn if visitors speak a non-tonal language, as the differences in tone aren't always significant.
There are dialects to the west and east that have up to five tones.

• Syllable structure: consonant sets are always followed by a vowel. The only consonants allowed at the end of words is: z s ɭ ɱ ŋ ʥ ʨ v ʋ
• Stress pattern: Second — stress is on the second syllable

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Grammar

Main word order: Subject Object Verb (Prepositional phrase). “Mary opened the door with a key” turns into Mary the door opened with a key.
Adjective order: Adjectives are positioned before the noun.
Adposition: prepositions

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Nouns

Nouns are the only words that have affixes. All other signifiers for sentence parts uses particles. This seems to be an old relic to the language, where the particles formed from former affixes for the other sentence parts. This may be the influence of the language families to the south that heavily use particles.

	Singular	Plural	Paucal
Nominative	No affix vheī /ʋɛ̄/ cat (when doing the verb)	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɤ̄- Else: Prefix é- évheī /éˈʋɛ̄/ cats (when doing the verb)	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɖɤ́- Else: Prefix ɖɛ̄- deīvheī /ɖɛ̄ˈʋɛ̄/ a few cats (when doing the verb)
Accusative	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɤ̀- Else: Prefix ɛ̀- eìvheī /ɛ̀ˈʋɛ̄/ (verb done to) cat	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ʨɤ̄- Else: Prefix ʨɛ́- tzeívheī /ʨɛ́ˈʋɛ̄/ (verb done to) cats	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ʣɑ̄- Else: Prefix ʣɛ̄- dzeīvheī /ʣɛ̄ˈʋɛ̄/ (verb done to) a few cats
Genitive	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɑ̄- Else: Prefix á- ávheī /áˈʋɛ̄/ catʼs	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ʌ́- Else: Prefix é- évheī /éˈʋɛ̄/ catsʼ	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɯ́- Else: Prefix à- àvheī /àˈʋɛ̄/ a few cats'
Illative	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɯ̄- Else: Prefix á- ávheī /áˈʋɛ̄/ into (the/a) cat	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɑ́- Else: Prefix ē- ēvheī /ēˈʋɛ̄/ into (the/some) cats	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɯ̄- Else: Prefix ì- ìvheī /ìˈʋɛ̄/ into (the/few) cats
Inessive	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɤ́- Else: Prefix á- ávheī /áˈʋɛ̄/ inside (the/a) cat	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ʦɤ̄- Else: Prefix ʦí- tsívheī /ʦíˈʋɛ̄/ inside (the/some) cats	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɭɯ̀- Else: Prefix ɭì- rìvheī /ɭìˈʋɛ̄/ inside (the/few) cats
Elative	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ʣʌ̄- Else: Prefix ʣā- dzāvheī /ʣāˈʋɛ̄/ out of (the/a) cat	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ʌ̄- Else: Prefix í- ívheī /íˈʋɛ̄/ out of (the/some) cats	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɯ̀- Else: Prefix í- ívheī /íˈʋɛ̄/ out of (the/few) cats
Comitative	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɑ̄- Else: Prefix ɛ́- eívheī /ɛ́ˈʋɛ̄/ with (the/a) cat	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɖɯ́- Else: Prefix ɖì- dìvheī /ɖìˈʋɛ̄/ with (the/some) cats	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ʟɯ̀- Else: Prefix ʟà- làvheī /ʟàˈʋɛ̄/ with (the/few) cats
Essive	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɰɯ̄- Else: Prefix ɰɛ́- jeívheī /ɰɛ́ˈʋɛ̄/ period of time existing as (the/a) cat	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ʨɯ́- Else: Prefix ʨá- tzávheī /ʨáˈʋɛ̄/ time existing as (the/some) cats	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɠɯ́- Else: Prefix ɠí- gívheī /ɠíˈʋɛ̄/ time existing as (the/few) cats
Locative	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɣʌ́- Else: Prefix ɣā- xāvheī /ɣāˈʋɛ̄/ near/at/by (the/a) cat	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɤ́- Else: Prefix à- àvheī /àˈʋɛ̄/ near/at/by (the/some) cats	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix χɯ̀- Else: Prefix χá- xhávheī /χáˈʋɛ̄/ near/at/by (the/few) cats
Ablative	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix çɯ́- Else: Prefix çì- cìvheī /çìˈʋɛ̄/ away from (the/a) cat	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɑ̄- Else: Prefix é- évheī /éˈʋɛ̄/ from (the/some) cats	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɯ̄- Else: Prefix ɛ́- eívheī /ɛ́ˈʋɛ̄/ from (the/few) cats
Instrumental	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɑ̀- Else: Prefix ī- īvheī /īˈʋɛ̄/ with/by (the/a) cat	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɤ̄- Else: Prefix á- ávheī /áˈʋɛ̄/ with/by (the/some) cats	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɰʌ́- Else: Prefix ɰé- jévheī /ɰéˈʋɛ̄/ with/by (the/few) cats
Subessive	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ʌ̀- Else: Prefix ē- ēvheī /ēˈʋɛ̄/ under (the/a) cat	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ʦʌ́- Else: Prefix ʦì- tsìvheī /ʦìˈʋɛ̄/ under (the/some) cats	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ʌ̄- Else: Prefix ī- īvheī /īˈʋɛ̄/ under (the/few) cats
Superessive	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ʌ̄- Else: Prefix ɛ́- eívheī /ɛ́ˈʋɛ̄/ on (the/a) cat	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ʌ̀- Else: Prefix ɛ̄- eīvheī /ɛ̄ˈʋɛ̄/ on (the/some) cats	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix χʌ̄- Else: Prefix χɛ̀- xheìvheī /χɛ̀ˈʋɛ̄/ on (the/few) cats
Temporal	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ʌ́- Else: Prefix í- ívheī /íˈʋɛ̄/ when/at (the/a) cat	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɯ́- Else: Prefix á- ávheī /áˈʋɛ̄/ when/at (the/some) cats	If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɣɤ́- Else: Prefix ɣī- xīvheī /ɣīˈʋɛ̄/ when/at (the/few) cats

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Adjective

Placed between the Adjective and the noun.

Nominative	voù /vɤ̀/ adjective for subject of sentence
Accusative	íchz /íʥ/ adjective for object of sentence
Genitive	szàv /ʂàv/ adjective for object belong to subject or object
Illative	īv /īv/ adjective for nouns denoting into
Inessive	més /ɱés/ adjective for nouns denoting inside
Elative	pé /pé/ adjective for nouns denoting out of
Comitative	geí /ɠɛ́/ adjective for nouns denoting with
Essive	gō /ɠʌ̄/ adjective for nouns denoting period of time existing
Locative	zhō /ʑʌ̄/ adjective for nouns denoting near/at/by
Ablative	zí /zí/ adjective for nouns denoting away/from
Instrumental	á /á/ adjective for nouns denoting with/by
Subessive	vhìtz /ʋìʨ/ adjective for nouns denoting under
Superessive	nù /ŋɯ̀/ adjective for nouns denoting on
Temporal	joú /ɰɤ́/ adjective for nouns denoting when/at

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Pronouns

	Singular	Plural	Paucal
1st person	jhoú /ʕɤ́/ I, me, mine	coù /çɤ̀/ we, us, ours	xhàn /χàŋ/ a few of us
2nd person	dó /ɖʌ́/ you, yours	tsò /ʦʌ̀/ you all, yours (pl)	dà /ɖà/ a few of you
3rd person	dzā /ʣā/ he, she, him, her, his, hers, it, its	cà /çà/ they, them, theirs	eír /ɛ́ɭ/ a few of them

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Numbers

Tsāszáian has a base-10 number system:

• 1 - lāvh
  
• 2 - dàzácí
• 3 - chzāné
  
• 4 - ūmú
• 5 - xés
  
• 6 - réz
• 7 - vhòn
  
• 8 - cùn
• 9 - szér
  
• 10 - xívhè
• Hundred - szàv
  
• Thousand - xòn

Writing System

Spelling rules:

Pronunciation	Spelling
ç	c
ɕ	ch
ʣ	dz
ʥ	chz
ɖ	d
ɠ	g
ʟ	l
ɭ	r
ɱ	m
ŋ	n
p	p
ʂ	sz
ʨ	tz
ʦ	ts
ɰ	j
v	v
ʋ	vh
w	w
ʑ	zh
ʕ	jh
χ	xh
ɣ	x
ħ	h
s	s
z	z
ɑ	aa
ɛ	ei
ɤ	ou
i	i
ʌ	o
ɯ	u
e	e
a	a

Geographical Distribution

Spoken in Southern Sefutji. Predominately located along the river Oūvù (/ɤ̄ˈvɯ̀/), which flows from the volcanic mountain range to the northeast, at the southern edge of sjàDhë̀sian territory.

Phonology

Spelling & Phonology

Consonant inventory: p s v w z ç ħ ŋ ɕ ɖ ɠ ɣ ɭ ɰ ɱ ʂ ʋ ʑ ʕ ʟ ʣ ʥ ʦ ʨ χ

↓Manner/Place→	Bilabial	Labiodental	Alveolar	Retroflex	Alveolo-palatal	Palatal	Velar	Uvular	Pharyngeal
Nasal		ɱ					ŋ
Stop	p			ɖ
Implosive							ɠ
Affricate			ʦ ʣ		ʨ ʥ
Fricative		v	s z	ʂ	ɕ ʑ	ç	ɣ	χ	ħ ʕ
Approximant		ʋ					ɰ
Lateral approximant				ɭ			ʟ

Co-articulated phonemes

↓Manner/Place→	Labial-velar
Approximant	w

Vowel inventory: a e i ɑ ɛ ɤ ɯ ʌ Vowel harmony is used. Vowel set 1 is front vowels, and set 2 is back vowels. A word will never have both sets; a word will have one set or the other.
Tones: ́ ̄ ̀ signified with diacritics marks.

	Front	Back
High	i	ɯ
High-mid	e	ɤ
Low-mid	ɛ	ʌ
Low	a	ɑ

Morphology

Derivational morphology

• Adjective → adverb = If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɯ́-
  Else: Prefix ī-
  
• Adjective → noun (the quality of being [adj]) = If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɑ́-
  Else: Prefix à-
  
• Verb → adjective (likely to do [verb]) = If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ʌ́-
  Else: Prefix é-
  
• Adjective → verb (to make something [adj]) = If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ʌ̀-
  Else: Prefix ɛ́-
  
• Noun → adjective (having the quality of [noun]) = If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɑ̀-
  Else: Prefix ī-
  
• Noun → adjective relating to noun (e.g. economy → economic) = If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɕɑ̀-
  Else: Prefix ɕí-
  
• Noun to verb = If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix sɑ̀-
  Else: Prefix sā-
  
• Noun → verb (to create [noun]) = If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɑ́-
  Else: Prefix ì-
  
• Verb → adjective (result of doing [verb]) = If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ʦɑ̀-
  Else: Prefix ʦɛ̀-
  
• Tending to = If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɤ̀-
  Else: Prefix è-
  
• Verb → noun (the act of [verb]) = If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ʣɯ́-
  Else: Prefix ʣí-
  
• Verb → noun that verb produces (e.g. know → knowledge) = If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix çɑ́-
  Else: Prefix çé-
  
• One who [verb]s (e.g. paint → painter) = If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɯ̀-
  Else: Prefix ɛ̀-
  
• Place of (e.g. wine → winery) = If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɤ́-
  Else: Prefix ē-
  
• Diminutive = If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɯ́-
  Else: Prefix ɛ́-
  
• Augmentative = If contains {ɯ,ɤ,ʌ,ɑ}: Prefix ɯ̀-
  Else: Prefix ī-

Phonetics

Words are created through roots plus a clarifying word or particle. These are common roots that appear in many words. The root is shown in the IPA standard.

• acce : root = ɖɯ̄
• acti : root = ʣɛ̄
• anti : root = pā
• aqua : root = ʦɯ̀
• arach : root = ɯ̄ʥ
• astro : root = ɖɛ́
• bari : root = ʋàz
• beaut : root = çɯ̀
• bi : root = ɰì
• bio : root = χʌ̀
• boun : root = éʋ
• bureau : root = ʥɯ́
• cal : root = çɯ̀
• cath : root = ɰēʋ
• chan : root = é
• chem : root = ʥé
• cir : root = é
• col : root = ɛ́v
• dia : root = ɯ́
• dis : root = é
• edi : root = ɠì
• em : root = ʂɑ̀
• epi : root = ħʌ̄
• ex : root = ɱɯ́
• foc : root = ɰɯ́
• frac : root = ʨī
• gamma : root = zɑ́
• geo : root = ā
• gran : root = ʟʌ̄
• grav : root = í
• hab : root = ɱɑ́z
• heli : root = ɖɛ́
• indi : root = ɤ́z
• jus : root = ɤ̄
• ki : root = ʦì
• lab : root = ŋɤ̄
• lang : root = ŋè
• li : root = ʕì
• lin : root = wīŋ
• loc : root = wīzáʨ
• log : root = ʋʌ́ʨ
• lum : root = ʥɯ̄
• lux : root = wè
• ly : root = ʣɤ̀
• mach : root = ʥí
• mag : root = çɑ̄
• mech : root = ɰī
• medi : root = sɑ̄
• meme : root = ɠɛ́
• merch : root = ʦʌ́
• meso : root = ɛ̄ʑɛ̄ɱ
• mid : root = ɯ́ŋ
• min : root = ɛ̄ɕí
• mod : root = ʟá
• mole : root = ē
• mono : root = zéŋ
• morph : root = ɠɤ́
• mosqui (stinging insect) : root = āŋ
• mount : root = ī
• mule (infertile beast) : root = ɭɯ̀
• multi : root = ʦʌ̄z
• musi : root = ʌ́ʨ
• noc : root = wè
• oct : root = ʥɑ̀ʋ
• org : root = ɣɯ́
• para : root = ɕí
• ped : root = ɑ̄
• phys : root = ī
• plasm : root = ʂʌ̀
• plat : root = ħá
• pol : root = ħɤ̀
• poly : root = ví
• prag : root = ʟɯ̀
• pro : root = ɠī
• psych : root = ʥíɖà
• quad : root = vɑ̄s
• quant : root = ɕɯ̄
• sapro : root = ʂɯ̄ʥ
• scalar : root = ɭēɕí
• sec : root = pʌ̀ɱ
• sib : root = wīʂì
• spec : root = ʨɤ̄
• stat : root = ʨìʥ
• stub : root = ʂɤ̄
• sub : root = ɯ̄
• sup : root = ɛ̀
• sus : root = ʂī
• sym : root = í
• tech : root = ʥà
• tele : root = sɤ́
• temp : root = ʋɯ́
• ultra : root = zī
• uni : root = sɑ̀
• veg : root = ɛ̄
• vio : root = ʦɛ̀
• yester : root = pɛ́
• zygo : root = ʣɯ̄
• neut : root = ɰìs
• nano : root = í

Tenses

Verbs

Verbs are denoted by a particle before it. This particle signifies the tense and mood/aspect of that verb. Tense is always placed after the mood particle.

Tense particles

Always placed after mood particles.

	Perfective	Perfect	Habitual	Continuous	Generic	Stative	Inchoative	Ingressive	Cessative
Past	pí /pí/ event in whole (ate)	rì /ɭì/ (had eaten)	lè /ʟè/ repetitive actions temporarily (had been eating)	chzí /ʥí/ continuous action (was eating)	ì /ì/ verb is a true statement	szī /ʂī/ ongoing situation but not evolving	cā /çā/ start of new static state	ó /ʌ́/ start of dynamic state (started to eat)	doù /ɖɤ̀/ end of event (was done eating)
Present	é /é/ event in whole (eat)	voú /vɤ́/ (have eaten)	szaà /ʂɑ̀/ repetitive actions temporarily (have been eating)	rū /ɭɯ̄/ continuous action (am eating)	jī /ɰī/ verb is a true statement	chā /ɕā/ ongoing situation but not evolving	pē /pē/ start of new static state	dzō /ʣʌ̄/ start of dynamic state (start to eat)	wā /wā/ end of event (done eating)
Future	gè /ɠè/ event in whole (will eat)	aā /ɑ̄/ (will have eaten)	wāv /wāv/ repetitive actions temporarily (will have been eating)	nú /ŋɯ́/ continuous action (will be eating)	ō /ʌ̄/ verb is a true statement	roū /ɭɤ̄/ ongoing situation but not evolving	waàm /wɑ̀ɱ/ start of new static state	vī /vī/ start of dynamic state (will start to eat)	úr /ɯ́ɭ/ end of event (will be done eating)

Mood particles

These come before the tense particle. The verb word itself should end the sentence.

Indicative	vhē /ʋē/ factual statement or witnessed observation
Conditional	cì /çì/ event is conditional on something else
Subjunctivei	mé /ɱé/ hypothetical situations
Subjunctiveii	dzeín /ʣɛ́ŋ/ expressing emotions or how the body feels
Subjunctiveiii	moù /ɱɤ̀/ expressing opinions
Imperative	vhà /ʋà/ commands
Optative	xáchz /ɣáʥ/ expressing wishes or hopes
Potential	zhí /ʑí/ probability something will happen
Presumptive	jív /ɰív/ expressing a hypothesis or statement that is not factual
Presumptivei	ū /ɯ̄/ expressing doubt or concern
Inferential	tzoú /ʨɤ́/ reporting on event without confirming it
Interrogative	dùs /ɖɯ̀s/ expressing a question

Dictionary

4273 Words.

Successor Languages

• Dialect of Tsāszáian

Spoken by

• éTsāszáian

Common Unisex Names

• Òdūs /ʌ̀ˈɖɯ̄s/ 
• Zheījhī /ʑɛ̄ˈʕī/ 
• Tseīs /ʦɛ̄s/ 
• Zhaās /ʑɑ̄s/ 
• Dèszè /ɖèˈʂè/ 
• Líchz /ʟíʥ/ 
• Xhōs /χʌ̄s/