Classical Ĝate n Tim Ar (hereinafter CT) is a Tim Ar-O language and was spoken at the zenith of the Classical Period of Tim Ar history. It was the dominant language until their conquest at the hands of the Khaya and the Uhuiquénta, after which point it fragmented into dozens of smaller languages.
The situation in Proto-Tim Ar-O
Proto-Tim Ar-O is reconstructed as having had the following phonology:
*m *n *ŋ
*p *b *t *d *k *g *q *ɢ *ʔ
*s *z *ʃ *ʒ *h
*ɬ *ɮ
*ɹ
*l
*j *w *ʁ
*e *o
All resonants could stand as syllable nuclei; *j *w *ʁ apparently had syllabic allophones [*i *u *a].
The syllable structure appears to have been (C)(R)V(C), where R is any sonorant and V is any full vowel or syllabic sonorant.
From Point A to Point Á: Phonological Development of CT
- Tone split:
- Voiced onsets—and *ʔ—yielded a low tone on the following vowel whereas unvoiced (except *ʔ) or null onsets gave a high tone.
- Sequences *V₀ʔV₀ and *V₀hV₀ contracted to yield low- or high-tone vowels, respectively.
- Cluster resolution and metathesis:
- Triconsonantal clusters were dealt with as follows:
- If the cluster consisted of a resonant preceding two obstruents, the resonant was dropped.
- If the above condition was not met, the third consonant dropped.
- Clusters involving *ɹ *l also simplified:
- *p and *ɬ deleted before *l; *t *k *q *s *x combined with it to form *ɬ.
- *p *t *k *q *s *x *ɬ combined with *ɹ to form *ʃ.
- After this, sandhi rules changed the plural marker from a standalone word to a proclitic. The eroded plural marker then triggered metathesis of a following CVC sequence to VCC; that is, *#ɹa=CVC > *#aɹCVC > *#əɹVCC > *#VCC. This once more permitted clusters of three consecutive consonants in the language, though these only appear in plural forms (e.g., híðia ~ íhðia). Extensive analogy has converted this to a productive plural pattern.
- New syllabic *ʁ appears to have vocalized at this time; this ultimately leads to forms such as łoʕ ~ oła.
- Triconsonantal clusters were dealt with as follows:
- Fricative processes:
- *q lenited to *x.
- *s *ʃ shifted forward to *θ *s.
- Vocalic developments:
- Two vowels of unlike frontness/backness (*a was exempt from this process) merged into a vowel with the height, tone, and place of articulation of the second vowel and the roundedness of the first—e.g., *u˩e˥ > /ø˥/.
- *ʔ dropped, leading to hiatus.
- *w *j near a vowel then gained fully vocalic surface forms.
- *ʁ backed to a pharyngeal resonant /ʕ/.
- End-state processes: These remained productive into the CT period.
- Consonants, with the exception of *h, voiced when in between two voiced sounds within a word.
- Additionally, the low vowel *a fronted slightly to [æ] immediately preceding a nasal.
The following consonants exist in CT:
m n ŋ m n ĝ
t k t k
θ s x h ð s ȝ h
ɬ ł
ɹ ʕ r ʕ
l l
The following vowels are attested; the romanizations are for low tone and high tone, respectively.
i y ɯ u i ü ï u / í û î ú
e ø ɤ o e ö ë o / é ô ê ó
a a / á
Syllabic consonants do not take contrastive tone or allow coda consonants and are as follows:
m̩ n̩ ŋ̩ ɹ̩ l̩ m n ĝ r l
The following syllable shapes are attested (X stands for a syllabic consonant):
- V
- X
- CV
- CX
- CVC
- VC
- VCC (only attested in plural nouns, q.v.)
In terms of sandhi, when the genitive particle (m, n, or ĝ, as appropriate) precedes a nasal in the next words, that nasal elides.
n noȝo ü /n̩ no˩xo˩ y˩/ → n 'oȝo ü [n‿o˩ɣo˩ y˩] 'of the nojo-plant'
This contrasts with vowel-initial words:
n oȝo ü /n̩ o˩xo˩ y˩/ → n oȝo ü [n̩ o˩ɣo˩ y˩] 'of the washbasin'
Word order basics
CT has a VOS word order.
- asr
- see
- łn
- 2SG
- ĝus
- 1SG
'I see you'
The language tends to be, but is not always, head-initial. Aspect particles notably precede the verb they govern.
- oltłe
- lyric/PL
- ðése
- just
- ü
- DEF
'the right lyrics'
- ałaʕ
- DPRF
- takðé
- hide
- usen
- in.those.days
- hé
- 3SG
'he would hide back in those days'
CT doesn't have postpositions as much as it has what WALS calls inpositions. These immediately succeed the governed noun and come before any other modifiers.
- háʕán
- sun
- ĝöl
- because.of
- kiĝ
- red
- ü
- DET
'because of the red sun'
Pluralization in CT
Plurals are usually formed one of two ways: Metathesis or appending a pluralizing particle. As a rule of thumb, consonants with an initial consonant metathesize the plural; vowel-initial words take the particle ar.
- híðia
- scorpion
- íhðia
- scorpion/PL
- unolo
- swarm
- ar
- PL
If the first vowel in the word is a front rounded vowel or a back unrounded vowel, then the vowel "decomposes". The first vowel becomes a low-tone /i/ if the vowel is back unrounded or /u/ if the vowel is front rounded. The second vowel retains its height but is either back rounded or front unrounded, respectively. This rule is due to the historical development of the language (v.s.).
- lôr
- locust
- ulér
- locust/PL
- hütor
- cloud
- uhitor
- cloud/PL
- kîl
- songbird
- ukíl
- songbird/PL
- ʕërïl
- wildfire
- oʕerïl
- wildfire/PL
The Seven Kill Stele
Because you just have to.
Këtén ïskéł toálo maȝĝ ar ʕáite ðeȝá ahðál lełi.
Ím ïskéł men láðît ar tirí ðm ʕáite ahðál.
Nihus. Nihus. Nihus. Nihus. Nihus. Nihus. Nihus.
- këtén
- bring
- ïskéł
- thing
- toálo
- count
- maȝĝ
- minus
- ar
- PL
- ʕáite
- eternal.paradise
- ðeȝá
- nourish
- ahðál
- man/PL
- lełi
- in.order.to
- ím
- have
- ïskéł
- thing
- men
- no.MED
- láðît
- worthy
- ar
- PL
- tirí
- remit
- ðm
- in.return
- ʕáite
- eternal.paradise
- ahðál
- man/PL
- nihus
- kill
- nihus
- kill
- nihus
- kill
- nihus
- kill
- nihus
- kill
- nihus
- kill
- nihus
- kill
