Yhát

Yhát is the descendant language of E'át, which descended from Aθá and Adāta. It was created as part of a language change relay on zompist bboard.

Morphology

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Noun Morphology

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Yhát nouns are inflected for number and possesion, like its predicessors. The four noun declension categories of E'át have been reduced to three. the previous /u/ nouns have merged with the /i/ nouns. In addition, an indirect-object/dative case marker has developed.

• There are three noun declension categories: /a1/, /a2/, and /i/. Each has a seperate possesive declension.
• The plurals are formed with a circumflex of h(a, e, o)- stem -(a, i). If the word starts with a consonant a vowel is inserted after the h harmonizing with the first vowel of the stem: a before a; e before e, y, or i; o before o or u. The ending is determined by declension class. The endings for possessive forms are more complicated.
• The indirect object is marked with s(a)- prefixed to the root. This becomes part of the stem and for plurals is within the plural circumflex.
• An indefinate article ka (pronounced [k@]) can preceed non-specific nouns, particularly when they are first introduced into a conversation if it is expected that they will continue to figure in the conversation.
• Prespositions are prefixed onto the head noun of the noun phrase that they govern.
• The vocative particle ú preceeds the noun; it is used in formal invocations and religious texts, but not in normal speech.

The paradigm for class /a1/ nouns is the following, using the words sál "moon" (ends in a consonant) and tsá "star" (ends in a vowel):

Declension of class /a2/ nouns is the same as /a1/ nouns in the plural, but different in the singular. The paradigm for /a2/ using qáz "friend" is:

The declension of the /i/ nouns is slightly different in both the singular and pural. The paradigm with ék "mistress" (ends in a consonant) and fá "ox" (ends in a vowel) is:

Noun Compounding

In compound nouns the head-noun, the type of thing the object is, comes first, followed by the modifying noun. Stress is on the first noun. The conjugation class is that of the second noun. Somwtimes similar consonants will be merged into one at the joint.

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Pronouns

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• The second person plural pronouns of E'át became the second person singular pronouns in Yhát. Second person pronouuns from Yad were borrowed to become the new plural pronouns.


• There is a demonstratve pronoun tsíf "this", and it's plural tsífa "these".

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Adjective Morphology

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Adjectives inflect for number and poseesion to agree with the noun they modify. However, there is only one inflection for all adjectives and the ending have been simplified from those of E'át. The paradigm with sákin "holy" is:

Adverbs are formed by suffixing -o.

Comparatives are formed by suffixing -naz onto the adjective before any inflections (this is changed from E'át). Superlatives are formed by sufixing -nazá onto the adjective, any /a, o, e/ starting the declension merges with the stressed á of the superlative.

Examples:
óqh "old", óqhnaz "older", oqhnazá "oldest".
haqázonaqajn yhakinazájn "my unholiest enemies".

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Verb Morphology

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Yhát verbs decline for voice, aspect, person, number, and mood. There are also several non-finite forms.

Finite verb structure is: (negative) - mood - stem - voice - aspect - person/number

Voice

• There are two voices: active and pasive.
• Voice is marked directly after the stem.
• Active voice is the default voice. It is unmarked.
• Passive voice is formed by adding the suffix -(a)l after the stem. The /a/ is added when the stem ends in a consonant.
• E'át verb roots that ended in /l/ were reinterpreted as passive forms, and the /-l/ was dropped to form a new active root. This process took precedence over sound changes that altered the /l/ in the word. e.g. E'át: avl "to capture" > avl "to be captured > Yhát: áv "to capture".

Aspect

• There are three aspects: habitual, perfective, and imperfective.
• Aspect is marked after Voice.
• Habitual aspect is the unmarked form
• Perfective aspect is formed by adding the suffix -v-.
• Imperfective aspect is formed by adding the suffix -dz- in the first and second persons, and -z in the third person.

Person and Number

• Verbs agree with the subject of the sentence in 3 persons and two numbers.
• Person and number are marked after all other suffixes.
• 1st person is marked with the suffix -in in the signular and -y in the plural.
• 2nd person is marked with the suffixes in the singular -jon with habitual aspect, -éjon (with stress shift) in the perfective aspect, and -vjon with imperfective aspect, and in the plural -la with habitual aspect, -ala in the perfective aspect, and -ila with imperfective aspect.
• 3rd person is marked with the suffix -on in the signular and -a in the plural.
• The Cohortative Mood is formed by leaving off the personal suffix and instead adding the suffix -e. It is assumed to be in 2nd person, with no distinction for number. The Imperative Mood is formed from the Cohortative Mood.
• The Generic Mood is formed by leaving off the personal suffix. It is assumed to be in 3rd person plural.

Mood

• There are nine moods: Indicative, Optative, Benefctive, Energetic, Non-Potential, Conditional, Cohortative, Imperative, and Generic.
• The Indicative mood is the default mood. It is unmarked.
• The Opatative, Benefactive, Energetic, Non-Potential, and Conditional moods are formed by adding a prefix before the stem.
• The Cohortative, Imperative, and Generic moods are formed by altering the personal suffix.
• The Imperative mood is formed by adding a prefix to the Cohortative mood.
• The generic mood has no prefix and no personal suffix.

Negation

• Verbs are negated by prefixing them with a- if if they begin with a consonant, or am- if they begin with a vowel.

Non-Finite Verb Forms

• The Infinitive is formed by suffixing -aj onto the verb stem, or -jaj if the stem ends in a vowel.
• The Gerund is formed by prefixing w- onto the Infinitive.
• The Perfective Participle is formed by Infinitive +v+(adj. ending if necessary).
• The Imperfective participle is formed by Infinitive +dz+(adj. ending if necessary).
• There are a variety of verbal nouns that are used to express time sequences of events.
  • y-/yh-+perfective participle indicates sequential events.
  • il-+infinitive indicates the main action took place before the clause.
  • ral-+infinitive indicates the main action took place during the clause.
  • kl-/kol-+infinitive indicates the main action took place after the clause
• Usage explained in Syntax.

The verb ýj "to be"

The verb ýj "to be" is irregular. ýj is the infinitive. Its conjugation is as follows: