[Conlangs-DECal] Full grammar of the class language so far

This is, I think, a pretty accurate transcription of what we have on
the class language to date, including all sound change rules, all
vocabulary, and all morphosyntax to date. Phonetic inventory is out of
date, and this doesn't include the orthographic system. Otherwise
complete.

Let me know if you have any comments. :-)

IMO, this is pretty good progress to date, given how much structural
stuff we've decided on, the decisions-by-majority/consensus, and the
frequent sidetracks for theoretical and related (or totally
tangential...) discussions. I am fairly pleased with the recent few
classes.

 - Sai

Code name: Scratch - [skr&t_S]

Babel 1

krES DEBrik krEt_s CikTamut Zik t_S&GeS qM Dr&k
kr\ES DEBik krEt_s CikTamut Zik t_S&GeS qM Dr\&k.
long-ago inhabited-place in-all people next-to language 1-EMPH CLASS(lang)
Long ago, people everywhere had ONE language.

Babel 2a

Mp_} lo:j t&Br\= riuO\5= t_SakES d_Zar\
Mp lo:j t&B-r\= riuO\-5= t_SakES d_Zar\.
sometime-later Lo!-EMPH 3-pl-far-anim-ERG mountain-ABS moonrise push-NONDIR
And then, LO!, Moonrise Mountain pushed out / scattered (the) people.

Babel 2b

t&Br\= SInar\5= t2m qir
t&B-r\= SInar\-5= t@m qir.
3-pl-far-anim-ERG Shinar-ABS CLASS(flat & wide) pull-DIR
Shinar pulled the people towards itself.

Babel 2c

tOsr\= t&B5= DEt_s
tOs-r\= t&B-5= DEt_s.
3-sg-far-inanim-ERG 3-pl-far-anim-ABS inhabit
They inhabited it.


Syntax:
S := (TIME) Obj-ERG Subj-ABS Verb
S := (TIME) LocP NP
ERG := -r\=
ABS := -5=
LocP := AdvP Obj LocArticle
NP := #P
NP := N CLASS  (semi-adjectival use)
NP := N Adj
#P := N_a # CLASS_a

Unusual vocab:
push: q&r (directional) / d_Zar\ (non-directional)
pull: qir (dir) / d_Zur\ (non-dir)
 - "directional" vs not as in gunshot or grab-and-pull vs. explosion
or spherical magnet

Pronouns are in form: CVC
first C = person
1st p
2nd k
3rd t

second C = #
1(sg) s
2(dl) T
3(tr) D
4+(pl) B

vowel height = psychological/physical distance (high = close / low = far)
 - exception: for 1st person dl/tr/pl, near = inclusive-"we" and far =
exclusive-"we"

vowel backness = animacy (front = animate / back = inanimate)


Classifiers:
t@m - flat, wide things
Tr\&k - languages, cultures, etc


Approx. phonemic inventory:
Vowels: e_j I i E & u @ a
Consonants: C G {r\ r} {B O\} m k q S Z T D t_s t_S
 - {A B C D} indicates a phoneme, with A the prime and B... the variants

Phonotactic: (C)(C)V(C), unspecified restrictions on the onset
cluster; continuants allowed as syllabic nuclei

Sound change rules:
/r\/ -> [r] / _ V
/B/ -> [O\] / _ #
/ / -> [r] / B_V
/vl stop/ -> [vl stop_}] / _ EMPH  <- semantically-conditioned!

Example sentence:
r& kra CES. t_suk B kir/ t_sEO\ t_SiO\ DISkar\ kCiC krE t_sut_s.

Approx. translation: AAAAH! DRAGON!

Meanings:
B - exclamation / morpheme (?); indicates surprise or emphasis of some
kind; emphasizes previous word
t_SiO\ - dragon
TISkar - a particular dragon named [TISkar]

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