Öshri grammar

This article details the grammar of Öshri.

## Morphosyntax

### Word order

The word order of Öshri is SOV. Adjectives precede the noun, but it was not always so, resulting in the opposite in most older compound words such as thūstir. Numerals come after the noun.

### Adpositions

Oshri has relatively few prepositions whose sense is distinguished mostly by syntax and mutations.

For example, gac always triggers the accusative but the meaning changes depending on its position and the mutation it triggers.

* *Gac thūra**al* — /gɐʃ ˈθuːɾál/ — across bridge-DEF — across the bridge
* *Thūraal gac* — /ˈθuːɾál gɐʃ/ — bridge-DEF about — about the bridge
* *Gac shūraal* — /gɐʃ ˈxuːɾál/ — on MUTH-bridge-DEF — on the bridge

Prepositions that trigger a mutation always come before the mutated word.

* Tha rhun ndūrut shūarhūledir /θɐ t͡ʃʊn ˈnduːɾʊs xuːɐ̯ˈt͡ʃuːleɪ̯ɾ/ — 2F in MUTN-thought-PL PERF-1F-lose\_one's\_way — I lost myself in your thoughts

#### Adpositions of intent

Adpositions of intent are a subclass of adpositions that may displace the regular adpositions. For example, ledir as in “to give” triggers -shpVr, but in the volitive it will trigger ū instead, hence renh ū ledirig and not \*renhshper ledirig.

This subclass is triggered by the following moods: hypothetical, debitive, conditional, volitive and unreal.

adposition

### Possession

Possession is unmarked: the possesser precedes the possessee and neither bear distinctive marks. However, a feminine possesser or feminine possessers will trigger the nasal mutation of the possessee if unmutated.

* *zhibü**il tīr**il* — /fjyɪ̯l tʰiːɾɪl/ — cat-DEF dream-DEF — the dream of the cat
* *sh tīril* — /x tʰiːɾɪl/ — 1S dream-DEF — my dream
* *sh ntīril* — /x ntʰiːɾɪl/, [x‿n̩tʰiːɾɪl] — 1S MUTN-dream-DEF — my dream (feminine possessee)

## Morphology

### Pronouns

The pronouns mhoth and mhosh have their own inflections.

### Nouns

Words can have three grammatical genders: masculine, feminine and neutral. Most of the time, neutral words are places, materials and loanwords.

Öshri is a language with marked nominative, meaning that the base form of the word is its accusative-predicative form. Actual declensions may differ from the examples given below depending on vowel harmony.

Masculine nouns
*heber*
/héɾ/
 PL | -(Vᵀ)t
*hebit*/heɪ̯s/
*hebor*/he.oɾ/

Feminine nouns
*zhrepimh*/xɾepʰiː/
 PL | -(Vᵀ)th
*zhrepith*/xɾepʰɪθ/
*zhrepeth*/xɾepʰeθ/

Neutral nouns
*mhogodi*/ɣohoɪ̯/
 PL | -(Vᴿ)di
*mhogödi*/ɣohøʏ̯/
*mhogudu*/ɣohú/

#### Definiteness

Nouns can be marked as definite using the -Vl suffix, which comes after the morphological mark as given above. There is no indefinite marker.

* *thöil* — /θøʏ̯l/ — language-DEF — the language
* *thö* — /θø/ — language — language / a language

Bear in mind that only a definite third person can convey the singulative; it does not trigger the definite mark.

#### Classifiers

In the 17th century, during the Poetic Era, authors created classifiers that enabled them to make up metaphorical senses of words for concrete objects. Today, these claffifiers are -ri (masculine) and -arna (feminine). Although first bound to literary rules, these suffixes enjoyed such great prestige that they became a very productive way to derive words in the day-to-day language. However, they are still used only to derive abstract meanings from concrete words.

### Adjectives

Adjectives agree in gender, number and case with the nouns they qualify. Note that numerals also behave as adjectives and agree in gender to the subject they specify the amount of; the paradigm used is the singular one in this case.

*shresit*/xɾesɪs/
*shres*/xɾes/
 NOM.PL | -(Vᵀ)c
*shresic*/xɾesɪʃ/
*shresso*/xɾesːo/
*shressreg*
 ACC.SG | ∅
*shres*/xɾes/
*shressog*/xɾesːok/
 ACC.PL | -(Vᵀ)s
*shresis*/xɾesɪs/
*shressodë*/xɾesːoʊ̯/
*shrese*/xɾese/

* *Shressred rödusul* — /xɾeʃet ɾøʊ̯sʊl/ — good-N part-DEF — the good part
* *Shresit thö* — /xɾesɪs θø/ — good-M language — (a) good language
* *Shres thurhul* — /xɾes θʊt͡ʃʊl/ — good-F leg-DEF — the good leg
* *Shressodë doborothul ankat* — /xɾesːoʊ̯ dóɾoθʊl ɐŋkʰɐs/ — good-ACC.F.PL word-ACC.PL-DEF 1F-write — I write the good words

Monosyllabic adjectives ending with a vowel follow a different pattern.

*nöi*/nøʏ̯/
*nöibi*/nø.í/
 NOM.PL | -bVᴿc
*nöibëc*/nøʏ̯.ʊʃ/
*nöibë*/nøʏ̯.ʊ/
*nöibëg*
 ACC.SG | she- -b
*shenöib*/fe.nøʏ̯b/
*shenöibë*/fe.nøʏ̯.ʊ/
 ACC.PL | -bVᴾb
*nöibib*/nø.íp/
*nöibi*/nø.í/
*nöibibig*/nø.ǐk/

### Verbs

Verbs inflect by the means of prefixes and preposed clitics for three persons, three genders, four numbers, clusivity and definiteness. Additionally, there are suffixes for nine moods (that sometime differ in voice) and one aspect which is usually treated in native Öshri grammar studies as a tenth mood.

Prefixes and clitics belong to the personal inflections. Any verb inflected in mood may inflect for the person and number, which makes for five verbal inflection categories as seen below. Should a verb have to agree, for example, in clusivity, the prefix may be stacked with any suffix.

#### Personal inflections

Nowadays, personal inflections are dropped in all registers if the subject is previously mentioned or obvious (see item №1). However, personal agreement was grammatically enforced under all circumstances in the 19th century; higher registers still retain the agreement and it can be used in any register to give an indication on the subject's gender (see items №2 and №3).

As seen in example № 1, the copula is not marked in non-third-persons.

1. *Sh thūstiruëcstër, thūstir **cöc*** — /x‿θuː.stʰɪˈɾuːkʰ.stʰʊɾ | ˈθuː.stʰɪɾ kʰøʃ/ — 1S writer-NOM, book write — I am a writer, I am writing a book
2. *Thūstir **ancöc*** — /ˈθuː.stʰɪɾ ˈɐŋ.kʰøʃ/ — book.ACC 1F-write — I am writing a book
3. *Sh etnūstiruëcstër, thūstir **ancöc** —* /f‿e.tʰnuːstʰɪ.ˈɾuːkʰ.stʰʊɾ | ˈθuːstʰɪɾ ˈɐŋ.kʰøʃ/ — 1S F-writer-NOM, book 1F-write — I am a (female) writer, I am writing a book

The third person neutral clitic is more often used as an agreement than the other neutral inflections in more colloquial speeches (item №1) but it also commonly used in the copulative way (item №2). Non-third-person neutral inflections are now becoming popular as gender-neutral agreements for people (item №3).

Third person definiteness applies to neutral agreements as well as copulas. It is more or less equivalent to using “this very” before a noun in English. It is triggered by the subject when it can be asserted to be a finalised idea or concrete object close at hand. It can also be used singulatively (item № 3), which makes the dropping of the definite marker mandatory. On the other hand, a subject with the definite marker -Vl triggers a definite third person (item № 1).

1. *Sh ūdodhshorodiil thūstir **mhër** cöc* — /x‿uːoθ.xo.ˈɾo.íl ˈθuː.stʰɪɾ ɣʊɾ kʰøʃ/ — 1S pen-NOM-DEF book 3S.N.DEF write — My pen is writing a book
2. *Sh ūdodhshorodiil **mhar** nethsred* — /x‿uːoθ.xo.ˈɾo.íl ɣɐɾ ˈneθ.ʃet/ — 1S pen-NOM-DEF COP.DEF blue-NOM.N — My pen is blue
3. *Sh ācisrhimidi **mhër** thūstiruëcst* — /x‿ɐːkʰɪs.ˈt͡ʃɪ.mí ɣʊɾ θuː.ˈstʰɪ.ɾuːkʰstʰ/ — 1S sweetheart-NOM COP.DEF writer — My sweetheart is a writer

#### Epistemic conjugations

*cöconuk*
/kʰøkʰonʊʃ/
*cöcodhuk*
/kʰøkʰoðʊʃ/
*cöcizhik*
 2 | -Vᴿn, -Vᴿt
*cöconöt*
/kʰøkʰonøs/
*cöcodhöt*
/kʰøkʰoðøs/
*cöcizhët*
 3 | -Vᴿn, -Vᵀp
*cöconup*
/kʰøkʰonʊf/
*cöcodhup*
/kʰøkʰoðʊf/
*cöcizhip*
 1.PL | MUTV, -Vᴿn, -sVᵀk
*gökonsuk*
/gøkʰonsʊʃ/
*gökothuk*
/gøkʰoθʊʃ/
*gökishik*
 2.PL | MUTV, -Vᴿn, -sVᴿt
*gökonsöt*
/gøkʰonsøs/
*gökothut*
/gøkʰoθʊs/
*gökishit*
 3.PL | MUTV, -Vᴿn, -sVᵀp
*gökonsup*
/gøkʰonsʊf/
*gökothup*
/gøkʰoθʊf/
*gökiship*
/gøkʰɪfɪf/

#### Translative conjugations

*cöcobuc*
/kʰøkʰoʊ̯ʃ/
*cöcomhuc*
/kʰøkʰoɣʊʃ/
*cöcoruc*
 2 | -Vᴿb, -Vᴿt
*cöcobut*
/kʰøkʰoʊ̯s/
*cöcomhut*
/kʰøkʰoɣʊs/
*cöcorut*
 3 | -Vᴿb, -Vᴿp
*cöcobup*
/kʰøkʰoʊ̯f/
*cöcomhup*
/kʰøkʰoɣʊf/
*cöcorup*
 1.PL | MUTN, -Vᴿb, -Vᴿc
*höcobuc*
/høkʰoʊ̯ʃ/
*höcomhuc*
/høkʰoɣʊʃ/
*höcoruc*
 2.PL | MUTN, -Vᴿb, -Vᴿt
*höcobut*
/høkʰoʊ̯s/
*höcomhut*
/høkʰoɣʊs/
*höcorut*
 3.PL | MUTN, -Vᴿb, -Vᴿp
*höcobup*
/høkʰoʊ̯f/
*höcomhup*
/høkʰoɣʊf/
*höcorup*
/høkʰoɾʊf/

#### Conditional conjugations

*cöcic*
/kʰøkʰɪʃ/
*cöcit*
/kʰøkʰɪs/
*cöcī*
/kʰøkʰiː/
*cöcī*
 3 | -Vᵀp
*cöcip*
/kʰøkʰɪf/
*cöcā*
/kʰøkʰɐː/
*cöcā*
 1.PL | -sVᵀk
*cöcsic*
/kʰøkʰsɪʃ/
*cöcsī*
/kʰøkʰsiː/
*cöcsī*
 2.PL | -sVᵀt
*cöcsit*
/kʰøkʰsɪs/
*cöcsā*
/kʰøkʰsɐː/
*cöcsā*
 3.PL | -sVᵀp
*cöcsip*
/kʰøkʰsɪf/

#### Irrealis conjugations

*cöcög*
/kʰøkʰøk/
*cöcönh*
 2 | -Vᴾd
*cöcöd*
/kʰøkʰøt/
*cöcörh*
 3 | -Vᴾb
*cöcöb*
/kʰøkʰøp/
*cöcömh*
 1.PL | -Vᴾd, -Vᴾg
*cöcödög*
/kʰøkʰǿk/
*cöcönhög*
 2.PL | -Vᴾd, -Vᴾd
*cöcödöd*
/kʰøkʰǿt/
*cöcönhöd*
 3.PL | -Vᴾd, -Vᴾb
*cöcödöb*
/kʰøkʰǿp/
*cöcönhöb*
/kʰøkʰøʒøp/

#### Realis conjugations

*cöcoc*
 2 | -Vᴿt
*cöcot*
 3 | -Vᴿp
*cöcop*
 1.PL | -Vᴿs
*cöcos*
 2.PL | -Vᴿc
*cöcoc*
 3.PL | -Vᴿmh
*cöcomh*
/kʰøkʰoː/

### Derivation

A lot of noun derivation is done through the affixes (see the derived forms from the entry pages). Some nouns like thout are etymologically plurals; they are always neuter singular nouns.

Certain affixes, like -shVr, force the gender of the words they derive; others do not have an intrinsical gender and the derived words will inheritate the gender of their root. An affix's intrinsical gender may or may not be the gender of its etymon.

Adverbs may be derived from adjectives by suffixing -Vᴾ and applying the nasal mutation.

## Semantics

### Interrogation

When possible, interrogation is conveyed with a rising intonation only, even for the non-binary kind of questions. However, several degrees of interrogation can be used that work differently.

#### Interrogative degrees

Öshri has interrogative degrees (also known as interrogative moods) that enable the speaker to show various intentions in their questions. Different stress patterns (in bold) are involved depending on the degree. Those will overrule the expected stress pattern.

* in- + voicing mutation + final stress: doubtful interrogation,
	+ Ingöci**zhët**? /ɪŋgøkʰɪxʊs/ – Q-MUTV-write-HYP-2S – could you really write?
* in- + fronting mutation + radical stress: assumes a positive response
	+ In**töc**izhët? /ɪntʰøkʰɪxʊs/ – Q-MUTF-write-HYP-2S – you could write, right?
* in- + fronting mutation + initial stress: assumes a negative response
	+ **In**töcizhët? /ɪntʰøkʰɪxʊs/ – Q-MUTF-write-HYP-2S – you couldn't write, could you?
* ara- + prothetic mutation (normal stress pattern): polite request
	+ Ara**ctha**höc? /ɐɾɐkʰθɐhøʃ/ – Q-MUTP-write-2S – can you please write?
* nel- + fronting mutation (normal stress pattern) : polite, no assumption
	+ Neltö**ci**zhët? /neltʰøkʰɪxʊs/ – Q-MUTF-write-HYP-2S – could you write?