A Grammar of Zahdazahk

Introduction

Scope and Purpose

This grammar provides a systematic description of the Zahdazahk language (the 1078th one produced by the Language Creator), outlining its sound system, word formation and syntactic structure, with the aim of presenting a coherent account of the language as an integrated whole. Attention has been paid to both regular patterns and minor irregularities, as these together define the internal balance of the language.

The grammar is accompanied by a bilingual dictionary and a collection of illustrative texts, offering material for further study and comparison. The examples have been selected to demonstrate typical constructions and to give a sense of the language in extended use. The description is intended as a reference work for linguists and language enthusiasts alike, and as a foundation for any future research, teaching or creative adaptation of Zahdazahk.

Typological Profile

It has a maximally developed dental–alveolar opposition, a disproportionately large set of glottal and uvular consonants, ergative case marking, i.e., the object of a transitive verb is marked the same as the subject of an intransitive one, and postpositions.

Phonology

Phoneme Inventory

Consonants

Zahdazahk has an extremely large consonant inventory, totalling 81 phonemes. Such a system is exceptional in scale.

It has a maximally developed dental–alveolar opposition, an exceptionally large and contrastive set of fricatives, a maximally contrastive voicing system, an exceptionally dense set of affricate contrasts and a disproportionately large set of glottal and uvular consonants.

The table below presents the full inventory of consonant phonemes in Zahdazahk. The chart lists all places and manners of articulation attested in the language.

labialdentalphar. dentalalveolarphar. alveolarpostalveolaralveolo-palatallateralpalatalretroflexvelarlab. velaruvularlab. uvularglottal
stopp b d t dˤ tˤ c ɟ ɖ ʈ k ɡ kʷ ɡʷ q ɢ qʷ ɢʷ ʔ
ejective stopkʷʼ qʷʼ
nasalm n ɲ ɳ ŋ ŋʷ
trill/tap/flapɾ ɾˤ ɽ
fricativev ɸ ð θ ðˤ θˤ s z sˤ zˤ ʃ ʒ ɮ ʂ ʐ x ɣ xʷ ɣʷ ʁ ʁʷ h ɦ
approximantw ɹ ɹˤ l j
affricatep͡f d͡z t͡s d͡zˤ t͡sˤ d͡ʒ t͡ʃ d͡ʑ t͡ɕ d͡ʐ t͡ʂ k͡x k͡xʷ q͡χ q͡χʷ
implosiveɓ

Vowels

Zahdazahk has more than 14 vowel qualities. This constitutes an exceptionally rich vowel inventory, with numerous distinct categories represented in the chart.

It has a fully developed system of nasal vowels matching the oral height distinctions, phonologically distinctive back unrounded vowels, a partially contrastive system of vowel length, a maximally “square” vowel system balancing heights across backness and a full range of vowel qualities even in reduced syllables.

The table below presents the full inventory of vowel phonemes in Zahdazahk. The system comprises the distinct vowel qualities listed in the chart.

frontcentralback unroundedback rounded
closei ĩ ɨ ɨ̃ ɯ ɯ̃ u ũ
close-mide ẽ ɘ ɤ o õ
open-midɛ ɜ ʌ ɔ
opena ã ɑ ɑ̃

Stress and Tones

Zahdazahk has phonemic stress and 2 lexical tones. Each lexical item carries a tonal specification associated with the first vowel of the root, which determines the overall tonal contour of the word.

Phonological Processes

Vowel Harmony

Vowel harmony does not exist in this language.

Writing System

Introduction

Zahdazahk is normally written using the Latin alphabet, whose familiarity makes it straightforward for most readers. For clarity and precision, phonetic transcriptions in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) are also provided throughout this grammar.

Orthography

Here are the various components of the orthography:

Simple letters

a /a/b /b/d /d/ḍ /dˤ/
e /e/f /f/g /ɡ/h /h/
i /i/j /d͡ʒ/k /k/l /l/
m /m/n /n/ṇ /nˤ/o /ɔ/
p /p/q /q/r /ɾ/ṛ /ɾˤ/
s /s/ṣ /sˤ/t /t/ṭ /tˤ/
u /u/v /v/w /w/y /j/
z /z/ẓ /zˤ/å /ʌ/æ /ɛ/
è /ɜ/ë /ɘ/ï /ɨ/ð /ð/
ð̣ /ðˤ/ñ /ɲ/ó /o/ğ /ɣ/
ŕ /r/ṛ́ /rˤ/ơ /ɤ/ư /ɯ/
ɦ /ɦ/ɮ /ɮ/ɸ /ɸ/ɹ /ɹ/
ɹ̣ /ɹˤ/ʁ /ʁ/

Multi-letter combinations such as digraphs

aa /aː, ɑ/aaaa /ɑː/aan /ɑ̃/
aanaan /ɑ̃ː/ai /ai/an /ã/
anan /ãː/au /au/bb /ɓ/
ch /t͡ʃ/dy /ɟ/dz /d͡z/
dẓ /d͡zˤ/d͡ʐ /d͡ʐ/d͡ʑ /d͡ʑ/
ee /eː/en /ẽ/enen /ẽː/
gk /kʼ/gq /qʼ/gqu /kʼʷ/
gqw /qʼʷ/gw /ɡʷ/ii /iː/
in /ĩ/inin /ĩː/kh /x/
khw /xʷ/kkh /k͡x/kkhw /k͡xʷ/
ng /ŋ/ngw /ŋʷ/oo /ɔː/
pf /p͡f/qqh /q͡χ/qqhw /q͡χʷ/
qu /kʷ/qw /qʷ/rd /ɖ/
rn /ɳ/rr /ɽ/rs /ʂ/
rt /ʈ/rz /ʐ/sh /ʃ/
th /θ/tḥ /θˤ/tj /c/
ty /t͡ɕ/tz /t͡s/tẓ /t͡sˤ/
t͡ʂ /t͡ʂ/un /ũ/unun /ũː/
uu /uː/zh /ʒ/åå /ʌː/
ææ /ɛː/èè /ɜː/ëë /ɘː/
ïn /ɨ̃/ïnïn /ɨ̃ː/ïï /ɨː/
ón /õ/ónón /õː/óó /oː/
ğw /ɣʷ/ħg /ɢ/ħgw /ɢʷ/
ơơ /ɤː/ưn /ɯ̃/ưnưn /ɯ̃ː/
ưư /ɯː/ɔi /ɔi/ʁw /ʁʷ/
’ /ʔ/

Diacritics

◌̀ /̰ˈ/

Word Classes and Morphology

Number and Gender

Number

Zahdazahk does not have grammatical number.

Gender

Zahdazahk has the following genders:

Gender masc – for instance: bbikkhɔìğw ‘God’, bèrnɔikh ‘root’, chåfèẓrt ‘tiger’, gkaàzb ‘west’, gkegq ‘father’, gquiğw ‘heart’, gqwaars ‘surface’, hèkhwaàṣ ‘ice’, pfïrzkanaǹsht ‘cloud’, pësgq ‘bird’, rnåẓtjèè ‘anus’, rrưshkìv ‘liver’, rzơħgaàğ ‘stick’, ṣgquuʁw ‘animal’, ṭèèp ‘time’, t͡ʂónónty ‘foot’, yaanaaǹṇ ‘man’, zħgwèzhħgèkhw ‘belly’, ğë̀ɸ ‘day’, ɸòw ‘bone’.

Gender fem – for instance: faawèħg ‘slime’, gquaagwè̀ṣt ‘student’, guŕuu’ ‘teacher’, kèkkhw ‘child’, kkhưztóǹrs ‘brick’, nëtjëëtj ‘money’, pfuntyaað̣ ‘wing’, pfơɹaanaand ‘lion’, rnïrsṭó̀v ‘lake’, rsgquàsh ‘head’, rztïḍɔìth ‘horn’, shṭơŕ ‘skin’, stï̀kkh ‘hair’, sṭërsoodz ‘fog’, ṣtɔìẓ ‘house’, ħgatḥiìrzt ‘mountain’, ħgeṇơờrsgq ‘dust’, ħgwơthuǹng ‘fat’, ɹih ‘city’, ɹæṇơzhrd ‘faeces’.

Gender neut – for instance: dyóókkh ‘chair’, gïvɔik ‘louse’, hờrzq ‘sound’, hưṣqweneǹf ‘bottle’, mìsq ‘idea’, módiǹɦ ‘machine’, naas ‘face’, qwaɹèẓgk ‘vagina’, rspegqwèẓṭ ‘dialect’, rzaatj ‘star’, sgquìẓgq ‘language’, sgquooqqhw ‘fight’, ṣưħgw ‘tongue’, zhqïshgqơty ‘breath’, zhrdaàğ ‘meat’, zhè̀zhg ‘fruit’, ğwëë̀t ‘manner’, ɹ̣idẓiìk ‘binoculars’, ʁart ‘mouth’, ʁiìpf ‘name’.

The Nominal Phrase

Nominal phrases in Zahdazahk can be exemplified by the following example:

Ð̣ærzħgw gwoòħgẁorz raaaàẓk̀orz gqwenbun rzbëẓgqw rtïrzq chïrztj ṛ́aàsṭ rzħgwæ̀zgk ṣïnk bïnkhetzeneǹorz.

[ðˤɛʐɢʷ ɡʷɔː̰ˈɢʷ̰ˈɔʐ ɾɑː̰ˈzˤk̰ˈɔʐ qʼʷẽˈbun ˈʐbɘzˤqʼʷ ʈɨʐq t͡ʃɨʐc rˤaː̰ˈstˤ ʐɢʷɛ̰ˈzkʼ ˈsˤɨ̃k bɨ̃xeˈt͡sẽː̰ˈɔʐ]

ðˤɛʐɢʷ
ERG
ɡʷɔː̰ˈɢʷ
woman
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
ɾɑː̰ˈzˤk
knife
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
qʼʷẽˈbun
COMIT
ˈʐbɘzˤqʼʷ
catch
ʈɨʐq
PAST
t͡ʃɨʐc
3.sing.fem.SUBJ
rˤaː̰ˈ
yon
-̰ˈstˤ
plur
ʐɢʷɛ̰ˈzkʼ
three
ˈsˤɨ̃k
blind
bɨ̃x-
plur
ʂeˈt͡sẽːθ
mouse
-̰ˈɔʐ
def

“The woman with the knife caught those three blind mice.”

(1)

In the following, we shall look at the various components in more details.

There is one type of clitic in the nominal phrase, namely a proclitic (placed initially), expressing case. a clitic expressing case, comprising ð̣ærzħgw /ðˤɛʐɢʷ/ ‘ERG’, zhḍónl /ʒdˤo#l/ ‘GEN’, shgquen’ /ʃkʼʷe#ʔ/ ‘DAT’, ṣunzhp /sˤu#ʒp/ ‘INS’, ʁưs’ /ʁɯsʔ/ ‘VOC’, thërzgqu /θɘʐkʼʷ/ ‘ALL’, ɸech /ɸet͡ʃ/ ‘LOC’, pinrs /pi#ʂ/ ‘ABL’ and katj /kac/ ‘PART’.

The morphology of the elements of the nominal phrase, i.e., nouns, adjectives, numerals and pronouns, is described below, as is the way that possession is expressed in Zahdazahk.

The Noun

The noun in Zahdazahk consists of first, an optional prefix expressing number, comprising bïnkh- /bɨ#x-/ ‘plur’; second, the root; and finally, third, an optional suffix expressing def, comprising -̀orz /-̰ˈɔʐ/ ‘def’.

The noun displays the following derivational morphology: two suffixes, namely -rtaa /-ʈɑ/ ‘little’ and -d͡ʑi /-d͡ʑi/ ‘big’

The Adjective

The adjective in Zahdazahk stands alone without any prefixes or suffixes attached to it.

Numerals

The numeral in Zahdazahk stands alone without any prefixes or suffixes attached to it.

Determiners

In Zahdazahk, the determiner has the following structure: first, an optional prefix expressing gender, comprising rsgkenl- /ʂkʼe#l-/ ‘masc’ and ṛ́uzhqu- /rˤuʒkʷ-/ ‘fem’; second, the root; and finally, third, an obligatory suffix expressing number, comprising -̀ħgw /-̰ˈɢʷ/ ‘sing’ and -̀sṭ /-̰ˈstˤ/ ‘plur’.

Pronouns

The pronoun in Zahdazahk stands alone without any prefixes or suffixes attached to it.

Zahdazahk always includes the personal pronouns, even if they are not stressed. This is similar to English, where the only way to distinguish "he loves her" from "he loves her" and "he loves her" is the stress. So the following corresponds exactly to English in this regard:

Ð̣ærzħgw rzdyåård qqhwừẓgqu rsteengw.

[ðˤɛʐɢʷ ˈʐɟʌːɖ q͡χʷɯ̰ˈzˤkʼʷ ˈʂteːŋʷ]

ðˤɛʐɢʷ
ERG
ˈʐɟʌːɖ
3.sing.masc
q͡χʷɯ̰ˈzˤkʼʷ
love
ˈʂteːŋʷ
3.sing.fem

“He (the boy) loves her (the girl).”

(2)

Proper Nouns

Ð̣ærzħgw Daadaùrr̀orz lenvææbb D͡ʐuẓdaansqùorz.

[ðˤɛʐɢʷ dɑdaṵˈɽ̰ˈɔʐ lẽˈvɛːɓ d͡ʐuˈzˤdɑ̃skʷ̰ˈɔʐ]

ðˤɛʐɢʷ
ERG
dɑdaṵˈɽ
Dadaur
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
lẽˈvɛːɓ
hate
d͡ʐuˈzˤdɑ̃skʷ
Dazhuzdask
-̰ˈɔʐ
def

“Dadaur hates Dazhuzdask.”

(3)

Possession

nëz̀orz kkhæẓbeneǹsk̀orz

[ˈnɘz̰ˈɔʐ k͡xɛzˤbẽː̰ˈsk̰ˈɔʐ]

ˈnɘz
boy
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
k͡xɛzˤbẽː̰ˈsk
apple
-̰ˈɔʐ
def

“the boy’s apple”

(4)
rzdyåård kkhæẓbeneǹsk̀orz

[ˈʐɟʌːɖ k͡xɛzˤbẽː̰ˈsk̰ˈɔʐ]

ˈʐɟʌːɖ
3.sing.masc
k͡xɛzˤbẽː̰ˈsk
apple
-̰ˈɔʐ
def

“his (the boy’s) apple”

(5)
ð̣ïnïnkkhw kkhæẓbeneǹsk̀orz

[ˈðˤɨ̃ːk͡xʷ k͡xɛzˤbẽː̰ˈsk̰ˈɔʐ]

ˈðˤɨ̃ːk͡xʷ
1excl.sing
k͡xɛzˤbẽː̰ˈsk
apple
-̰ˈɔʐ
def

“my apple”

(6)
Ð̣ærzħgw rtïnɔiẓrd̀orz zdyïṣgk̀orz quåṣorz rtïrzq chïrztj chɔirr ṇïnʁigqùorz vaarzgqẁorz.

[ðˤɛʐɢʷ ʈɨˈnɔizˤɖ̰ˈɔʐ ˈzɟɨsˤkʼ̰ˈɔʐ kʷʌˈsˤɔʐ ʈɨʐq t͡ʃɨʐc ˈt͡ʃɔiɽ nˤɨ̃ˈʁikʼʷ̰ˈɔʐ ˈvɑʐqʼʷ̰ˈɔʐ]

ðˤɛʐɢʷ
ERG
ʈɨˈnɔizˤɖ
hunter
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
ˈzɟɨsˤkʼ
daughter
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
kʷʌˈsˤɔʐ
kiss
ʈɨʐq
PAST
t͡ʃɨʐc
3.sing.fem.SUBJ
ˈt͡ʃɔiɽ
2.sing
nˤɨ̃ˈʁikʼʷ
neighbour
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
ˈvɑʐqʼʷ
son
-̰ˈɔʐ
def

“The hunter’s daughter kissed your neighbour’s son.”

(7)

Derivation

Zahdazahk has a few derivational processes. To illustrate this, let us start with a simple noun phrase:

saaǹħgw vïṛìy

[sɑ̰̃ˈɢʷ vɨɾˤḭˈj]

sɑ̰̃ˈ
a
-̰ˈɢʷ
sing
vɨɾˤḭˈj
lamb

“a lamb”

(8)

In the following, the word for little becomes an affix attached to lamb:

saaǹħgw vïṛìyaa

[sɑ̰̃ˈɢʷ vɨɾˤḭˈjɑ]

sɑ̰̃ˈ
a
-̰ˈɢʷ
sing
vɨɾˤḭˈj
lamb
-ʈɑ
little

“a little lamb”

(9)

Compounding

Verbs

Inflectional Categories

The verbal phrase clitics in Zahdazahk fall into two categories, proclitics and enclitics: first, a clitic expressing mode, comprising ḍody /dˤɔɟ/ ‘imperative’, rsrtaq /ʂʈaq/ ‘conditional’ and dyat /ɟat/ ‘optative’; second, a clitic expressing ta, comprising rtïrzq /ʈɨʐq/ ‘PAST’; third, a clitic expressing voice, comprising ṣqwëy /sˤqʷɘj/ ‘passive’; fourth, a clitic expressing negation, comprising ñinsh’ /ɲi#ʃʔ/ ‘NEG’; and finally, fifth, a clitic expressing subj, comprising ṣtjaɸ /sˤcaɸ/ ‘1incl.sing’, dzïd͡ʐ /d͡zɨd͡ʐ/ ‘1excl.sing’, ṣësh /sˤɘʃ/ ‘2.sing’, chïrztj /t͡ʃɨʐc/ ‘3.sing.fem’, rsưch /ʂɯt͡ʃ/ ‘3.sing.neut’, shïrzd /ʃɨʐd/ ‘1incl.plur’, shrtèqqhw /ʃʈɜq͡χʷ/ ‘1excl.plur’, ’ëzp /ʔɘzp/ ‘2.plur’, khæf /xɛf/ ‘3.plur.masc’, gqwið /qʼʷið/ ‘3.plur.fem’ and khwưzhtj /xʷɯʒc/ ‘3.plur.neut’.

The verb itself does not have any prefixes or suffixes attached to it.

The verb displays the following derivational morphology: two suffixes, namely -ṣgque /-sˤkʼʷe/ ‘begin’ and -ẓæ /-zˤɛ/ ‘stop’

Ð̣ærzħgw ð̣ïnïnkkhw qqhwừẓgqu dzïd͡ʐ chɔirr.

[ðˤɛʐɢʷ ˈðˤɨ̃ːk͡xʷ q͡χʷɯ̰ˈzˤkʼʷ d͡zɨd͡ʐ ˈt͡ʃɔiɽ]

ðˤɛʐɢʷ
ERG
ˈðˤɨ̃ːk͡xʷ
1excl.sing
q͡χʷɯ̰ˈzˤkʼʷ
love
d͡zɨd͡ʐ
1excl.sing.SUBJ
ˈt͡ʃɔiɽ
2.sing

“I love you.”

(10)

Adverbs Minor Classes

Adpositions

There is one type of clitic in the adpositional phrase, namely an enclitic (placed finally), expressing root.

ɸech shkó̀shqùorz gqwaars̀orz dẓèẓgqu

[ɸet͡ʃ ʃko̰ˈʃkʷ̰ˈɔʐ ˈqʼʷaːʂ̰ˈɔʐ d͡zˤḛˈzˤkʼʷ]

ɸet͡ʃ
LOC
ʃko̰ˈʃkʷ
table
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
ˈqʼʷaːʂ
surface
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
d͡zˤḛˈzˤkʼʷ
in

“on the table”

(11)
shgquen’ ni’eneǹrzdỳorz nuǹrz̀orz fưẓrt

[ʃkʼʷẽʔ niʔẽː̰ˈʐɟ̰ˈɔʐ nṵ̃ˈʐ̰ˈɔʐ ˈfɯzˤʈ]

ʃkʼʷẽʔ
DAT
niʔẽː̰ˈʐɟ
box
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
nṵ̃ˈʐ
inside
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
ˈfɯzˤʈ
to

“into the box”

(12)
ɸech ð̣ïnïnkkhw gqwenbun

[ɸet͡ʃ ˈðˤɨ̃ːk͡xʷ qʼʷẽˈbun]

ɸet͡ʃ
LOC
ˈðˤɨ̃ːk͡xʷ
1excl.sing
qʼʷẽˈbun
COMIT

“with me”

(13)

Syntax

Basic Clause Structure

Constituent Order

Constituent order describes the typical arrangement of the subject (S), verb (V) and object (O) in simple declarative clauses. It is a fundamental parameter in grammatical description and forms one of the clearest ways of characterising the overall structure of a language’s clause system.

Zahdazahk employs Subject–Verb–Object (SVO) as its basic word order. The subject is followed by the verb, with the object occurring in post-verbal position. This ordering is widely attested across the world’s languages.

The following examples illustrate the basic, unmarked, constituent order in Zahdazahk.

Ð̣ærzħgw gqëgqóɦ̀orz denzhħgw rtïrzq chïrztj rtïnɔiẓrd̀orz.

[ðˤɛʐɢʷ qʼɘˈqʼoɦ̰ˈɔʐ ˈdẽʒɢʷ ʈɨʐq t͡ʃɨʐc ʈɨˈnɔizˤɖ̰ˈɔʐ]

ðˤɛʐɢʷ
ERG
qʼɘˈqʼoɦ
jaguar
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
ˈdẽʒɢʷ
kill
ʈɨʐq
PAST
t͡ʃɨʐc
3.sing.fem.SUBJ
ʈɨˈnɔizˤɖ
hunter
-̰ˈɔʐ
def

“The jaguar killed the hunter.”

(14)
Ð̣ærzħgw pfơɹaanaand̀orz sgqweǹẓ rtïrzq chïrztj rtïnɔiẓrd̀orz zdyïṣgk̀orz ṣtjaal̀orz.

[ðˤɛʐɢʷ p͡fɤˈɹɑ̃ːd̰ˈɔʐ sqʼʷḛ̃ˈzˤ ʈɨʐq t͡ʃɨʐc ʈɨˈnɔizˤɖ̰ˈɔʐ ˈzɟɨsˤkʼ̰ˈɔʐ ˈsˤcɑl̰ˈɔʐ]

ðˤɛʐɢʷ
ERG
p͡fɤˈɹɑ̃ːd
lion
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
sqʼʷḛ̃ˈzˤ
eat
ʈɨʐq
PAST
t͡ʃɨʐc
3.sing.fem.SUBJ
ʈɨˈnɔizˤɖ
hunter
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
ˈzɟɨsˤkʼ
daughter
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
ˈsˤcɑl
dog
-̰ˈɔʐ
def

“The lion ate the hunter’s daughter’s dog.”

(15)

The language has a fixed constituent order, and major phrases normally appear in a predictable position in the clause. Movement for discourse reasons is highly restricted: topics and foci are expressed not by rearranging elements, but through dedicated constructions such as clefts, focus clauses or topic–comment frames. Constituents remain continuous, and both the relative order of phrases and the internal structure of each phrase are stable. As a result, significant deviations from the basic word order are ungrammatical, and discourse structure is managed through these specialised constructions rather than through word-order variation.

Noun Phrases

Structure and Order

The internal structure of noun phrases in Zahdazahk reveals typologically significant preferences in the ordering of nominal constituents. This includes the position of adjectives, numerals, and possessors relative to the noun, each of which can offer clues to the overall headedness of the language.

Possessive constructions are head-final: the possessor precedes the possessed noun. For example, Zahdazahk expresses “the child’s toy” with the equivalent of “child toy”. This ordering is found in many SOV and postpositional languages and aligns with a broader tendency towards modifier-first structures.

chɔirr vaarzgqẁorz qaǹrzdỳorz pukëëtj̀orz

[ˈt͡ʃɔiɽ ˈvɑʐqʼʷ̰ˈɔʐ qã̰ˈʐɟ̰ˈɔʐ pukɘːc̰ˈɔʐ]

ˈt͡ʃɔiɽ
2.sing
ˈvɑʐqʼʷ
son
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
qã̰ˈʐɟ
friend
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
pukɘːc
book
-̰ˈɔʐ
def

“your son’s friend’s book”

(16)

Case Marking

Zahdazahk uses ergative–absolutive case marking. The subject of an intransitive verb and the object of a transitive verb are treated alike and take the absolutive case, while the subject of a transitive verb is marked with the ergative case. From the point of view of such a system, this is a perfectly natural way to organise the clause: the absolutive marks the participant most directly involved in the event or state, while the ergative marks the additional participant that causes or controls a transitive event.

Qqhï̀zh̀orz lèr rsưch.

[q͡χɨ̰ˈʒ̰ˈɔʐ lḛˈɾ ʂɯt͡ʃ]

q͡χɨ̰ˈʒ
cat
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
lḛˈɾ
sleep
ʂɯt͡ʃ
3.sing.neut.SUBJ

“The cat is sleeping.”

(17)
Qqhï̀zh̀orz ngwåå̀qqhw rsưch.

[q͡χɨ̰ˈʒ̰ˈɔʐ ŋʷʌː̰ˈq͡χʷ ʂɯt͡ʃ]

q͡χɨ̰ˈʒ
cat
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
ŋʷʌː̰ˈq͡χʷ
run
ʂɯt͡ʃ
3.sing.neut.SUBJ

“The cat is running.”

(18)
Ð̣ærzħgw qqhï̀zh̀orz ẓgquiyë̀kkhw rsưch rsetzeneǹorz.

[ðˤɛʐɢʷ q͡χɨ̰ˈʒ̰ˈɔʐ zˤkʼʷijɘ̰ˈk͡xʷ ʂɯt͡ʃ ʂeˈt͡sẽː̰ˈɔʐ]

ðˤɛʐɢʷ
ERG
q͡χɨ̰ˈʒ
cat
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
zˤkʼʷijɘ̰ˈk͡xʷ
chase
ʂɯt͡ʃ
3.sing.neut.SUBJ
ʂeˈt͡sẽːθ
mouse
-̰ˈɔʐ
def

“The cat is chasing the mouse.”

(19)
Ð̣ærzħgw qqhï̀zh̀orz rzbëẓgqw rtïrzq rsưch rsetzeneǹorz.

[ðˤɛʐɢʷ q͡χɨ̰ˈʒ̰ˈɔʐ ˈʐbɘzˤqʼʷ ʈɨʐq ʂɯt͡ʃ ʂeˈt͡sẽː̰ˈɔʐ]

ðˤɛʐɢʷ
ERG
q͡χɨ̰ˈʒ
cat
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
ˈʐbɘzˤqʼʷ
catch
ʈɨʐq
PAST
ʂɯt͡ʃ
3.sing.neut.SUBJ
ʂeˈt͡sẽːθ
mouse
-̰ˈɔʐ
def

“The cat caught the mouse.”

(20)

Conjunctions

Here is an example of a conjunction.

Ð̣ærzħgw rtïnɔiẓrd̀orz denzhħgw rtïrzq bïngqëgqóɦ̀orz rnơħgw bïnchåfèẓrt̀orz rnơħgw bïnpfơɹaanaand̀orz.

[ðˤɛʐɢʷ ʈɨˈnɔizˤɖ̰ˈɔʐ ˈdẽʒɢʷ ʈɨʐq bɨ̃qʼɘˈqʼoɦ̰ˈɔʐ ˈɳɤɢʷ bɨ̃t͡ʃʌˈfɜzˤʈ̰ˈɔʐ ˈɳɤɢʷ bɨ̃p͡fɤˈɹɑ̃ːd̰ˈɔʐ]

ðˤɛʐɢʷ
ERG
ʈɨˈnɔizˤɖ
hunter
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
ˈdẽʒɢʷ
kill
ʈɨʐq
PAST
bɨ̃x-
plur
qʼɘˈqʼoɦ
jaguar
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
ˈɳɤɢʷ
and
bɨ̃x-
plur
t͡ʃʌˈfɜzˤʈ
tiger
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
ˈɳɤɢʷ
and
bɨ̃x-
plur
p͡fɤˈɹɑ̃ːd
lion
-̰ˈɔʐ
def

“The hunter killed the jaguars, the tigers and the lions.”

(21)

Modifiers and Determiners

The ordering of demonstratives, articles (if present), and other modifiers in Zahdazahk provides further insight into the structure of the noun phrase. These elements frequently exhibit fixed positions and may reveal whether the language favours head-initial or head-final patterns.

Complex Sentences

Relative Clauses

Zahdazahk forms relative clauses by placing the relative clause after the noun it modifies. The clause follows the internal word order of ordinary finite clauses. A dedicated relativising marker introduces the clause and identifies the relationship between the head noun and its role inside the relative clause.

To illustrate how relative clauses work, let us begin with a simple sentence:

Ð̣ærzħgw ð̣ïnïnkkhw qqhơpfơrzdy rtïrzq dzïd͡ʐ qqhï̀zh̀orz.

[ðˤɛʐɢʷ ˈðˤɨ̃ːk͡xʷ q͡χɤˈp͡fɤʐɟ ʈɨʐq d͡zɨd͡ʐ q͡χɨ̰ˈʒ̰ˈɔʐ]

ðˤɛʐɢʷ
ERG
ˈðˤɨ̃ːk͡xʷ
1excl.sing
q͡χɤˈp͡fɤʐɟ
pat
ʈɨʐq
PAST
d͡zɨd͡ʐ
1excl.sing.SUBJ
q͡χɨ̰ˈʒ
cat
-̰ˈɔʐ
def

“I patted the cat.”

(22)

We can now add a relative clause modifying the noun:

Ð̣ærzħgw ð̣ïnïnkkhw qqhơpfơrzdy rtïrzq dzïd͡ʐ qqhï̀zh̀orz, ð̣ærzħgw tyìẓ rzbëẓgqw rtïrzq rsưch rsetzeneǹorz.

[ðˤɛʐɢʷ ˈðˤɨ̃ːk͡xʷ q͡χɤˈp͡fɤʐɟ ʈɨʐq d͡zɨd͡ʐ q͡χɨ̰ˈʒ̰ˈɔʐ, ðˤɛʐɢʷ t͡ɕḭˈzˤ ˈʐbɘzˤqʼʷ ʈɨʐq ʂɯt͡ʃ ʂeˈt͡sẽː̰ˈɔʐ]

ðˤɛʐɢʷ
ERG
ˈðˤɨ̃ːk͡xʷ
1excl.sing
q͡χɤˈp͡fɤʐɟ
pat
ʈɨʐq
PAST
d͡zɨd͡ʐ
1excl.sing.SUBJ
q͡χɨ̰ˈʒ
cat
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
ðˤɛʐɢʷ
ERG
t͡ɕḭˈzˤ
RELPRON
ˈʐbɘzˤqʼʷ
catch
ʈɨʐq
PAST
ʂɯt͡ʃ
3.sing.neut.SUBJ
ʂeˈt͡sẽːθ
mouse
-̰ˈɔʐ
def

“I patted the cat that caught the mouse.”

(23)

Relative clauses may themselves contain other relative clauses:

Ð̣ærzħgw ð̣ïnïnkkhw qqhơpfơrzdy rtïrzq dzïd͡ʐ qqhï̀zh̀orz, ð̣ærzħgw tyìẓ rzbëẓgqw rtïrzq rsưch rsetzeneǹorz, ð̣ærzħgw tyìẓ sgqweǹẓ rtïrzq rsưch qqhwegqɔirzg̀orz.

[ðˤɛʐɢʷ ˈðˤɨ̃ːk͡xʷ q͡χɤˈp͡fɤʐɟ ʈɨʐq d͡zɨd͡ʐ q͡χɨ̰ˈʒ̰ˈɔʐ, ðˤɛʐɢʷ t͡ɕḭˈzˤ ˈʐbɘzˤqʼʷ ʈɨʐq ʂɯt͡ʃ ʂeˈt͡sẽː̰ˈɔʐ, ðˤɛʐɢʷ t͡ɕḭˈzˤ sqʼʷḛ̃ˈzˤ ʈɨʐq ʂɯt͡ʃ q͡χʷeˈqʼɔiʐɡ̰ˈɔʐ]

ðˤɛʐɢʷ
ERG
ˈðˤɨ̃ːk͡xʷ
1excl.sing
q͡χɤˈp͡fɤʐɟ
pat
ʈɨʐq
PAST
d͡zɨd͡ʐ
1excl.sing.SUBJ
q͡χɨ̰ˈʒ
cat
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
ðˤɛʐɢʷ
ERG
t͡ɕḭˈzˤ
RELPRON
ˈʐbɘzˤqʼʷ
catch
ʈɨʐq
PAST
ʂɯt͡ʃ
3.sing.neut.SUBJ
ʂeˈt͡sẽːθ
mouse
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
ðˤɛʐɢʷ
ERG
t͡ɕḭˈzˤ
RELPRON
sqʼʷḛ̃ˈzˤ
eat
ʈɨʐq
PAST
ʂɯt͡ʃ
3.sing.neut.SUBJ
q͡χʷeˈqʼɔiʐɡ
cheese
-̰ˈɔʐ
def

“I patted the cat that caught the mouse that ate the cheese.”

(24)

Finally, here is an example containing several layers of embedding:

Ð̣ærzħgw ð̣ïnïnkkhw qqhơpfơrzdy rtïrzq dzïd͡ʐ qqhï̀zh̀orz, ð̣ærzħgw tyìẓ rzbëẓgqw rtïrzq rsưch rsetzeneǹorz, ð̣ærzħgw tyìẓ sgqweǹẓ rtïrzq rsưch qqhwegqɔirzg̀orz, tyìẓ zaif rtïrzq dzïd͡ʐ ð̣ærzħgw ð̣ïnïnkkhw.

[ðˤɛʐɢʷ ˈðˤɨ̃ːk͡xʷ q͡χɤˈp͡fɤʐɟ ʈɨʐq d͡zɨd͡ʐ q͡χɨ̰ˈʒ̰ˈɔʐ, ðˤɛʐɢʷ t͡ɕḭˈzˤ ˈʐbɘzˤqʼʷ ʈɨʐq ʂɯt͡ʃ ʂeˈt͡sẽː̰ˈɔʐ, ðˤɛʐɢʷ t͡ɕḭˈzˤ sqʼʷḛ̃ˈzˤ ʈɨʐq ʂɯt͡ʃ q͡χʷeˈqʼɔiʐɡ̰ˈɔʐ, t͡ɕḭˈzˤ ˈzaif ʈɨʐq d͡zɨd͡ʐ ðˤɛʐɢʷ ˈðˤɨ̃ːk͡xʷ]

ðˤɛʐɢʷ
ERG
ˈðˤɨ̃ːk͡xʷ
1excl.sing
q͡χɤˈp͡fɤʐɟ
pat
ʈɨʐq
PAST
d͡zɨd͡ʐ
1excl.sing.SUBJ
q͡χɨ̰ˈʒ
cat
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
ðˤɛʐɢʷ
ERG
t͡ɕḭˈzˤ
RELPRON
ˈʐbɘzˤqʼʷ
catch
ʈɨʐq
PAST
ʂɯt͡ʃ
3.sing.neut.SUBJ
ʂeˈt͡sẽːθ
mouse
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
ðˤɛʐɢʷ
ERG
t͡ɕḭˈzˤ
RELPRON
sqʼʷḛ̃ˈzˤ
eat
ʈɨʐq
PAST
ʂɯt͡ʃ
3.sing.neut.SUBJ
q͡χʷeˈqʼɔiʐɡ
cheese
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
t͡ɕḭˈzˤ
RELPRON
ˈzaif
buy
ʈɨʐq
PAST
d͡zɨd͡ʐ
1excl.sing.SUBJ
ðˤɛʐɢʷ
ERG
ˈðˤɨ̃ːk͡xʷ
1excl.sing

“I patted the cat that caught the mouse that ate the cheese that I bought.”

(25)

Complementation Strategies

Zahdazahk introduces complement clauses with a dedicated complementiser, similar to English that. The complementiser appears at the beginning of the embedded clause and signals that the clause functions as a syntactic argument. The embedded clause is fully finite and displays the same tense, aspect and agreement patterns as independent clauses.

The following example illustrate how complement clauses function:

Ð̣ærzħgw ð̣ærzħgw nëz̀orz shtiǹd rtïrzq shgquen’ ṛ́ï̀ng̀orz saaǹħgw kkhæẓbeneǹsk gwarzganf ɹ̣uṣ’ï̀ɹ rtïrzq rsưch shgquen’ guŕuu’̀orz.

[ðˤɛʐɢʷ ðˤɛʐɢʷ ˈnɘz̰ˈɔʐ ʃtḭ̃ˈd ʈɨʐq ʃkʼʷẽʔ rˤɨ̰ˈŋ̰ˈɔʐ sɑ̰̃ˈɢʷ k͡xɛzˤbẽː̰ˈsk ɡʷaˈʐɡãf ɹˤusˤʔɨ̰ˈɹ ʈɨʐq ʂɯt͡ʃ ʃkʼʷẽʔ ɡuruːʔ̰ˈɔʐ]

ðˤɛʐɢʷ
ERG
ðˤɛʐɢʷ
ERG
ˈnɘz
boy
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
ʃtḭ̃ˈd
give
ʈɨʐq
PAST
ʃkʼʷẽʔ
DAT
rˤɨ̰ˈŋ
girl
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
sɑ̰̃ˈ
a
-̰ˈɢʷ
sing
k͡xɛzˤbẽː̰ˈsk
apple
ɡʷaˈʐɡãf
COMP
ɹˤusˤʔɨ̰ˈɹ
surprise
ʈɨʐq
PAST
ʂɯt͡ʃ
3.sing.neut.SUBJ
ʃkʼʷẽʔ
DAT
ɡuruːʔ
teacher
-̰ˈɔʐ
def

“It surprised the teacher that the boy had given the girl an apple.”

(26)

Quotes

Zahdazahk employs a quotative particle to mark direct and indirect speech. The quotative follows the reported phrase and identifies the preceding expression as quoted or reported. The same construction is also used to express reported thoughts.

Here is an example of how quotations are expressed:

Ð̣ærzħgw nëz̀orz khwå̀zhqw rtïrzq shgquen’ ṛ́ï̀ng̀orz ð̣ærzħgw ð̣ïnïnkkhw qqhwừẓgqu dzïd͡ʐ chɔirr gwarzganf.

[ðˤɛʐɢʷ ˈnɘz̰ˈɔʐ xʷʌ̰ˈʒqʷ ʈɨʐq ʃkʼʷẽʔ rˤɨ̰ˈŋ̰ˈɔʐ ðˤɛʐɢʷ ˈðˤɨ̃ːk͡xʷ q͡χʷɯ̰ˈzˤkʼʷ d͡zɨd͡ʐ ˈt͡ʃɔiɽ ɡʷaˈʐɡãf]

ðˤɛʐɢʷ
ERG
ˈnɘz
boy
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
xʷʌ̰ˈʒqʷ
tell
ʈɨʐq
PAST
ʃkʼʷẽʔ
DAT
rˤɨ̰ˈŋ
girl
-̰ˈɔʐ
def
ðˤɛʐɢʷ
ERG
ˈðˤɨ̃ːk͡xʷ
1excl.sing
q͡χʷɯ̰ˈzˤkʼʷ
love
d͡zɨd͡ʐ
1excl.sing.SUBJ
ˈt͡ʃɔiɽ
2.sing
ɡʷaˈʐɡãf
COMP

“The boy told the girl that he loved her.”

(27)

How to cite this grammar

Language Creator. 2026. A Grammar of Zahdazahk. Generated by the Language Creator, version 0.92, on 7 August 2026. https://languagecreator.org/grammar/1CU2E

In BibTeX format:

@misc{LC-1CU2E,
  year         = 2026,
  author       = {{Language Creator}},
  title        = {A Grammar of {Zahdazahk}},
  howpublished = {\url{https://languagecreator.org/grammar/1CU2E}},
  note         = {Generated by the Language Creator, version 0.92, on 7 August 2026}
}

Supplementary Materials

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https://languagecreator.org/grammar/1CU2E

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