A Grammar of Ider

Introduction

Scope and Purpose

This grammar provides a systematic description of the Ider language (the 1758th 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 Ider.

Typological Profile

It has a maximally developed dental–alveolar opposition and a richly developed retroflex subsystem.

Phonology

Phoneme Inventory

Consonants

Ider has a large consonant inventory, comprising 48 phonemes.

It has a maximally developed dental–alveolar opposition, an exceptionally large and contrastive set of fricatives, an exceptionally dense sibilant inventory, an exceptionally dense set of affricate contrasts and an extensively developed liquid system.

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

labialdentallab. dentalalveolarlab. alveolarpostalveolarlateralpalatalretroflexvelarlab. velar
stopp b d t dʷ tʷ ɖ ʈ k ɡ kʷ ɡʷ
nasalm n nʷ ɲ ɳ ŋ ŋʷ
trill/tap/flapɾ ɾʷ ɽ
fricativeɸ θ θʷ s sʷ ʃ ɬ ʂ x xʷ
approximantw l j
affricatep͡f t͡s t͡sʷ t͡ʃ tɬ d͡ʐ t͡ʂ k͡x k͡xʷ

Vowels

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

It has a maximally “square” vowel system balancing heights across backness, a full range of vowel qualities even in reduced syllables, front rounded vowels (these are cross-linguistically relatively uncommon, but occur in a number of well-known languages, including French, German, Turkish and Mandarin), an unusually fine-grained height system distinguishing four levels and a fully three-way front–central–back distinction.

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

front unroundedfront roundedcentralback
closei y ʉ u
close-mide ø ɵ o
open-midɛ œ ɞ ɔ
openɶ a

Stress and Tones

Ider has phonemic stress but no lexical tone. Stress consistently falls on the first vowel of the root, and no contrastive tonal distinctions are made.

Phonological Processes

Vowel Harmony

Vowel harmony does not exist in this language.

Writing System

Introduction

Ider 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/e /e/
f /f/g /ɡ/i /i/j /j/
k /k/l /l/m /m/n /n/
o /ɔ/p /p/r /ɾ/s /s/
t /t/u /u/w /w/y /y/
æ /ɛ/ñ /ɲ/ó /o/ö /ø/
œ /œ/ŕ /r/ɞ /ɞ/ɵ /ɵ/
ɶ /ɶ/ɸ /ɸ/ʉ /ʉ/

Multi-letter combinations such as digraphs

aa /aː/ai /ai/au /au/
ch /t͡ʃ/dw /dʷ/d͡ʐ /d͡ʐ/
ee /eː/gw /ɡʷ/hl /ɬ/
ii /iː/kh /x/khw /xʷ/
kkh /k͡x/kkhw /k͡xʷ/ng /ŋ/
ngw /ŋʷ/nw /nʷ/oo /ɔː/
pf /p͡f/qu /kʷ/rd /ɖ/
rn /ɳ/rr /ɽ/rs /ʂ/
rt /ʈ/rw /ɾʷ/sh /ʃ/
sw /sʷ/th /θ/thw /θʷ/
tlh /tɬ/tw /tʷ/tz /t͡s/
tzw /t͡sʷ/t͡ʂ /t͡ʂ/uu /uː/
yy /yː/ææ /ɛː/óó /oː/
öö /øː/œœ /œː/ŕw /rʷ/
ɔi /ɔi/ɞɞ /ɞː/ɵɵ /ɵː/
ɶɶ /ɶː/ʉʉ /ʉː/

Word Classes and Morphology

Number and Gender

Number

Ider does not have grammatical number.

Gender

Ider does not have genders or noun classes.

The Nominal Phrase

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

T͡ʂɵɵs nwaqu dwiisweeng t͡ʂɵɵs nwæd͡ʐiŕw chɵɵdɶg khœœrr pyth dæpfookkhw pfanwyrræstwiw.

[ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈnʷakʷ dʷiːˈsʷeːŋ ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈnʷɛd͡ʐirʷ ˈt͡ʃɵːdɶɡ ˈxœːɽ ˈpyθ ˈdɛp͡fɔːk͡xʷ p͡faˈnʷyɽɛstʷiw]

ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
nʷ-
NOM
ˈakʷ
woman
dʷiːˈsʷeːŋ
COMIT
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
nʷ-
NOM
ˈɛd͡ʐirʷ
knife
t͡ʃ-
not.Q
ˈɵːd
catch
-ɶɡ
PAST
ˈxœːɽ
yon
ˈpyθ
three
ˈdɛp͡f
blind
-ɔːk͡xʷ
plur
p͡f-
ACC
anʷ-
plur
ˈyɽɛstʷiw
mouse

“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 are no clitics in the nominal phrase.

The Noun

The noun in Ider consists of first, an obligatory prefix expressing case, comprising nw- /nʷ-/ ‘NOM’, pf- /p͡f-/ ‘ACC’, d͡ʐ- /d͡ʐ-/ ‘GEN’, kkhw- /k͡xʷ-/ ‘DAT’, s- /s-/ ‘INS’, g- /ɡ-/ ‘VOC’, kkh- /k͡x-/ ‘ALL’, ŕw- /rʷ-/ ‘LOC’, b- /b-/ ‘ABL’ and rd- /ɖ-/ ‘PART’; second, an optional prefix expressing number, comprising anw- /anʷ-/ ‘plur’; and finally, third, the root.

The Adjective

In Ider, the adjective has the following structure: the root followed by an optional suffix expressing number, comprising -ookkhw /-ɔːk͡xʷ/ ‘plur’.

Numerals

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

Determiners

The determiner in Ider stands alone without any prefixes or suffixes attached to it.

Pronouns

The pronoun in Ider has the following structure: an optional prefix expressing number, comprising gu- /ɡu-/ ‘plur’ followed by the root.

In Ider, subject pronouns (but not object pronouns ones) are dropped unless they are stressed. Here is an example where neither of the pronouns are stressed:

Chöñ gwógw.

[ˈt͡ʃøɲ ˈɡʷoɡʷ]

t͡ʃ-
not.Q
ˈøɲ
love
ˈɡʷoɡʷ
3.sing

“He (the boy) loves her (the girl).”

(2)

But here, the word corresponding to he (i.e., the subject) is stressed:

Gwógw chöñ gwógw.

[ˈɡʷoɡʷ ˈt͡ʃøɲ ˈɡʷoɡʷ]

ˈɡʷoɡʷ
3.sing
t͡ʃ-
not.Q
ˈøɲ
love
ˈɡʷoɡʷ
3.sing

“He loves her.”

(3)

Proper Nouns

T͡ʂɵɵs nwɄʉt͡ʂæquin chaishóótw t͡ʂɵɵs pfUthyngɞl.

[ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈnʷʉːt͡ʂɛkʷin ˈt͡ʃaiʃoːtʷ ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈp͡fuθyŋɞl]

ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
nʷ-
NOM
ˈʉːt͡ʂɛkʷin
Utashekin
t͡ʃ-
not.Q
ˈaiʃoːtʷ
hate
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
p͡f-
ACC
ˈuθyŋɞl
Uthoonagl

“Utashekin hates Uthoonagl.”

(4)

Possession

t͡ʂɵɵs d͡ʐauŕw t͡ʂɵɵs nwówonwɵtz

[ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈd͡ʐaurʷ ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈnʷowɔnʷɵt͡s]

ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
d͡ʐ-
GEN
ˈaurʷ
boy
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
nʷ-
NOM
ˈowɔnʷɵt͡s
apple

“the boy’s apple”

(5)
gwógw t͡ʂɵɵs nwówonwɵtz

[ˈɡʷoɡʷ ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈnʷowɔnʷɵt͡s]

ˈɡʷoɡʷ
3.sing
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
nʷ-
NOM
ˈowɔnʷɵt͡s
apple

“his (the boy’s) apple”

(6)
swɵtlh t͡ʂɵɵs nwówonwɵtz

[ˈsʷɵtɬ ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈnʷowɔnʷɵt͡s]

ˈsʷɵtɬ
1excl.sing
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
nʷ-
NOM
ˈowɔnʷɵt͡s
apple

“my apple”

(7)
T͡ʂɵɵs d͡ʐɞsrtɵstœl t͡ʂɵɵs nwaadw chörnöswɶg ñœkh t͡ʂɵɵs d͡ʐitwɞniing t͡ʂɵɵs pfæd.

[ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈd͡ʐɞsʈɵstœl ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈnʷaːdʷ ˈt͡ʃøɳøsʷɶɡ ˈɲœx ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈd͡ʐitʷɞniːŋ ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈp͡fɛd]

ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
d͡ʐ-
GEN
ˈɞsʈɵstœl
hunter
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
nʷ-
NOM
ˈaːdʷ
daughter
t͡ʃ-
not.Q
ˈøɳøsʷ
kiss
-ɶɡ
PAST
ˈɲœx
2.sing
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
d͡ʐ-
GEN
ˈitʷɞniːŋ
neighbour
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
p͡f-
ACC
ˈɛd
son

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

(8)

Derivation

Ider has no derivational processes.

thwɶngw nwɵt͡ʂogwœœrr

[ˈθʷɶŋʷ ˈnʷɵt͡ʂɔɡʷœːɽ]

ˈθʷɶŋʷ
a
nʷ-
NOM
ˈɵt͡ʂɔɡʷœːɽ
lamb

“a lamb”

(9)

Note how none show up here:

Chuuquɶg cherwɶg thwɶngw tætz pfɵt͡ʂogwœœrr khwœfɔitz.

[ˈt͡ʃuːkʷɶɡ ˈt͡ʃeɾʷɶɡ ˈθʷɶŋʷ ˈtɛt͡s ˈp͡fɵt͡ʂɔɡʷœːɽ xʷœˈfɔit͡s]

t͡ʃ-
not.Q
ˈuːkʷ
want
-ɶɡ
PAST
t͡ʃ-
not.Q
ˈeɾʷ
have
-ɶɡ
PAST
ˈθʷɶŋʷ
a
ˈtɛt͡s
little
p͡f-
ACC
ˈɵt͡ʂɔɡʷœːɽ
lamb
xʷœˈfɔit͡s
COMP

“She wanted to have a little lamb.”

(10)

Compounding

Verbs

Inflectional Categories

The verbal phrase clitics in Ider fall into two categories, proclitics and enclitics: first, a clitic expressing voice, comprising swɶɶɸ /sʷɶːɸ/ ‘passive’; second, a clitic expressing mode, comprising tzɵw /t͡sɵw/ ‘imperative’, lɞngw /lɞŋʷ/ ‘conditional’ and shʉdw /ʃʉdʷ/ ‘optative’; third, a clitic expressing negation, comprising rræm /ɽɛm/ ‘NEG’; and finally, fourth, a clitic expressing subj, comprising fœt͡ʂ /fœt͡ʂ/ ‘1incl.sing’, shʉr /ʃʉɾ/ ‘1excl.sing’, hlɞthw /ɬɞθʷ/ ‘2.sing’, nwórt /nʷoʈ/ ‘1incl.plur’, syñ /syɲ/ ‘1excl.plur’, tzaf /t͡saf/ ‘2.plur’ and thʉt͡ʂ /θʉt͡ʂ/ ‘3.plur’.

In addition, the verb is structured like this: first, an obligatory prefix expressing question, comprising f- /f-/ ‘Q’ and ch- /t͡ʃ-/ ‘not.Q’; second, the root; and finally, third, an optional suffix expressing ta, comprising -ɶg /-ɶɡ/ ‘PAST’.

Chöñ shʉr ñœkh.

[ˈt͡ʃøɲ ʃʉɾ ˈɲœx]

t͡ʃ-
not.Q
ˈøɲ
love
ʃʉɾ
1excl.sing.SUBJ
ˈɲœx
2.sing

“I love you.”

(11)

Adverbs Minor Classes

Adpositions

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

dyyk t͡ʂɵɵs nwókkhongw

[ˈdyːk ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈnʷok͡xɔŋʷ]

ˈdyːk
in_surface
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
nʷ-
NOM
ˈok͡xɔŋʷ
table

“on the table”

(12)
d͡ʐych t͡ʂɵɵs nwauförraarn

[ˈd͡ʐyt͡ʃ ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈnʷauføɽaːɳ]

ˈd͡ʐyt͡ʃ
to_inside
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
nʷ-
NOM
ˈauføɽaːɳ
box

“into the box”

(13)
dwiisweeng swɵtlh

[dʷiːˈsʷeːŋ ˈsʷɵtɬ]

dʷiːˈsʷeːŋ
COMIT
ˈsʷɵtɬ
1excl.sing

“with me”

(14)

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.

Ider 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 Ider.

T͡ʂɵɵs nweseefɞkh chakkhwɶg t͡ʂɵɵs pfɞsrtɵstœl.

[ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈnʷeseːfɞx ˈt͡ʃak͡xʷɶɡ ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈp͡fɞsʈɵstœl]

ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
nʷ-
NOM
ˈeseːfɞx
jaguar
t͡ʃ-
not.Q
ˈak͡xʷ
kill
-ɶɡ
PAST
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
p͡f-
ACC
ˈɞsʈɵstœl
hunter

“The jaguar killed the hunter.”

(15)
T͡ʂɵɵs nwaingwoosquib chytwɶg t͡ʂɵɵs d͡ʐɞsrtɵstœl t͡ʂɵɵs d͡ʐaadw t͡ʂɵɵs pfaiŕw.

[ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈnʷaiŋʷɔːskʷib ˈt͡ʃytʷɶɡ ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈd͡ʐɞsʈɵstœl ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈd͡ʐaːdʷ ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈp͡fairʷ]

ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
nʷ-
NOM
ˈaiŋʷɔːskʷib
lion
t͡ʃ-
not.Q
ˈytʷ
eat
-ɶɡ
PAST
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
d͡ʐ-
GEN
ˈɞsʈɵstœl
hunter
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
d͡ʐ-
GEN
ˈaːdʷ
daughter
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
p͡f-
ACC
ˈairʷ
dog

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

(16)

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 Ider 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, Ider 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.

ñœkh t͡ʂɵɵs d͡ʐæd t͡ʂɵɵs d͡ʐeŕw t͡ʂɵɵs nwɵɵliibææŕ

[ˈɲœx ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈd͡ʐɛd ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈd͡ʐerʷ ˈt͡ʂɵːs nʷɵːliːbɛːr]

ˈɲœx
2.sing
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
d͡ʐ-
GEN
ˈɛd
son
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
d͡ʐ-
GEN
ˈerʷ
friend
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
nʷ-
NOM
ɵːliːbɛːr
book

“your son’s friend’s book”

(17)

Case Marking

Ider uses nominative–accusative case marking. The subject of an intransitive verb and the subject of a transitive verb are treated alike and take the nominative case, while the object of a transitive verb is marked with the accusative case. This is the familiar pattern from many European languages: the grammar groups together the participants that function as subjects and marks the participant affected by a transitive action separately.

T͡ʂɵɵs nwækhw chóórd.

[ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈnʷɛxʷ ˈt͡ʃoːɖ]

ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
nʷ-
NOM
ˈɛxʷ
cat
t͡ʃ-
not.Q
ˈoːɖ
sleep

“The cat is sleeping.”

(18)
T͡ʂɵɵs nwækhw chaash.

[ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈnʷɛxʷ ˈt͡ʃaːʃ]

ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
nʷ-
NOM
ˈɛxʷ
cat
t͡ʃ-
not.Q
ˈaːʃ
run

“The cat is running.”

(19)
T͡ʂɵɵs nwækhw chöpfyngw t͡ʂɵɵs pfyrræstwiw.

[ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈnʷɛxʷ ˈt͡ʃøp͡fyŋʷ ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈp͡fyɽɛstʷiw]

ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
nʷ-
NOM
ˈɛxʷ
cat
t͡ʃ-
not.Q
ˈøp͡fyŋʷ
chase
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
p͡f-
ACC
ˈyɽɛstʷiw
mouse

“The cat is chasing the mouse.”

(20)
T͡ʂɵɵs nwækhw chɵɵdɶg t͡ʂɵɵs pfyrræstwiw.

[ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈnʷɛxʷ ˈt͡ʃɵːdɶɡ ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈp͡fyɽɛstʷiw]

ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
nʷ-
NOM
ˈɛxʷ
cat
t͡ʃ-
not.Q
ˈɵːd
catch
-ɶɡ
PAST
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
p͡f-
ACC
ˈyɽɛstʷiw
mouse

“The cat caught the mouse.”

(21)

Conjunctions

Here is an example of a conjunction.

T͡ʂɵɵs nwɞsrtɵstœl chakkhwɶg t͡ʂɵɵs pfanweseefɞkh ñögw t͡ʂɵɵs pfanwiiquaakhóósw ñögw t͡ʂɵɵs pfanwaingwoosquib.

[ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈnʷɞsʈɵstœl ˈt͡ʃak͡xʷɶɡ ˈt͡ʂɵːs p͡faˈnʷeseːfɞx ˈɲøɡʷ ˈt͡ʂɵːs p͡faˈnʷiːkʷaːxoːsʷ ˈɲøɡʷ ˈt͡ʂɵːs p͡faˈnʷaiŋʷɔːskʷib]

ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
nʷ-
NOM
ˈɞsʈɵstœl
hunter
t͡ʃ-
not.Q
ˈak͡xʷ
kill
-ɶɡ
PAST
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
p͡f-
ACC
anʷ-
plur
ˈeseːfɞx
jaguar
ˈɲøɡʷ
and
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
p͡f-
ACC
anʷ-
plur
ˈiːkʷaːxoːsʷ
tiger
ˈɲøɡʷ
and
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
p͡f-
ACC
anʷ-
plur
ˈaiŋʷɔːskʷib
lion

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

(22)

Modifiers and Determiners

The ordering of demonstratives, articles (if present), and other modifiers in Ider 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

Ider 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:

Chikhwæshɶg shʉr t͡ʂɵɵs pfækhw.

[ˈt͡ʃixʷɛʃɶɡ ʃʉɾ ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈp͡fɛxʷ]

t͡ʃ-
not.Q
ˈixʷɛʃ
pat
-ɶɡ
PAST
ʃʉɾ
1excl.sing.SUBJ
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
p͡f-
ACC
ˈɛxʷ
cat

“I patted the cat.”

(23)

We can now add a relative clause modifying the noun:

Chikhwæshɶg shʉr t͡ʂɵɵs nwækhw, sars chɵɵdɶg t͡ʂɵɵs pfyrræstwiw.

[ˈt͡ʃixʷɛʃɶɡ ʃʉɾ ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈnʷɛxʷ, ˈsaʂ ˈt͡ʃɵːdɶɡ ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈp͡fyɽɛstʷiw]

t͡ʃ-
not.Q
ˈixʷɛʃ
pat
-ɶɡ
PAST
ʃʉɾ
1excl.sing.SUBJ
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
nʷ-
NOM
ˈɛxʷ
cat
ˈsaʂ
RELPRON
t͡ʃ-
not.Q
ˈɵːd
catch
-ɶɡ
PAST
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
p͡f-
ACC
ˈyɽɛstʷiw
mouse

“I patted the cat that caught the mouse.”

(24)

Relative clauses may themselves contain other relative clauses:

Chikhwæshɶg shʉr t͡ʂɵɵs nwækhw, sars chɵɵdɶg t͡ʂɵɵs nwyrræstwiw, sars chytwɶg t͡ʂɵɵs pfʉmʉʉtheeg.

[ˈt͡ʃixʷɛʃɶɡ ʃʉɾ ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈnʷɛxʷ, ˈsaʂ ˈt͡ʃɵːdɶɡ ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈnʷyɽɛstʷiw, ˈsaʂ ˈt͡ʃytʷɶɡ ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈp͡fʉmʉːθeːɡ]

t͡ʃ-
not.Q
ˈixʷɛʃ
pat
-ɶɡ
PAST
ʃʉɾ
1excl.sing.SUBJ
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
nʷ-
NOM
ˈɛxʷ
cat
ˈsaʂ
RELPRON
t͡ʃ-
not.Q
ˈɵːd
catch
-ɶɡ
PAST
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
nʷ-
NOM
ˈyɽɛstʷiw
mouse
ˈsaʂ
RELPRON
t͡ʃ-
not.Q
ˈytʷ
eat
-ɶɡ
PAST
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
p͡f-
ACC
ˈʉmʉːθeːɡ
cheese

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

(25)

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

Chikhwæshɶg shʉr t͡ʂɵɵs nwækhw, sars chɵɵdɶg t͡ʂɵɵs nwyrræstwiw, sars chytwɶg t͡ʂɵɵs nwʉmʉʉtheeg, sars chyngwɶg shʉr swɵtlh.

[ˈt͡ʃixʷɛʃɶɡ ʃʉɾ ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈnʷɛxʷ, ˈsaʂ ˈt͡ʃɵːdɶɡ ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈnʷyɽɛstʷiw, ˈsaʂ ˈt͡ʃytʷɶɡ ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈnʷʉmʉːθeːɡ, ˈsaʂ ˈt͡ʃyŋʷɶɡ ʃʉɾ ˈsʷɵtɬ]

t͡ʃ-
not.Q
ˈixʷɛʃ
pat
-ɶɡ
PAST
ʃʉɾ
1excl.sing.SUBJ
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
nʷ-
NOM
ˈɛxʷ
cat
ˈsaʂ
RELPRON
t͡ʃ-
not.Q
ˈɵːd
catch
-ɶɡ
PAST
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
nʷ-
NOM
ˈyɽɛstʷiw
mouse
ˈsaʂ
RELPRON
t͡ʃ-
not.Q
ˈytʷ
eat
-ɶɡ
PAST
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
nʷ-
NOM
ˈʉmʉːθeːɡ
cheese
ˈsaʂ
RELPRON
t͡ʃ-
not.Q
ˈyŋʷ
buy
-ɶɡ
PAST
ʃʉɾ
1excl.sing.SUBJ
ˈsʷɵtɬ
1excl.sing

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

(26)

Complementation Strategies

Ider 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:

T͡ʂɵɵs nwauŕw chɔitwɶg t͡ʂɵɵs kkhwikhw thwɶngw pfówonwɵtz khwœfɔitz chööweswɶg t͡ʂɵɵs kkhwaagiitææŕ.

[ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈnʷaurʷ ˈt͡ʃɔitʷɶɡ ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈk͡xʷixʷ ˈθʷɶŋʷ ˈp͡fowɔnʷɵt͡s xʷœˈfɔit͡s ˈt͡ʃøːwesʷɶɡ ˈt͡ʂɵːs k͡xʷaːɡiːtɛːr]

ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
nʷ-
NOM
ˈaurʷ
boy
t͡ʃ-
not.Q
ˈɔitʷ
give
-ɶɡ
PAST
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
k͡xʷ-
DAT
ˈixʷ
girl
ˈθʷɶŋʷ
a
p͡f-
ACC
ˈowɔnʷɵt͡s
apple
xʷœˈfɔit͡s
COMP
t͡ʃ-
not.Q
ˈøːwesʷ
surprise
-ɶɡ
PAST
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
k͡xʷ-
DAT
aːɡiːtɛːr
teacher

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

(27)

Quotes

Ider expresses quoted or reported speech without a dedicated quotative particle. Quotations appear as ordinary clauses, distinguished only by the surrounding syntactic context or by the use of verbs of speaking.

Here is an example of how quotations are expressed:

T͡ʂɵɵs nwauŕw chausɶg t͡ʂɵɵs kkhwikhw swɵtlh chöñ shʉr ñœkh khwœfɔitz.

[ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈnʷaurʷ ˈt͡ʃausɶɡ ˈt͡ʂɵːs ˈk͡xʷixʷ ˈsʷɵtɬ ˈt͡ʃøɲ ʃʉɾ ˈɲœx xʷœˈfɔit͡s]

ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
nʷ-
NOM
ˈaurʷ
boy
t͡ʃ-
not.Q
ˈaus
tell
-ɶɡ
PAST
ˈt͡ʂɵːs
the
k͡xʷ-
DAT
ˈixʷ
girl
ˈsʷɵtɬ
1excl.sing
t͡ʃ-
not.Q
ˈøɲ
love
ʃʉɾ
1excl.sing.SUBJ
ˈɲœx
2.sing
xʷœˈfɔit͡s
COMP

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

(28)

How to cite this grammar

Language Creator. 2026. A Grammar of Ider. Generated by the Language Creator, version 0.92, on 25 September 2026. https://languagecreator.org/grammar/5DUAE

In BibTeX format:

@misc{LC-5DUAE,
  year         = 2026,
  author       = {{Language Creator}},
  title        = {A Grammar of {Ider}},
  howpublished = {\url{https://languagecreator.org/grammar/5DUAE}},
  note         = {Generated by the Language Creator, version 0.92, on 25 September 2026}
}

Supplementary Materials

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