Root, Prefix, Suffix

A word in Snr consists of a root and one or more suffixes. Prefixes are optional; multiple prefixes on one word are infrequent. Roots in general have lexical content; prefixes are derivational affixes, while suffixes are inflectional/functional affixes.

A root (with very few exceptions) consists of three phonemes: /XYZ/, with the requirement that X is less sonorous than Y, so that a root always starts with [CV] (depending on the prefix: see below). Depending on the relative sonority of Y and Z, a root may have the shape [CVC] or [CV.CV].

A prefix (with very few exceptions) consists of two phonemes: /XY/, with the requirement that X is less sonorous than Y, so that a prefix is always [CV-]. Note that there is no requirement that the following root phoneme be more or less sonorous than the second prefix phoneme, nor that a preceding prefix (if any) end in a more or less sonorous phoneme than the first prefix phoneme. Thus a prefix (or a root) may not necessarily surface as [CV...]

A suffix consists of one or two phonemes, with no relative sonority requirement. Its surface shape depends on preceding and following material.

Any phoneme can appear in a root, but only one aspirated or ejective stop may appear. No aspirated or ejective stop may appear in a prefix or suffix. No labial or velar consonant may appear in a suffix; thus suffixes are limited to the phonemes /t s n l r i u e a o/.

Nominal Morphology

Nominal Structure: DERIV=ROOT-CLASS-NUM-CAS/TOP

• CLASS:
  
  • human -e
  • animal -t
  • other -l
• NUM:
  
  • singular -a
  • plural -i
  • non-specific -0
• CAS/TOP:
  
  • topic sbjt -ti
  • topic objt -us
  • topic adjt -ro
  • non-topic -0

Verbal Morphology

Verbal Structure: DERIV=ROOT-ASP-PERF-PCPL/TENSE-MOOD-EVID

The 'ASPECT' category indicates how the action began, its purpose or reason

• ASP 1: deliberate, forceful, definite or single-point beginning – subject: Agent; object: Patient, Goal
• ASP 2: accidental, haphazard, sudden or multiple beginning(s) – subject: Patient; object: Cause
• ASP 3: natural, indefinite or gradual beginning – subject: Experiencer/Goal; adjunct: Theme, Cause

• ASP:
  
  • 1 -i
  • 2 -r
  • 3 -u
• PERF:
  
  • imperfective -0
  • perfective -n
• PCPL:
  
  • anterior -s
  • coincident -a
  • posterior -l
• TENSE:
  
  • remote past -at
  • yesterday -el
  • today past -t
  • pres, near fut -la
  • remote future -o
• MOOD:
  
  • indicative -0
  • potential -a
  • irrealis -e
• EVID:
  
  • direct sense -0
  • indirect -n

Sample conjugations:
ASP1, impf, rempast, indic, dir : /-i-0-at-0-0/ [-(i.)jat]
ASP2, perf, yest, poss, indir : /-r-n-el-a-n/ [-r\=.ne.lan], [-r.ne.lan]
ASP3, impf, today, irr, dir : /-u-0-s-e-0/ [-u.se?], [-w.se?]
ASP1, perf, pres, poss, indir : /-i-n-la-a-n/ [-i.n5=.la.?an], [-j.n5=.la.?an]
ASP3, impf, remfut, irr, dir : /-u-0-o-e-0/ [-(u.)wo.?e]