Tuspi is the language used by the
Anasefi of
the Magdalen Empire. The ancient language is from prior to the appearance of
the Abyss, and is the parent language of several dialects within the Magdalen Empire. It is better known for its queer alphabet, most properly written on a circle, which is the reason why it is better known as ‘circle writing’. Indeed, that is the literal translation of ‘
Anasefak, the name of the ritual tattoos which every Magdalen receives upon coming of age.
The language is no longer a living language for anyone except the
Anasefi. Circle writing is normally used to advertise their services. It is considered a sacred form of writing, in a way, but doesn’t truly carry religious connotation, simply immense cultural significance.
The language, at least in writing form, is considered by scholars to be an arcane alphabet, specifically designed for channelling magic.
Example
...and he stood holding his hat and turned his wet face to the wind...
ke ki kich samwi fut nipsaw ke piu se kich tametaf ad if[alt]
Pronunciation: /ke ki kiʧ ˈsamwi fut ˈɲipsaw ke ˈpiu se kiʧ taˈmetaf aɾ if/
Tuspi word order: and he his hat holding stood and the wind to his wet face turned[/alt]
Spelling & Phonology
Consonant inventory: f h j k m p s t w ɲ ɾ ʔ ʦ ʧ
| ↓Manner/Place→ |
Bilabial |
Labiodental |
Alveolar |
Palato-alveolar |
Palatal |
Velar |
Glottal |
| Nasal |
m |
|
|
|
ɲ |
|
|
| Stop |
p |
|
t |
|
|
k |
ʔ |
| Affricate |
|
|
ʦ |
ʧ |
|
|
|
| Fricative |
|
f |
s |
|
|
|
h |
| Approximant |
|
|
|
|
j |
|
|
| Tap |
|
|
ɾ |
|
|
|
|
Co-articulated phonemes
| ↓Manner/Place→ |
Labial-velar |
| Approximant |
w |
Vowel inventory: a e i u
|
Front |
Back |
| High |
i |
u |
| High-mid |
e |
|
| Low |
a |
|
Syllable structure: (C)V(C)
Stress pattern: Penultimate — stress is on the second last syllable
Word initial consonants: f j k m p s t w ɲ ʦ ʧ (11)
Mid-word consonants: f ff fh fj fm h hj hk hm j jf jk js jt jɲ jɾ jʔ k kh kk kt kɲ kʧ m mh mj mt mw mʔ mʦ mʧ p pm ps pʧ s sh sj sp st sw sɲ sɾ sʔ sʧ t tf tj tt tɲ tʦ w wk wm ws ww ɲ ɲt ɲɲ ɾ ɾf ɾk ɾp ɾt ɾʔ ɾʧ ʔ ʔɾ ʦ ʦs ʦt ʦw ʧ ʧk ʧm (75)
Word final consonants: f k m s t w ɾ ʦ ʧ (9)
Spelling rules:
| Pronunciation |
Spelling |
| ʔ |
ʻ |
| j |
y |
| ɲ |
n |
| ɾ |
d |
| ʦ |
ts |
| ʧ |
ch |
Grammar
Main word order: Subject (Prepositional phrase) Object Verb. “Mary opened the door with a key” turns into Mary with a key the door opened.
Adjective order: Adjectives are positioned before the noun.
Adposition: postpositions
Nouns
Nouns have two cases:
- Ergative is the doer of a verb, when the verb is done to something: dog bites man.
- Absolutive is used in two scenarios: the doer of a verb when not done to something (dog bites), and the done-to of a verb (man bites dog).
| Ergative |
Prefix ɲi-
nifimye /ɲiˈfimje/
dog (doing the verb to something) |
| Absolutive |
No affix
fimye /ˈfimje/
dog (doing the verb, but not to something) |
|
Singular |
Plural |
| Definite |
No affix
fimye /ˈfimje/
the dog |
Prefix pa-
pafimye /paˈfimje/
the dogs |
| Indefinite |
If starts with vowel: Prefix ʧ-
Else: Prefix ʧe-
chefimye /ʧeˈfimje/
a dog |
Prefix ta-
tafimye /taˈfimje/
some dogs |
Articles
Tuspi encodes definite article ‘the’, and indefinite article ‘a’ in noun affixes. See Noun section.
Pronouns
|
Ergative |
Absolutive |
| 1st singular |
nimi /ɲimi/
I |
mi /mi/
me, I |
| 2nd singular |
nika /ɲika/
you |
ka /ka/
you |
| 3rd singular masc |
niki /ɲiki/
he, it |
ki /ki/
him, it |
| 3rd singular fem |
nikim /ɲiKim/
she, it |
kim /kim/
her, it |
| 1st plural |
niti /ɲiti/
we |
ti /ti/
us, we |
| 2nd plural |
nicha /ɲiʧa/
you all |
cha /ʧa/
you all |
| 3rd plural |
nime /ɲime/
they |
me /me/
them, they |
Possessive determiners
| 1st singular |
maw /maw/
my |
| 2nd singular |
ka /ka/
your |
| 3rd singular masc |
kich /kiʧ/
his |
| 3rd singular fem |
kich /kiʧ/
her |
| 1st plural |
tim /tim/
our |
| 2nd plural |
chu /ʧu/
your (pl) |
| 3rd plural |
mu /mu/
their |
Verbs
|
Present |
Past |
Future |
| 1st singular |
If starts with vowel: Prefix k-
Else: Prefix ki-
kimiki /kiˈmiki/
(I) learn |
Prefix wu-
wumiki /wuˈmiki/
(I) learned |
If starts with vowel: Prefix s-
Else: Prefix sa-
samiki /saˈmiki/
(I) will learn |
| 2nd singular |
If starts with vowel: Prefix m-
Else: Prefix me-
memiki /meˈmiki/
(you) learn |
Prefix pu-
pumiki /puˈmiki/
(you) learned |
Prefix e-
emiki /eˈmiki/
(you) will learn |
| 3rd singular |
If starts with vowel: Prefix p-
Else: Prefix pe-
pemiki /peˈmiki/
(he/she/it) learns |
Prefix i-
imiki /iˈmiki/
(he/she/it) learned |
If starts with vowel: Prefix f-
Else: Prefix fe-
femiki /feˈmiki/
(he/she/it) will learn |
| 1st plural |
If starts with vowel: Prefix k-
Else: Prefix ka-
kamiki /kaˈmiki/
(we) learn |
If starts with vowel: Prefix m-
Else: Prefix ma-
mamiki /maˈmiki/
(we) learned |
Prefix ɲi-
nimiki /ɲiˈmiki/
(we) will learn |
| 2nd plural |
If starts with vowel: Prefix ʦ-
Else: Prefix ʦi-
tsimiki /ʦiˈmiki/
(you all) learn |
If starts with vowel: Prefix ʧ-
Else: Prefix ʧe-
chemiki /ʧeˈmiki/
(you all) learned |
Prefix u-
umiki /uˈmiki/
(you all) will learn |
| 3rd plural |
If starts with vowel: Prefix ɲ-
Else: Prefix ɲa-
namiki /ɲaˈmiki/
(they) learn |
Prefix a-
amiki /aˈmiki/
(they) learned |
Prefix mu-
mumiki /muˈmiki/
(they) will learn |
Imperfective aspect
The ‘imperfective’ aspect refers to ongoing actions, such as I am learning and habitual actions, such as I learn (something new every day).
Tuspi uses a standalone particle word for imperfective:
| Imperfective |
Particle before the verb: kuw -
kuw miki /kuw ˈmiki/
learns/is learning |
Numbers
Tuspi has a base-10 number system:
1 -
sa
2 -
su
3 -
iw
4 -
yi
5 -
puf
6 -
im
7 -
chif
8 -
fich
9 -
tuw
10 -
i
11 -
i ke sa “ten and one”
100 -
sa tetsis “one hundred”
101 -
sa tetsis sa “one hundred one”
200 -
su tetsis
1000 -
sa paf “one thousand”
Derivational morphology
Adjective → adverb = Prefix u-
Adjective → noun (the quality of being [adj]) = If ends with vowel: Suffix -m
Else: Suffix -um
Adjective → verb (to make something [adj]) = Suffix -e
Noun → adjective (having the quality of [noun]) = Suffix -aʧ
Noun → adjective relating to noun (e.g. economy → economic) = Prefix ɲu-
Noun to verb = Suffix -e
Verb → adjective (result of doing [verb]) = Suffix -ek
Tending to = Prefix ʧi-
Verb → noun (the act of [verb]) = Suffix -a
Verb → noun that verb produces (e.g. know → knowledge) = Suffix -ak
One who [verb]s (e.g. paint → painter) = Suffix -i
Place of (e.g. wine → winery) = Prefix i-
Diminutive = Suffix -if
Augmentative = If starts with vowel: Prefix j-
Else: Prefix ju-
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