Qēsud

Qēsud is the traditional mother-tongue of the Saḏēsēsuḫbōṯ Haretk̀īhe. Once spoken across the Sidhai, it is now heard only among the Sahēḏēḏ. However, it's influence can still be felt in the older traditional names of the areas the Saḏēsēsuḫbōṯ Haretk̀īhe once occupied, as well as in the names of the Empire's descendants).

Phonology

Consonants

Manner/Place	Bilabial	Labiodental	Alveolar	Palato-alveolar	Palatal	Velar	Labio-velar	Uvular	Pharyngeal	Glottal
Nasal	m		n
Stop	p b		t d		c ɟ	k g		q		ʔ
Fricative		f	s z	ʃ	ç			χ ʁ	ħ	h
Approximant					j		w		ʕ
Trill			r
Lateral approximant			l

Morphology

Qēsud has a VSO, or Verb-Subject-Object-Oblique scentence structure. Adjectives are generally positioned after the nouns.

For example, the sentence "Mary opened the door with a key" becomes "Ahaw Mary haḫ lōfīẖ hēk̀ẖah lōḥ bītk̀īh" [/aˌhaw [MARY] haχ loːˈfiːç heːʔˈçah loːħ biːtˈʔiːh/], or "Opened Mary the door with a key."

Noun Morphology

		Singular		Plural
Nomative	Masculine	man	mī /miː/	men	Prefix: l(e)- /l(e)-/ lemī /leˈmiː/
	Feminine	woman	h̃atk̀ōḥ /ʁatˈʔoːħ/	women	Prefix: ra- /ra-/ rah̃atk̀ōḥ /raˈʁatʔoːħ/
Accusative	Masculine	man	Prefix: ẖ(u)- /ç(u)-/ ẖumī /çuˈmiː/	men	Prefix: e- /e-/ emī /eˈmiː/
	Feminine	woman	Prefix: u- /u-/ uh̃atk̀ōḥ /uˈʁatʔoːħ/	women	Prefix: a- /a-/ ah̃atk̀ōḥ /aˈʁatʔoːħ/
Genitive	Masculine	man's	Prefix: g(ē)- /g(eː)-/ gēmī /geːˈmiː/	men's	Prefix: a- /a-/ amī /aˈmiː/
	Feminine	woman's	Prefix: a- /a-/ ah̃atk̀ōḥ /aˈʁatʔoːħ/	women's	Prefix: k̀ẖ(ī)- /ʔç(iː)-/ k̀ẖīh̃atk̀ōḥ /ʔçiːˈʁatʔoːħ/

Definite Article

		Singular		Plural
Nomative	Masculine	the [man]	ḥōḏ /ħoːɟ/	the [men]	hak̀ /haʔ/
	Feminine	the [woman]	gaḏ /gaɟ/	the [women]	gaḏ /gaɟ/
Accusative	Masculine	the [man]	haḫ /haχ/	the [men]	gīẖ /giːç/
	Feminine	the [woman]	k̀ẖaḏ /ʔçaɟ/	the [women]	k̀aḏ /ʔaɟ/
Genitive	Masculine	the [man's]	muḫ /muχ/	the [men's]	ẖēd /çeːd/
	Feminine	the [woman's]	k̀ẖēḏ /ʔçeːɟ/	the [women's]	k̀uḏ /ʔuɟ/

Definitive articles are unnecessary when the subject is understood.

Indefinite Article

		Singular		Plural
Nomative	Masculine	a [man]	lōḥ /loːħ/	some [men]	gad /gad/
	Feminine	a [woman]	kēẖ /keːç/	some [women]	kēẖ /keːç/
Accusative	Masculine	a [man]	kut /kut/	some [men]	rat /rat/
	Feminine	a [woman]	ḥēẖ /ħeːç/	some [women]	ḥaḥ /ħaħ/
Genitive	Masculine	a [man's]	zat /zat/	some [men's]	raṯ /rac/
	Feminine	a [woman's]	ḥaẖ /ħaç/	some [women's]	ḥaw /ħaw/

Personal Pronouns

	Nomative		Accusative		Genitive		Dative
1st.sg.m	i (masc.)	h̃er /ʁer/	me (masc.)	h̃an /ʁan/	mine (masc.)	h̃er /ʁer/	to me (masc.)	h̃er /ʁer/
1st.sg.f	i (fem.)	sur /sur/	me (fem.)	sun /sun/	mine (fem.)	suẖ /suç/	to me (fem.)	saln /saln/
2nd.sg.m	you (masc.)	kōw /koːw/	you (masc.)	kar /kar/	yours (masc.)	kur /kur/	to you (masc.)	kōḥ /koːħ/
2nd.sg.f	you (fem.)	suk̀ /suʔ/	you (fem.)	seḏ /seɟ/	yours (fem.)	saṯ /sac/	to you (fem.)	sēt /seːt/
3rd.sg.m	he (masc.)	haẖ /haç/	him (masc.)	haw /haw/	his (masc.)	hēẖ /heːç/	to him (masc.)	huẖ /huç/
3rd.sg.f	she (fem.)	suẖ /suç/	her (fem.)	suk̀ /suʔ/	hers (fem.)	saḫ /saχ/	to her (fem.)	sus̆ /suʃ/
1st.pl	we	k̀ẖeḥ /ʔçeħ/	us	k̀ẖaḥ /ʔçaħ/	ours	k̀ẖew /ʔçew/	to us	k̀ẖuk̀ /ʔçuʔ/
2nd.pl	you	h̃aḥ /ʁaħ/	you	h̃aḫ /ʁaχ/	yours	h̃uln /ʁuln/	to you	h̃ōr /ʁoːr/
3rd.pl.m	they (masc.)	peln /peln/	them (masc.)	pēt /peːt/	their (masc.)	pes̆ /peʃ/	to them(masc.)	pōln /poːln/
3rd.pl.f	they (fem.)	hēln /heːln/	them (fem.)	huln /huln/	their (fem.)	haln /haln/	to them(fem.)	haln /haln/

Verbs

Indicative mood
		Past	Present	Future
		studied	study	will study
Perfective	1st.sg	Prefix: qē- /qeː-/ qēradatk̀īḥ /qeːˌradatˈʔiːħ/	Prefix: h(ī)- /h(iː)-/ hīradatk̀īḥ /hiːˌradatˈʔiːħ/	Prefix: a- /a-/ aradatk̀īḥ /aˌradatˈʔiːħ/
	2nd.sg	Prefix: u- /u-/ uradatk̀īḥ /uˌradatˈʔiːħ/	Prefix: qē- /qeː-/ qēradatk̀īḥ /qeːˌradatˈʔiːħ/	Prefix: u- /u-/ uradatk̀īḥ /uˌradatˈʔiːħ/
	3rd.sg	Prefix: a- /a-/ aradatk̀īḥ /aˌradatˈʔiːħ/	Prefix: k̀(a)- /ʔ(a)-/ k̀aradatk̀īḥ /ʔaˌradatˈʔiːħ/	Prefix: a- /a-/ aradatk̀īḥ /aˌradatˈʔiːħ/
	1st.pl	Prefix: k̀(ī)- /ʔ(iː)-/ k̀īradatk̀īḥ /ʔiːˌradatˈʔiːħ/	Prefix: ī- /iː-/ īradatk̀īḥ /iːˌradatˈʔiːħ/	Prefix: ẖē- /çeː-/ ẖēradatk̀īḥ /çeːˌradatˈʔiːħ/
	2nd.pl	Prefix: u- /u-/ uradatk̀i/b] /uˌradatˈʔiːħ/	Prefix: z(u)- /z(u)-/ zuradatk̀īḥ /zuˌradatˈʔiːħ/	Prefix: a- /a-/ aradatk̀īḥ /aˌradatˈʔiːħ/
	3rd.pl	Prefix: r(a)- /r(a)-/ raradatk̀īḥ /raˌradatˈʔiːħ/	Prefix: h̃(ī)- /ʁ(iː)-/ h̃īradatk̀īḥ /ʁiːˌradatˈʔiːħ/	Prefix: kmē- /kmeː-/ kmēradatk̀īḥ /kmeːˌradatˈʔiːħ/

Imperative: Prefix: q(ō)- /q(oː)-/

Negation: Prefix on verb: h̃(u)- /ʁ(u)-/ Tense affixes come between the root verb and the negative affix.

Subjects may be dropped entirely from a sentence when they are understood. For example, simply saying "qēradatk̀īḥ" is understood to mean "I studied." as "huqēradatk̀īḥ" would obviously mean "I did not study" and "qōqēradatk̀īḥ" is, approximately, "You, go study!"

Using an unnecessary subject is considered to be very formal. In a highly informal situation this could be also be taken as very rude or standoffish.

Derivational morphology

Adjective → noun = If starts with vowel: prefix īk̀ṯ- /iːʔç-/ ; Else: prefix uḏe- /uɟeː-/
Noun → adjective = prefix ē- /eː-/
Noun → verb = prefix e- /e-/
Verb → noun = If starts with vowel: prefix q- /q-/ ; Else: prefix k̀ṯe- /ʔçe-/
Verb → adjective = If starts with vowel: prefix īr- /iːr-/ ; Else: prefix īrī- /iːriː-/
Adjective → adverb = If starts with vowel: prefix ēk̀- /eːʕ-/ ; Else: prefix ōk̀ta- /oːʔta-/
One who Xs (e.g. paint → painter) = prefix e- /e-/
Place of (e.g. wine → winery) = prefix sa- /sa-/
Diminutive = prefix a- /a-/
Augmentative = prefix ē- /eː-/[

The following is the example using the demonym for citizens of the Empire, qīk̀ṯebīfuẖ /qiːʔebiːˈfuç/. This idiom is a rather awkward translation, as it rather literally means "currently alive."

It was formed from the base word bīfuẖ, or "life," which was then conjugated as a verb into various forms of "alive/living" according to the proper verb morphology, beginning with converting the base noun into a verb, which is "k̀ṯebīfuẖ."

	Past	Present	Future
	lived	alive/living	alive
1st.sg	Prefix: qē- /qeː-/ qēk̀ṯebīfuẖ /qeːʔebiːˈfuç/	Prefix: h(ī)- /h(iː)-/ hīk̀ṯebīfuẖ /hiːʔebiːˈfuç/	Prefix: a- /a-/ ak̀ṯebīfuẖ /aʔebiːˈfuç/
2nd.sg	Prefix: u- /u-/ uk̀ṯebīfuẖ /buʔebiːˈfuç/	Prefix: qē- /qeː-/ qēk̀ṯebīfuẖ /qeːʔebiːˈfuç/	Prefix: u- /u-/ uk̀ṯebīfuẖ /uʔebiːˈfuç/
3rd.sg	Prefix: a- /a-/ ak̀ṯebīfuẖ /aʔebiːˈfuç/	Prefix: k̀(a)- /ʔ(a)-/ k̀ak̀ṯebīfuẖ /ʔaʔebiːˈfuç/	Prefix: a- /a-/ ak̀ṯebīfuẖ /aʔebiːˈfuç/
1st.pl	Prefix: k̀(ī)- /ʔ(iː)-/ k̀īk̀ṯebīfuẖ /ʔiːʔebiːˈfuç/	Prefix: ī- /iː-/ īk̀ṯebīfuẖ /iːʔebiːˈfuç/	Prefix: ẖē- /çeː-/ ẖēk̀ṯebīfuẖ /çeːʔebiːˈfuç/
2nd.pl	Prefix: u- /u-/ uk̀ṯebīfuẖ /uʔebiːˈfuç/	Prefix: z(u)- /z(u)-/ zuk̀ṯebīfuẖ /zuʔebiːˈfuç/	Prefix: a- /a-/ ak̀ṯebīfuẖ /aʔebiːˈfuç/
3rd.pl	Prefix: r(a)- /r(a)-/ rak̀ṯebīfuẖ /raʔebiːˈfuç/	Prefix: h̃(ī)- /ʁ(iː)-/ h̃īk̀ṯebīfuẖ /ʁiːʔebiːˈfuç/	Prefix: kmē- /kmeː-/ kmēk̀ṯebīfuẖ /kmeːʔebiːˈfuç/

The plural 1st person form was nominally chosen as the proper noun. Converted from a verb back into a noun it goes from īk̀ṯebīfuẖ /iːʔebiːˈfuç/ to qīk̀ṯebīfuẖ /qiːʔebiːˈfuç/. When used, it conjugates according to masculine noun morphology.

		Singular		Plural
Nomative	Empire Citizen	qīk̀ṯebīfuẖ /qiːʔebiːˈfuç/	Empire Citizens	Prefix: l(e)- /l(e)-/ leqīk̀ṯebīfuẖ /leqiːʔebiːˈfuç/
Accusative	Empire Citizen	Prefix: ẖ(u)- /ç(u)-/ huqīk̀ṯebīfuẖ /huqiːʔebiːˈfuç/	Empire Citizens	Prefix: e- /e-/ eqīk̀ṯebīfuẖ /eqiːʔebiːˈfuç/
Genitive	Empire Citizen's	Prefix: g(ē)- /g(eː)-/ gēqīk̀ṯebīfuẖ /geːqiːʔebiːˈfuç/	Empire Citizens'	Prefix: a- /a-/ aqīk̀ṯebīfuẖ /aqiːʔebiːˈfuç/

Consonant inventory:

/ b c d f g h j k km kt l ln m n p q r s t tk tʔ w z ç ħ ɟ ɟc ʁ ʃ ʔ ʔt ʔç ʕ χ/

Vowel inventory:

/a e eː iː oː u/