Quvi language

Quvi (Qûviqqaaq ) is a Quvic language spoken in the Quvi Peninsula by the Quvi people. Linguistically, Quvi is a language isolate (unrelated to any other existing languages).

Consonants
The following table shows the 25 consonant phonemes in Quvi:


 * {| class="wikitable" style=text-align:center

! colspan=2 | ! Labiodental ! Alveolar ! Palatal ! Velar ! Uvular ! Epiglottal ! colspan=2 | Nasal ! rowspan=2 | Stop || voiceless ! voiced ! colspan=2 | Implosive ! colspan=2 | Affricate ! rowspan=2 | Fricative ! voiceless ! voiced ! colspan=2 | Tap ! colspan=2 | Trill ! rowspan=2 | Lateral fricative || voiceless ! voiced ! colspan=2 | Lateral approximant
 * + Consonant phonemes of Quvi
 * ɱ ⟨m⟩ || n ⟨n⟩ || ɲ ⟨ń⟩ || || ɴ ⟨n̄⟩ ||
 * || t ⟨t⟩ || || k ⟨k⟩ || q ⟨q⟩ || ʡ ⟨'⟩
 * || || || g ⟨g⟩ || ||
 * || ɗ̥ ⟨tt⟩ || ʄ̊ ⟨çç⟩ || || ʛ̥ ⟨qq⟩ ||
 * || t͡s ⟨z⟩ || || || q͡χ ⟨h⟩ ||
 * f ⟨f⟩ || s ⟨s⟩ || ç ⟨ç⟩ || || ||
 * v ⟨v⟩ || || ʝ ⟨j⟩ || || ||
 * ⱱ ⟨w⟩ || || || || ||
 * || r ⟨r⟩ || || || ʀ ⟨ħ⟩ ||
 * || ɬ ⟨x⟩ || || || ||
 * || ɮ ⟨lx⟩ || || || ||
 * || l ⟨l⟩ || || || ||
 * }

Vowels
Quvi has four vowel phonemes distinguished by length.


 * {| class="wikitable" style=text-align:center

! rowspan=2 | ! colspan=2 | Front ! colspan=2 | Back ! short ! long ! short ! long ! Close ! Open
 * + Vowel phonemes of Quvi
 * i ⟨i⟩ || iː ⟨ï⟩ || u ⟨u⟩ || uː ⟨ü⟩
 * e ⟨e⟩ || eː ⟨ë⟩ || a ⟨a⟩ || aː ⟨ä⟩
 * }

Tones
Tones in Quvi are only found in short vowels The following table shows the two main tones of Quvi, together with no tone:

Phonotactics
Quvi's syllable structure is C(A)V(A)C(V)(CV), but syllabically C/AVC/A(V), where A is any consonant except implosives.

Alphabet


Quvi is written using the Quvi alphabet. It was initially carved, the dark sections of the glyphs in some cases were replaced with gemstones for the elite. After ink was introduced, glyphs began to be stamped and printed onto paper.

The Quvi alphabet consists of 40 letters: 24 consonants and 16 vowels. Each character is made up of two squares, divided into four triangles. The Quvi alphabet is a featural writing system. The top square indicates the place of articulation, and the bottom square indicates the manner of articulation and tone.

The earliest Quvi carvings are theorised to be from 2500 AIA.

Grammar
Quvi is a polysynthetic language with a moderate degree of fusionality. It has tripartite alignment.

Nouns
Nouns in Quvi inflect for case, number and negation.

Noun template

 * {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"


 * alignment || case || stem || case || alignment || negation
 * }

Adjectives
Adjectives come before the noun and take the same endings as the nouns they modify.

Verbs
In Quvi verbs conjugate differently depending on transitivity.

Mood
Quvi marks evidentiality on verbs.

Negation
Negation in Quvi is marked with the suffixes -kûnee and -qqûf on verbs and nouns, respectively. There are also the suffixes -nzii ('never') and -xûçç ('nothing') used with verbs that also express negation.

Syntax
The basic word order is VSO. Adverbs come after verbs. The particle gumiç separates clauses.