Proto-Ka language

Proto-Ka (Proto-Ka: *nùkos ) or Ancient Ka is the the reconstructed common ancestor of the Ka languages spoken in the Socoan Mesopotamia of the Sáikók desert.

Consonants
* Only occurs rhematic (focus) prothesis.

Stress
Stress is phonemic, marked in the romanisation with a grave accent.

Grammar
Proto-Ka is an extremely agglutinative language.

Nouns
Nouns in Proto-Ka are declined for topic and focus, case and number.

Topic and focus

 * *-t(o)- — consonantal topic noun root
 * *-z(ù)- — consonantal focus noun root


 * *-o- — vocalic topic noun root
 * *-ù- — vocalic focus noun root

Number
Proto-Ka has four numbers, distinguished in nouns and pronouns: singular, dual, plural and collective.


 * *-∅ — singular
 * *-ez — dual
 * *-uz — plural
 * root reduplication + *-uz — collective

Pronouns
Pronouns in Proto-Ka are formed regularly with topic and focus, person, case and number.

Topic and focus

 * *na- — topic root
 * *ta- — focus root

Person

 * *-u- — first-person root
 * *-i- — second-person root
 * *-∅- — third-person root

Number

 * *-s — singular
 * *-∅ — dual
 * *-z — plural
 * *-wù — collective

Verbs
Verbs are conjugated for tense, aspect and topic and focus. The conjugations differ if the root ends in a consonant or a vowel. Verbs that end in a vowel have the first syllable reduplicated in the continuous aspect.

Passive
The passive is formed with the prefix *mù-. For example:


 * *Kùtosuz zamandèi.— The dogs kill.
 * *Kùtosuz mùzamandèi. — The dogs will be killed.

Causative
The causative is formed with the prefix *za-.

Example sentences
*Kàtos kunguiàz.
 * The person works.

*Kàtos kungukuiàz.
 * The person is working.

*Kàtos kukuiàz mandè.
 * The person that is working will die.

*Kàtos zamatà mukungukuiàn.
 * The person that kills will be forced to work.

*Kùtosez zamandùi kùkùzuz.
 * The two dogs were killing all the other dogs.

*Kàkàtosuz kukuiàs.
 * The people will work.

*Nautus zabàngài taindè.
 * I'm cooking for you two.