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Umma of the Shell |
The languages of the Umma differ slightly due mainly to their respective geographical situations - the worlds in the shell have and have had much more contact with the surrounding, Anglic-speaking worlds. Thus the Umma of the Shell is much more 'globalized' than the Umma of the Core.
This reflects mainly in the origin of word stems, and partly also in
phonetics. The Umma was never a part of the Anglic language family, and
inherits its
grammar straight out of Modern Literary Arabic.
The abjad of classic Arabic is still in use in the liturgy of the Umma. It has gone through a few quite necessary reforms throughout the millennia, but the core of the liturgy, the Koran, is still written in abjad, as it was written some 9500 years earlier.
As this is not a treatise on the liturgical Umma, we will leave the theme of abjad here.
The Umma of the Shell and Umma of the Core have slightly differing transcription systems. In case of doubt, abjad is used; but mostly, the writers know enough to agree on and use on of the transcription systems.
The Umma of the Shell (hereafter referred to simply as Umma), has six vowels (classic Arabic only five), and 21 consonants.
The vowels are, in IPA, /i/, /i:/, /i::/, /u/, /u:/, /u::/, /a/ , /a:/ and /a::/; that is a flat, frontal vowel (i), a round middle vowel and a flat low vowel; both with short, medium and long quantities.
| Vowel | Shell transcription | Core transcription |
| i | i | i |
| i: | ï | ï |
| i:: | î | î |
| u | u | u |
| u: | ü | ü |
| u:: | û | û |
| a | a | a |
| a: | ä | ä |
| a:: | â | â |
We start with an overview, and discuss the consonants afterwards. The table uses the Shell transcription system. A translational table will be given afterwards.
| Stops | Affricatives | Fricatives | Nasals | Liquids | Semivowels | |
| Bilabials | b | m | w | |||
| Labiodentals | f | |||||
| Interdentals | th, dh | |||||
| Dentals | t, d | s, z | n | l, r | ||
| Alveopalatals | dj | sh | ||||
| Palatals | j | |||||
| Velars | k | x | ||||
| Uvulars | q | R | ||||
| Pharyngeals | ||||||
| Glottals | h |
And for the translation table:
| Shell | Core | Shell | Core |
| b | b | n | n |
| m | m | l | l |
| w | w | r | r |
| f | f | dj | ÿ |
| th | þ | sh | ç |
| dh | ð | j | j |
| t | t | k | k |
| d | d | x | x |
| s | s | q | q |
| z | z | R | µ |
| h | h |
To make the overview complete, some distinctions need to be made: s, t, th are toneless, z, d, dh are toning (?). r is a rolling liquid, whereas l does not roll.
Words in general are formed from consonant stems. From a certain consonant stem, firstly a number of nouns and verbs may be derived using prefixes. Then the nouns and verbs may be declined using vowel patterns.
A consonant stem contains of three consonants. Thus any noun contains a total of four consonants; three semantic and on providing the gender.
Nouns are declined after number, gender, case and determination.
There are three numbers in Umma: singular, plural and omnative. Plural is formed by either increasing quantity of the vowels, or when that does not distinguish, by suffixing. Omnative is formed by pushing the vowels forward; i.e. a -> u -> i, or when that doesn't help, by another suffix.
Nouns may be masculine, feminine, animate, non-animate or alien in gender. These genders are formed by end-consonants. Thus masculines end with /th/, feminines with /dh/, animates with /t/, non-animates with /d/ and aliens with /sh/.
The nouns can follow a large number of cases, which are subgroupable:
| Case | Pattern |
| Nominative | aCüCäCaC |
| Accusative | uCüCaCuCa |
| Dative | uCäCüCaCu |
| Genitive | CïCâCüC |
| Translative | iCïCiCûC |
| Essive | aCïCiCüC |
| Partitive | uCïCiCûC |
| Illative | ïCiCaCïC |
| Inessive | ïCaCiCïC |
| Elative | ïCuCaCïC |
| Allative | uCüCaCüC |
| Adessive | aCäCaCüC |
| Ablative | iCïCaCüC |
| Containment | ïCaCuCïC |
Determination is provided by prefixing the word with the definite article /al-/.
Adjectives are formed by prefixing the stem with /ol-/ and declining according to the noun being described.
Adjectives may be positive, comparative, superlative or qallative. Qallative is to denote the all encompassing supremity that may only be ascribed to Allah. the inappropriate use of qallative is widespread in humour of the outer shell; everyplace more central than that is too strictly held for such blasphemy to pass unpunished.
Comparative, superlative and qallative are formed with the suffixing /ïj/, /üj/ and /äj/ respectively. Note that an comparated adjective would have the pattern ol-(V)CVCVCVC(V)Vj, summing six consonants including prefix and suffix.
Personal pronouns may be used as separate words as well as suffixes. Suffixes denote possession when attached to nouns and direct objects when attached to verbs. Furthermore, they may be declined just as nouns, using the consonant-version.
| (singular / plural / omnitative) | masculine | feminine | animate | in-animate | alien |
| 1st person | qanath/qänäth/qünüth | qanadh/qänädh/qünüdh | qanat/qänät/qünüt | qanad/qänäd/qünüd | qanash/qänäsh/qünüsh |
| 2nd person | antath/äntäth/üntüth | antadh/äntädh/üntüdh | antat/äntät/üntüt | antad/äntäd/üntüd | antash/äntäsh/üntüsh |
| 3rd person | huwath/hüwäth/hïwüth | huwadh/hüwädh/hïwüdh | huwat/hüwät/hïwüt | huwad/hüwäd/hïwüd | huwash/hüwäsh/hïwüsh |
Consonants
| 1st person | QQN |
| 2nd person | NNT |
| 3rd person | HHW |
And the suffix forms
| sing/plur/omn | masculine | feminine | animate | in-animate | alien |
| 1st person | -na,-a/-nä,-ä/-nü,-ü | -nu,-u/-ni,-i/-nï,-ï | -nat,-at/-nät,-ät/-nüt/-üt | -nad,-ad/-näd,-äd/-nüd,-üd | -ash/-äsh/-üsh |
| 2nd person | -ka/-kä/-kü | -ku/-ki/-kï | -kat/-kät/-küt | -kad/-käd/-küd | -kash/-käsh/-küsh |
| 3rd person | -ha/-hä/-hü | -hu/-hi/-hï | -hat/-hät/-hüt | -had/-häd/-hüd | -hash/-häsh/-hüsh |
Verbs only exists in active, passive must be reconstructed using a proper pronoun as symbolic agent. The agent is assumed to be masculine, 3rd person, singular if not known to be otherwise.
Furthermore, the verb is placed in perfect or imperfect time, and in indicative, subjunctive, jussive, energetic or imperative mood. Perfect is placed in past time, imperfect indicates present or future time.
The perfect indicative of a verb has one of several possible vowel patterns: (shown using the KTB 'write' stem)
| Pattern | Explanation | Meaning |
| KaTiBa | (i) position | read |
| KaTTaBa | (ii) causative, intense | write, describe |
| KaTaBa | (iii) | co-write, edit |
| qa-KTaBa | (iv) | read the scriptures |
| ta-KaTTaBa | (v) | read out loud, preach |
| ta-KäTaBa | (vi) | attend a reading, pray |
| i-K-ta-TaBa | (vii) | read the first sermon after becoming preast |
| ista-KTaBa | (viii) | recall the laws, recite the laws |
Paradigms:
| Indicative | Subjunctive | Jussive | Energetic | Imperative | |
| KaTiBa | |||||
| Perfect | KaTiBa | KïTiBa | KuTiBa | KâTiTiBa | KüTiBa |
| Imperfect | KiTiBu | KïTiBu | KuTiBu | KâTiTiBu | KüTiBu |
| KaTTaBa | |||||
| Perfect | KaTTaBa | KïTTaBa | KuTTaBa | KâTaTaBa | KüTTaBa |
| Imperfect | KiTTaBu | KïTTaBu | KuTTaBu | KâTaTaBu | KüTTaBu |
| KaTaBa | |||||
| Perfect | KaTaBa | KïTaBa | KuTaBa | KâTaTaBa | KüTaBa |
| Imperfect | KiTaBu | KïTaBu | KuTaBu | KâTaTaBu | KüTaBu |
| qa-KTaBa | |||||
| Perfect | qa-KTaBa | qï-KTaBa | qu-KTaBa | qâ-KaTaBa | qü-KTaBa |
| Imperfect | qa-KTaBu | qï-KTaBu | qu-KTaBu | qâ-KaTaBu | qü-KTaBu |
| ta-KaTTaBa | |||||
| Perfect | ta-KaTTaBa | ta-KïTTaBa | ta-KuTTaBa | ta-KâTaTaBa | ta-KüTTaBa |
| Imperfect | ta-KaTTaBu | ta-KïTTaBu | ta-KuTTaBu | ta-KâTaTaBa | ta-KüTTaBu |
| ta-KäTaBa | |||||
| Perfect | ta-KäTaBa | ti-KïTaBa | ta-KüTaBa | tä-KâTaTaBa | tu-KüTaBa |
| Imperfect | ta-KäTaBu | ti-KïTaBu | ta-KüTaBu | tä-KâTaTaBu | tu-KüTaBu |
| i-K-ta-TaBa | |||||
| Perfect | i-K-ta-TaBa | i-K-tï-TaBa | i-K-tu-TaBa | i-K-tâ-TaTaBa | i-K-tü-TaBa |
| Imperfect | i-K-ta-TaBu | i-K-tï-TaBu | i-K-tu-TaBu | i-K-tâ-TaTaBu | i-K-tü-TaBu |
| ista-KTaBa | |||||
| Perfect | ista-KTaBa | istï-KTaBa | istu-KTaBa | istâ-KaTaBa | istü-KuTaBa |
| Imperfect | ista-KTaBu | istï-KTaBu | istu-KTaBu | istâ-KaTaBu | istü-KuTaBu |
A normal sentence follows VSO in the Core, but out on the shell, SVO is prevalent. As before, our comments apply to outer shell Umma.
If no verb is present in the sentence, a copula is assumed. Thus the word order becomes Subject + Complement
If the predicate is a verb, the word order is usually Subject + Verb + Object
The Subject part always starts with a word in nominative, and ends where either an accusative not following a genitive or a verb shows up. The Verbal part acts in the same manner, continuing up until an accusative not following a genitive shows up, where the Object takes on. Adverbials are normally included in the verbal part.
Expresses the agent of a verb, the subject in a sentence
Expresses the direct object, or ownee in an ownership relation.
Expresses the indirect object.
Expresses owner in an ownership relation.
Expresses a change of state toward something.
Expresses a state of being.
Expresses being part of something.
Expresses movement into something.
Expresses being inside something.
Expresses movement out of something.
Expresses movement toward something.
Expresses vicinity to something.
Expresses movement away from something.
Expresses the container of an illative, inessive or elative.
Indicative: stating a fact
Subjunctive: used in subordinate clauses after verbs symbolizing wishes
Jussive: indicates prohibitions, used for the 2nd person negative imperative
Energetic: indicates solemn statements, after oaths, in commands, in prayers and in wishes
Imperative: indicates orders or prescriptions
