Welcome to The New Ithkuilic Language’s documentation!¶

Ithkuil is a constructed language designed by John Quijada that prioritizes expressiveness and conciseness, and TNIL (“The New Ithkuilic Language” — official name pending) is a successor language sharing many of its design values.

This is a community-driven, GPLv3-licensed set of documentation for TNIL, including graphics illustrating several morphological categories.

Contributing¶

This documentation is still far from complete, and most features are lacking a full description. If you are familiar with Ithkuilic grammar, please contribute! Morphological and lexical information is stored in NILDB, and all other text is stored in docs/source of this repository.

Due to licensing ambiguity, translating of the lexicon is currently paused and all other documentation must use original word; i.e. do not copy verbatim from A Grammar of Ithkuil or any other texts written by Quijada.

Introduction¶

Phonology¶

Consonants¶

	Labial	Labiodental	Labiovelar	Dental	Alveolar	Postalveolar	Palatal	Velar	Uvular	Glottal
Stop	p b			t d						k g
Fricative		f v	(hw)	ţ ḑ	s z	š ž		x		h
Lateral fricative				ļ (= hl)
Affricate					c ż	č j
Nasal	(hm) m			(hn) n				ň
Flap/trill/rhotic					(hr) r
Approximant			w				y		ř
Lateral appoximant				l			(hy)

TODO pronunciation guide for linguistic newbies

Vowels¶

	Front		Central		Back
	unrounded	rounded	unrounded	rounded	unrounded	rounded
High	i			ü	(ë)	u
Mid	e	ö	ë		(ë)	o
Low	ä		a

TODO pronunciation guide for linguistic newbies

Stress¶

TODO

Tonality¶

TODO

Word formation¶

TODO

Syntax¶

TODO

Case-frames¶

TODO

Parsing¶

TODO

Lexical morphology¶

Stem¶

TODO (no YAML file)

Designation¶

TODO

There are 2 Designations:

Informal - TODO
Formal - TODO

Informal¶

TODO

Formal¶

TODO

Function¶

TODO

There are 2 Functions:

Stative - TODO
Dynamic - TODO

Stative¶

TODO

Dynamic¶

TODO

Specification¶

TODO

There are 4 Specifications:

Basic - TODO
Contential - TODO
Constitutive - TODO
Objective - TODO

Basic¶

TODO

Contential¶

TODO

Constitutive¶

TODO

Objective¶

TODO

Version¶

TODO

There are 2 Versions:

Processual - state or action that is an end in itself
Completive - goal-driven state or action

Processual¶

TODO

Completive¶

TODO

Ca morphology¶

Affiliation¶

TODO

There are 4 Affiliations:

Consolidative - undetermined/irrelevant shared use/condition/purpose
Associative - shared use/condition/purpose
Variative - conflicted use/condition/purpose
Coalescent - complementary or emergent use/condition/purpose

Consolidative¶

TODO

Associative¶

TODO

Variative¶

TODO

Coalescent¶

TODO

Configuration¶

TODO

There are 9 Configurations:

Uniplex - individual instance
Duplex - pair of instances
Discrete - many similar instances
Aggregative - collection of dissimilar instances
Segmentative - close or contiguous group of similar instances
Componential - close or contiguous group of dissimilar instances
Coherent - connected collection of similar instances
Composite - connected collection of dissimilar instances
Multiform - borderline or questionable instance

Uniplex¶

TODO

Duplex¶

TODO

Discrete¶

TODO

Aggregative¶

TODO

Segmentative¶

TODO

Componential¶

TODO

Coherent¶

TODO

Composite¶

TODO

Multiform¶

TODO

Extension¶

Extension describes a spatiotemporal part of the set (beginning vs. end) and its dynamics (gradual vs. immediate beginning/end), and its characterization as either circumscribed by or transcending the discursive context (i.e., is the whole object being discussed, or only part of it?).

There are 6 Extensions:

Delimitive - discrete, with accessible boundaries
Proximal - transcending the current context, or without accessible limits
Inceptive - spatiotemporal beginning
Attenuative - spatiotemporal end
Graduative - gradual/fading spatiotemporal beginning
Depletive - gradual/fading spatiotemporal end

Delimitive¶

TODO

Proximal¶

TODO

Inceptive¶

TODO

Attenuative¶

TODO

Graduative¶

TODO

Depletive¶

TODO

Perspective¶

Perspective quantifies both nominal and verbal stems and can provide tense-like information for verbal stems. This category, like that of of “Number” in other languages, differentiates between references to one or many instances of a root, as well as making possible reference to all instances of the root across space and time, or to the underlying concept of the root itself. For verbs Perspective works with Aspect and Extension to create analogues for many of the “Tenses” found in other languages.

TODO provide table of Tense-Aspect-Extension and Tense-Aspect1-Aspect2 combos

There are 4 Perspectives:

Monadic - single instance
Polyadic - multiple instances
Nomic - all instances in space and time
Abstract - idea/concept/essence

Monadic¶

TODO

Polyadic¶

TODO

Nomic¶

TODO

Abstract¶

TODO

Essence¶

TODO

There are 2 Essences:

Normal - actually existing
Representative - hypothetical/imaginary/unrealized

Normal¶

TODO

Representative¶

TODO

Context¶

TODO

There are 4 Contexts:

Existential - objective, material reality
Functional - subjective, socially conditioned reality
Representational - symbolic or analogical use
Amalgamative - as an emergent totality of internal and external relations

Existential¶

TODO

Functional¶

TODO

Representational¶

TODO

Amalgamative¶

TODO

VxCs morphology¶

VxCs type¶

TODO

There are 3 VxCs types:

Type 1 - circumstancial
Type 2 - derivational
Type 3 - modifier

Type 1¶

TODO

Type 2¶

TODO

Type 3¶

TODO

VxCs degree¶

TODO

There are 10 VxCs degrees:

Delineation¶

TODO (no YAML file)

Verb morphology¶

Valence¶

TODO

There are 10 Valences:

Monoactive - no co-participant
Parallel - performing same activity
Corollary - performing related activity
Reciprocal - performing same activity with roles reversed
Complementary - performing distinct but complementary activity
Duplicative - performing same activity in parallel
Demonstrative - learning by demonstration
Contingent - performing next step of process
Participative - partcipating in activity
Indicative - perceiving cue/nuance/implication from first party

Monoactive¶

TODO

Parallel¶

TODO

Corollary¶

TODO

Reciprocal¶

TODO

Complementary¶

TODO

Duplicative¶

TODO

Demonstrative¶

TODO

Contingent¶

TODO

Participative¶

TODO

Indicative¶

TODO

Phase¶

TODO

There are 9 Phases:

Contextual - single relatively brief event
Punctual - single instant event
Iterative - rapidly repeating instant events
Repetitive - steady on-off pattern
Intermittent - slow repetiton of instant events
Recurrent - slow repetition of relatively brief events
Frequentative - slow repitition of quick sequence of instant events
Fragmentative - random pattern of instant events
Fluctuative - random pattern of instant and brief events

Contextual¶

TODO

Punctual¶

TODO

Iterative¶

TODO

Repetitive¶

TODO

Intermittent¶

TODO

Recurrent¶

TODO

Frequentative¶

TODO

Fragmentative¶

TODO

Fluctuative¶

TODO

Level¶

TODO

There are 9 Levels:

Minimal - TODO
Subequative - TODO
Inferior - TODO
Deficient - TODO
Equative - TODO
Surpassive - TODO
Superlative - TODO
Superequative - TODO
Maximal - TODO

Minimal¶

TODO

Subequative¶

TODO

Inferior¶

TODO

Deficient¶

TODO

Equative¶

TODO

Surpassive¶

TODO

Superlative¶

TODO

Superequative¶

TODO

Maximal¶

TODO

Aspect¶

TODO

There are 36 Aspects:

Retrospective - TODO
Prospective - TODO
Habitual - TODO
Progressive - TODO
Imminent - TODO
Precessive - TODO
Regulative - TODO
Antecedent - TODO
Anticipatory - TODO
Resumptive - TODO
Cessative - TODO
Pausal - TODO
Regressive - TODO
Preclusive - TODO
Continuative - TODO
Incessative - TODO
Summative - TODO
Interruptive - TODO
Preemptive - TODO
Climactic - TODO
Dilatory - TODO
Temporary - TODO
Motive - TODO
Sequential - TODO
Expeditive - TODO
Protractive - TODO
Preperatory - TODO
Disclusive - TODO
Conclusive - TODO
Culminative - TODO
Intermediative - TODO
Tardative - TODO
Transitional - TODO
Intercommutative - TODO
Expenditive - TODO
Limitive - TODO

Retrospective¶

TODO

Prospective¶

TODO

Habitual¶

TODO

Progressive¶

TODO

Imminent¶

TODO

Precessive¶

TODO

Regulative¶

TODO

Antecedent¶

TODO

Anticipatory¶

TODO

Resumptive¶

TODO

Cessative¶

TODO

Pausal¶

TODO

Regressive¶

TODO

Preclusive¶

TODO

Continuative¶

TODO

Incessative¶

TODO

Summative¶

TODO

Interruptive¶

TODO

Preemptive¶

TODO

Climactic¶

TODO

Dilatory¶

TODO

Temporary¶

TODO

Motive¶

TODO

Sequential¶

TODO

Expeditive¶

TODO

Protractive¶

TODO

Preperatory¶

TODO

Disclusive¶

TODO

Conclusive¶

TODO

Culminative¶

TODO

Intermediative¶

TODO

Tardative¶

TODO

Transitional¶

TODO

Intercommutative¶

TODO

Expenditive¶

TODO

Limitive¶

TODO

Mood¶

TODO

There are 6 Moods:

Factual - statement is true
Subjunctive - supposition is true but statement is uncertain
Assumptive - supposition is unknown but statement is true if supposition is true
Speculative - supposition is uncertain and statement is uncertain
Counterfactive - supposition is false but statement would be true if supposition were true
Hypothetical - supposition is false and statement would be uncertain if supposition were true

Factual¶

TODO

Subjunctive¶

TODO

Assumptive¶

TODO

Speculative¶

TODO

Counterfactive¶

TODO

Hypothetical¶

TODO

Sanction¶

TODO

There are 9 Sanctions:

Propositional - materially factual
Epistemic - socially/conventionally factual
Allegative - personal opinion/belief
Imputative - assumption open to counter-argument
Refutative - counter-assertion based on conventional knowledge
Rebuttative - counter-assertion based on material facts
Conjectural - testable hypothesis
Expatiative - untestable hypothesis
Axiomatic - non-contestable truth

Propositional¶

TODO

Epistemic¶

TODO

Allegative¶

TODO

Imputative¶

TODO

Refutative¶

TODO

Rebuttative¶

TODO

Conjectural¶

TODO

Expatiative¶

TODO

Axiomatic¶

TODO

Illocution¶

TODO

There are 9 Illocutions:

Confirmative - testimony of direct observation
Inferential - conclusion of reasoning
Intuitive - intuition/hunch
Revelatory - vision/dream/altered state
Hearsay - secondhand information
Unspecified - unknown or unspecified Illocution
Directive - instruction/order/command
Interrogative - yes/no question
Declarative - performative declaration

Confirmative¶

TODO

Inferential¶

TODO

Intuitive¶

TODO

Revelatory¶

TODO

Hearsay¶

TODO

Unspecified¶

TODO

Directive¶

TODO

Interrogative¶

TODO

Declarative¶

TODO

Case morphology¶

TODO

There are 68 Cases split into 6 groups:

Transrelative cases - TODO
Appositive cases - TODO
Associative cases - TODO
Adverbial cases - TODO
Spatio-temporal cases - TODO
Relational cases - TODO

Transrelative cases¶

TODO

There are 9 Transrelative cases:

Thematic - content
Instrumental - instrument used by agent to accomplish action
Absolutive - patient
Stimulative - non-deliberate stimulus
Affective - experiencer
Effectuative - enabler
Ergative - agent
Dative - indirect object
Inducive - agent and patient

Thematic¶

TODO

Instrumental¶

TODO

Absolutive¶

TODO

Stimulative¶

TODO

Affective¶

TODO

Effectuative¶

TODO

Ergative¶

TODO

Dative¶

TODO

Inducive¶

TODO

Appositive cases¶

TODO

There are 9 Appositive cases:

Possessive - alienable control/oversight
Proprietive - official/accepted ownership/oversight
Genitive - inalienable/intrinsic possession
Attributive - TODO
Productive - creator/author/originator
Interpretive - subjective interpretational context
Originative - literal/figurative origin
Interdependent - mututally dependent
Partitive - quantitative or content of container

Possessive¶

TODO

Proprietive¶

TODO

Genitive¶

TODO

Attributive¶

TODO

Productive¶

TODO

Interpretive¶

TODO

Originative¶

TODO

Interdependent¶

TODO

Partitive¶

TODO

Associative cases¶

TODO

There are 9 Associative cases:

Applicative - current utilization/purpose
Purposive - intended utilization/purpose
Transmissive - recipient of benefit/detriment
Deferential - “for the sake of X”
Contrastive - “as a substitute for X”
Transpositive - “on behalf of X”
Commutative - “in exchange for X”
Comparative - “in comparison to X”
Considerative - “according to X”

Applicative¶

TODO

Purposive¶

TODO

Transmissive¶

TODO

Deferential¶

TODO

Contrastive¶

TODO

Transpositive¶

TODO

Commutative¶

TODO

Comparative¶

TODO

Considerative¶

TODO

Adverbial cases¶

TODO

There are 9 Adverbial cases:

Concessive - “despite X”
Aversive - “to avoid X”
Conversive - exception
Situative - cause/context
Functive - manner/characterization
Transformative - final state of transformative process
Classificative - manner of arrangement/classification/counting
Consumptive - object consumed in process
Resultative - result/consequence

Concessive¶

TODO

Aversive¶

TODO

Conversive¶

TODO

Situative¶

TODO

Functive¶

TODO

Transformative¶

TODO

Classificative¶

TODO

Consumptive¶

TODO

Resultative¶

TODO

Spatio-temporal cases¶

TODO

There are 16 Spatio-temporal cases:

Locative - location
Attendant - entity present
Allative - “moving toward X”
Ablative - “moving from X”
Orientative - orientational reference
Interrelative - spatiotemporal positional reference
Intrative - spatiotemporal span
Navigative - path of motion
Assessive - unit by which something happens or is measured
Concursive - time of occurrence
Periodic - time span of scattered events
Prolapsive - duration
Precursive - “before X”
Postcursive - “after X”
Elapsive - time elapsed since/until
Prolimitive - temporal limit

Locative¶

TODO

Attendant¶

TODO

Allative¶

TODO

Ablative¶

TODO

Orientative¶

TODO

Interrelative¶

TODO

Intrative¶

TODO

Navigative¶

TODO

Assessive¶

TODO

Concursive¶

TODO

Periodic¶

TODO

Prolapsive¶

TODO

Precursive¶

TODO

Postcursive¶

TODO

Elapsive¶

TODO

Prolimitive¶

TODO

Relational cases¶

TODO

There are 16 Relational cases:

Referential - “pertaining to X”
Correlative - abstract association
Compositive - literal/figurative component substance
Dependent - contingent circumstance
Predicative - non-causal basis/dependency
Essive - contextual role/name
Assimilative - simile
Conformative - “in comformance with X”
Activative - experiencer of modal state
Selective - recurring interval
Comitative - “along with X”
Utilitative - instrument used in another activity
Descriptive - characterization
Relative - relative clause
Terminative - goal
Vocative - direct address

Referential¶

TODO

Correlative¶

TODO

Compositive¶

TODO

Dependent¶

TODO

Predicative¶

TODO

Essive¶

TODO

Assimilative¶

TODO

Conformative¶

TODO

Activative¶

TODO

Selective¶

TODO

Comitative¶

TODO

Utilitative¶

TODO

Descriptive¶

TODO

Relative¶

TODO

Terminative¶

TODO

Vocative¶

TODO

Case scope¶

TODO

There are 6 Case scopes:

CCw - TODO
CCm - TODO
CCy - TODO
CCn - TODO
CCl - TODO
CCx - TODO

CCw¶

TODO

CCm¶

TODO

CCy¶

TODO

CCn¶

TODO

CCl¶

TODO

CCx¶

TODO

Other morphology¶

Case scope¶

TODO

There are 6 Case scopes:

CCw - TODO
CCm - TODO
CCy - TODO
CCn - TODO
CCl - TODO
CCx - TODO

CCw¶

TODO

CCm¶

TODO

CCy¶

TODO

CCn¶

TODO

CCl¶

TODO

CCx¶

TODO

Register¶

TODO

There are 8 Registers:

Narrative - general speech/narration
Discursive - direct quote
Parenthetical - aside/footnote
Cogitant - inner thoughts
Exemplificative - “as an example, X”
Impressionistic - inner thoughts of mentioned party
Mathematical - mathematical sublanguage
Carrier - name or loanword

Narrative¶

TODO

Discursive¶

TODO

Parenthetical¶

TODO

Cogitant¶

TODO

Exemplificative¶

TODO

Impressionistic¶

TODO

Mathematical¶

TODO

Carrier¶

TODO

Effect¶

TODO

There are 3 Effects:

Beneficial - TODO
Detrimental - TODO
Unknown - TODO

Beneficial¶

TODO

Detrimental¶

TODO

Unknown¶

TODO

Formatives¶

Simple formative¶

TODO

Short-form formative¶

TODO

Complex formative¶

TODO

Adjuncts¶

Modular adjunct¶

TODO

Affixual scoping adjunct¶

TODO

Case stacking adjunct¶

TODO

Single-affixual adjunct¶

TODO

Carrier adjunct¶

TODO

Register adjunct¶

TODO

Personal reference adjunct¶

TODO

Single/dual-referent PRA¶

TODO

Combination PRA¶

TODO

Personal reference roots¶

TODO

Parsing adjunct¶

TODO

Vocalic affixes¶

Standard vowel sequence¶

TODO

Vc¶

TODO

Ve¶

TODO

Vi¶

TODO

Vk¶

TODO

Vl¶

TODO

Vm¶

TODO

Vn¶

TODO

Vp¶

TODO

Vr¶

TODO

Vs¶

TODO

Vt1¶

TODO

Vt2¶

TODO

Vv¶

TODO

Vx¶

TODO

Consonantal affixes¶

Ca¶

TODO

Cb¶

TODO

Cc¶

TODO

Cm¶

TODO

Cr¶

TODO

Cs¶

TODO

Personal referent¶

TODO

Roots¶

TODO

Cs affixes¶

TODO

Root incorporation¶

TODO

Mathematical sublanguage¶

TODO

Writing system¶

TODO

Phonotactics¶

TODO

Examples¶

TODO