Sanemi Language

The Sanemi Language, often simply referred to with its endonym of seSanemi, is a language spoken in central-southwestern Kylorne, and primarily the former Kingdom of Sanemi, where it was the most common and sole official language. It is the largest, most well-known, and most widely distributed of the Semantu languages.

Distribution
The language is primarily spoken among the main ethnic groups of Sanemi on the continent of Bazwebwe, minus the Habewa, who speak the related siBewa language. It is found mostly in the central and southern regions of Sanemi, except where the Kice-Muqolo languages are spoken, and in many Sanemi diaspora communities as well. One of the largest of these diaspora communities, primarily comprised of ethnic Enka, live among Bilgewater's Buccaneers, to the east of Sanemi on the continent of Lazzeatir.

History
The various Semantu peoples resided in the region of western Bazwebwe for millennia; some of the earliest written records on the continent are written in seNkond'ola Olanwezi- the earliest known Semantu language, and date back approximately 3100 years. Various early Semantu languages likely existed alongside seNkond'ola, but have since gone extinct.

The southern Semantu languages appeared to have gained click consonants through contact with the nomadic Kice-Muqolo peoples; the former do not distinguish between the consonants as much as the latter do, and use them much less frequently. However, the northern siBewa language, despite heavy overlap with seSanemi in the modern day, still does not use them.

The Sanemi language itself appears to have arisen initially as a pidgin between late seNkondo and siShani, forming during the Sifisine Wars and the earliest few years of the Sanemi state existing. The term "seSanemi" came into existence about 200 years BKS, midway between the kingdom's founding and its collapse at the beginning of the Kylorne Tribal Period.

The language itself has since incorporated several loanwords from its neighboring languages of Akhpekü and Tsay'tsa, due to proximity and longstanding contact between these peoples. It also shares several cognates with these words- compare the Tsay'tsa onyi with seSanemi inyoni- both mean "bird" and are useable as names in some form. The language, in particular the Enka dialects, have significant overlap with the Leánntiri dialects due to the Enka overseeing overseas trade between the groups, as well as the close proximity of Enka and Leánntiri among the free mariner and pirate groups of the southern seas.

Phonology
The trill /r/ is not native to all seSanemi dialects, and with the exception of expressive words and in loanwords, it is often simply pronounced /l/. Similarly, some may pronounce /ʨ/ and /ʧ/ the same.

The use of click consonants is one of the most distinctive features of seSanemi. This feature is shared with the Kice-Muqolo languages of western Bazwebwe, but it is very rare in other regions. There are three basic articulations of clicks in seSanemi:


 * Denti-alveolar /ǀ/, comparable to a sucking of teeth, as the sound one makes for 'tsk tsk'.
 * Postalveolar /!/, comparable to a bottle top 'pop'.
 * Lateral /ǁ/, comparable to a click that one may do for a walking horse.

Affixes
The seSanemi language is interesting insofar as its affixes go; it almost exclusively uses prefixes. The words ncane (small) and tiki (piece) are some of the few suffixes used. There is a particular order of how to add prefixes; in order of distance from the root word (reading left to right), they are:

Group-defining prefixes (um, ma, se, sa) - Tense (kula, lu, isa, gu) - Part of speech (ca, pe, wo, kwe) - Most other/specific prefixes - Root - suffixes

Sentence Structure
Generally, the sentence structure is SOV (subject-object-verb), however in sentences with the verb si (is/to be), it is SVO. One adds the time and place following the subject, and adjectives follow the noun they are describing. The language is partially agglutinative.

When neighboring words end and begin in the same vowel, it is common to use a liaison and combine the two words into one with the use of an apostrophe to replace the first vowel. Neighboring vowels in the same word that are two different vowels may also be marked with an apostrophe, but the two letters will remain.

It is also common to end a question with the question particle ya, and to end with ga for urgency or importance; they respectively correspond to question and exclamation marks.

Sentences for example. Affixes are in bold.

Manka izingocho gungula, izi 'nhlanzi zebamba.- literally "When (plural)big (past tense)given, (plural)fish catch".

Ph'ela we nara ya? - You'come of where (question particle)? The words phe and ela are merged into one.

Id'idla ga! - Me'help (exclamation particle)! Again note the combination of idi and idla.

Phrases and text
Greetings and such:


 * Iphenzuri! Hello!
 * Phenzu! Hey!
 * Salanwa! Welcome!
 * Aye'aye. Thank you. (Literally "love love".)
 * Iphezala! Goodbye!
 * Kaya! Bye!

Basic questions upon greeting:


 * Iphenzuri ya? You good?
 * Phe si tanda ya? How are you?
 * Idi si nzuri yaka. I am very good.
 * Idi si nuwenu. I am okay.
 * Idi si uduni. I am doing somewhat bad.
 * Idi si kubi. I am not okay.
 * Idi bu yazi. I don't understand.

Questions on one's name:


 * Pheposa imi'umingaze? What name do you have?
 * Idi umingaze Nilale chemelo. I have the name Nilale.
 * Idi umingaze Ushun chemelo. I have the name Ushun.
 * Phe si we imi zamiki? What is your family/clan?
 * Idi si z'Apilokichi. I am from clan Apilokichi.
 * Idi si za'Uyita. I am from clan Uyita.

Where one is from?


 * Phe si we nara ya? Where are you from?
 * Idi si we hakakusu. I am from far away.
 * Idi si we valukusu. I am from nearby.
 * Idi si umSanemi. I am from Sanemi.
 * Idi si umKulayenana. I am from Leánntir.
 * Idi si umFiteketenkiswi. I am from Fitek Tenkiswi.
 * Idi si umTsayitsa. I am from Tsaytsa.

Asking if one want to eat or drink:


 * Phe si qanzo ya? Are you hungry?
 * Phe si cula ya? Are you thirsty?
 * Idi menzi ndandu. I want water.
 * Idi owifa ndandu. I want coffee.
 * Idi swela ndandu. I want alcohol.
 * Idi phana ndandu. I want bread.
 * Idi nona ndandu. I want fruit.
 * Idi nyama ndandu. I want meat.