Sarasque Honorifics: view article

Sarasque is very unique among the indigenous languages of South America. Similar to systems found in modern East Asian countries, the component parts of the Sarasque honorific system include hearer honorifics, referant honorifics and forms of address.

The honorific system is used to show or emphasize social rank, social intimacy or similarity in rank.

When asking a question: the first is casually between friends, the second is a junior person asking a superior in a formal meeting:

Do you have a pen?

Casual	Formal
*Dhą ki hań plum?* [jɔŋki haɲ plum]	*Sze dhąno plum śau lań?* [ʂe jɔno plum ʃav laɲ]

The speech level used is indicated by the sentence structure, verb form and the choice of pronoun. In the first example, rau, the casual nominative first person singular pronoun is used; in the same phrase you can find hań, the dative form of the casual second person singular pronoun, han.

[edit] [top]Types

There are three main categories of honorifics in Sarasque: lakoba, respectful language; lakbhaóa, humble language (or modest language); and lakrev, polite language.

[edit] [top]Lakoba

Lakoba, or respectful language, is an alternate word and syntax used when talking about superiors and customers. It is never used when talking about oneself. Lakoba comes from two African languages which constitute some of the ancestry of modern Sarasque, Wolof and Yoruba. Lak is a prefix used to indicate languages and oba comes from the Yoruba word for king. Lakoba, or the language of the king, was used traditionally in the presence of the nobility. Today, it is generally directed at those in positions of power.

Lakoba is usually characterized by its sentence structure. The syntax and morphology are vital to the use of lakoba. Lakoba is the standard form of Sarasque that is used in most printed media and literature. This is why it is sometimes referred to as lakbhene or 'book language'.

A few verbs and nouns may change form or undergo substitution when used in lakoba. The modification of a noun with a honorific affix is common. The casual Sarasque word for mother is sała becomes salkova in respectful language. An example of substitution is found in the words for person: the casual form is nubas while the honorific form is tądki.

Where is that person going?

Casual	Respectful
*Zneza dhą nubas loka pek koś?* [znezə jɔ nubas lokə pekoʃ]	*Zneza śko ram bon tądki lokau śau thofiś?* [znezə ʃko ram bon tɔntki logav ʃav hofiʃ]

[edit] [top]Lakbhaóa

Lakbhaóa, or humble language, is like lakoba in that it is indicated by both morphology and syntax. Lakbhaóa like lakoba is made up of two African words: lak and baóa, the Hausa word for slave. Thus, lakbhaóa is sometimes referred to as 'the slave language'. It was traditionally used when addressing nobility and speaking of oneself.

Today, lakbhaóa is used when describing one's actions or the action of a person is one's in-group to others in positions of power. It is sometimes used to imply that one's actions are taking place in order to assist the other person.

The most noticeable use of lakbhaóa is when the humble first person pronouns are used or when speaking about one's family, friends or home.

I am Maira's mother and Ianos is my father.

Casual	Humble
*Dą rau tar sała Mairy su Ianos dą ryb salob.* [dɔ raʔ tar saʎə majrɨs janos dɔ rɨp salop]	*Pim das tar stuja Mairy su zą bil Ianos bon stuk dęs.* [pim das tar stuʒə majrɨ su zɔ bil janos bon stuk dɛs]

[edit] [top]Lakrev

Lakrev is the register commonly called 'polite language'. It is characterized by the use of the verbal affix -no when the verb ends in a vowel and ai when the verb ends in a consonant. These markers are placed immediately after the verb.

Additionally, nouns are altered to show politeness by suffixing -ov- to the word.

Television presenters invariably use polite language, and it is the form of the language first taught to most non-native learners of Sarasque.

Lakrev can also be used to refer to one's own actions or those of other people.

The woman is the boy's teacher.

Casual	Formal/Polite
*Tar aśak dą baczegie bona ćiśtas.* [tar aʒak dɔ baʈ͡ʂegʲe bonə t͡ʃiʃtas]	*Dąno tima tar aśakova baczegiove dac ćiśce.* [dɔno timə tar aʒagovə baʈ͡ʂegʲove dat͡s t͡ʃist͡ʃe]

[edit] [top]Honorific Verbs

Here is a list of the 13 verbs that have honorific/humble forms. Their main analytic form is given in parenthesis, if irregular.

Verb Forms

Meaning	Plain/Dictionary	*Lakoba*	*Lakbhaóa*	*Lakrev*
see/look/watch	*kon* (PRTPreterite (tense) denotes a past action, often perfective, *cun*)	*ilocan*	*sam*	*konai* (PRTPreterite (tense) denotes a past action, often perfective, *cunai*)
meet	*bul*	*kugan*	*gana*	*bulai*
be	*gom* (PRESPresent tense (tense) current, dą; FUTFuture (tense) action occurring after the moment of speech, *gąkiót*; SJPRSubjunctive present (mood/tense), gą)	*ken* (PRESPresent tense (tense) current, *ram; FUTFuture (tense) action occurring after the moment of speech, ragiót*)	*pav* (PRESPresent tense (tense) current, *pim; FUTFuture (tense) action occurring after the moment of speech, pimiót*)	*gomai* (PRESPresent tense (tense) current, *dąno; FUTFuture (tense) action occurring after the moment of speech, gąkiótai; SJPRSubjunctive present (mood/tense), gąno*)
come	*but* (PRESPresent tense (tense) current, *buliam; FUTFuture (tense) action occurring after the moment of speech, baitót; CONDConditional (mood) would, bhaitót; FUTFuture (tense) action occurring after the moment of speech, baitót; PRTPreterite (tense) denotes a past action, often perfective, bhul; VNVerbal noun derived from a verb; -tion, baitęś*)	*tofi* (PRESPresent tense (tense) current, *telam; FUTFuture (tense) action occurring after the moment of speech, telakt*)	*veron*	*butai* (PRESPresent tense (tense) current, *buliamai; FUTFuture (tense) action occurring after the moment of speech, baitótai; CONDConditional (mood) would, bhaitótai; FUTFuture (tense) action occurring after the moment of speech, baitótai; PRTPreterite (tense) denotes a past action, often perfective, bhulai*)
go	*koś* (PRESPresent tense (tense) current, *kiśam; CONDConditional (mood) would, phocót; FUTFuture (tense) action occurring after the moment of speech, pocót; PRTPreterite (tense) denotes a past action, often perfective, khiś; VNVerbal noun derived from a verb; -tion, źimaś*)	*tofi* (PRESPresent tense (tense) current, *telam; FUTFuture (tense) action occurring after the moment of speech, telakt*)	*veron*	*kośai* (PRESPresent tense (tense) current, *kiśamai; CONDConditional (mood) would, phocótai; FUTFuture (tense) action occurring after the moment of speech, pocótai; PRTPreterite (tense) denotes a past action, often perfective, khiśai*)
know	*zdov*	*ehatan*	*losan*	*zdovai*
eat	*tag(CONDConditional (mood) would, zekót; FUTFuture (tense) action occurring after the moment of speech, ekiót*)	*misa*	*ćalgon*	*tagai* (CONDConditional (mood) would, *zekótai; FUTFuture (tense) action occurring after the moment of speech, ekiótai*)
drink	*dęt*	*misa*	*ćalgon*	*dętai*
get	*pibiśpa*	N/A	*kosan*	*pibiśpano*
give (respected receiver)	*aće* (PRESPresent tense (tense) current, *igam; PRTPreterite (tense) denotes a past action, often perfective, zig; IPRFImperfect (aspect/tense) was verb-ing, ziget*)	N/A	*senrin*	*aćeno* (PRESPresent tense (tense) current, *igamai; PRTPreterite (tense) denotes a past action, often perfective, zigai; IPRFImperfect (aspect/tense) was verb-ing, zigetai*)
give (respected giver)	*fast*	*dale*	N/A	*fastai*
do/make	*pesa* (PRTPreterite (tense) denotes a past action, often perfective, *nals*)	*fąg*	*lusi*	*pesano* (PRTPreterite (tense) denotes a past action, often perfective, *nalsai*)
say	*amsa* (PRESPresent tense (tense) current, *baram; CONDConditional (mood) would, bherat; FUTFuture (tense) action occurring after the moment of speech, berakt; PRTPreterite (tense) denotes a past action, often perfective, bheż; VNVerbal noun derived from a verb; -tion, tukięś*)	*save*	*ikon*	*amsano* (PRESPresent tense (tense) current, *baramai; CONDConditional (mood) would, bheratai; FUTFuture (tense) action occurring after the moment of speech, beraktai; PRTPreterite (tense) denotes a past action, often perfective, bherzai*)

[edit] [top]Honorific Nouns

As stated earlier, honorifics can be expressed through the use of suppletion. Most of the time, honorific nouns are used to refer to relatives. In Sarasque, someone may address his own mother as hela but address someone else's mother as hesalkova.

English	Base Noun	Intimate	Humble	Honorific
father	*salob*	*lolop*	*stuk*	*salkov*
mother	*sała*	*lela*	*stuja*	*salkova*
a male's older brother	*kąn*	*koko*	*gonam*	*gonastum*
a female's older brother	*gorzuk*	*żan*	*gonam*	*gonastum*
a male's older sister	*mąt*	*ama*	*gona*	*gąstuma*
a female's older sister	*gąva*	*vav*	*gona*	*gąstuma*
son	*czek*	*ćei*	ty	*czekov*
daughter	*barda*	*baba*	*śtolika*	*bardkova*

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