Hamanese language

The Hamanese language is the official and most widely spoken language in Hama. It is a very analytical language. It is one of the easiest languages to learn because of its simple grammar, words and straightforward phonetics.

Script

Radunic script

The Hamanese language is written in the Radunic script from right to left.

Phonetics

The Hamanese language has five vowels: a, e, i, o and u. It has the following consonants: b, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, u, v, w, y, z, ch, sh and ng. It is written in the Radunic script.

Parts of Speech

Nouns

All nouns end in a "u". There are two types of nouns:

• Uncountable nouns have no plural form such as mazu (or water). They can, however be pluralised to indicate variety such as di mazu.
• Countable nouns have a singular and plural form which expressed by placing the adjective di (meaning many of) before a word.

There are pronouns which are words that take the place of nouns. They are as follows:

• Minu is a first person singular pronoun meaning me or I eg. Minu funa mazu (I want water)
• Tinu is a first person plural noun meaning we or us eg. Tinu hamba kayu (We are going home)
• Wenu is a second person singular pronoun meaning you eg. Wenu nju (You are a dog).
• Bonu is a third person plural pronoun meaning they or them. Bonu wa hamba kayu (They went home).
• Hu is a singular third person pronoun meaning he or him (shu is the feminine form thereof). Eg. Hu babu (He is a father).
• Yonu is a singular pronoun for things such as it. Eg. Yonu sa nugi (It smells)
• Zonu is a plural pronoun for things. Dodu ya tata zonu. (The man will take them).

Possession is indicated by adding the word a which means of. Eg. Myenu a shu (Her husband)

Articles are rarely used. The word li can be used for the and other descriptors such as this or those. Eg. Li dodu hamba kayu (That man is going home).

Verb

Verbs are states of being. They end in a. They have three tenses: Past is indicated by adding the helping verb wa after the subject which means was or were. Eg. Minu wa jaja papayu (I did eat the papaya). Present is the normative tense. The verb sa can be used as is. Eg. Minu jaja papayu (I am eating papaya; alternatively: Minu sa jaja papayu) Future tense is indicated by adding the helping verb ya after the subject which means shall or will. Minu ya jaja papayu (I will eat the papaya)

There are no infinite verbs. Verbs always make grammatical sense when used with a noun. There are two moods:

• Stative mood is the standard mood. Eg. Minu ya tenga kumbu (I will buy a boat).
• Imperative mood is a form of stative mood indicated by adding the helping wala after the subject. Eg. Minu wala tenga kumbu (I must buy a boat).
• Interrogative mood is a question. It can begin with a helping verb such as wala, wa, ya or sa, eg. Wa wenu tenga kumbu (Did you buy a boat?) or it can begin with a question word (an adverb) such as jani eg. how (manner), ngaki eg. how many (amount), yini eg. what or which (thing), kupi eg. where (location or position), nini eg. when (time), kangaki eg. how many times (frequency) or ngakanani eg. how much (extent or magnitude) Eg. Ngaki kumbu wa wenu tenga? (How many boats did you buy?)
• Subjunctive mood is a form of stative mood that uses the word mahumbi to indicate doubt or conditionality. Mahumbi minu ya tenga kumbu. (Maybe, I will buy a boat). Mahumbi minu na lungi malu, minu ya tenga kumbu (If I have enough money, I will buy a boat).

Interjections are verbs. Eg. Hamba! (Go!)

Adjectives

Adjectives describe nouns and adverbs. They end in i. There are two types:

• Attributive adjectives are attached to the noun they are describing. Some are postpositive meaning they appear after the noun. Eg. Di mangalisu dulakabangi ya mela li wa kolwa ki Allahu (Wonders incomprehensible await those who believe in God). Some are prepositive meaning they appear before the noun. Eg. Mdali dodu hamba tenga nto (The old man went to buy something).
• Predicative adjectives are linked to the noun by a helping verb such as wala, wa, ya or sa. Eg. Minu wa lungi (I was good).

A prepositions is an adjective that indicates location or relation. Eg. Nja sa pakati ndu a yonu (The dog is inside its kennel). Eg. Minu za ku pezi di nyatazu (I came to the top of the stairs).

Adverbs

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs. They in “i”. They are as follows:

• There are adverbs of manner eg. Hu wa kuluma nandi (He spoke well).
• There are adverbs of frequency.Eg. Hu wa za bili (He came twice).
• There are adverbs of position. Eg. Hu za kali (He came first)
• There are adverbs of location. Eg. Shu kuluma pezi dabu (She spoke on the matter)
• There are adverbs of time. Shu kuluma zoli (She spoke yesterday).
• There are adverbs of magnitude or extent. Eg. Shu wa kuluma ku bonginu (She spoke to everyone.)

Some adverbs are phrases. They often have a preposition. The adverb hai is a negation. Eg. Hu ya hai tola nanalu (He will never get a girlfriend).

Conjunctions are adverbs that join sentences or phrases. The five core adverbs are kepi (or; nor when negated), noi (and), kodwi (but or yet), ukuzi (so) and vi (for). Eg. Hu wa gana kodwa hu hai bona di zamuvi (He got married but never saw the results). Subordinates are conjunctions in that they join sentences. They differ from normal conjunctions in that they make one clause or phrase subordinate to the main clause. Hu wa gana nu Bakilfani kajewadu hu wa waza hu wala penuka ku Islam (He married a Packilvanian even though he knew he must convert to Islam).

Grammar

Hamanese makes use of analytic syntax. The position of a word in a sentence or a helping verb is used to give meaning to a sentence. The basic order is subject-verb-object. The infinitive usually occurs at the end of a phrase or clause to give a reason. The word ukuzi precedes and indicates the infinitive. Eg. Hu wa za ku bulungu ukuzi mahumbi hu sa tola mboleku (He to the bank to hopefully get a loan).

Vocabulary

Many words in the Hamanese language are disyllabic or trisyllabic. A large of the vocabulary is derived from the Arabic language. Eg. Fatawu is derived from fatwa and means "a non binding opinion on matters of religion by a recognised scholar", wakafu is derived from waqf meaning "an endowment of property by or on behalf of the family of God for the service of the religion of God", kibalu derived from qibla meaning "the direction to which the chest is turned in prayer" or dahabu (currency of Hama) derived from dhahabi meaning "gold".