Proto-Kepepow

Proto-Kepepow is the proto-language of the Kepepowic family. It was spoken by ancient neolithic Kepepowic tribes in (location TBD) around (timeline TBD). While several Kepepowic tribes developed their own language, most died out before they could be written down, with only Kepepow surviving past this stage.

Note: Proto-Kepepow wouldn't be reconstructable due to having only one direct descendant; this article is written from an 'omniscient' point of view, and the purpose of the proto-language is to provide a basis for the initial evolution of Kepepow. Proto-Kepepow is based off a previously developed protolang with the temporary name 'Protolang 4'.

Phonology
/gʷ/ is an allophone of /g/ before /u/ and /ʊ/.

/ŋʷ/ occurs only before rounded vowels /u ʊ ɔ/, but contrasts with /ŋ/ which can also occur in these positions All vowels may be nasalised.

Each vowel carries one of three tones: High (á), Low (à) or Falling (â)

Phonotactics

 * Vowel nasalisation spreads through a word's nasals and semivowels - e.g. */ŋɔwĩ/ > /ŋɔ̃wĩ/


 * Close vowels are subject to vowel harmony between tense and lax vowels. Open /a/ is treated as tense, mid /ɛ/ and /ɔ/ are treated as lax for these purposes, but they don't change due to harmony themselves
 * kɪ + -su > /kɪsʊ/
 * ka + -sɪ > /kasi/
 * kɪ + -sa > /kɪsa/, /a/ remains unchanged
 * Syllable structure is (C)V(C)
 * Syllable-final consonants are restricted to: /m n ŋ t k s ɾ l ʎ/
 * Otherwise medial consonant clusters are allowed and unrestricted

Nouns
Nouns can be inflected with one of 3 numbers (singular, paucal, plural) and 8 cases (nominative/absolutive, accusative, ergative/ablative, genitive, locative, dative, instrumentative/comitative and equative).

Number inflection suffixes are:


 * Singular: unmarked
 * Paucal: -mú/-mʊ́
 * Plural: reduplication (either of whole word or only final syllable)

Case inflection suffixes are:


 * Nom/Abs: unmarked
 * Acc: -gá
 * Erg/Abl: -nù/-nʊ̀
 * Gen: -wɛ́, -ɛ́ after a consonant
 * Loc: -jɔ́
 * Dat: -ŋì/-ŋɪ̀
 * Equ: -βáŋ