River Skasti (new grammar)

[DV82LECM]

This is the beginning of Skasti's verbal complex; these go before the root.

Number:
/a=/: SUBJ.PLR.
/o=/: OBJ.PLR.
/ẽ=/: DUAL.PLR.
•/a/ works with transitive and intransitive verbs.
•/o ẽ/ work with transitive verbs only.
•these are clitics, thus cannot act without pronouns.

Intransitive Pronouns:
/-we-/: 1p "I"
/-le-/: 2p "you"
/-ka-/: 3m "he"
/-xa-/: 3f "she"
/-jo-/: 4p "one/it"

We'éščawùkčo
"I don't want to be crazy."

Transitive Pronouns:

Code: Select all

	1p	2p	3m	3f	4p
1p		-wi-	-pi-	-hi-	-pu-
2p	-li-		-ti-	-θi-	-tu-	
3m	-pe-	-te-		-ke-	-ko-
3f	-he-	-θe-	-xe-		-xo-
4p	-bu-	-du-	-go-	-γo-	-ju-		

•/pu tu ko xo/ are used most, implying something done to other things, animate or not, *by* humans.
•/bu du go ɣo/ are used for something is done *to* humans, most often pertaining to a living thing.
•/ju/ is used when something non-human does something to another non-human.

pilúhu "I see him."
àpilúhu "we see him."
òpilúhu "I see them (men)."
ę̀pilúhu "we see them (men)."

[DV82LECM]

These are part of the nominal complex.

Possessives:
/-wi̯e-/: 1p.GEN "my"
/-li̯e-/: 2p.GEN "your"
/-ke̯a-/: 3m.GEN "his"
/-xe̯a-/ 3f.GEN "her"
/-ju̯o-/ 4p.GEN "one's/its"

Along the same paradigm as the plurals in verbs, I utilize a similar system to prefixally demonstrate the interrelation between how many things versus how many people.

Firstly, the basic plural for nouns is the same as the verbal /a-/.

/e=/: SUBJ.PLR.GEN.
/u=/: OBJ.PLR.GEN.
/ĩ=/: DUAL.PLR.GEN.

ћeahána ("her sister")
èћeahána ("their (women) sister")
ùћeahána ("her sisters")
į̀ћeahána ("their (women) sisters")

The possessive for all nouns is diphthongization of final root vowels or split by a central /ʔ/.
/-i/ > /-ie/, /-u/ > /-uo/
/-e/ > /-ea/, /-o/ > /-oa/
/-a/ > /-aʔa/
/-ie/ > /-iʔe/, /-uo/ > /-uʔo/
/-ea/ > /-eʔa/, /-oa/ > /-oʔa/
/-ji/ > /-jiʔe/, /-wu/ > /-wuʔo/
/-je/ > /-jeʔa/, /-wo/ > /-woʔa/
+ all nasal equivalents

Ùћeahána'à ày̌emóama òtulúhukmò?
[u.xe̯a.'ha.na.ʔa a.ge.'mo̯a.ma o.tu.'lu.huk.mo]
u=ћea-hána-: a-y̌emóa-~ o=tu-lúhu-ku-ma
OBJ.PLUR.GEN=3f.GEN-sister-GEN PLUR-tree-ACC OBJ.PLUR=2p.3n-see-NEG.INTRG
"Don't you see her (many) sisters' trees?"

[DV82LECM]

Tense:
/s-/: intransitive immediate past ("just did")
/is-/: intransitive hodiernal past ("did yesterday")
/es-/: intransitive simple past ("did")

/ʃ-/: intransitive immediate future ("be about to do")
/iʃ-/: intransitive crastinal future ("will do tomorrow")
/eʃ-/: intransitive simple future ("will do")

/-zi-/: transitive immediate past ("just did to")
/-ze-/: transitive hodiernal past ("did to yesterday")
/-za-/: transitive simple past ("did to")

/-d͡ʒi-/: transitive immediate future ("be about to do to")
/-d͡ʒe-/: transitive crastinal future ("will do to tomorrow")
/-d͡ʒa-/ transitive simple future ("will do to")

•intransitives go between subject plural and person slot.
•transitives go between root and person slot.
•the full syllable form is used with inanimate 4p verbs,
ex. /gle/ "to rain."
•3f.INTRNS.IMM.PST and 3f.INTRNS.IMM.FUT are /s'a-/ and
/ʃ'a-/; other forms follow this pattern, ex. /is'a-/.
•4p.INTRNS.IMM.PST and 4p.INTRNS.IMM.FUT are /skwe-/ and /ʃkwe-/; other forms follow this pattern, ex. /eskwe-/.
•/is- iʃ- es- eʃ-/ with plural /a-/ render /i̯es- i̯eʃ- e̯as- e̯aʃ-/.

Polarity:
/-k(u)-/: negative ("not")
•after root before modality slot.
•fuses with modality, aspect, and voice slots.

Modality:
/-ma~wa-/: interrogative ("do...?)
/-kmo~goa-/: ("don't...?")
/-na~la-/: imperative ("do/let...!")
/-kno~glo-/: ("don't...!")
/-mna~bla-/: emphatic ("DO...?")
/-kmona~goana-/ ("DON'T...?")

/-ða-/: capacitive ("can...")
/-kso-/ ("cannot...")
/-sma~swa-/: ("can...?")
/-ksoma-/ ("can't...?")
/-sna~sla-/: obligative ("must...")
/-ksona-/: ("mustn't...")
/-smana~swana-/: ("must...?")
/-ksomna-/ ("mustn't...?")

/-ʒa-/: desiderative ("want...")
/-kʃo-/ ("don't want...")
/-ʃma~ʃwa-/: ("want...?")
/-kʃoma-/ ("don't want...?")
/-ʃna~ʃla-/: necessitative ("need...")
/-kʃona-/: ("needn't...)
/-ʃmana~ʃwana-/: ("need...?")
/-kʃomna-/ ("don't need...?)

/-ŋa~ja-/: conditional ("would...")
/-koa-/ ("wouldn't...")
/-kma~gwa-/: ("would...?")
/-koama-/ ("wouldn't...?")
/-kna~gla-/: exhortative ("should...")
/-koana-/ ("shouldn't...")
/-kmana~gwana-/: ("should...?")
/-koamna-/ ("shouldn't...?")
/-ksa-/: conditional capacitive ("would be able...")
/-koaða-/ ("wouldn't be able...")
/-ksama-/: ("would be able...?")
/-koasma-/ ("wouldn't be able...?")
/-kʃa-/: conditional desiderative ("would want...")
/-koaʒa-/ ("wouldn't want...")
/-kʃama-/: ("would want...?")
/-koaʃma-/ ("wouldn't want...?")

/-ʔa-/: hypothetical ("might...")
/-k'o-/ ("might not...")
/-xma~(p̪)fa-/: ("might...?")
/-k'oma-/ ("might not...?")
/-xna~(t)ɬa-/: potential ("may...")
/-k'ona-/ ("may not...")
/-xmana~(p̪)fana-/: ("may...?")
/-k'omna-/ ("may not...?")
/-st͡sa-/: hypothetical capacitive ("might be able...")
/-k'oða-/ ("might not be able...")
/-st͡sama-/: ("might be able...?")
/-k'osma-/ ("might not be able...?")
/-ʃt͡ʃa-/: hypothetical desiderative ("might want...")
/-k'oʒa-/ ("might not want...")
/-ʃt͡ʃama-/: ("might want...?")
/-k'oʃma-/ ("might not want...?")
•allomorphs derive from dissimilation of morphemes in direct proximity to a root ending in a nasal vowel.

Aspect:
/-s(i)-/: inchoative ("begin/start to do")
/-(t)ʃ(i)-/: continuous ("be doing")
/-x(i)-/: cessative ("stop/finish doing")
•after modality slot.
•collapsed to root with negation: /-ksu-/, /-kʃu-/, /-k'u-/

Èasweyíkčo.
[ˌe̯a.swe.'jik.ʃo]
a=es-we-yi-ku-ža
SUBJ.PLUR=INTRNS.PST-1p-go-NEG.DES
"We didn't want to go."

Kòđiy̌lé lielą́.
[ko.d͡ʒi.'gle li̯e'lã]
ko-đi-y̌le lie-la-~
3m.4p-TRNS.IMM.FUT-pour 2p.GEN-water-ACC
"He's about to pour your water."

Day̌lékču.
[za.'glek.ʃu]
da-y̌le-ku-či
SMP.PST-rain-NEG.IMPRF
"It wasn't raining."

[DV82LECM]

River Skasti is a nominative-accusative language, with a somewhat flexible word order. The nominative is unmarked.

Accusative Case:
•this is indicated by the nasalization of the final vowel; for words ending in a nasal vowel or /mV nV ŋV/, a dummy syllable consisting of /-CV/ manifests (the corresponding nasal of the final consonant of the root: {p} > /m/, {t s t͡ʃ} > /n/, {k x} > /ŋ/, and an oral shadow vowel of the final root vowel, /i e ie/ > /e/, /u o uo/ > /o/, /a ea oa/ > /a/, making the final root nasal become oral).

la ("(the) water...")
lá'a ("(the) water's...")
lą ("...(the) water.")

y̌emóa ("the tree...")
y̌emó'a ("the tree's...")
y̌emóama ("...the tree.")

heščíke ("the wolf...")
heščíkea ("the wolf's...")
heščíkę ("...the wolf.")

ay̌lų́ ("the enemies...")
ay̌lúǫ ("the enemies'...")
ay̌lúno ("...the enemies.")

Į̀wiey̌lúǫ àheščíkę ę̀pulúhuk'òsma?
[ĩ.wi̯e.'glu̯õ a.heʃ.'t͡ʃi.kẽ ẽ.pu.'lu.hu.k'o.sma]
į=wie-y̌lų-: a-heščíke-~ ę=pu-lúhu-ku-{'a-za-ma}
DUAL.GEN.PLR=1pGEN-enemy-GEN PLR-wolf-ACC DUAL.PLR=1p.4p-see-NEG.HYP.CAP.INTRG
"Might we not be able to see our enemies' wolves?"

[DV82LECM]

Full verbal template:

number-person-tense-ROOT-polarity-modality-aspect-voice-adjective-clause

Voice:
/-kã-/: causative ("cause to do")
/-tã-/: passive ("be done to")
/-pã-/: reflexive ("do to oneself")
/-glã-/: causative passive ("be caused to do")
/-gwã-/: causative reflexive ("cause oneself to do")

Adjective:
•this is a slot for stative verbs, creating adverbs.

Clausal Conjuction (Skasti "comma"):
/-jo/: "that (which)"
•this ends a clausal phrase, allowing the break for the next.
•allows higher constructions of verbal phrases.
•is the slot for morphemes like, 'so' or 'although.'

/-'heʃta-/ ("eat/consume")
/-heʃtaku-/ ("not eat")
/-heʃtasi-/ ("begin to eat")
/-heʃtaksu-/ ("not begin to eat")
/-heʃtat͡ʃi-/ ("be eating")
/-heʃtakʃu-/ ("not be eating")
/-heʃtaxi-/ ("finish eating")
/-heʃtak'u-/ ("not finish eating")

/-heʃtakã-/ ("to feed")
/-heʃtak'õ-/ ("to not feed")
/-heʃtaskẽ-/ ("begin to feed")
/-heʃtaksukã-/ ("not begin to feed")
/-heʃtaʃkẽ-/ ("be feeding")
/-heʃtakʃukã-/ ("not be feeding")
/-heʃtaxkẽ-/ ("finish feeding")
/-heʃtak'ukã-/ ("not finish feeding")

/-heʃtatã-/ ("be eaten")
/-heʃtaglõ-/ ("not be eaten")
/-heʃtastẽ-/ ("begin to be eaten")
/-heʃtaksutã-/ ("not begin to be eaten")
/-heʃtaʃtẽ-/ ("being eaten")
/-heʃtakʃutã-/ ("not being eaten")
/-heʃtaxtẽ-/ ("finish being eaten")
/-heʃtak'utã-/ ("not finish being eaten")

/-heʃtapã-/ ("eat oneself")
/-heʃtago̯ã-/ ("not eat oneself")
/-heʃtaspẽ-/ ("begin to eat oneself")
/-heʃtaksupã-/ ("not begin to eat oneself")
/-heʃtaʃpẽ-/ ("be eating oneself")
/-heʃtakʃupã-/ ("not be eating oneself")
/-heʃtaxpẽ-/ ("finish eating oneself")
/-heʃtak'upã-/ ("not finish eating oneself")

/-heʃtaglã-/ ("be fed")
/-heʃtak'õtã-/ ("not be fed")
/-heʃtaskẽtã-/ ("begin to be fed")
/-heʃtaksuglã-/ ("not begin to be fed")
/-heʃtaʃkẽtã-/ ("being fed")
/-heʃtakʃuglã-/ ("not being fed")
/-heʃtaxkẽtã-/ ("finish being fed")
/-heʃtak'uglã-/ ("not finish being fed")

/-heʃtagwã-/ ("feed oneself")
/-heʃtak'õpã-/ ("not feed oneself")
/-heʃtaskẽpã-/ ("begin to feed oneself")
/-heʃtaksugwã-/ ("not begin to feed oneself")
/-heʃtaʃkẽpã-/ ("be feeding oneself")
/-heʃtakʃugwã-/ ("not be feeding oneself")
/-heʃtaxkẽpã-/ ("finish feeding oneself")
/-heʃtak'ugwã-/ ("not finish feeding oneself")

(Some of these distinct glosses will not often be used.)

[DV82LECM]

Cardinal Number:
sǫ /θõ/ 0
méku /ˈmeku/ 1
wénu /ˈwenu/ 2
éasi /ˈe̯aθi/ 3
mádo /ˈmazo/ 4
máłe /ˈmade/ 5
yúpi /ˈjupi/ 6
cátu /ˈsatu/ 7
úrą /ˈuɣã/ 8
népų /ˈnepũ/ 9
w̌lúta /ˈbluta/ 10

hni /xni/ 100
hį́ya /ˈhĩja/ 1000
w̌lohį́ya /bloˈhĩja/ 10,000
ħįhį́ya /xĩˈhĩja/ 100,000
hęhį́ya /hẽˈhĩja/ 1,000,000
•/θõ/ is not a number, but indicates a state of pure emptiness (nothingness); the opposite of /t'u/ "thing"; /θõ/ is a superpositional, as such means "none"; in the most common use, it means "no."

Ordinal Number:
/θõ-/ (not any...)
/me-/ (one...)
/wẽ-/ (two...)
/e̯a~je-/ (three...)
/mo̯a-/ (four...)
/me̯a-/ (five...)
/ju-/ (six...)
/sa-/ (seven...)
/õ-/ (eight...)
/ne-/ (nine...)
/blo-/ (ten...)

/xĩ-/ (one hundred...)
/ˈhẽ-/ (one thousand...)
/blohẽ-/ (ten thousand...)
/xĩhẽ-/ (one-hundred thousand...)
/hẽhẽ-/ (one million...)
•/θõ wẽ õ xĩ hẽ/ lose nasality before nasal consonants.
•/e̯a/ is only word-initial.

moascó ("(the) four winds.")

Opùdipúląpą̀ wę̀heščíkę.
"I just killed two wolves."

Sǫróti ták'o.
"There might not be any fish."

11: /blome-/; /bloˈmeku/
12: /blowẽ-/; /bloˈwenu/
13: /bloje-/; /bloˈjeθi/
14: /blomo̯a-/; /bloˈmazo/
15: /blome̯a-/ /bloˈmade/
16: /bloju-/; /bloˈjupi/
17: /blosa-/; /bloˈsatu/
18: /blu̯õ-/; /ˈbluɣã/
19: /blone-/; /bloˈnepũ/
20: /wẽblo-/; /wẽˈbluta/
21: /weme-/; /weˈmeku/
50: /me̯ablo-/; /me̯aˈbluta/
53: /me̯aje-/; /me̯aˈjeθi/
•all numbers function this way until 100.
•/blo/ is often dropped from numbers.

mòahęhį́ya moaħį̀hę-mòmoahį́ya moaħį̀-moamádo
[ˌmo̯ahẽˈhĩja mo̯aˌxĩhẽˌmomo̯aˈhĩja mo̯aˌxĩmo̯a'mazo] 4444444

/ha/ "Graham's Number" (G(64))
/haˈha/ "Rayo's Number" (Rayo(100))
/haˈhahe/ "Inaccessible Cardinal" (θ(õ?))

[Porphyrogenitos]

I'm a definite fan of the Siouan-like stop-fricative clusters, ks kʃ kx pʃ px, etc. The script you've made is delightful, it is reminiscent both of Cherokee and of the new Osage alphabet, as well as the Latin-derived Fox abugida/alphabet. It would look really nice if you could develop a font that regularized the proportions of the letters to each other. All in all it looks convincingly like a Great Plains language.

[DV82LECM]

I'm a definite fan of the Siouan-like stop-fricative clusters, ks kʃ kx pʃ px, etc. The script you've made is delightful, it is reminiscent both of Cherokee and of the new Osage alphabet, as well as the Latin-derived Fox abugida/alphabet. It would look really nice if you could develop a font that regularized the proportions of the letters to each other. All in all it looks convincingly like a Great Plains language.

Truly, thank you. As its creator, it surprises and amazes even me. I forged it along the Colorado River, thus the name. Making this, I sincerely learned what language is, itself. I plan to teach this to myself.

Also, Janko, come get my numbers!

[DV82LECM]

Self and Being:
ta ("to be (in a stative sense)/there is")
tħo ("to not be (in a stative sense)/there isn't")
táką ("to make")
tħóką ("to not make")
táy̌wą ("to become (over time)")
tħóy̌wą ("to not become (over time)")
w̌ya ("to exist/live")
pħoa ("to not exist/live")
w̌yáy̌lą ("to be born")
pħóay̌lą ("to not be born")
-yu ("persona/being")
•ta and w̌ya are the only verbs with a separate negative stem.

Het'ú slew̌yámaptą̀?
"When were you born?"

ie ("the soul")
íeyu ("person")
ħayíyu ("woman")
kayíyu ("man")

Self Reference:
/-weju-/ ("I, myself...")
/-leju-/ ("You, yourself...")
/-kaju-/ ("He, himself...")
/-xaju-/ ("She, herself...")
/-joju-/ ("It, itself...")
•part of the verbal complex.
•this fundamentally differs from the reflexive.

Ħayíyu es'àyuđó.
[xa.ˈji.ju e.ˌs'a.ju.ˈd͡ʒo]
ħayíyu es-ħayu-đo
woman PST-3f.REF-be happy
"She, herself, was a happy woman."
Gloss: "a-woman she-herself-was-happy"

Absolute Genitive:
/-wiju-/ 1p.REF.GEN "my own..."
/-liju-/ 2p.REF.GEN "your own..."
/-keju-/ 3m.REF.GEN "his own..."
/-xeju-/ 3f.REF.GEN "her own..."
/-jo̯a-/ 4p.REF.GEN "(some)one's own..."
•part of the nominal complex.

Yoaróti.
[ˌjo̯a.ˈɣo.ti]
"(some)one's own fish."

[DV82LECM]

Deixis:
tų /tũ/: existential proximal demonstrative ("this")
itǫ́ /iˈtõ/ existential medial demonstrative ("that")
ełwą́ /eˈdwã/ existential distal demonstrative ("yon")

ku /ku/ spacial proximal demonstrative ("here")
ikó /i'ko/ spacial medial demonstrative ("there")
ey̌wá /eˈgwa/ spacial distal demonstrative ("yonder")

hi /hi/ temporal proximity demonstrative ("now")
ihé /iˈhe/ temporal medial demonstrative ("then/later")
ehyá /e(c)ˈça/ temporal distal demonstrative ("ago/hence")
•superpositionals must exist interphrasally.

yu "be in place/be still"
yi "go"
ye "come"
iyé "go to beyond the horizion"
eyá "come from beyond the horizon"

Ku yéna!
"Come here!"

Ikó yína!
"Go there!"

Nominalizer:
-łe /-de/: makes abstract nouns out of verbs.

Maskǫ́łe tų wieyíše ey̌wá w̌uhéštaškę̀tą. Ku pùmaskǫ́sla!
[ma.ˈskõ.de tũ wi̯e.ˈji.ʃe e.ˈgwa bu.ˈhe.ʃta.ˌʃkẽ.tã ku ˌpu.ma.ˈskõ.sla]
maskǫ́łe tų wie-ie-še ey̌wá w̌u-héšta-či-{ką-tą} ku pu-maskǫ́-{za-na}
speech this 1pGEN-soul-ABL yonder 4p.1p-consume-PROG-PASS-CAUS here 1p.4p-speak-CAP.IMP
"This language is being fed to me from my soul, far yonder. I must speak it here!"

Púląłèa-Íhi-Heščíke: "W̌yána, Pú-Cį-W̌ùči! W̌yánahyù!"
[ˈpu.lã.ˌde̯a ˈi.hi heʃ.ˈt͡ʃi.ke ˈbja.na ˈpu.sĩ.ˌbu.t͡ʃi ˈbja.na.ˌçu]
Death's White Wolf: "Live (your life), Puss-In-Boots. Live it well!"

[DV82LECM]

Verbal Possession:
/tx(V)/ "to possess/have."
•this root "conjugates."
•/pu tu/ render /-i̯e/; /ko xo/ render /-e̯a/; /ju/ render /-u̯o/.

tħéde ("possession")

Òħotħéa ǫ̀pįłwę́.
"She has eight sticks."

Wiehéštałę̀ tùdetħíekmo? Tuhéštamàci?
[wi̯e.ˈhe.ʃta.ˌdẽ ˌtu.zet.ˈxi̯ek.mo tu.ˈhe.ʃta.ˌma]
"Didn't you have my food? Have you eaten it?"

Relationships:
w̌lána ("to choose")
hka ("female affection/love to/for a male (v)")
k'a ("male affection/love to/for a female (v)")
snúňo ("to make love/have sex")
w̌lą ("mate")

●ɛxrʌ̖rv•ʌıw̖:•ɹn̗ɛxdɪx̖:•ɛxıx̖• ●sʌɒ̊x̖ʋx•
Ħayíyu itǫ́ wìeħaw̌lą́ ħatá. Hik'á.
"That woman is my girl. I love her."

Has anyone ever made a language which genuinely felt alive?
I don't feel like I was ever chiseling this out, but instead was *only* wiping away dust over something already there. This feels like a language constructed of my own subconscious.

[DV82LECM]

Syntax:
•nominative-accusative.
•word order is rigid, but still fluid.
•word order is (S)VO.

With no unbound pronouns, nominative status for humans is implied, so the verbal complex is set before the accusative noun. Nouns other than humans may be set before the verb, including animate 4p; if it is a transitive verb, the object of that phrase is set after the verb, accomplishing the only true SVO. Questions, imperatives, and clausal phrasing set the complex after the noun, rendering (S/)OV. Accusative nouns and superpositionals may not be set within a continued verbal phrase, so are placed before the onset of the verbal phrase. Superpositionals are typically postpositional to the noun, but adjust to maintain that they are completely interphrasal.

[DV82LECM]

Questions:

yot'ú ("Who...?")
y̌ot'ú ("What...?")
kǫt'ú ("Where...?")
het'ú ("When...?)

Yot'ú yutázamnàpħą?
[jo.ˈt'u ju.ˈta.ðam.ˌnap.xã]
"Who must one become?"

Kǫt'ú wehwéakuyò léyu àšweyé.
[kõˈ.t'u wep.ˈfe̯a.ku.ˌjo ˈle.ju ˌa.ʃwe.ˈje]
I do not know where you and I will go."

Working on this part some more.

[eldin raigmore]

…. rigidly fluid ….

What does this oxymoron mean ?

[DV82LECM]

…. rigidly fluid ….

What does this oxymoron mean ?

Admittedly, I thought it was an oxymoron, but it means that the word order can be (S)VO or (S)OV, and adpositions can be in either place. Fluid, but with set rules.

[eldin raigmore]

What does this oxymoron mean ?

Admittedly, I thought it was an oxymoron, but it means that the word order can be (S)VO or (S)OV, and adpositions can be in either place. Fluid, but with set rules.

Thanks!
(IMO that will be easy to remember once one is told, but nearly impossible to guess.)

[Glenn]

I am following this language with interest; it first caught my eye due to the tripartite plural system, and I have been doing my best to keep up with the developments since. I have only the most superficial knowledge of Lakhota (and next to none of the other Siouan languages), but I am finding it quite intriguing. Keep up the good work!

[Glenn]

With no unbound pronouns, nominative status for humans is implied, so the verbal complex is set before the accusative noun. Nouns other than humans may be set before the verb, including animate 4p; if it is a transitive verb, the object of that phrase is set after the verb, creating the only true SVO.

I don’t think I quite understood this part. Does this mean that nouns referring to humans (proper names, “man,” “woman,” “baker,” etc.) cannot serve as subjects? That seems unlikely. Or does it mean that human nouns would go elsewhere in that case? (I do understand that the use of bound pronouns means that the language can be pro-drop for subjects, but I would think that explicit human subjects would still need to be indicated.)

[DV82LECM]

With no unbound pronouns, nominative status for humans is implied, so the verbal complex is set before the accusative noun. Nouns other than humans may be set before the verb, including animate 4p; if it is a transitive verb, the object of that phrase is set after the verb, creating the only true SVO.

I don’t think I quite understood this part. Does this mean that nouns referring to humans (proper names, “man,” “woman,” “baker,” etc.) cannot serve as subjects? That seems unlikely. Or does it mean that human nouns would go elsewhere in that case? (I do understand that the use of bound pronouns means that the language can be pro-drop for subjects, but I would think that explicit human subjects would still need to be indicated.)

No, they can. The accusative is applied to differentiate (nasalization of the final root vowel). However, nouns being subjects is the only SVO. Verbally, animate things (though not animals) always use /ju-/ to mark, though only statively/intransitively. Transitively, if gender can be confirmed, then that marker is used. Once the gender is known, transitivity prefers gendering. (Still working on this sizable semantic hole.)

Kayíyu kalúhusmà?
man 3m-see-CAP-INTRG
"Can the man see?"

Kayíyu kolúhuzà lą.
man 3m.4p-see-CAP water-ACC
"The man can see the water."

Inanimate nouns, animate nouns including prey, predators, and natural forces use only the root; people, spirits/deities take gendered pronouns. /jo-/ is only used as "one who"; 4p pronominal compounds can indicate anything that is not a gendered human (as they must to make the system work).

[DV82LECM]

I am following this language with interest; it first caught my eye due to the tripartite plural system, and I have been doing my best to keep up with the developments since. I have only the most superficial knowledge of Lakhota (and next to none of the other Siouan languages), but I am finding it quite intriguing. Keep up the good work!

Wow, I am flattered. I always see these great languages come through, and I wanted to make something like them. Now, I finally have.

As for the linguo-aesthetics, the language is not solely Siouan. It takes the phono-aesthetics from Lakota, the notion of /f ɬ/ from the Muskogean block (until I found Ofo), the diphthongs from Taos, and its very synthetic nature from Iroquois.

Funny enough, Iroquois was its first template, basically without labials. (It kinda came out of nowhere, really, but way better fleshed out than other projects.) I was reluctant to add labials, as I hate syllables like /bVp/, etc. However, I got over it by making all CC initial, codifying the circumstance of the existence of the aforementioned labial-filled syllables. Sometimes, I gotta trick myself out of certain constricting aesthetics. This blew up when I told myself that its my language; I will be naturalistic but in my way. Also, my word template is modeled after my own name style; I have /'CCVnCVn CVn CVn'CV/, so a clear bias toward nasality on vowels. As the phonology came to its current homeostasis, Sioux words fit the bill. I do have /dw/ (from /tw/) which isn't very Siouan, but is instead an homage to Iroquois, like in ŁWE <lɹʍ> "wood/trunk of a tree."

Point is, you needn't be familiar with Sioux to appreciate it.