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Hello people,
I'd like to present you my conlang Miwonša. It's not 100% complete, but the most essential parts of grammar are done, so I don't want to wait any longer.

http://conlang.wikia.com/wiki/Miwonsa
http://conlang.wikia.com/wiki/Miwon%C5% ... phology%29
http://conlang.wikia.com/wiki/Miwon%C5% ... phology%29


Actually I don't want to ask whether or not you like the phonology, the grammar etc., as all this is extremely subjective (and you cannot argue about personal tastes), but I'd be really intested in what associations you have corcerning the sound, the conscript and the grammar and maybe which parts of the explanations are not clear enough.



Sample text

Old Miwonša: Tahonti kišanwe pišoi ya milwa skunukoi ya piskwokak nanstwaran. Sjaku piro tunšwak ya thažansak kwan, wanjo kwasjakan yonženalwanti khonanswokai paiwašinjazak.

[ta'hõtɕi kiʃã'we pi'ʃoɪ ja 'miɬwa 'skunukoɪ ja 'piskwokak 'nãstwarã. sja'ku 'piro 'tũʃwak ja tʼa'ʒãsak kwã, 'waɲo kwa'sjakã jõʒe'naɬwãtɕi kʼo'nãswokaɪ paɪwaʃi'ɲazak]

New Miwonša: Tahonti kišanwe piši ya milwa žuk skuni ya piskwai nanstwaran. Sjaku piro aš tunšwaš ya thažansaš kwan, wanjo kwasjakan yonžalwanti žuk khonswai paiwašizjak.



"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood."

Summary of grammar or everything you need to know

the writing sample looks like something out of star trek. how are you supposed to read that? mongolian-style?

_________________
scientists have discovered a capsule that makes you not a gullible fucktard!

It's more or less an alphasyllabary in which one block can either represent one syllable with up to 6 sounds (CCCVVC) or two syllables with up to 10 sounds (CCCVV.CCCVV). More instructions on the wiki page... (reading direction left>right, up>down / inside one block it's sometimes a bit more complicated...)

And thanks for the star trek comment... that's exactly the look I intended

Another sample text:


Luičan maco maya, čwana-čwana prikwoi kwančo macoi thaspimanči. Cwonuro luzoi, hanras fišanšišanti, antso šiyo kwan fazja puinja fanskoi thunhok. Uluiči khezanfiman iworoi thara šelak, mayoči kwonšišanš: Fanski thunhok čwičwi kjaniman.



Luičan mac-o may-a, čwana-čwana prikw-oi kwanč-o mac-oi thasp-im-an-či. Cwon-ur-o luz-oi, hanr-as fišanš-iš-an-ti, ants-o šiyo kw-an fazja puinj-a fansk-oi thunh-ok. Ul-ui-či khezanf-im-an iw-or-oi thar-a šel-ak, mayo-či kwonš-iš-an-š: Fansk-i thunh-ok čwičwi kjan-im-an.

Prince little-INT.SG 1SG-GEN, bit.by.bit sad-ACC.SG life.INT.SG little-ACC.SG understand-1SG-NINF-PERF.PAST. Time-LOC-INT.SG long-ACC.SG, REF-DAT divert-2SG-NINF-SPN, nothing-INT 2SG.DAT be-NINF except tenderness-INT.SG setting-GEN.PL sun-GEN.SG. DET-ACC-PERF.PAST learn-1SG-NINF morning-LOC-ACC.SG day-INT.SG four-GEN.SG, 1SG.DAT-PERF.PAST say-2SG-NINF-PTCP: Setting-ACC.PL sun-GEN.SG very love-1SG-NINF.

Oh little prince, bit by bit I came to understand your sad little life. For a long time, your only entertainment had been the pleasure of watching sunsets. I learned that new detail on the morning of the foruth day, when you said to me: I am very fond of sunsets.

One thing I noticed is that you don't seem to have decided whether to use <y> or <j> for /j/... And I don't know what's meant by the adverbial case – in one instance it even combines with the accusative! Other than that, fine.

·not up to date anymore...

_________________
"It will not come by waiting for it. It will not be said, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is.' Rather, the Kingdom of the Father is spread out upon the earth, and men do not see it."
– The Gospel of Thomas

_________________
...brought to you by the Weeping Elf
Tha cvastam émi cvastam santham amal phelsa. -- Friedrich Schiller
ESTAR-3SG:P human-OBJ only human-OBJ true-OBJ REL-LOC play-3SG:A

By the way, I have a question about my participles... Somehow I got the impression these are rather converbs - at least in the first sentence - what do you think?


Swankai čwonišanš, nanšwimanča siwai.
newspaper-ACC.SG read-2SG-NINF-X, drink-1SG-NINF-PAST-IMPRF water-ACC.SG.
While you were reading the newspaper, I was drinking water.

Waškašan čwonanšo swankai nanšwanča siwai.
man-INT.SG read-NINF-X-ERG.SG newspaper-ACC.SG drink-NINF-PAST-PRF water-ACC.SG.
The man reading the newspaper is drinking water.

Wow, I really had to read your answer three times to understand it completely, but that was really helpful.
In fact, Miwonša distinguishes between adjectives and adverbs, as only adjectives have declensions, whereas adverbs don't. Furthermore, there are no predicative adjectives, but adjectival verbs:

Kwanhjan žufja nasta.
be-here-NINF car-INT.SG slow-INT.SG - This is a slow car.

Waškašano žufjai nasto luškan.
man-ERG.SG car-ACC.SG slow-ADV drive-NINF.
The man drives the car slowly.

Žufja naščiran.
Car slow-ADJ.VERB-NINF.
The car is slow.

Furthermore, there are also gerunds (or at least I call them gerunds)

Luškanzai žufjoi miwkiman.
Drive-NINF-GER-ACC.SG love-1SG-NINF.
I love driving cars.

OK let me try to summirize:

(1) converbs ( <anš> ) ≈ replace adverbial clauses/adjuncts
(2) participles ( <anš> + adjective ending ) ≈ replace relative clauses
(3) gerunds ( <anz> + case ending ) ≈ replace subject/object clauses/ (compulsory) arguments of the verb
(4) supines ( <anti> ) ≈ replace purpose clauses
(5) gerundives ( COP + <anti> ) ≈ replace "must"
(6) infinitives ≈ used with modal verbs and some other verbs that require subordinated verbs


Subordinated clauses are really the hardest part of conlanging when you don't want to use simply subjunctions and pronouns as in Indoeuropean languages

Miwonša rocks. The script also.

_________________
...brought to you by the Weeping Elf
Tha cvastam émi cvastam santham amal phelsa. -- Friedrich Schiller
ESTAR-3SG:P human-OBJ only human-OBJ true-OBJ REL-LOC play-3SG:A

I proudly present my first conlang lesson. It is really easy and at the end you'll even find some exercises. Would be happy if someone tried out the exercises, maybe you'll even find some inspirations for your own conlangs

http://miwonsa.wikia.com/wiki/Lesson_1