The Immortal Language

[MIGUELbM]

I'm working on a simple naming conlang for a conworld I have. This conlang is a proto-language of sorts, it was the first language mortals learnt but it was preserved and still in use

Phonemes
Consonants: / m n ŋ p t k f v ʝ x s ɾ l d̪ cç ts p̪f /
Vowels: / ɐ e̞ o̞ i u /
Diphthongs: / iɐ ie̞ io̞ iu uɐ ue̞ ui /

Syllable structure

CV(V)

C: a consonant
V: a vowel

Allophones

[ cç ] becomes [ ç ] at the beginning of a word
[ ts ] becomes [ s ] at the beginning of a word
[ p̪f ] becomes [ f ] at the beginning of a word
[ ʝ ] and [ ʝi ] become [ i ] at the beginning of a word
[ ɾ ] becomes [ d ɾ ] at the beginning of a word

Lexical Stress

Words are stressed on the last syllable except when there are one or more diphthongs present, in that case the stressed syllable is the one before the last diphthong or the diphthong it'self if there is no previous syllable.

Examples:
/to̞li'ko̞/
/'ɾilui/ ['dɾilui]
/'tuɐte̞ŋi/
/si'ʝicçiɐ/
/pe̞'ʝuɐsue̞/

Romanization

/m/ > m
/n/ > n
/ŋ/ > gn
/p/ > p
/t/ > t
/k/ > k
/f/ > f
/v/ > v
/ʝ/ > y
/x/ > h
/s/ > s
/ɾ/ > r (remains r at the beginning of a word)
/l/ > l
/d̪/ > d
/cç/ > cc (c at the beginning of a word)
/ts/ > ts (s at the beginning of a word)
/p̪f/ > pf (f at the beginning of a word)
/ɐ/ > a
/e̞/ > e
/o̞/ > o
/i/ > i
/u/ > u

stress is marked with an ´ over the last vowel of the syllable (Ex: peyuásue)

Writing

Seal Script



Calligraphic Script
[ coming soon ]

Toponymy

It's a naming conlang after all

-ccia :: town
-torie :: city
-vo :: fort
-nesa :: river
-nigno :: island
-tua :: keep
-kave :: harbor
-vure :: mountain
-soma :: stone
-sori :: bridge


-pove- :: gardening
-dako- :: farming
-vale- :: mining
-lito- :: logging


sui- :: little
hoya- :: big
tiko- :: new
naru- :: old
yana- :: higher
suda- :: lower
koso- :: greatest

[Chengjiang]

I'm working on a simple naming conlang for a conworld I have. This conlang is a proto-language of sorts, it was the first language mortals learnt but it was preserved and still in use

When you say "learnt", do you mean that the language was originally spoken by something before them?

CV(V)

C: a consonant
V: a vowel

Do you mean for the V's in the maximal CVV syllable to stand only for vowels that can make up a diphthong, or do you mean that a syllable can contain two fully separate vowels, including two diphthongs? I'm guessing you mean the former rather than the latter, but I thought I'd make sure.

/ɾ/ > r
...
/cç/ > cc
/ts/ > ts
/p̪f/ > pf

Are these consonants' word-initial allophones romanized the same or differently from their non-word-initial allophones? I ask in part because /ts/ and /p̪f/ merge with /s/ and /f/ word-initially, and word-initial /ɾ/ surfaces as a phonetic cluster of two segments that also occur separately.

stress is marked with an ^ over the last vowel of the syllable (Ex: peyuâsue)

I'd recommend an acute or grave accent rather than a circumflex. These are commonly used to indicate stress in natlangs, whereas the circumflex tends to have other meanings (e.g. length, different vowel quality).

Given the age of this language, are we to presume that the morphemes we're seeing here are as they were pronounced in the original language, or as they are pronounced in a "present-day" language?

[MIGUELbM]

When you say "learnt", do you mean that the language was originally spoken by something before them?

The Titans, makers of the universe spoke it and taught it to the Gods, who in turn taught it to the immortals, their messengers and the ones who 'raised' the mortals

Do you mean for the V's in the maximal CVV syllable to stand only for vowels that can make up a diphthong, or do you mean that a syllable can contain two fully separate vowels, including two diphthongs? I'm guessing you mean the former rather than the latter, but I thought I'd make sure.

The maximum of vowels that can make up a diphthong, don't really know how else to write it

Are these consonants' word-initial allophones romanized the same or differently from their non-word-initial allophones? I ask in part because /ts/ and /p̪f/ merge with /s/ and /f/ word-initially, and word-initial /ɾ/ surfaces as a phonetic cluster of two segments that also occur separately.

Don't really know, I was thinking about it when I posted it but didn't come up with anything

I'd recommend an acute or grave accent rather than a circumflex. These are commonly used to indicate stress in natlangs, whereas the circumflex tends to have other meanings (e.g. length, different vowel quality).

thanks for the info, I didn't knew that.

Given the age of this language, are we to presume that the morphemes we're seeing here are as they were pronounced in the original language, or as they are pronounced in a "present-day" language?

The language has survived time exceptionally well because it is the language the gods and titans speak, so in order for priests to communicate with them they must speak it well.

[Chengjiang]

Thanks for your quick replies!

Don't really know, I was thinking about it when I posted it but didn't come up with anything

Do you have any words in the lexicon thus far that start with these phonemes? How do you currently spell them?

The language has survived time exceptionally well because it is the language the gods and titans speak, so in order for priests to communicate with them they must speak it well.

Ah, OK, it's a living language in use between mortals and various other beings. Got it.

[MIGUELbM]

Do you have any words in the lexicon thus far that start with these phonemes? How do you currently spell them?

fixed it, didn't knew how to write it because so far is just a sketch, I don't have any lexicon yet.