My first Conlang, Ámarú

[Yezhan Seru]

I had intended to do biologies or mapwork with my recent bout of free time, but I kept hitting upon an issue. I couldn't name a blasted thing! Instead I was reduced to stringing together syllables with no meaning. This wouldn't do, so I stopped that other stuff and decided to put together a naming language for what is perhaps my most well developed con-culture, the Amarú.

The Amarú have floated around in my head for the better part of the past decade, based on a desire to blend celtic cultures from the british isles with the japanese and to see what I end up with. They didn't blend perfectly mind you, some other features worked their way in there but I am broadly happy with how they have turned out in my notes.

When I began working on this conlang, I started with a similar thought, mixing celtic and japanese but a few other features have mixed in as I was building it.

Now I am no professional linguist, I stuck to the Language Construction Kit and used it as a guide almost religiously. The following pseudo-grammar is incomplete and probably a bit messy, but it represents my efforts to date. All i truly wanted was a naming language as well, but one thing just led to another...
If anyone has any feedback, I'd be more than happy to take it on board because in no way am I an expert on these matters.

Amarú consonants

/p b t d ts tʃ dʒ k g/<p b t d ts č j k g>
/f v θ ð s z ʃ ʒ x ɣ h/<f v th dh s z sh zh ch gh h>
/m n ɲ ŋ/ <m n ny ng>
/l λ r j w/ <l ly r y w>
/a ɑ ɛ e i ɪ ɔ o ɤ ʊ u/ <a á e é i í o ó ú ú >

Amarú tends to stress the LAST syllable in a word.

Phonological constraints
(C)(y)V(n)

Where C= any consonant
Y=(y or w semi-vowels)
V= Any vowel
N=l.r.n,s are the only permitted consonantal endings to a syllable.
The semi-vowel w does not work with the 'L, Ch,Gh, Y, Č , J, R or H consonants.
The semi vowel y does not work with the 'T,Th,D,DhTs, S,Z, Ch, Kh Č , J or Sh consonants.
The Alveolar nasal N and the alveolar lateral approximant L have assimilated the y, producing distinct palatalized consonants.

The following consonants in Amarú are subject to lenition, where a stop becomes a fricative, under certain circumstances. These circumstances will be noted where applicable.

P,M,S,T,C,G,D,F

P becomes F (written as Ph at the start of a word)
M becomes W, unless M is followed by the semi-vowel Y. If M is followed by the semi-vowel W, the M is simply dropped. (written as Mh at the start of a word)
S becomes Sh unless S is followed by the semi-vowel W (written as Sh at the start of a word)
T becomes Th unless T is followed by the semi-vowels Y and W. (written as Th at the start of a word)
C becomes Ch unless C is followed by the semi-vowels Y and W (written as Ch at the start of a word)
G becomes Gh unless G is followed by the semi-vowels Y and W (written as Gh at the start of a word)
D becomes Dh unless Dh is followed by the semi-vowels Y and W (written as Dh at the start of a word)
F becomes silent (written as Fh at the start of a word)

Before vowels, an initial h is prefixed.

Lenition occurs when

*The noun is placed into the vocative case
*The verb is placed into the past tense.
*When an adjective receives the augmentative infix
*When the adjective has the surfeit infix.

The following consonants in Amarú are subject to eclipsis (the consonant aspect of a syllable shifting to another syllable). The consonant being eclipsed is always capitalised. An unvoiced stop becomes voiced. A voiced stop is nasalized. An unvoiced fricative becomes a voiced fricative.

P is eclipsed by B (written as bP at the start of a word)
T is eclipsed by D (written as dT at the start of a word)
C is eclipsed by G (written as gC at the start of a word)
B is eclipsed by M (written as mB at the start of a word)
D is eclipsed by N (written as nD at the start of a word)
G is eclipsed by Ng (nG at the start of a word)
Before Vowels, an initial M is prefixed (M-aba)
F is eclipsed by V (vF at the start of a word)
S is eclipsed by Z (zS at the start of a word)
Ch is eclipsed by Gh (written as cGh at the start of a word)
Th is eclipsed by Dh (written as tDh at the start of a word)

Eclipsis occurs when

*The noun is placed into the dative case.
*The noun is placed into the genitive case.
*The verb is placed into the future tense.
*When the adjective has the lack infix.
*When the adjective has the diminutive infix.
*When the adjective has the opposite infix.

**AMARU GRAMMAR**

Amarú is a fusional language in that inflections encode multiple meanings.

Amarú inflections are applied by infixes into the root or by consonant mutation.

Amarú possesses nouns, adjectives and verbs.

Amarú does NOT possess gender.


**Amarú Word Order**

Strictly speaking, Amarú does not have a rigid word order with nouns marked with case instead of meaning being derived from position in a sentence.

'Táshuthó casho jočípa yú' means I am eating cake.

Jočípa yú táshuthó casho also means I am the eating cake.

However, the word order VSO (Verb Subject Object) is informally preferred.




**FORMING THE PLURAL**

Forming the plural with a noun in Amaru is a simple case of repeating the first syllable as the final syllable of the word.

Hano is the Amaru word for a pen. To say pens, I would say Hanoha.

However, Amaru nouns decline with infixes located before the final syllable of the word in question denoting case.

In the case of Amaru, the plural syllable is not counted as the final syllable for the purposes of noun declension, the final syllable remains the final syllable of the root.

So Hanoha means 'pens'.


**CASE**

Amarú has the following cases

**Ergative**: The subject

Using the base noun Amarú, we would mark it in the ergative case by inserting the infix 'sho' before the last syllable OR, in word consisting of a single syllable, affixed to the end.
Amarú therefore becomes Ámashorú. Nouns marked as the ergative are the source of an action in a transitive verb.

**Absolutive**: The Object

Using the base noun Amarú we would mark it the absolutive case by inserting the infix 'čí' before the last syllable OR, in word consisting of a single syllable, affixed to the end
Amarú therefore becomes Amačíru. The absolutive case in a transitive sentence marks the recipient of of an action.

Now with the Ergative and absolutive cases set, here is an example.

I am eating the cake: Táshuthó casho jočípa yú.

Táthó, the verb to eat is conjugated according to the first declension as a verb ending in a vowel, with the infix shu indicating the action is in the present tense and is a voluntary action for the speaker in the indicative mood.

Ca, the word for I, is marked in the ergative case becoming casho.

Jopa, the word for cake, is marked in the absolutive case, becoming jočípa.

Yú is the topic marker, indicating what is the subject being discussed.

**Dative**: The indirect object.

Using the base noun Amarú, we would mark it in the dative case by inserting the infix 'lya' before the last syllable. Use of the dative case also triggers eclipsis on the noun. Amarú therefore becomes mÁmalyarú.

Example: I loaned the teacher some books:

H-asathochu casho myucočínós holyaraho yú

Loan: Asachu
Teacher: Myuconós
Book: Hora.

The verb is conjugated as a past tense perfective volitive action, implying that the action was completed and was a voluntary act to begin with.
The root word for teacher, myuconós, is conjugated in the absolutive case.
The word for books, Hora, is placed in the dative case and then pluralised.


**Genitive Case**: Indicating ownership or material composition e.g. the women's children or what something is made of. It is formed by eclipsing the first consonant of the first syllable if possible and inserting the inflix nu before the final syllable OR, in word consisting of a single syllable, affixed to the end.

Using the base noun Amarú, indicating Amarú itself possesses something, such as sea (Adharyú), would be written as follows.

Adhar(sho)yúa (sea, sho from ergative case, final syllable a forming the plural seas) yú (topic marker) mAmanurú (eclipsis for genitive case)

Adharshoyúa yú mAmanurú .


**Instrumental**: The means by which an action is carried out (with, by). Please note that this does not impact on the prepositional pronoun with, which implies physical association with another object. This is formed by inserting the infix tsí before the final syllable OR, in word consisting of a single syllable, affixed to the end.

So to say I wrote the letter with the pen I would say, in Amarú

Zhatari (past tense perfective verb for write, volition unmarked, indicative mood) casho ('I' pronoun, marked in the ergative case) pačímyí (word for letter, marked in the absolutive case) yú (topic marker) hatsíno (Hano is the word for pen, marked in the absolutive case.)

Zhatari casho phačímyí yú hatsíno.

or

Example: I am eating the cake with a fork.

Táshuthó casho jočípa yú gCútsírin.



**Vocative**: Addressing someone. The vocative case does not work like other cases, which use infixes within the word to mark them.

The Vocative case is predicated by the particle 'O' which precedes the word. This causes lenition on the first syllable of the noun. The suffix '-ron' is added.

If I was talking to Panto, a man I was friends with, the vocative case would go as follows. 'O Phantorón-bó '.

**Forming a reflexive statement**

This is a simple matter of expressing verb, the subject in the ergative case and then the same subject again in the absolutive case.

'I hurt myself'

The verb to hurt is Cóanú.

Chóatanú casho cačí


**THE TOPIC MARKER**

The topic marker in Amarú is yú. It follows directly from the noun the topic is about.



**FORMING THE QUESTION**

Forming a question in Amarú is a simple matter of appending a particle at the end of the sentence, making it a question. This particle is 'cojen' if a positive answer is expected or solicited and 'congel' if a negative answer is expected or solicited. These particles are usually used to confirm or deny a statement.

'Zhatari Nebushora yú pačímyí cojen?'
Nebura wrote the letter, didn't he?

or

Mhanatasa Nebushora Pančíto congel?
Nebura killed Panto, please say he didn't!?

The particle amel turns a statement into a question.

For example.

Čo shansho zSestenupón
'You are from Sestepón'

versus

Čo shansho zSestenupón amel?
'Are you from Sestepón?'

Amel is used in every other form of question as well, always ending the sentence.

Čo shansho anro amel?

Who are you?

Anro Who
Cají-What
Poko-Where
Sucen- When
Amótí- Why
Gwé-How
Tameda-How much?/How many
Sughla: Which



**AMARÚ HONORIFICS**


Amaru possesses a host of terms, which (like adjectives) follow nouns, which indicate a level of respect and familiarity with the person being referred to.

Alyel:An honorific reserved for the Amarú High King alone when referring to a person, but can be used in relation to inanimate objects or concepts such as the Nation of the Amarú or the Amarú crown.

Tomyu: An exalted honorific, reserved for someone much higher in rank. A child will term his or her parents Tomyu. The Amarú chancellor will be accorded the honorific of Tomyu.

Ecara: An honorific reserved for those moderately higher in rank than the speaker. Can also be used with to replace the Myó and Lyón honorifics when being extremely formal. Is the honorific of choice for high ranking males of the second gender, when the speaker using Rén would be regarded as being overly-presumptious (this will only apply to second gender males within the Aristocracy). A child will refer to any adult with the honorific Ecara, unless superseded by another honorfic (Gwéso, Shal) with the exception of males of the second gender who are always referred to as Rén. and their parents who are always referred to as Tomyu.

Gwéso: Essentially of blessed memory, an honorific used when speaking of the dead. Implies hope for their rebirth.

Myo: This is the equivalent of Mister in this language, and is used when referring to any male above the age of maturity, or between peer group males below that age unfamiliar with each other.

Lyón:This is the equivalent of Miss/Mrs. in Amarú. This is used when referring to any female above the age of maturity or between peer group females below that age. It is also used to refer to inanimate objects, which should provide more than a hint to gender relationships in the traditional Amarú worldview.

N.B. Myo and Lyón are default honorifics when used with someone the speaker is unfamiliar with. Once relative rank has been established, use of correct honorifics is followed.

Bó: This is used among peers who are friends and expresses endearment.

Rén: This is used to express endearment by those familiar with the subject, and is a diminutive. It is used for young babies, small children, cute animals, and males of the second gender (refllecting the Amarú belief in their inherent immaturity. It is used even y strangers, unless the second gender male is clearly of a high rank). Using this honorific with an equal or superior is considered rude and condescending.

Dar: This is used by people of senior status to refer to people below them of lower status, but in a socially acceptable way.

Shal-Equivalent of Doctor, a recognised master of learning in his or her discipline.

E.g. Myuco Shal (A master teacher of teaching!)

Ngom: A vulgar and insulting 'honorific'.

Honorifics follow the given name. Family names come first in Amarú but they are omitted if the speakers are familiar. So if I am greeting my old friend Leshafus Panto he would be greeted as follows. 'Tamé o Phantorón-bó!'


**AMARÚ PROUNOUNS**

I-Ca
You-Shan
He-Indó
Her/It-Cyon
He (3rd gender)-Sil
We:Cos
You (pl): Tsan
Them: Nyas

Amarú possesses a whole series of prepositional pronouns. These pronouns can decline by case.

For example, at me would be Calos, while at her/it would be Cyonas.

at-Las
off-pya
with-tsil
Before Ryér
on-Ča
to-Cí
From-Lyú
Over-Mwú
out of-Bas
under-Mani
through-Sero
between-Mil
toward-Cwe
in-Os
around-Dwa
opposite/against-Cogo

**DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS AND CORRELATIVES IN AMARÚ**

as: soura
or: no
and: el

Amarú possess three levels of demonstrative pronouns

Soryo- This. When talking about an object near to the speaker
Shoryo - That. When talking about an object near to the listener.
Zhoryo-That over there. When talking about an object far from both speaker and listener.

These pronouns follow normal plural rules

Soryir: These
Shoryir: Those
Zhoryir :Those over there

Other useful correlatives.

Gano: Which
Géta: Who
Gajdo: What
Garhen: Where
Genzidar: When

Inshen: Here
Anshitar: Now

Monhen:There
Somsidar: Then

**VERB**

Amarú verbs do not inflect by person or number.
Amarú verbs are inflected by relative rank.
Amarú verbs inflect for tense and by aspect (past (progressive) (perfect), present, future , future (perfect).
Amarú verbs inflect for volition as well, whether the person intended the action or not.
Amarú verbs inflect for negation.

Amarú verbs also conjugate depending on one of three moods.

The indicative mood expresses facts.
The imperative mood expresses commands.
The subjunctive expresses an element of uncertainty, often a wish, desire, doubt or hope

Finally, Amarú speech varies with informal speech, polite speech and humble speech


**TURNING A VERB INTO A NOUN**

Teach becomes Teacher. Build becomes Builder.

In Amarú, this is done by adding the affix -nós to the verbal root, creating a noun.

Teach: myugo.

Teacher: Myugonos (-nos following a vowel ending)

Music: Conalyen

Musician: Conalyenus (-us following a consonantal ending)



**Amarú Adjectives and adverbs**

Amarú adjectives and adverbs directly follow the noun or verb they affect.

Amarú adjectives and adverbs both possess a polite form depending upon who or what is being addressed.

Amarú adjectives have their own sets of infixes. Lets use sonra, the word for holy, as an example.

Opposite (Un- in english): zSongyora. Expressing a quality opposite to the one the base adjective expresses, the particle 'gyo' is infixed before the last syllable and the adjective undergoes eclipsis if possible. This does not work every time. The Amarú word for thin is not 'dTegyopoma' or 'unfat'.

Augmentative (holy plus, very holy): Shonjinra. To express that the quality is at an extreme level, the adjective undergoes lenition if possible and the particle jin is inserted before the last syllable.

Superlative (you thought it was holy to the extreme before, holiest): Shónjinrashó. This one is REALLY used to hammer home that this particular quality is overflowing in this case. Basically, we pluralise the maximal form by repeating the first syllable at the end of the word.

diminunition (holyish): zSoncyora: To express that the quality is weak the adjective undergoes eclipsis if possible and the particle cyo is insterted before the final syllable.

Weakest/lack (-less in english): zSondomara. To express a lack of a quality, the particle 'doma' is infixed before the last syllable and the first syllable undergoes eclipsis.

Plenty/surfeit (-ful in english): Shongongra. To express a surfeit of the quality, the particule 'gong' is infixed before the last syllable and the adjective undergoes lenition.

Relating to a place or language (-er/-ian) in English: This does not occur in Amarú. This construction is formed using the genitive case. To say 'He is an Amarú' one would say 'Čo Čúrsho mAmanurú'. There is no equivalent of 'she is a new yorker' or 'he is a mancunian'.

Adverb (-ly): Sonóníra literally holy-ly. Used to convert an adjective into an adverb.The particle óni is inserted before the final syllable.

Comparative: Sonyolra. To place an adjective in a comparative state, the particle yol is inserted before the final syllable.


To form a comparative sentence, we use the preposition mwú for over and maní for under.

Holier than thou: Sonyolra shanmwé means holier than thou, literally the word holy place in a comparative state, then contrasted as being better than the following noun using the preposition for over.

HOWEVER we can form the negative comparative state, not holier than thou, by switching the preposition over for the preposition under.

Sonyolra shanan.

If you wanted to say 'not holy like you' you would instead using the preposition for against .

Sonyolra shaco

And if you wanted to say 'As holy as you are' or 'the same holiness as you' you would use the preposition for 'with',

Sonyolra shansil

Adjectives and adverbs agree with the use of polite/humble speech. The basic form is of course the informal.

For an adjective or adverb to be placed in polite/humble speech they simple receive special endings depending upon whether they end in a vowel (first declension) or a consonant (second declension)

1st Declension

-Polite: Sonrósa (-ósa), previous final vowel removed
-Humble: Sonrési (-esi), previous final vowel removed


2nd declension

Tepom: Fat

-polite: Teposorós (-sorós), previous final consonant removed
-humble: Teposojér (-sojér), previous final consonant removed


*Turning an adjective into a noun*

Turning an adjective, such as fat or holy, into a noun is a matter of applying the correct affix.
e
1st declnsion

Sonrangyí-Holi-ness


2nd declension

Tepomonga

What ngyí/onga means is 'weight' or 'heft'. It turns an abstract concept such as the idea for holy into a tangible quality.


**Amarú Numbers (Cardinal)**

Amarú uses base ten but has unique numbers up to about twelve.
Zero: Rélo
One: Car
Two: Ima
Three: Daco
Four: Súr
Five: Neco
Six: Cefa
Seven: Sefa
Eight: Uldí
Nine: Gúča
Ten: Yefo
Eleven: Vén
Twelve: Orsus


Thirteen to nineteen are written as Yefo tsil daco (ten with three), Yefo tsil súr (ten with four) and so on.

Twenty: Chahika.
Twenty One: Guzo (marked as a significant number, three times seven)
Twenty Two: Chahifo ima.

Thirty:Dacóča
Thirty One: Daróča car


Forty:Súroga
Fifty: Nekaga
Sixty: Cevaga
Seventy: Sefaca
Eighty: Uldíga
Ninety: Gúčaga
One hundred: Ceno
One hundred and fifty seven: Ceno nekaga sefa
Two hundred:Chahino
Two hundred and forty four:Orsusno
Three hundred: Dacóno
Three hundred and thirty three: Onuval (There are three hundred and thirty three days in the year).
Four hundred: Súrono
Five hundred: Necano
Six hundred: Cefano
Seven hundred: Sefano
Eight hundred: Uldíno
Nine hundred: Gúčano

At this point it's clear increasing multiples of ten are formed using a common root and changing the ending.

One thousand: čil.
Two thousand: Chačil.
Three thousand: Darčil
Four thousand: Súrčil
Five thousand:Necčil
Six thousand: Cefčil.
Seven thousand: Sefčil.
Eight thousand: Uldíčil.
Nine thousand: Gúčačil.

Ten Thousand:Amyoba
Twenty thousand; Chayoba
Thirty thousand: Daryoba
Forty thousand: Súryoba
Fifty thousand:Necyoba
Sixty thousand: Cefyoba
Seventy thousand: Sefyoba
Eighty thousand: Uldíyoba
Ninety thousand: Gúčayoba

One hundred thousand:Yujobe
Two hundred thousand: Chayobe
Three hundred thousand: Daryobe.
Four hundred thousand: Súryobe.
Five hundred thousand: Necyobe.
Six hundred thousand: Cefyobe.
Seven hundred thousand: Sefyobe.
Eight hundred thousand: Uldíyobe.
Nine hundred thousand: Gúčayobe.

One Million: Dharodomun

At this point, unique words for multiples of ten cease for the most part., Greater numbers require combinations of numbers

for example, Twenty seven million, five hundred and thirty four thousand, eight hundred and twenty two.

Dharodomun cwe chahifo-sef tsil necyobe daróča súr tsil uldíno tsil chahifo ima.

(million towards twenty seven (essentially twenty seven million) with five hundred thousand thirty four (implied to be thirty four more thousand) with eight hundred with twenty two.

**AMARÚ NUMBERS ORDINAL**

First: Sunyi
Second: Fari
Third: Ryuni
Fourth: Ceseli
Fifth: Partsi
Sixth: Thulyi
Seventh: Caroyi
Eighth: Sacoli
Ninth: Sidani
Ten: Thetusi
Eleven: Fanyi
Twelve: Ritoyi
Thirteen: Thetusi cwe ryuni

*COUNTING*

Counting has an effect on certain nouns.

Let's count cows! poshi

No cows: Poshi Rélo.
One cow: Poshi Car
Two cows: Poshi Ima
Three cows: Poshi daco

Now it begins to eclipse the nouns

Four cows: bPoshi súr
Five cows: bPoshi neco
Six cows: bPoshi cefa
Seven cows: bPoshi sefa

Then they begin to undergo lenition.

Eight cows: Phoshi uldí
Nine cows: Phoshi gúča
Ten cows: Phoshi yefo
Eleven cows: Phoshi vén

Twelve does not undergo eclipsis or lenition.

Twelve cows: Poshi orsus.

When we get to thirteen, because it ends with three (yefo tsil daco) it doesn't affect the noun. But fourteen cows is written as

Fourteen cows: bPoshi yefo tsil súr.

Eighteen cows: Phoshi yefo tsil uldí.

And this keeps going. A counted noun can undergo lenition or eclipsis depending on what the final number is although there are rare exceptions

Eleven is a special case in that it undergoes lenition despite ending in 'one'

twenty one, Guzo, is also a special case in that it eclipses.

Twenty one cows. bPoshi guzo.

Three hundred and thirty three, Onuval, triggers lenition.

333 Cows: Phoshi Onuval.



Babel Text

The Tower of Babel

Cashodor yú mBanubel

(Tower, ergative case) (topic marker) (Babel, genitive)

Now the whole world had one language and a common speech

Anshitar nabétomínó Teshongó car el ičishocol shajinranasasorós zSennuya hOmlojinnúsorós.

(now) (to have, perfect tense, indicative mood, polite speech) (language, ergative case) (one, ordinal number) (and) (noun for spoken speech, ergative case) (adjective, common, marked for the superlative and the polite) (world, genitive case) (complete, utter, marked for the augmentative)

As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there

Phacutharaoramun Tishonoti cwe orcačithi, fhacutaromínó nyassho cúsačijo os zShilyanar

(to move, perfect tense, volitive, polite form, indicative mood) (person, plural, ergative case) (preposition towards) (east, absolutive case) (to find, perfect tense, polite, indicative mood) (3rd person plural ergative case) (Plain, absolutive case) (preposition in) (Shinar, dative case)

They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.”

hUnthavomínó nyassho nyasči, "Vascyuta. dTanafyémésur cossho lyičigénlyi el yafyémékul omlojinnúsos nyasči"
(to speak, perfect tense, volitive, polite, indicative mood) (3rd person plural ergative case) (3rd person plural absolutive case) (acknowledge/ listen up/attention, present tense, volitive, imperative mood) (to make, future perfective, volitive, subjunctive mood) (1st person plural, ergative case)
(brick, pluralised, absolutive case) (and) (to bake, future perfective tense, volitive, subjunctive) (completely, utterly. Adverb) (3rd person plural absolutive)

They used bricks instead of stones and bitumen for mortar.

Tsutharaferamun badamosa nyassho lyičigén nGojilyadángo el thanatharasunómen nyassho čalčiusu nDoretsíval

(to use, perfect tense, volitive, indicative mood, polite) (instead, adverb, marked for politeness) (3rd person plural ergative case) (brick, absolutive case) (stone, pluralised, dative case) (and) (to make, perfect tense, volitive, indicative mood, polite) (3rd person plural ergative case) (mortar, absolutive case) (asphalt, instrumental)

Then they said, “Come, let us build a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth

Anshitar,H-unthavomínó nyassho "Vascyuta. nMedafyéso cossho pónči tsil cačidor yú sejingarse, mBupyézho cyonsho néfočisen, dTanafyésur cossho Cosči zSalolyamé el zSapavyéun cossho dwa hyočíróm zSennuya"

(Now,) ((to speak, perfect tense, volitive, polite, indicative mood)(3rd person plural ergative case) (acknowledge/ listen up/attention, present tense, volitive, imperative mood) (to build, future perfect, volitive, subjunctive mood) (1st person plural ergative case) (city absolutive case) (preposition with) (tower absolutive case) (topic marker) (tall, superlative adverb) (brush/light touch) (she/it ergative case) (heaven absolutive case), (to make, future perfect tense , volitive,subjunctive mood) (1st person plural ergative case) (1st person plural absolutive)(name/reputation, dative case) (and) (to scatter, future perfect, volitive, negative and subjunctive mood)(1st person plural ergative case) (preposition around) (surface, absolutive case) (world, genitive case)


But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building.

Hitharatanómen Tiashomas-alyel ci shicínar el chethararoramun inshodó-alyel pónči el cačidor mhedatharasomínó Titsínoti

(To Come, perfect tense, volitive, indicative mood, polite) (name of god, ergative case, supreme honorific) (preposition to) (Shinar, absolutive case) (and) (to see, perfect tense, indicative mood, volitive, polite) (he/him, supreme honorific, ergative case) (city, absolutive case) (and) (tower, absolutive case) (to build, perfect tense, indicative mood, volitive, polite)
(person, pluralised, instrumental case).


The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.”

hUnthavomínó Tiashomas-alyel,"Uncevamúna soura tinoshoti car tečingó lojincasorós el thothasomínó sorshoyo, somsidar mBafyécomínó somashoci nachósa, Čopyénramun panomósorós cyonsho"

(to speak, perfect tense, volitive, polite, indicative mood)(name of god, ergative case, supreme honorific) (To Speak, present tense, polite speech, subjunctive mood) (conjunction as) (person plural ergative case) (one) (language absolutive case) (same, augmentative, polite)(and) (to begin, start, perfect tense) (this, ergative case) (then) (to plan, future perfect subjunctive volitive polite) (plan/idea, ergative case) (all/every, polite adjective) (to be, future tense, volitive, polite, subjunctive mood) (possible, polite)(she it, ergative case)

Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other

Anshitar, Hyécyucamúna cosshocyí nyasči el nMavahalaul teshongó nyasnu rodí dTicanbwanadáramun nyassho nyasči

(Now,) (to go, present tense, polite, volitive and imperative mood) (prepositional pronoun for we to, ergative case) (3rd person plural absolutive case) (and) (to confuse, future perfect, volitive, polite and imperative mood)
(language, ergative case) (3rd person plural, genitive case) (preposition so, therefore) (to understand, future tense, involitive, negative,subjunctive mood, polite) (3rd person plural ergative) (3rd person plural absolutive)


So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city

Shapatharaunómen Tiashomas-alyel Tinočiti lyu bPónlya el ndaralyacú dwa zSenlyaya el mhedadhosomínó nyassho pónči

(to scatter, perfect tense, volition, indicative mood, polite form) (name of god, ergative case, supreme honorific) (person, plural absolutive case) (preposition from) (city dative case) (and) (land, dative case) (preposition around) (world dative case) (and) (to build, perfect tense, negative, involitive, indicative mood and polite marked) (3rd person plural ergative case) (city absolutive case).


This is why it was called Babel – because the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth

Anshitar, Čamúna jushora hÁpatashomínó cyončí mBanubel gedete mhavatharaúnómen Tiashomas-alyel tečingó zSennuya.

(Now,) (to be-present polite indicative) (reason-ergative case) (to name, perfect tense, volitive, indicative) (she/it pronoun absolutive case) (Babel genitive case) (conjunction, because) (to confuse, perfect tense, volition, politeness and indicative mood) (name of god, ergative case, supreme honorific) (language, absolutive case) (world. Genitive case).

Shapatharaunómen Tiashomas-alyel nyasči lyu monlyahen dwa hyoshoróm zSennuya

(to scatter, perfect tense, polite, volition, indicative) (name of god, ergative case, supreme honorific) (3rd person pl. Absolutive case) (preposition from)
(there, dative case) (preposition around) (surface, ergative case) (world, genitive case).

[finlay]

wow, long info dump! um, I think if you could summarize a bit more, take out the "b as in English bread" examples because your knowledge of the IPA and phonetic terminology makes them decidedly redundant (and some of them are incorrect, viz. ø as in hey, ʌ as in put, ʊ as in boot, etc – in fact I think you actually want [ʊ] as in put and as in boot, and possibly [e] as in hey instead of ø), and make a couple more simple tables, and give us some example sentences, it'd be more interesting. I'm having trouble extracting the intended meaning from this I'm afraid.

[Click]

What does ‘the language is syllabic’ mean?

Also, you wrote that your conlang has no consonant clusters, but below you wrote that possible syllable onsets are C{y, w}, which are consonant clusters.

[Yezhan Seru]

Well I am no linguist, or even expert in doing this sadly. The IPA was extremely difficult for me to decipher in places, as finlay pointed out. However, I have gone back and reviewed the vowels at least and I am going over my notes.

I'll update the original post when I've a better handle on what I have created and can present it a bit better.

[Nortaneous]

There are clickable IPA charts that play the sound represented by the symbol when you click them somewhere on the internet that can be found by Google. Wikipedia has sound samples if you go to the page for the sound.

Also, phoneme inventories are usually presented in code tags (align them in Notepad; aligning them on the board won't work)

Code: Select all

p b t d ts  tʃ dʒ k g
f v θ ð s z ʃ  ʒ  x ɣ h
  m       n    ɲ    ŋ
          l    λ
          r j       w

i 
ɪ   ʊ
  ø ɤ
ɛ   ʌ ɔ
a   ɑ

Or like this:
/p b t d ts tʃ dʒ k g/ <p b t d ts č j k g>
/f v θ ð s z ʃ ʒ x ɣ h/ <f v th dh s z sh zh ch gh h>
/m n ɲ ŋ/ <m n ny ng>
/l λ r j w/ <l ly r y w>
/a ɑ ɛ ʌ ɔ ø ɤ ɪ ʊ i/ <a á e u ó é o i ú i>

[finlay]

close mid back rounded vowel is o, not ɤ, and certainly not ɣ, which is a consonant.

anyway, like it says you've been on this board since 2003 – how haven't you lurked enough to know the usual way of presenting things? also how come i don't know who you are?

[Yezhan Seru]

There are clickable IPA charts that play the sound represented by the symbol when you click them somewhere on the internet that can be found by Google. Wikipedia has sound samples if you go to the page for the sound.

Also, phoneme inventories are usually presented in code tags (align them in Notepad; aligning them on the board won't work)

Code: Select all

p b t d ts  tʃ dʒ k g
f v θ ð s z ʃ  ʒ  x ɣ h
  m       n    ɲ    ŋ
          l    λ
          r j       w

i 
ɪ   ʊ
  ø ɤ
ɛ   ʌ ɔ
a   ɑ

Or like this:
/p b t d ts tʃ dʒ k g/ <p b t d ts č j k g>
/f v θ ð s z ʃ ʒ x ɣ h/ <f v th dh s z sh zh ch gh h>
/m n ɲ ŋ/ <m n ny ng>
/l λ r j w/ <l ly r y w>
/a ɑ ɛ ʌ ɔ ø ɤ ɪ ʊ i/ <a á e u ó é o i ú i>

Thanks for that, it was very helpful.

While I am a long term lurker, it is mostly due to the lack of time I have to devote myself to this hobby, but I do enjoy it whenever I get the chance.

Taking into account various comments I have updated my post. I have decided not to include a lot of information that is relevant only to me such as the verb conjugation tables but they do exist.

I have also appended a babel text example, presented in a style I have seen used by other conlangers.