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The language of the Kemoverse is primarily based on a linguistic design that was the synthetic result of the evolution of [[Neofur]]. Named Cyranese by an unknown person, it is the global language spoken by Kemonae, with a variety of dialects depending on circumstances. To speak Cyranese yourself, try to imagine your lips to have 1/4th of its strength and focus on a growling, guttural tone emitting from the back of the mouth.
__TOC__
== Phonology ==
== Phonology ==
Cyranese has 10 phonemic consonants.  
Cyranese has 10 phonemic consonants.  
Line 14: Line 10:
!Uvular
!Uvular
!Glottal
!Glottal
|-
! colspan="2" |Nasal
|m
|n
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|-
! colspan="2" |Stop
! colspan="2" |Stop
Line 32: Line 19:
|
|
|-
|-
! rowspan="2" |Fricative
! rowspan="3" |Continuant
!voiceless
!voiceless
|
|
| colspan="2" |s [s~ɕ]
| colspan="2" |s [s~ɕ]
|
|
| colspan="3" |h [x~χ~ʕ~h]
| colspan="3" |h [x~χ~ħ~h]
|-
|-
!voiced
!voiced
|
|
|r [ɹ~ɾ~r]
|i [j]
|z [ʐ~ʑ]
|l [l~ɫ]
|
|
| colspan="2" |z [ʐ~ʑ]
|
|
|-
!Nasal
|m
|n
|
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" |Approximant
|
|r [ɹ~ɾ~r]
|i [j]
|
|
|l [l~ɫ]
|
|
|
|
|}
|}
Cyranese has 5 phonemic vowels.
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
!
!
Line 76: Line 65:


=== Phonotactics ===
=== Phonotactics ===
Cyranese syllables are CCVCC at maximum. Allowed consonant clusters are as follows:
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|+Allowed clusters
|+Allowed clusters
Line 141: Line 131:
!s
!s
|
|
|
|sn
|st
|st
|
|
Line 147: Line 137:
|sz
|sz
|
|
|
|sj
|sk
|sk
|sh
|sh
Line 160: Line 150:
|
|
|zj
|zj
|zk
|zh
|-
!l
|lm
|
|
|
|
|
|ll
|
|lk
|
|-
!j
|
|
|
|jr
|
|jz
|
|
|
|
|-
!k
|
|
|kt
|kr
|ks
|
|
|
|kl
|kh
|-
!h
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|hk
|
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Allowed word-initial clusters
|-
!
!m
!n
!t
!r
!s
!z
!l
!j
!k
!h
|-
!m
|
|
|
|mz
|
|
|ml
|
|
|mk
|
|-
!n
|
|
|nt
|nr
|ns
|nz
|nl
|nj
|nk
|
|-
!t
|
|tn
|
|'''tr'''
|ts
|'''tz'''
|tl
|tj
|tk
|th
|-
!r
|
|
|rt
|
|
|rz
|
|
|rk
|
|-
!s
|
|'''sn'''
|'''st'''
|
|
|'''sz'''
|
|'''sj'''
|'''sk'''
|sh
|-
!z
|
|zn
|zt
|
|
|
|
|zj
|zk
|zh
|zh
|-
|-
Line 191: Line 316:
|
|
|kt
|kt
|'''kr'''
|ks
|
|
|
|'''kl'''
|'''kh'''
|-
!h
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|hk
|
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Allowed word-final clusters
|-
!
!m
!n
!t
!r
!s
!z
!l
!j
!k
!h
|-
!m
|
|
|
|'''mz'''
|
|
|ml
|
|'''mk'''
|
|-
!n
|
|
|'''nt'''
|nr
|'''ns'''
|'''nz'''
|nl
|nj
|'''nk'''
|
|-
!t
|
|tn
|
|'''tr'''
|'''ts'''
|'''tz'''
|tl
|tj
|tk
|th
|-
!r
|
|
|rt
|
|
|'''rz'''
|
|
|'''rk'''
|
|-
!s
|
|sn
|'''st'''
|
|
|'''sz'''
|
|sj
|sk
|'''sh'''
|-
!z
|
|'''zn'''
|'''zt'''
|
|
|
|
|zj
|zk
|zh
|-
!l
|lm
|
|
|
|
|
|ll
|
|'''lk'''
|
|-
!j
|
|
|
|jr
|
|jz
|
|
|
|
|-
!k
|
|
|'''kt'''
|kr
|kr
|ks
|ks
Line 197: Line 457:
|
|
|kl
|kl
|kh
|'''kh'''
|-
|-
!h
!h
Line 211: Line 471:
|
|
|}
|}
The following clusters are also allowed word-finally:
* rst
* nst
* llm
* rzk


Three-consonant clusters:
Vowel clusters are not allowed. When combining case endings, plural, etc, and two vowels occur together, the first one is deleted. Eg:
rst
nst
llm
rzk


marzka "butterfly" → marzk'''o'''s "with (the/a) butterfly" (not *marzk'''ao'''s)


When a consonant cluster happens and it is not allowed in the tables above, a "filler" (epenthetic) ''-a-'' is inserted to break the cluster, eg:
Lorah "Lorah" → Lorah'''a'''nan "Lorah's" (not *Lora'''hn'''an)
The only exception to this is the cluster ''-ss-'', which is assimilated to -sz-, eg:
tes "he/she/it/they" → te'''sz'''otror "to himself/herself/itself/themself" (not *te'''ss'''otror not *te'''sas'''otror)
Lastly, two syllables words where both syllables are light (ie, follow the shape CV.CV) must end in -h (so any CV.CV words become CV.CVh, ie, ''Lora'' → ''Lorah'', kana → kanah, etc)


No vowel clusters? (ae occurs on one word)
Assimilation (sz > s/ss)


(C)(C)V(C)(C) syllable
== Ortography ==
== Ortography ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
Line 253: Line 523:
!h
!h
|
|
|[x~χ~ʕ~h]
|[x~χ~ħ~h]
|
|
|No direct equivalent in English,
|No direct equivalent in English,
Line 260: Line 530:
Equivalent to German "Bu'''ch'''", Russian '''х'''ороший ('''kh'''oroshij), etc.
Equivalent to German "Bu'''ch'''", Russian '''х'''ороший ('''kh'''oroshij), etc.


Can also be pronounced further back in the mouth;
Can also be pronounced further back in the mouth,
 
such as '''r''' in Danish "p'''r'''es", or as far as Arabic '''ح‍'''ال ('''ḥ'''al);


the variant pronunciation [h] such as in English
The variant pronunciation [h] such as in English


"'''h'''appy" occurs but is rare.
"'''h'''appy" occurs but is rare.
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|[ɹ~ɾ~r]
|[ɹ~ɾ~r]
|Everywhere
|Everywhere
|The most common pronunciations is as '''r''' English "rump"
|The most common pronunciations is as '''r''' in English "rump"
[ɾ] is a common allophone after consonants, and is pronounced as '''t''' or '''d'''
[ɾ] is a common allophone after consonants, and is pronounced as '''t''' or '''d'''


Line 433: Line 705:
|[k~q]
|[k~q]
|Word-finally
|Word-finally
|See <nowiki><q></nowiki>
|See <k>
|azev [aʑæk]
|azev [aʑæk]
|-
|-
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|Occurs in a few words, replaced by <k>
|Occurs in a few words, replaced by <k>
|-
|-
!
!x
|
|
|
|[kɕ]
|Everywhere
|
|
|
|
|Occurs in a few words, replaced by <ks>
|-
!y
|
|
|[j]
|Everywhere
|As '''y''' in "your"
|
|
|Occurs in a few words, replaced by <nowiki><i></nowiki>
|}
== Grammar ==
Cyranese is an agglutinative language, where words are changed or composed by stringing multiple morphemes together in a clear way, and morphemes only carry single meanings; this is similar to Japanese and Finnish grammar. Cyranese makes uses of case to mark the role of words in sentences, therefore nouns, pronouns and adjectives must agree in case and number, which is distinguished between singular and plural. Meanwhile, there is no grammatical gender. Word order is canonically subject-verb-object (SVO), as in most European languages. Verbs only take past and non-past distinction, and further tense, aspect and mode distinctions are made using auxiliaries.
=== Word classes ===
Cyranese distinguishes  the following word classess: nouns, deictics, adjectives, adverbs, verbs and indeclinables. Words can be translated between those classes by using suffixes, so, for example, a verb such as "walk" can be turned into a noun like "walker".
=== Roots ===
Roots are words with basic meanings, which can be further modified through declination, conjugation and derivation. In Cyranese, unmodified roots can be nominative case nominals, adverbs or non-past verbs.
=== Nominals ===
For the sake of simplicity, nouns, deicticts and adjectives are grouped together under the class of "nominals". Their shared characteristic is taking case and number endings according to their function in the sentence.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
|-
!
!
!Suffix
!Function
!English preposition
!Example
!Translation
|-
! colspan="6" |Grammatical
|-
!Nominative
| -
|the normal citation form of a word,
also marks the subject of a verb
| -
|
|
|
|
|-
!Accusative
| -ak
|marks the direct object of a verb
| -
|
|
|
|
|-
!Dative
| -on
|marks the indirect object of a verb
or recipient of an action
| -
|
|
|
|
|-
|-
!
!Instrumental
| -os
|marks  the instrument through which
an action is accomplished
|with
|
|
|
|
|-
!Genitive
| -nan
|marks the possessor of something
| -
|
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="6" |Locative
|-
!Locative
| -azt
|marks a place where something is
|in, on, at
|
|
|
|
|-
|-
!x
!Ablative
|
| -set
|[kɕ]
|marks the origin of an action
|Everywhere
|from
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|-
!y
!Lative
|
| -tror
|[j]
|marks the destination of an action
|Everywhere
|to, towards
|As '''y''' in "your"
|
|
|
|
|}
|}
== Grammar ==
Additionally, plurals are marked with the "-te" ending, which goes after case endings. For the locative and and ablative cases, which end in -t, the double t is assimilated to a single one, according to the rules of assimilation, ie:
Cyranese is an agglutinative language, where words are changed or composed by stringing multiple morphemes together in a clear way, and morphemes only carry single meanings; this is similar to Japanese and Finnish grammar. Cyranese makes uses of case to mark the role of words in sentences, therefore nouns, pronouns and adjectives must agree in case and number, which is distinguished between singular and plural. Meanwhile, there is no grammatical gender. Word order is canonically subject-verb-object (SVO), as most European languages. Verbs only take past and non-past distinction, and further tense, aspect and mode distinctions are made using auxiliaries.
 
ramoka "pumpkin" → ramokazt "in/on/at the pumpkin" → ramokaz'''t'''e "in/on/at the pumpkins", not *ramokaz'''tt'''e
 
ramoka "pumpkin" → ramokaset "from the pumpkin" → ramokase'''t'''e "in/on/at the pumpkins", not *ramokase'''tt'''e
 
also notice how the final a in ramok'''a''' was assimilated when using the locative case (ie, ramok'''a'''zt, not * ramok'''aa'''zt)


-moderately agglutinating
==== Nouns ====


-cases: nominative, oblique/accusative, genitive, instrumental
==== Deictics ====
Deictics are a class of words that have relative meaning according to context - they can be pronouns, which are used to refer to persons and things relevant to the discourse at hand such as "I, you, he, they" etc; Demonstratives, which describe entities being referred to and need to be distinguished one from another, such as "this, that, these, those", and; Articles, which are used to distinguish between definite and indefinite noun phrases (eg, "the book" vs "a book")


-number: singular/plural or no distinction
===== Pronouns =====
Cyranese pronouns make no distinction of gender. Plural pronouns are formed by attaching the general plural suffix, -te. When pronouns are inflected for case, the case ending always goes before the plural ending, just like with other nominals.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!
!Singular
!Translation
|-
!First person
|ajoka
|"I"
|-
!Second person
|akan
|"you" (singular)
|-
!Third person
|tes
|"he/she/it/they"
|}
Additionally, there is a reflexive, "-so", which can be be attached to pronouns to turn them into their reflexive counterpart, eg, ''ajoka'' "I" → ''ajokaso'' "myself". This is never used in the nominative case, and goes before the case and plural endings. For clarity, a table with the order of suffixes is provided below:
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!Pronoun base
!Reflexive
!Case
!Plural
|-
|ajoka
akan


-no grammatical gender
tes
| -so-
| --
-ak-


-past vs non-past verbs, mode and aspect rarely distinguished through auxiliaries
-on-


=== Word classes ===
-os-


=== Roots ===
-nan-


=== Nouns ===
-azt-


=== Pronouns ===
-set-


=== Adjectives ===
-tror-
| -te
|}
so, for example, if one needs to say "towards ourselves", they combine the first person ''ajoka'' + the reflexive ''so'' + the lative case ''tror'' + the plural ending ''te'', to obtain "ajokasotrorte".
 
===== Demonstratives =====
Demonstratives are words used to describe entities relevant to discourse and differentiate one from another. They are words such as "this, that, these, those", which can refer to things that can be pointed or previous entities at the conversation.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!
!le
(near speaker)
!te
(near listener)
!ine
(far from both)
!et
(interrogative)
|-
!-
(demonstrative)
|le
"this one"
|te
"that one"
|ine
"that one (over there)"
|et
which one?
|-
!-kah
(of manner)
|lekah
"in this manner"
|tekah
"in that manner"
|inekah
"in that (other) manner"
|ekah
"how? (in what manner?)"
|-
!-(a)kt
(of person)
|lekt
"this person"
|tekt
"that person"
|inekt
"that person (over there)"
|etakt
"who? (which person?)"
|}
Demonstratives also take case and plural endings, like all nouns, to describe their role in the sentence. Demonstratives taking the instrumental, genitive, locative, ablative and lative cases provide additional meanings to the ones above:
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!
!le
(near speaker)
!te
(near listener)
!ine
(far from both)
!et
(interrogative)
|-
!-(o)s
(instrumental)
|les
"with this"
|tes
"with that"
|ines
"with that (something else)"
|etos
"(with) what?"
|-
!-nan
(genitive)
|lenan
"(of) this"
|tenan
"(of) that"
|inenan
"(of) that (over there)"
|etnan
"(of) what?"
|-
!-(a)zt
(locative)
|lezt
"here"
|tezt
"there"
|inezt
"over there"
|etazt
"where?"
|-
!-set
(ablative)
|leset
"from here"
|teset
"from there"
|ineset
"from over there"
|etset
"from where?"
|-
!-tror
(lative)
|letror
"towards here, this way"
|tetror
"towards there, that way"
|inetror
"towards over there, that other way"
|etror
"which way? to where?"
|}
===== Articles =====
Articles are words used to distinguish known entities from new entities in discourse. Cyranese works similarly to English: there is a definite article, like English "the", which is applied to know entities, and an indefinite article, which is used to introduce new entities to conversation or refer to any entity, like english "a/an". Articles are also inflected for case and number.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!
!Singular
!Example
|-
!Indefinite
|ja
|ja mila
"a potato"
|-
!Definite
|no
|no mila
"the potato"
|}
==== Adjectives ====
Adjectives are the last member of the nominal class. They are "qualifier words", such as "beautiful", "dark" or "blue", which used to describe the other nominals. Adjectives take case and number endings, and must agree with the nominal they describe. All cyranese adjectives end in -ek. New adjectives can be created with the ending -iszek, which roughly translates to "similar to [...], [...]-like". In Cyranese, adjectives go after the noun they describe:
 
almaselk kolek "dandelion beautiful", ie, "beautiful dandelion"


=== Adverbs ===
=== Adverbs ===
The second class of words in Cyranese are adverbs. Those are words such as "calmly", "very" or "often", and are used to further describe verbs and adjectives. Adverbs end in -ket; New adverbs can be formed with -tisket ending, which rough translates to "in the manner of [...]".


=== Verbs ===
=== Verbs ===
Verbs are the third class of Cyranese words. They describe actions, such as "to walk", "to carry", etc. Cyranese verbs only distinguish between past, non-past and imperative conjugations. Non-past is the default conjugation, and always ends in -kaz
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!
!Conjugation
!Example
|-
!Past
| -ksin
|tanaksin
"walked"
|-
!Non-past
| -kaz
|tanakaz
"walks, will walk, to walk, etc"
|-
!Imperative
| -tuk
|tanatuk
"walk!"
|}
Personal conjugations are not done in the verb, instead the relevant pronoun or noun phrase is placed before the verb:
* ajoka tanaksin "I walked"
* akan tanaksin "you walked"
* tes tanaksin "he/she/it walked"
* ajoka tanakaz "I walk/will walk"
* akan tanakaz "you walk/will walk"
* tes tanakaz "he/she/it walks/will walk"
* akan - tanatuk! "you - walk!"
* etc
Further distinction of tense (when an action happened), aspect (how an action happened) and mood (whether it should have happened, among other things) can be done through various auxiliaries:
Teket ajoka tanakaz "tomorrow I walk", ie, "I will walk tomorrow"
Ajoka evaksin tanakaz "I was walking" vs Ajoka tanaksin, "I walked" - on the first one, the action is still ongoing in the discourse (perhaps the speaker will describe how something interrupted their walk), where on the second one, the action is finished.
Note, however, that these are not mandatory, and "Ajoka tanakaz" for "I will walk" and "Ajoka tanaskin" for "I was walking" are also valid, as long as context is enough to avoid ambiguity.
=== Indeclinables ===
The final class of word in Cyranese is indeclinables. These words are called "indeclinable" since they do not take cases, number, etc
==== Particles ====
Particles are function words that modify entire phrases, just like case endings modify single words
* inak - no
* are - yes
* etuk - and
=== Derivational Morphology ===
Derivational morphology describes the process of how words can be turned into new words.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!
!
!Example
!Note
|-
!verb → agent noun
|es
|tanakazes
"walker"
|
|-
!verb → abstract noun
|ja + non-past verb
|ja tanakazes
"a walk, a stroll"
|same "ja" as the indefinite article
|-
!noun → adjective
| -(i)szek
|milaszek
"potato-like"
|
|-
!verb → adjective
(similarity, use)
|no + past verb
|no tanaksin
"walk-like; walked through (eg, of a path)"
|same "no" as the definite article
|-
!verb → adjective
(possibility)
| -(i)hke
|tanakazihke
"walkable"
|
|-
!noun → verb
|any verb ending
|milakaz
"to turn into a potato"
|
|-
!adjective → adverb
| -tisket
|kolektisket
"beautifully"
|
|}
=== Syntax ===
==== Word Order ====
==== Agreement ====


== Wordlist ==
== Wordlist ==
Retrieved from "https://wiki.kemze.net/index.php?title=Special:MobileDiff/923"