Bright languages

Bright languages are constructed languages intended to be aesthetically pleasing, predictable, and stable in utterance.

Phonology

4 vowels and 8 consonants.

Sound Laws

• Voicing: consonants between vowels are voiced.
• Devoicing: initial and final consonants are voiceless.
• Lenition: if two bordering syllables/syllable portions possess the same consonant, the consonant of the weakest syllable (portion) disappears.
  

EX: The Adamic or Babelic forms vāl "person" and vār "people" become alf and elbë respectively in the Bright Tongue [alp instead of *falf].

• Assimilation:

alba-alp > albabelë; silma-alp > silmemalë; ...

• Harmony: [a > e > i] or [i > e > a]
  
• Mutation: consonants extend grade until there is only one.
  

m/n + p -mb [extension of p]
m/n + t -nd [extension of t]
r/l + f -lb [extension of l]
r/l + c -rd [extension of r]
r/l + m = -lm [extension of m]
r/l + n = -rn [extension of n]

• /t/ can only happen before /a/ and/or /ə/.

Because final consonants are easily lost in Typology, /r/ /l/ /m/ and /n/ always mutate

C̥VC̬VC̥

anë

[the dorsal column was deleted and the distinction of voice lost] ...plus, m and n are added and f and s lost m, l, p, b n, r, t, d

alma > almi > ilmi ilmi nae ilmi tae ilmi ae alba "people" [alp, elbë] arda "things" [art, erdë] alma "high faculties" [al, elmë] arna "emotions, sensations" [ar, ernë] amba "time" [amp, embë] anda "space" [ant, endë] - endar "land", anderë "lands" embal (amba + arda/alba) "celestial body~god", ambelë... endar tirya arni, ernyë

NA > ni [0], nae [1] alba enir ni, pe, ae MA NA PA TA LA RA - ALBA ARDA AMBA ANDA ALMA ARNA

nua vāl / nua valár = ni erec alf ... ni

• analytic
• no articles
• no declension
• context and syntax play important role

iru > erdi erda alf avâla iku

Adamic verb arú > erec ārú > irida

nua sit, askút ni ereden - ísit ārú ni irida ederen

sikt > ciren hal > cilma

cilm

sikt niru nae ciren

Elbë irida indili ni = Ara avâla ana ahalâ

ciren (n), ederen (v) cilma (n), indili (v)

-s-k-t- > ciren, cirendë h/q > n s/z > c k/g > r - t/d > nd

h/q>

z > g > l d > mb

n r c

Velar stops such as /k/ are problematic, therefore removed. Palatalization /ku/ for example has the tendence to inevitably change to /kʷ/ and /b/, whereas /ki/ will lead to /t͡ʃi/ and /ʃi/.

Back vowels are totally erased, to contrast with dark tongues, plus to avoid the sound change /du/ > /dʷ/ > /b/

Morphology

The Bright Tongue is composed of stems, which modify roots.

ALMA > ELEME eldar (alba-endar) erbal (arda-elbar) arbelë ilben, ilbini eleben, af lef, felin ilmen, ilmini elemen, am lem, melin

irdem, irdimi eredem, erc rec, cerin