Grayis
Grayis | |
---|---|
Grayis | |
Pronunciation | [/ˈgrä.jɪs/] |
Created by | BenJamin P. Johnson, additionally creator of: |
Date | 2018 |
Setting | Planet Oyrigin |
language isolate
| |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | none |
Grayis is an a priori language created by BenJamin P. Johnson for Infinite Mind Pictures, Inc. to serve as the language of the Grayis Kin, one of six alien races who feature in the board game and upcoming screenplay Pilots of Gallaxia.
Phonology
Vowels
Front | Central | Back | |
---|---|---|---|
High | i · ī [ɪ · iː] |
u · ū [ʊ · uː] | |
Mid | ai [e̞ː ~ ai̯] |
au [o̞ː ~ au̯] | |
Low | a · ā [ä · äː] |
Consonants
Labial | Coronal | Dorsal | Glottal | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Plosive | p · b | t · d | k · g | |
Affricate | ch [ʧ] · j [ʤ] | |||
Fricative | s · | kh · [x] | h · | |
Approximant | · w | · j | ||
Tap or Trill | · r [r~ɾ] | |||
Lateral | · l | |||
Nasal | · m | · n |
Orthography
/ | m | n | p | b | t | d | k | g | ʧ | ʤ | s | x | h | w | j | r | l | i | iː | ai̯ | ä | äː | au̯ | u | uː | / |
‹ | m | n | p | b | t | d | k | g | ch | j | s | kh | h | w | j | r | l | i | ī | ai | a | ā | au | u | ū | › |
- /ʤ/ is spelt ‹dj› when word-final.
Phonotactics
- Words cannot start with /s/.
- /h/ cannot occur intervocalically or follow another consonant.
- /s/ can only occur word-finally.
- Words cannot end with /g/ or any consonant cluster.
- Vowels (except for diphthongs) must be separated by a consonant.
- Word-initial consonant clusters are limited to [plosive]+[liquid] (i.e. {ptkbdg} + {lr}), but not /tl/ or /dl/.
- Intervocalic clusters may be:
- Geminate plosives or sonorants: /pp/, /tt/, /kk/, /bb/, /dd/, /ll/, /rr/, /mm/, /nn/; but not /gg/.
- Any [plosive]+[liquid] combination: /pl/, /pl/, /tl/, /tr/, /kl/, /kr/, /bl/, /br/, /dl/, /dr/, /gl/, /gr/
- Any [plosive]+/w/: /pw/, /tw/, /kw/, /bw/, /dw/, /gw/
- Any [nasal]+[unvoiced plosive] or [affricate]: /mp/, /nt/, /nk/, /nʧ/, /nʤ/
- Also: /ngw/, /hk/, /hw/, /hj/
- Unstressed /au/ is realized as [o̞ː]
- Unstressed /ai/ is realized as [e̞ː]
- Unstressed /a/ may be realized as [ə] or [ɐ]
- /ʧ/ may be realized as [ʨ] for some speakers.
Stress
Stress is determined by mora weight of the rime. No syllable can have more than 3 morae in the rime (VVC). When determining stress, the following order takes precedence:
VːC > VVC > Vː > VV > VC > V
(E.g. āt > aut > ā > au > at > a)
If syllabic weights are equal, the left-most of the equal syllables is stressed. E.g. tā́kkum ‘wide’ /ˈtaːk.kʊm/, grawukkái ‘worm’ /gra.wukˈkai/, irúntutim ‘cold weather’ /iˈrun.tu.tim/.
When stress deviates from this pattern it is indicated by an acute diacritic. (Examples above are not normally accented, but acute is used for illustrative purposes.)
Numbers
The Grayis number system is nonal (base-9), but has reflexes of an ancient system based on multiples of 3, which can be observed in the etymology of the basic numbers.
Grayis | Decimal | Meaning |
---|---|---|
rī | 1 | (1) |
ai | 2 | (2) |
chil | 3 | (3) |
chirri | 4 | (3+1) |
kilai | 5 | (3+2) |
aichī | 6 | (2×3) |
chalayī | 7 | (4×2-1?) |
nauri | 8 | (9-1) |
nā | 9 | (9) (=10 in nonal) |
chillīkka | 27 | (=30 in nonal: 33, ‘great three’) |
Further numbers are formed by compounding using the word ha ‘and’.
Na (Teens) | Dec. | Non. | Ayinnā (20) | Dec. | Non. | Tens | Dec. | Non. | Multiples | Dec. | Non. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
narī | 10 | 11 | ayinnā ha rī | 19 | 21 | na- | 9 | 10 | nā | 32 | 10 |
nanai | 11 | 12 | ayinnā ha ai | 20 | 22 | ayinnā | 18 | 20 | duhkā | 34 | 100 |
nachil | 12 | 13 | ayinnā ha chil | 21 | 23 | chillīkka | 27 | 30 | kaigu | 36 | 1,000 |
nachirri | 13 | 14 | ayinnā ha chirri | 22 | 24 | chirrinnā | 36 | 40 | nakaigu | 38 | 10,000 |
nakilai | 14 | 15 | ayinnā ha kilai | 23 | 25 | kilinnā | 45 | 50 | duhkakkaigu | 310 | 100,000 |
nalaichī | 15 | 16 | ayinnā ha aichī | 24 | 26 | aichinnā | 54 | 60 | īlim | 312 | 1,000,000 |
nachalayī | 16 | 17 | ayinnā ha chalayī | 25 | 27 | chalainā | 63 | 70 | jumai | 314 | 1,000,000,000 |
nanāli | 17 | 18 | ayinnā ha nauri | 26 | 28 | naurinnā | 72 | 80 | |||
ayinnā | 18 | 20 | chillīkka | 27 | 30 | duhkā | 81 | 100 |
Pronouns
Grayis personal pronouns are divided into five categories which may be considered registers of formality, though rather than describing hierarchical relationships, they are determined by the familial and educational relationships between the speakers.
Equal | Family | Stranger / Neutral | Teacher / Parent | Student / Child | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
chal | cham | chā1 | char | chāh2 | first person singular, ‘I’ |
kit | kāl | kālli | chit3 | second person singular ‘you’ | |
yun | yumi | yun | yunum | yunīllah | third person singular animate ‘he / she’4 |
wih | third person singular inanimate ‘it’ | ||||
kichal | kicham | (chā ha kāl)5 | chakrālli6 | jachīt | first person dual inclusive ‘you and I, we’7 |
jāla | jahla | jal | jālinum | jahla | first person plural, ‘we’ |
gīs | gīt | gillā | gailinūh | gīt | second person plural, ‘you (all)’ |
yaum | yaunūh8 | yaunīllah9 | third person plural animate, ‘they’ | ||
waih | third person plural inanimate, ‘they, those things’10 |
1 Etymological reference to chātturharri ‘second brother’, indicates friendship.
2 Etymological reference to laichāh, the yellow shadow from the red sun, indicates compliance.
3 Etymological reference to chitir, the red shadow from the yellow sun, indicates truculence.
4 There is no gender distinction in the third person pronouns, though there is a distinction between animate (“he/she”) and inanimate (“it”).
5 There is not a single pronoun to represent this idea; instead it is rendered simply as “I and you”.
6 Metathesis of char+kālli, because /rk/ is not a legal intrasyllabic sequence.
7 The first person dual inclusive pronoun (“you and I”) is optional; there is not a plural inclusive, and all other first person non-singular roles are assumed by the first person plural, whether inclusive or exclusive.
8 “They who are my parents/mentors/teachers.”
9 “They who are my children/students.”
10 As with the third person singular, there is an animacy distinction in the third person plural (both rendered as ‘they’ in English).
Phrase Book
What is your name? | Turuh kitú julkāt? | [tu'ruh ki'tu ʤul'kaːt] |
Swadesh List
For those of you who like this sort of thing!
Grayis | English | Grayis | English | Grayis | English | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
001 | chal | I | 070 | tidīntipi | feather | 139 | raichillā | to count |
002 | kit | you | 071 | tunu | hair (on head) | 140 | dimi | to say |
003 | yun, wih | he, she, it | 072 | upam | head (anatomy) | 141 | tūranā | to sing |
004 | jāla, kichal | we | 073 | grigi | ear | 142 | ayattan | to play |
005 | gīs | you | 074 | ruyu | eye | 143 | achar | to float |
006 | waih, yaum | they | 075 | unna | nose | 144 | tratūm | to flow |
007 | itta | this | 076 | chabah | mouth | 145 | aitu | to freeze |
008 | utta | that | 077 | rakkas | tooth | 146 | arib | to swell |
009 | iddu | here | 078 | mannī | tongue | 147 | krīmuttād, lūpupaus | sun |
010 | uddu | there | 079 | ūgīttī | fingernail | 148 | ailā | moon |
011 | julkās | who | 080 | tugi | foot | 149 | ikī | star |
012 | julkāt | what | 081 | wuch | leg | 150 | wīch | water |
013 | julkād | where | 082 | īju | knee | 151 | chukutta | rain |
014 | julkīn | when | 083 | tāga | hand | 152 | plīnum | river |
015 | julkīl | how | 084 | krillu | wing | 153 | ūkkai | lake |
016 | jai | not | 085 | rudduk | belly, abdomen | 154 | chamai | sea |
017 | nakī | all | 086 | īmus | guts, entrails, intestines | 155 | tauki | salt |
018 | mikidj | many | 087 | ūta | neck | 156 | brūk | stone |
019 | limā | some | 088 | chīlāk | back | 157 | ikak | sand |
020 | munnu | few | 089 | durudj | breast | 158 | mauddulā | dust |
021 | iyūr | other | 090 | trāchai | heart | 159 | runar | earth, soil, dirt |
022 | rī | one | 091 | willunān | liver | 160 | gakwai | cloud |
023 | ai | two | 092 | tudī | to drink | 161 | trāki | fog, mist |
024 | chil | three | 093 | idwam | to eat | 162 | iyatur | sky |
025 | chirri | four | 094 | kanna | to bite | 163 | gribinta | wind |
026 | kilai | five | 095 | drūbat | to suck | 164 | innirri | snow |
027 | mīkkidj | big, large | 096 | aikīch | to spit | 165 | khihchis | ice |
028 | luklai | long | 097 | #N/A | #N/A | 166 | īrra | smoke (not steam) |
029 | tākkum | wide, broad | 098 | wahyāh | blow | 167 | pakwā | fire |
030 | ruchi | thick | 099 | ahman | to breathe | 168 | mūnak | ash, ashes |
031 | tattūmu | heavy | 100 | khalāh | to laugh | 169 | pakku | burn |
032 | ina | small, little | 101 | ijun | to see | 170 | radal | path, road, trail |
033 | īnaik | short | 102 | ihka | to hear | 171 | maunis | mountain |
034 | bīru | narrow | 103 | nibahkai | to know | 172 | khūn | red |
035 | mīrrichi | thin | 104 | arūn | to think | 173 | ruchī | green |
036 | kanā | woman | 105 | naram | to smell | 174 | grāla | yellow |
037 | raiwai | man (adult male) | 106 | akkai | to fear | 175 | yilūr | white |
038 | lān | person | 107 | jīttā | to sleep | 176 | iyūb | black |
039 | mikit | child | 108 | akūra | to live | 177 | līna | night |
040 | īmmikanā | wife | 109 | igī | to die | 178 | gintā | day |
041 | īmmiraiwai | husband | 110 | ichak | to kill | 179 | jannik | year |
042 | ummā | mother | 111 | pikat | to fight | 180 | trabākutim | hot (of weather) |
043 | tuma | father | 112 | hantijus | to hunt | 181 | iruntutim | cold |
044 | mīka | animal | 113 | igach | to hit | 182 | tanū | full |
045 | plati | fish | 114 | chappa | to cut | 183 | chupi | new |
046 | ugīttī | bird | 115 | chappai | to split | 184 | trayi | old |
047 | murāgi | dog | 116 | tahkah | to stab, to pierce | 185 | mūri | good |
048 | īh | louse | 117 | kitlig | to scratch | 186 | kaita | bad |
049 | katas | snake | 118 | tantaichīyun | to dig | 187 | ipis | rotten |
050 | grawukkai | worm | 119 | itān | to swim | 188 | khaukku | dirty |
051 | tānū | tree | 120 | puyat | to fly | 189 | wāchīn | straight |
052 | tiradūntāt | forest, woods | 121 | trala | to walk | 190 | ūyu | round |
053 | griyuch | stick | 122 | tānu | come | 191 | traigu | sharp (of a knife) |
054 | rūna | fruit | 123 | dārai | to lie | 192 | mudub | dull (of a knife) |
055 | īrit | seed | 124 | sittan | to sit | 193 | ās | smooth |
056 | kadūn | leaf | 125 | āmīd | to stand | 194 | ichīs | wet |
057 | bāru | root | 126 | duru | to turn | 195 | krās | dry |
058 | rīkkud | bark (of tree) | 127 | akīt | to fall | 196 | braidim | correct, right |
059 | tina | flower | 128 | gaillāk | to give | 197 | pichit | near |
060 | dunidj | grass | 129 | grauntā | to hold | 198 | nunta | far |
061 | īkaittā | rope | 130 | būjih | to squeeze | 199 | dijaiwi | right, right-hand |
062 | grinin | skin | 131 | brijar | to rub | 200 | kurauwi | left, left-hand |
063 | juchī | flesh, meat | 132 | ganauri | to wash | 201 | uk | at |
064 | khūlunna | blood | 133 | maunti | to wipe | 202 | ji | in |
065 | pūkkīch | bone | 134 | attis | to pull | 203 | nu | with |
066 | tuya | grease, fat | 135 | akkā | to push | 204 | ha, ku | and |
067 | addi | egg | 136 | wiyīr | to throw | 205 | lā | if |
068 | kurunat | horn | 137 | dalūh | to tie, bind | 206 | udj | because |
069 | tikkilai | tail | 138 | gribbun | to sew | 207 | turuh | name |