View source for Chian

{{Infobox language
|boxsize=23em
|name=Chian
|nativename=Poluotši
|pronunciation=po.luo.t͡ʃi
|image=Script Chian.png
|imagealt=The name of the language, "Poluotši", written in the Tajadajlic script
|state=Tsuotši
|nation=Tsuotši
|minority={{unbulleted list
|Soisasäï <small>(Saubalzlą̆)</small>
|Juttafu <small>(Tusauzlun)</small>
}}
|familycolor=Mablani
|creator=[[User:Thetacola|thetacola]]
|script=Tajadajlic
|fam1=[[Mablani languages|Mablani]]
|fam2=[[Zofzafian languages|Zofzafian]]
|fam3=[[Lyamtizian languages|Lyamtizian]]
|notice=IPA
}}
'''Chian''' /t͡ʃi.ɛn/ (<small>Chian:</small> /po.luo.t͡ʃi/) is a [[Lyamtizian languages|Lyamtizian language]] spoken primarily in and around the country of Tsuotši. Along being the official language of Tsuotši, it has regional status in some neighboring countries, such as in the province of Saubalzlą̆ in Soisasäï, and in the province of Tusauzlun in Juttafu.
 
== Phonology ==

=== Consonants ===
Like other Lyamtizian languages, Chian distinguishes via palatalization for certain consonants, those being /m/, /n/, /f/, /v/, /s/, /ʒ/, /l/, and /w/. 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|- style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;"
! style="font-weight:normal;" | 
! colspan="2" | Bilabial
! colspan="2" | Labiodental
! colspan="2" | Alveolar
! colspan="2" | Postalveolar
! colspan="2" | Alveolopalatal
! colspan="2" | Palatal
! colspan="2" | Labiovelar
! colspan="2" | Velar
! colspan="2" | Pharyngeal
! colspan="2" | Glottal
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;" | Plosive
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | p
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | b
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | t
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | d
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | k
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | ʔ
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;" | Nasal
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | m mʲ
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | n nʲ
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | ɲ
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | ŋ
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;" | Affricate
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | p̪͡f
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | b̪͡v
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | t͡s
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | d͡z
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | t͡ʃ
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | d͡ʒ
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | t͡ɕ
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | d͡ʑ
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;" | Fricative
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | f fʲ
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | v vʲ
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | s sʲ
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | z
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | ʃ
| style="vertical-align:middle; background-color:#ffffff;" | ʒ ʒʲ
| style="vertical-align:middle; background-color:#ffffff;" | ɕ
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | ʑ
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | x
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | ħ
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | h
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;" | Trill
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | r
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;" | Tap
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | ɾ
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;" | Approximant
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | j
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="vertical-align:middle; background-color:#ffffff;" | w wʲ
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;" | Lateral approximant
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | l lʲ
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
|}
=== Vowels ===
Chian has a much higher amount of vowels than average, however has noticeably fewer vowels than the average Lyamtizian language. /a/ is also the only vowel to be distinguished by length, as many vowels that were once long have since been split into diphthongs.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|- style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;"
! 
! colspan="2" | Front
! colspan="2" | Central
! colspan="2" | Back
|- style="vertical-align:middle;"
| style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;" | Close
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | i
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | ɨ
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | ʉ
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | u
|- style="vertical-align:middle;"
| style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;" | Close-mid
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | e
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | o
|- style="vertical-align:middle;"
| style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;" | Open-mid
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | ʌ
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
|- style="vertical-align:middle;"
| style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;" | Open
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | a a:
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
|}

== Orthography ==
Chian is typically written in the Tajadajlic script, however also has a standard romanization. The Tajadajlic script is a abugida with a default vowel of /a/. Vowels are written above the preceding consonant.
=== Tajadajlic ===

==== Consonants ====
Consonants with no diacritic are implied to be representing the vowel /a/ afterwards. As such, each consonant in this table has a diacritic to remove the vowel from the consonant. Palatalized consonants are marked with a diacritic underneath the consonant called a bāḥā.
[[File:Chian-consonant-chart.png]]
==== Vowels ====
Vowels are written via diacritics. A lack of diacritic is used to mark /a/. Not shown in this table is the diacritic to remove a vowel from a character, that diacritic is shown in the consonant table instead. The vowel character, shown here for all vowels displayed, is only used when a syllable has no onset consonants.
[[File:Chian-vowel-chart.png]]

=== Romanization ===
The romanization is not necessarily one-to-one with Tajadajlic. Palatalization is marked with ⟨y⟩ in the romanization despite it being marked with a bāḥā in Tajadajlic, /ɲ/ is marked ⟨ñ⟩ in the romanization despite it being marked with the equivalent of ⟨nj⟩ in Tajadajlic, and so on. This romanization is made to be one-to-one with pronunciation regardless of how it is marked in Tajadajlic.
==== Consonants ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|- style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;"
! style="font-weight:normal;" | 
! colspan="2" | Bilabial
! colspan="2" | Labiodental
! colspan="2" | Alveolar
! colspan="2" | Postalveolar
! colspan="2" | Alveolopalatal
! colspan="2" | Palatal
! colspan="2" | Labiovelar
! colspan="2" | Velar
! colspan="2" | Pharyngeal
! colspan="2" | Glottal
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;" | Plosive
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | p
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | b
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | t
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | d
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | k
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | '
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;" | Nasal
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | m my
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | n ny
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | ñ
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | ŋ
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;" | Affricate
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | pf
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | bv
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | ts
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | dz
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | tš
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | dž
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | tç
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | dź
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;" | Fricative
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | f fy
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | v vy
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | s sy
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | z
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | š
| style="vertical-align:middle; background-color:#ffffff;" | ž žy
| style="vertical-align:middle; background-color:#ffffff;" | ç
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | ź
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | x
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | ḥ
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | h
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;" | Trill
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | rr
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;" | Tap
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | r
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;" | Approximant
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | j
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="vertical-align:middle; background-color:#ffffff;" | w wʲ
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;" | Lateral approximant
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | l ly
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
|}

==== Vowels ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|- style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;"
! 
! colspan="2" | Front
! colspan="2" | Central
! colspan="2" | Back
|- style="vertical-align:middle;"
| style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;" | Close
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | i
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | ï
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | ü
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | u
|- style="vertical-align:middle;"
| style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;" | Close-mid
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | e
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | o
|- style="vertical-align:middle;"
| style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;" | Open-mid
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | ö
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
|- style="vertical-align:middle;"
| style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;" | Open
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | a ā
| style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#ffffff;" | 
|}
== Grammar ==
Chian is a agglutinative language with fusional characteristics. Chian follows a free word order, however typically defaults to OVS word order unless some other part of the sentence is being emphasized. Chian is also a head-final language.
=== Nouns ===
Chian marks nouns for five cases, number, and definiteness. Case can be nominative, accusative, dative, locative, and illative; number can be either singular, paucal, or plural; and definiteness is only marked if a noun is definite. Definiteness is not marked for plural dative nouns and paucal illative nouns, and must be inferred via context. Most are marked via suffixes, except for dative nouns, singular definite nouns, and paucal definite nouns, which can be marked with prefixes or circumfixes. Younger speakers have increasingly used the locative case as a genitive case as well.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|- style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;"
! 
! SG
! SG.DEF
! PAU
! PAU.DEF
! PL
! PL.DEF
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;" | NOM
| 
| ḥ-
| -b
| -v
| -'a
| -o
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;" | ACC
| -z
| ḥ-z
| -zb
| -zv
| -iz
| -izts
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;" | DAT
| i-
| ḥi-
| i-b
| i-v
| colspan="2" | i-'i
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;" | LOC
| -n
| ḥ-n
| -nb
| -nv
| -'an
| -on
|-
| style="font-weight:bold; text-align:left;" | ILL
| -p
| ḥ-p
| colspan="2" | -vp
| -'ap
| -op
|}
Note that older speakers may pronounce an initial ḥ on paucal definite nouns.
=== Verbs ===
{{Under construction}}

[[Category:Scripts]]