Vairish

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Vairish
Varišö
Pronunciation[vɑriˈʃø]
Created byAenil2
Date2024
Native speakers400k (1894 CC)
Dialects
  • Aonir Vairish (Varišaüniž)
  • Oira Vairish (Varisoir)
  • Taritren Vairish (Värištriten)
Language codes
ISO 639-2vrs
IETFavr-vi-vrs

Vairish (autoglossonym: Varišö; Vairish : [vɑriˈʃø]) is an Ano-Vaire language spoken in Aonir (Riukish : Aüniž [ɑɯ̯ˈniʒ]). Vairish can be considered as a lingua franca in Aonir and the surrounding regions such as Oira and Taritren, which have different pronunciations, but are almost entirely mutually intelligible. Unless indicated, this article will focus on Varišaüniž (Aonir Vairish).

Phonology

Consonants

The following table is the consonant inventory of Vairish. Dialectal allophones will be indicated in dark cells :

Labials Dentals/Alveolars Post-Alveolars Dorsals
Nasals m <m> n <n> ŋ <ň>
Plosives p <p>, b <b> t <t>, d <d> k <k>, g <g>
Affricates t͡ʃ <č>, d͡ʒ <ž>
Fricatives f <f>, v <v> s <s>, z <z> ʃ <š>
Approximants w <w> l <l> j <j>
Trills r <r>

Dialectal variation :

  • /t͡ʃ/, /d͡ʒ/ and /ʃ/ are pronounced /t͡ɕ/, /d͡ʑ/ and /ʑ/ in Värištriten (Tariten Vairish)
  • /f/ and /v/ are pronounced /ɸ/ and /β/ in Varisoir (Oira Vairish) and Varišaüniž

Vowels

There are 9 vowels in Vairish, with no length distinction :

Front Central Back
Close i <i> ɯ <ü>, u <u>
Mid e <e>, ø <ö> ɵ~ə <ë> o <o>
Open ɑ <a>, ɒ <ä>

Morphophonology

Final devoicing

When a word-final consonant is voiced, it's pronounced as its voiceless equivalent, and when inflected, the consonant becomes voiced again.

Diaeresis

When 2 "non-close" vowels are in hiatus, the hiatus is broken down using a glide (the use of one preferably from another depends on the hiatus constituents)

Stress and pitch

Primary stress falls on the last syllable of a word, except if the last syllable is composed of a single vowel. In this case, the stress falls on the second-to-last syllable

Morphology

Nouns

Nouns can be inflected for number, case, possession and proximity (Proximal/Distal). Demonstratives aren't a productive feature anymore in Vairish.

Numbers

Nouns can be inflected for 4 numbers : Singulative (sgv), Dual (du), Plurative (plv) and Collective (col). Depending on the noun, the unmarked number can be either the Singulative or the Collective

Singulative

The singulative is the default, unmarked form of count nouns. When put into the singulative, mass nouns define the smallest unit of the noun, which is translated into English as a measure word (e.g. water → drop of water).

tolvä
"cloud"
Dual

The dual is only fully productive for body parts, kinship and animals. The dual still exists for other count nouns (as mass nouns can't take it), but is considered archaic by many.

örpa-man-it teiliä
eye-1s.poss-du brown
"My eyes are brown"
Plurative

The plurative is formed by affixing -ide. When a voiced plosive comes just before the affix, it is pronounced as its voiceless equivalent

sëid-ier-ide Äirade ö Olsü
name-3p.poss-plv Äirade and Olsü
"They are named Äirade and Olsü" (litt. "Their names are Äirade and Olsü")
Collective

The collective is the default, unmarked form of mass nouns. When put into the collective, count nouns define the general idea of the noun (cloud → cloud [the idea of clouds in general])

siöre
water