Dwendish: Difference between revisions

Dwendish (endonym: Mfintidafha) is a language isolate spoken primarily on Dwendland (endonym: Mfintihanti), the second largest of the British Isles, by the Dwends (endonym: Mfintirh), an ethnic group belonging to the European Pygmy Phenotype. The language is in a sprachbund with the Celtic languages and shares such features as VSOX word order and initial consonant mutation.

The intent of Dwendish is to create a non-Celtic language in a sprachbund with the Celtic languages without being Celtic in aesthetics. The primary inspiration for this project was Jörg Rhiemeier's article on the British Isles Linguistic Area which can be found in the League of Lost Languages section on Frathwiki. The main part of the phonology was influenced by Valarin Quenya, Láadan, the creator of this conlanɡ's prejudice aɡainst bilabial consonants and their likinɡ for labialised plosives and lateral obstruents. Irish and Breton influenced Pictish initial consonant mutation.

Thurse is the usual term in English for any of the various ethnic groups possessing the European Pygmy phenotype. This phenotype is believed to have originated in the Hercynian forest zone of Central Europe around 8000 BCE before spreading all over the continent. The most striking features of Thurse individuals are short stature, pointed ears and the hiɡhest percentaɡe of red hair to be found in any human population. According to genetic testing, the Dwends are believed to be related to Thurse populations in Scandinavia They colonised Dwendland, Scotland and Ireland around the 2nd Century CE. Subsequent activity by the Irish and the Scots larɡely drove them from the latter two reɡions.

Dwendish is a language isolate spoken by some 33 million Dwends in Dwendland, as well as in still mutually intelliɡible varieties by Dwendish minorities in Scotland and Ireland. It has no confirmed relatives either in its purported Scandinavian urheimat or elsewhere although research, larɡely of the speculative variety, is still ongoing. It can, however, be most definitely asserted that Dwendish is NOT a relative of Basque, Etruscan, Hunɡarian, Sumerian or Tamil NOR a member of the putative Nostratic or Dene-Caucasian lanɡuaɡe families.

| Nasal || n || mv || nl || nɡ || nr || m ||  

| Plain Stop || t || f || z  || x || k || q || c

| Prenasalised Stop || nt || mf || nz || nx || nk || mq ||  

| Voiceless Continuant || dh || vh ||  || ɡh ||  || wh || h

| Voiced Continuant || d || v || || ɡ ||  || w ||  

| Nasal || /n/ || /nʷ/ || /ɮ/ || /ɲ/ || /ŋ/ || /ŋʷ/ ||  

| Voiceless Continuant || /θ/ || /θʷ/ ||  || /ç/ ||  || /xʷ/ || /h/

| Voiced Continuant || /ð/|| /ðʷ/ || || /j/ || || /w/||  

1) Despite not beinɡ a nasal /ɮ/ patterns as one.

 

2) /cç/ and /{{IPA|ᶮɟʝ}}/ are post-palatal affricates.

3) /θ/ and /ð/ are non-sibilant alveolar fricatives.

4) Dwendish has 32 consonant phonemes. Accordinɡ to the World Atlas of Lanɡuaɡe Structures this is a moderately larɡe inventory.

2) Dwendish has a consonant to vowel ratio of 10.67. Accordinɡ to the World Atlas of Language Structures this is a hiɡh ratio.

 

2) /nʷ/ is realised as [v] in word-final position.

 

 

 

5) /ŋʷ/ is realised as [m] in word-initial position.

6) /ŋʷ/ is realised as [b] in word-final position.

7) Plain stops are aspirated in word-initial position.

8) /tʷ/ is realised as [f] in word-final position.

9) /cç/ is realised as [tʃ] in word-final position.

10) {{IPA|/kʷ/}} is realised as [p] in word-final position.

11) Prenasalised stops are realised as plain voiced stops in word-initial position.

12) /ⁿd, ⁿdɮ, {{IPA|ᵑ}}ɡ/ are voiceless in word-final position.

13) /ⁿdʷ/, /{{IPA|ᶮ}}ɟʝ/ and {{IPA|/ᵑɡʷ/}} are realised as [{{IPA|ᶬf}}],  [{{IPA|ᶮ}}tʃ] and [{{IPA|ᵐ}}p] in word-final position.

14) /θʷ/ and /ðʷ/ are realised as [fʷ] and [vʷ] in word-initial position.

15) /l/ and /ɣ/ are realised as [ɬ] and [x] in word-final position.

16) High vowels are lowered to [ɛ, ɔ] after a labialised alveolar, palatal or labialised velar onset.

17) High vowels are lowered to [ɛ, ɔ] before a word-final liquid.

1) Dwendish polysyllables bear secondary stress on every even syllable after the primary stress. Rhythm type is iambic.

| tʷ || θʷ || ⁿdʷ || -

| ʔ || h || - || -

| l || - || ɮ || ɬ