Volapűük nulíik: Difference between revisions

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<!-- Design goals, inspiration, ideas, who speaks it?, when was it created?, where does it come from?, any peculiarities? -->
<!-- Design goals, inspiration, ideas, who speaks it?, when was it created?, where does it come from?, any peculiarities? -->
'''Real setting'''
'''Real setting'''
'''Volapȕük nulíik''' was a project which came into existence as some kind of play with morphology and phonetics, especially with Volapük but also Gaeilge and Inuktitut. I have tried to create other conlangs from other constructed languages (e. g. Esperanto). However, since the morphology of '''Volapük''' involves some degree of complexity it was easier for me to use elements within the language (particles, case suffixes, prepositions etc.) and combine them in a new way. There is no real purpose or design goal of this language what might become visible as it does not look that well build, for instance there is no special syllable structure designed for euphonic reasons. There are however some elements that add a special tone to sound, such as initial sound mutation which has become a feature of verbal and noun morphology.  
'''Volapȕük nulíik''' was a project which came into existence as some kind of play with morphology and phonetics, especially with Volapük but also Gaeilge and Inuktitut. I have tried to create other conlangs from other constructed languages (e. g. Esperanto). However, since the morphology of '''Volapük''' involves some degree of complexity it was easier for me to use elements within the language (particles, case suffixes, prepositions etc.) and combine them in a new way. There is no real purpose or design goal of this language what might become visible as it does not look that well build, for instance there is no special syllable structure designed for euphonic reasons. There are however some elements that add a special tone to sound, such as initial sound mutation which has become a feature of verbal and noun morphology.  



Revision as of 22:30, 17 January 2019


Introduction

Real setting

Volapȕük nulíik was a project which came into existence as some kind of play with morphology and phonetics, especially with Volapük but also Gaeilge and Inuktitut. I have tried to create other conlangs from other constructed languages (e. g. Esperanto). However, since the morphology of Volapük involves some degree of complexity it was easier for me to use elements within the language (particles, case suffixes, prepositions etc.) and combine them in a new way. There is no real purpose or design goal of this language what might become visible as it does not look that well build, for instance there is no special syllable structure designed for euphonic reasons. There are however some elements that add a special tone to sound, such as initial sound mutation which has become a feature of verbal and noun morphology.

Fictional setting

The language is located in the old country of Volapükȁän. The country has been inhabited for more than 5000 years. Written records of the language exist from about 1500 years BC. About 1000 years (1000 AD) ago new settlers arrived at the shores of the northern coast. Those settlers, Irish men and Inuktitut found their dwellings and as an ongoing process intermixed with the local population, leaving deep traces in the language. The traces are less visible in the vocabulary but far more in the structure and morphological richness that makes the language a unique mixture of very distinct features. The language continues to be used as a language of official affairs, media, daily conversation and thus is fully functioning. Due to its special stress patterns it is not a preferred mean of poets, yet they have developped a style of their own to suit the special requirements of its stress patterns.


Phonology

Orthography

Volapȕük nulíik is written in Latin script with four diacritics (¨ ̏ ´ `). Long vowels are written with two graphemes. Names of persons, places, countries, companies are written with a capital letter.

Consonants

Vowels

Prosody

Stress

Intonation

Phonotactics

Morphophonology

Morphology

The basic morphology of Volapȕük nulíik encompasses only three categories:

-Nouns

-Verbs

-Interjections

Adjectives

Adjectives are predominantly nouns - they have a fixed position within the noun phrase and may function as nouns on their own. However, they may also function as a verb including the copula verb "binön":

Binán klotéedat šerlíik.
Bin-á-n klotéed-at šer-líik.
BE-pres.-3.sg.obj. LADYDRESS-demons.near EXPENSIVE-adj.
Šerlikán klotéedat.
Šer-lik-á-n klotéed-at
[EXPENSIVE-adj.]verb.copula-pres.-3.sg.obj. LADYDRESS-demons.near

"This dress is expensive."

The first version is more common among speakers of a lower social status, whereas the second has a more official and literal style. The first version, however, may also be used by people of upper status, especially in situations in which a person wants to emphasise that the dress IS expensive. This is in contrast to languages like German or English not expressed on the intonational level but on the morphological.

Numerals

Numerals also belong, just like adjectives, predominantly to the category of nouns but can be used as verbs as well:

Lödáps niđom žönlig giló
Löd-á-p-s ni-đom žön-lig gil-ó
RESIDE-pres.-m./f.pl. IN-HOUSE-abs. BEAUTIFUL-adj.abs. THREE-loc.

"They live in three beautiful houses."

Telđegänáms.
Telđeg-än-á-m-s.
[TWENTY]verb.copula-pers.-pres.-m.pl.

"We are twenty men."


Syntax

Constituent order

Noun phrase

Verb phrase

Sentence phrase

Dependent clauses

Example texts

Examples of translations:

"If I had a flower for every time I think of you, I could walk forever in my garden." - Claudia A. Grandi

Translation:

"Florretáabaafì tikábilbalbì, nesimlikánöv gáadba."

Florretáabaafì tikábilbalbì nesimlikánöv gáadba.
Flor-ret-áa-b-aa-fì tik-á-b-i-l-bal-bì ne-sim-lik-á-n-öv gáad-ba.
FLOWER-receive-pres.gen.-1.sg.-always-if THINK-pres.-1.sg.-acc.-2.sg.-one.time-because [neg.-BORDER-adj.]verb.copula-pres.-3.sg.obj.-cond. GARDEN-1.sg.gen.

Literally: "If I always get a flower because I think of you one time, my garden would be endless."


"He who hesitates is lost."

"Tsogáapaabì flotáapaa nivlumedó."

Tsogáapaabì flotáapaa nivlumedó.
Tsog-áa-p-aa-bì flot-áa-p-aa ni-vlumed-ó.
HESITATE-pres.gen.-3.sg.f./m.-always-because FLOAT-pres.gen.-3.sg.f./m.-always IN-RIVER-loc.

Literally: "Since he/she always hesitates he/she always floats in a river."


"I love pizza."

"Pitsakkiddofáab."

Pitsakkiddofáab.
Pitsak-kid-dof-áa-b.
Pitsak-Cid-Cof-áa-b.
PIZZA-eat.v-enjoy.v-pres.gen.-1.sg.

Literally: "I enjoy eating pizza."

Other resources