Ufirlandisg

Ufirlandisg/Lexicon

Ufirlandisg (Ufirlandisg: ufirlandisg māl [ˈʊfʲɛːɫantʲɪsk ˈmɑːɫ] "highland-ish"; from PGmc *ubiri-land-iskaz) is an alternate history Germanic language whose phonology is partly inspired by Mandarin, Burmese and RP. It is spoken in our world's Austria, and belongs to the Thedic branch of Germanic like its sister Thedish.

TODO

Let me try Sino-RP in Germanic.

Final -d, -d́ lenite to -:, -j > falling tone?

Final -t becomes glottal stop > rising tone

Phonology

Consonants

Consonant phonemes

		Labial		Dental/Alveolar		Retroflex	Palatal	Velar	Glottal
		plain	pal.	plain	pal.
Nasal		m m	ḿ mʲ	n n̪	ń nʲ
Stop /Affricate	tenuis	b p	b́ pʲ	d t̪, z t̪s	d́ tʲ	dr tʂ	ź, ǵ tɕ	g k
	aspirated	p pʰ	ṕ pʲʰ	t t̪ʰ	t́ tʲʰ	tr tʂʰ	ć tɕʰ	c kʰ
Fricative		f f	f́ fʲ	s s		sr ʂ	ś ɕ		h h
Approximant	central	w w	wi ɥ			r ɹ	j j
	lateral			l l~ɫ	ĺ lʲ

Ufirlandisg has an aspiration distinction in stops; however, the distinction is neutralized in word-final position.

Glottal reinforcement is used, as in RP.

When consonants written with an acute accent is followed by a vowel, the acute accent is replaced with an i (except with /i/ and /iː/).

• Broad /l/ is only dark in coda position

Vowels

Vowel phonemes

	Front		Central		Back
	short	long	short	long	short	long
Close	i /i/, ü, ui /y/	ī /iː/, ǖ, uī /yː/			u /u/	ū /uː/
Close-mid			e /ə/			ē /ɤː/
Mid	(i)a, (ü)e, (u)e [æ~ɛ]	(i)ā, (ü)ē, (u)ē [æː~ɛː]	[ə]			(u)ō /ɔː/
Open			a /a/	ā /aː/

Semivowel onglides: ü u /ɥ w/

Diphthongs: ai au iu /aj aw jəw/

In unstressed syllables, the hard vowels a, e correspond to the soft vowels ie/üe, i.

Tone

Ufirlandisg, like Mandarin and Swedish, is a tonal language.

Prosody

Stress

Primary stress is word-initial except for certain prefixes. There is secondary stress in every compound word component.

Morphology

Nouns

Ufirlandisg nouns do not inflect by case. Plurals are most often formed by tone change: dal /tal1/ 'valley', dale /tal2/ 'valleys'. Sometimes they are formed with -r (which amounts to adding a word final schwa): name /nam2/ 'name', namer /namə/ 'names'.

Pronouns

case	1sg.	2sg.	3sg.			1pl.	2pl.	3pl.	reflexive
			'he'	'she'	'it'
nom.	jac /jaʔ¹/	jūr /joː(ɹ)¹/	ir /ɛː(ɹ)¹/	sī /ɕɪj¹/	it /jɪʔ¹/	sum /sʊŋ¹/	jūr /joː(ɹ)¹/	niā /njɑː(ɹ)¹/	-
acc.	mic /mɪʔ¹/	jou /jəʊ¹/	zina /tɕɪŋ²/	zije /tɕɪj²/	it /jɪʔ¹/	unś /ũːɕ¹/	jou /jəʊ¹/	ziā /tɕɑː(ɹ)¹/	sic /ɕɪʔ¹/
dat.	mir /mjɛː(ɹ)¹/	jou /jəʊ¹/	zime /tɕɪŋ²/	ziarer /tɕɑː(ɹ)²/	zime /tɕɪŋ²/	unś /ũːɕ¹/	jou /jəʊ¹/	zim /tɕɪŋ¹/	sir /ɕɛː(ɹ)¹/
poss.	mīn /mɪ̃j¹/	jour /jɛː(ɹ)¹, jə(ɹ)¹/	zias /tɕəs¹/	ziar /tɕɑː(ɹ)¹/	zias /tɕəs¹/	unsier /ũːɕə(ɹ)/	jour /jɛː(ɹ)¹, jə(ɹ)¹/	ziara /tɕɑː(ɹ)²/	sīn /ɕɪ̃j¹/

Adjectives

Most adjectives take -a (for hard stems) or -ie (for soft stems) if it is definite OR plural: cf.

• se liawa watinı 'the lukewarm water'
• liau watinı 'lukewarm water'
• se watinı iś liau 'the water is lukewarm'
• māra bāce 'big books'
• se bāce ir māra 'the books are big'

The comparative and superlatives are formed by the suffixes -ier and -sd: suōt, suōtier, suōtsd 'sweet, sweeter, sweetest'.

There are a few irregular adjectives, which are listed in the table below.

Meaning	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
"good"	gād /kɑː²/	batier /patjə(ɹ)/	basd /paht¹/
"bad"	druk /tʂʊʔ¹/	wirsier /ɥœːɕə(ɹ)/	wirsd /ɥœːht¹/
"many"	miciel /mɪt͡ɕəɫ/	mēr /mɜː(ɹ)¹/	mēsd /mɤːht¹/

Verbs

Verbs have three paradigms: athematic stems, thematic a-stems and thematic i-stems.

Most verbs have three principal parts: the present stem (remove the -n from the infinitive), the past stem and the past participle. The past subjunctive always uses the past participle stem.

Thematic verbs

-en verbs

This is the most productive class of verbs.

maken 'to make'

tense	jak/niā	jūr/ir/sī/it/sum
present	make [maʔ²]	maked [maʔkʰə(ɹ)]
past indicative	makedie [maʔkʰɪj]	makedie [maʔkʰɪj]
imperative	-	mace! [maʔ²]
present participle	makend [maʔkʰənʔ]
past participle	makedie [maʔkʰɪj]

Also: liaufen [ljaʊfən] 'love', lirnen [ljɛːnən] 'learn'

-ien verbs

rēcen 'to reach'

tense	jak/niā	jūr/ir/sī/it/sum
present	rēce [ɹɤːʔtʃ²]	rēced [ɹɤːʔtʃʰə(ɹ)]
past indicative	rēcedie [ɹɤːʔtʃʰɪj]	rēcedie [ɹɤːʔtʃʰɪj]
imperative	-	rēce! [ɹɤːʔtʃ²]
present participle	rēcend [ɹɤːʔtʃʰənʔ]
past participle	rēcedie [ɹɤːʔtʃʰɪj]

Also: arbēdien 'work'; haurien 'hear'; lērien 'teach'; sagien 'say'; ertalien 'tell, recount'; ranien 'run (transitive), execute, set into motion'

Verbs like e.g. bringin, bragtie, bragt 'bring'; bugin, bugtie, bugt 'buy'; zancin, zagtie, zagt - 'think' form a small subclass of the -in verbs.

Athematic verbs

Strong class 1

bīten 'to bite'

tense	jac/niā	jūr/ir/sī/it/sum
present	bīte /piːʔ²/	bīted /piːʔə(ɹ)/
past indicative	bēt /pɤːʔ¹/	bēt /pɤːʔ¹/
past subjunctive	biti /pɪʔɪ/	biti /pɪʔɪ/
imperative	-	bīt! /piːʔ²/
present participle	bītend /piːʔənʔ/
past participle	biten /pɪʔən/

Also: sgīnen, sgēn, sginen 'shine', drīfen, drēf, drifen 'drive', clīfen, clēf, clifen 'stick, cling', rīten, rēt, riten 'write'

Strong class 2

causen 'to choose'

tense	jac/niā	jūr/ir/sī/it/sum
present	cause /tʃaʊs²/	caused /tʃaʊsə(ɹ)/
past indicative	kaus /ˈkʰaʊs¹/	kaus /ˈkʰaʊs¹/
past subjunctive	kurie /ˈkʰʊɹɪ/	kurie /ˈkʰʊɹɪ/
imperative	-	caus! /tʃaʊs²/
present participle	ciausend / /tʃaʊsənʔ/
past participle	kuren /ˈkʰʊɹən/

Also: biauden, baud, buden 'offer, bid', biaugen, baug, bugen 'bow', fliaugen, flaug, flugen 'fly', fliawen, flau, fluwen 'flee, escape', friausen, fraus, fruren 'freeze'

Strong class 3

binden 'to tie, to bind'

tense	jac/niā	jūr/ir/sī/it/sum
present	bindie	bindied
past indicative	band	band
past subjunctive	bundi	bundi
imperative	-	bind!
present participle	bindend
past participle	bunden

Also: bieginen, biegan, biegunen 'begin'; drincen, dranc, druncen 'drink'; finzen, fanz, funzen 'find'; grinden, grand, grunden 'grind'; rinen, ran, runen 'run'; sbringen, sbrang, sbrungen 'burst, explode'; simben, samb, sumben 'sing'; wierpen, warp, wurpen 'throw'; źrimben, zramb, zrumben 'press, force, push through'

Strong class 4

In Ufirlandisg, Proto-Germanic class 3b strong verbs have merged with class 4 strong verbs.

biaren 'to carry'

tense	jac/niā	jūr/ir/sī/it/sum
present	biarie	biaried
past indicative	bar	bar
past subjunctive	buri	buri
imperative	-	biar!
present participle	biarend
past participle	buren

Also: briaken, brak, bruken 'break', niamen, nam, numen 'take', piamen, pam, pumen 'come', sbriaken, sbrak, sbruken 'speak', sdialen, sdal, sdulen 'steal', hialpen, halp, hulpen 'help', driasg, drasg, drusgen 'thresh', sdiarf, sdarf, sdurfen 'die'

Strong class 5

giafen 'to give'

tense	jac/niā	jūr/ir/sī/it/sum
present	giafie	giafied
past indicative	gaf	gaf
past subjunctive	giafi	giafi
imperative	-	giaf!
present participle	giafend
past participle	giafen

Also: driapen, drap, driapen 'hit, meet', fergiaten, fergat, fergiaten 'forget', liasen, las, liaren 'read', siawen, saw, siawen 'see'. There are also the j-present verbs bidin, bad, biaden 'beg, pray', ligin, lag, liagen 'lie'

Strong class 6

grafen 'to dig'

tense	jac/niā	jūr/ir/sī/it/sum
present	grafie	grafied
past indicative	grāf	grāf
past subjunctive	grafi	grafi
imperative	-	graf!
present participle	grafend
past participle	grafen

Also: faren, fār, faren 'spread', slagen, slāg, slagen 'strike', sdanden, sdānd, sdanden 'stand', wagsen, wāgs, wagsen 'grow', wasgen, wāsg, wasgen 'wash', jaten, jāt, jaten 'eat' (reclassified from class 5)

Strong class 7

hēten, hīt, hīten - to be called

laupen, liaup, liaupen - to jump, leap

sdauten, sdiaut, sdiauten - to bump, collide, crash

hald, hiald, hialden - to hold

liāten, līt, liāten - to let

siān, siādie, siād - to sow (regularized)

Preterite-present verbs

witen 'to know'

witen 'to know'

tense	jac/jūr/ir/sī/it/sum/niā
present indicative	wōt
present subjunctive	witi
past indicative	wisdie
past subjunctive	wisdi
imperative	wit!
present participle	witend
past participle	wisd

cunen 'can, be able to'

cunen 'can'

tense	jac/jūr/ir/sī/it/sum/niā
present indicative	can
present subjunctive	cuni
past indicative	cundie
past subjunctive	cundi

Similarly sgulen 'should', zurfen 'have to'.

magen 'may'

The present forms of this verb are derived from PGmc *maganą (~ Eng. may, might), and the past forms are from PGmc *mōtaną (~ Eng. must).

magen 'may'

tense	jac/jūr/ir/sī/it/sum/niā
present indicative	mag
present subjunctive	magi
past indicative	māsdie
past subjunctive	māsdi

Other irregular verbs

wilen 'want to, will'

wilen 'want to, will'

tense	jac/niā	jūr/ir/sī/it/sum
present indicative	wī	wīd
present subjunctive	wili	wilid
past indicative	wildie	wildie
past subjunctive	wildi	wildi

biaun 'be'

biaun 'to be'

tense	jac	jūr	ir/sī/it	sum	niā
present indicative	im	ired/ir	iś	irem/ir	ir
present subjunctive	sije	sijed	sijed	sijed	sije
past indicative	was	wiēra	was	wiēra	wiēra
past subjunctive	wiēri	wiēri	wiēri	wiēri	wiēri
imperative	-	biau!	-	-	-
present participle	wiesend
past participle	wiēren

han 'have (auxiliary)'

han 'to have (auxiliary)'

tense	jac/niā	jūr/ir/sī/it/sum
present indicative	ha	had
present subjunctive	hafi	hafid
past indicative	hadie	hadie
past subjunctive	hadi	hadi
imperative	-	ha!
present participle	hafind
past participle	had

dān 'do'

dān 'to do'

tense	jac/niā	jūr/ir/sī/it/sum
present	dā	dād
past indicative	diadie	diadie
past subjunctive	diadi	diadi
imperative	-	dā!
present participle	dānd
past participle	dān

gān 'go'

gān 'to go'

tense	jac/niā	jūr/ir/sī/it/sum
present indicative	gā	gād
past indicative	giang	giang
past subjunctive	giangi	giangi
imperative	-	gā!
present participle	gānd
past participle	giangen

Also: fān - to get, to obtain

Derivational morphology

• and-: 'de-, dis-'
• bie-: "be-", forms applicatives
  • biecrīten 'complain about' < crīten 'complain'
  • bierīten 'describe' < rīten 'write'
  • biesingen 'praise' < singen 'sing'
• -bier: '-able'
  • jatebier 'edible' < jaten 'to eat'
• er-: telic, ~ German er-
• fer-: "for-"
  • ferwundran 'surprise, amaze' < wunder 'wonder, miracle'
• fur-: "fore-"
• -ful: "-ful"
• ge-
  • gebiaren 'give birth' < biaren 'bear, carry'
• -hēd: -ness, -hood
• -ig: forms adjectives from nouns
• -laus: "-less"
• -ling: "-ling"
• -lik: "-ly"; forms adjectives from nouns
  • wurdlik 'literal' < wurd 'word'
• mis-: "mis-"
• -nes: forms nouns from verbs
• -sam: "-some"
• un-: "un-" (negation or opposite)
  • unrāwa 'unrest, unease'
• -unga: forms nouns from verbs
  • hētiunga 'heating' < hētin 'to heat'

Prepositions

Like in German, prepositions govern certain defined cases and change meaning based on the case of the noun. Prepositions may govern the nominative (accusative for pronouns) or the genitive (dative for pronouns). Ordinals are formed with the suffix -za.

• an = (+ acc) onto; (+ dat) on
• fur = (+ acc) for; (+ dat) before
• gagin = (+ acc) against
• in = (+ acc) into; (+ dat) in
• mid́ = (+ dat) with
• ta = (+ dat) to, towards
• tuigs (+ acc/dat for movement resp. location) between
• ufir = (+ acc/dat for movement resp. location) across, over
• undier = (+ acc/dat for movement resp. location) under, between, among
• wizer = (+ acc) at, next to, by
• zank = (+ dat) thanks to

Numbers

Base-120 system.

• 1: ēn /ɤːn/ (ordinal ērsd)
• 2: tuō /tʰwɔː/ (ordinal anzier)
• 3: zrī /tsrʲiː/
• 4: fiur /fʲʊr/
• 5: finf /fʲinf/
• 6: siags /ʃaks/
• 7: süef /ʃɥœf/
• 8: agta /ˈaːktʰa/
• 9: niaun /nʲaun/
• 10: tiaun /tʲʰaun/
• 11: ēnlif
• 12: tuōlif
• 13: zrītiun
• 14: fiurtiun
• 15: finftiun
• 16: siagstiun
• 17: süeftiun
• 18: agtiun
• 19: niauntiun
• 20: tuōntig
• 30: zrītig
• 40: fiurtig
• 50: finftig
• 60: siagstig
• 70: süeftig
• 80: agtig
• 90: niauntig
• 100: tiauntig
• 110: ēnliftig
• 120: hundrad
• 14400: zūsand́

Syntax

Constituent order

Word order is SVO, and VO in imperatives. Questions may use a question particle jez at the end, but this is optional.

Sī iś mīn lēraŕ.

She is my teacher.

Giasdern jac giang bugin ubati.

Yesterday I went to buy fruit.

Nie wōt jūr zat jez?

Don't you know that?

Jat sīn krūtsakar!

Eat your vegetables!

Verbs are negated with nie placed before the verb:

Jac nie fersdanda huat sagid jūr.

I don't understand what you're saying.

Noun phrase

Both adjectives and genitives follow nouns.

Example texts

Featured language banner

Zis sbriakmāl was ēns furrigtid.

/tɕɪs sprʲaʔmɑːɫ was ɤ̃ːs foːrɪjtɪj/

This language was once featured.

Zank zias miāt af fullikhēt, fīnhēt auk brūklikhēt, sum sdamnidie it ta furrigtin.

/tsãʔ tɕəs mjɑːʔ əʊ fʊlɪʔɤːʔ, fɪ̃jxɤːʔ aʊʔ bɹʊuʔlɪʔɤːʔ sʊŋ stamnɪj ɪʔ tə foːrɪjtɪŋ/

Thanks to its level of quality, plausibility and usage features, it has been voted as featured.

Phrasebook

• Gād murgen! [kaːt ˈmʊrkɨn] - Good morning!
• Gād dag! [kaːt tak] - Hello! Good day!
• Gād üēfend! [kaːt ˈɥœːfɨnt] - Good evening!
• Gād nātie! [kaːt ˈnaːtʰʲɛ] - Good night!
• Wialkumen! [ˈɥœɫkʰʊmɨn] - Welcome!
• Hēta jac... [ˈhɤːtʰa jak...] - My name is...
• Zanke! [tsaŋkʰə] - Thank you!
• Mir/Unś iś rǖ. [mʲɪr/ʊnʃ ɪʃ rʲyː] - I'm/We're sorry.
• Nie sbriaka jac Ufirlandisg. - I don't speak Ufirlandisg.