Azano

Introduction

Azano stands as a co-official language, holding its ground alongside the widely spoken Faiten. With an estimated population of 2,500,000 million speakers, Azano boasts a significant number of individuals proficient in its unique linguistic expressions. Remarkably, Azano does not fall under the umbrella of any established language family, setting it apart as a distinctive language isolate. Through its independent existence, Azano has developed its own linguistic characteristics although phonologically influenced by Germanic languages, shaping a one of a kind linguistic heritage within the cultural tapestry of Faitonia.

Azano, historically spoken by the indigenous people of Azalova (previously known as Faitonia), underwent significant linguistic transformations as the nation opened its doors to immigrants. Chinese, French, and Italian settlers were among the first to establish themselves in the country, paving the way for subsequent waves of German immigrants. As these diverse groups integrated into the local society, the Azano language naturally absorbed various linguistic elements from the Germanic languages spoken by the newcomers. Consequently, Azano evolved into a diverse tapestry of influences from various Germanic languages, reflecting the cultural amalgamation brought about by centuries of immigration and settlement in Azalova. Furthermore, the linguistic tapestry of Faitonia expanded even further with the arrival of Arab settlers, who, in pursuit of business opportunities, began engaging in trade activities within the region.

Phonology

Consonants

Consonant Inventory

		Labial	Dental	Alveolar	Post-Alveolar	Palatal	Velar	Uvular	Pharyngeal	Glottal
Nasal		m		n
Approximant	Liquid		r	l
	Glide					j	w
Plosive	Tenuis	p		t tˤ		c	k	q		ʔ
	Voiced	b		d dˤ		ɟ	g	ɢ
Affricate				t͡s	t͡ʃ
Fricative	Tenuis	f		s sˤ	ʃ			χ	ħ	h
	Voiced	v		z zˤ	ʒ			ʁ	ʕ

Vowels

Vowel Inventory

	Front		Centre		Back
	Flat	Round	Flat	Round	Flat	Round
Closed	i	y	ɨ	ʉ	ɯ	u
High Mid	e	ø	ə	ɵ	ɤ	o
Low Mid	ɛ	œ		ɞ		ɔ
Open	æ		ɐ		ɑ

Phonotactics

Azano, a language that shares phonotactic similarities with Arabic, adheres to comparable rules for sound arrangement. In Azano, the phonotactic patterns align with those observed in Arabic. Within Azano, an average syllable structure can be described as follows:

• C (light)

• V (light)

• CV (light)
• CVV (heavy)
• CVC (heavy)
• CVVC (super-heavy)
• CVCC (super-heavy)

The syllable structure of Azano exhibits certain phonotactic restrictions that shape the organization of sounds within words. In Azano, syllables typically cannot commence with a vowel sound or a cluster of consonants. Furthermore, the language generally avoids the occurrence of super-heavy syllables, except in word-final positions. However, an interesting exception arises when a CVV- sequence precedes a geminate consonant, resulting in the formation of non-final CVVC- syllables. While Azano adheres to these core syllable structure principles, loanwords have the potential to introduce variations in its phonotactics. Loanwords, borrowed from other languages and integrated into Azano, may occasionally disregard certain phonotactic rules. For instance, loanwords might permit the presence of initial consonant clusters, which would typically be restricted in native Azano words. Similarly, loanwords may also allow the occurrence of CVVC syllables in non-final positions, even without the presence of geminate consonants. A slight divergence from Arabic phonotactics is observed in Azano, where both consonants and vowels can function as individual syllables. Notably, when a single consonant forms a syllable on its own, only fricatives and sonorants are permitted to be syllabic. These intricate phonotactic patterns shape the unique characteristics of the Azano language and contribute to its linguistic diversity.