Ufirlandisg

Ufirlandisg/Lexicon

kw hw > p f

Introduction

Ufirlandisg (Ufirlandisg: ufirlandisg māl [ˈʊfʲɪrɫantʲɪsk ˈmɑːɫ] "highland-ish"; from PGmc *ubiri-land-iskaz) is an alternate history Germanic language whose phonology is partly inspired by Mandarin. It is spoken in the Pyrenee Mountains area (this world's southwestern France and northeastern Spain), and belongs to the Þiúdic branch of Germanic like its sister Þiúdьsk.

Phonology

Consonants

Consonant phonemes

		Labial		Dental/Alveolar		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	ź, ǵ tʃ	g k
	aspirated	p pʰ	ṕ pʲʰ	t t̪ʰ	t́ tʲʰ	ć tʃʰ	c kʰ
Fricative		f f	f́ fʲ	s s		ś ʃ		h h
Approximant	central	w w	wi ɥ	r ɹ	ŕ rʲ	j j
	lateral			l ɫ	ĺ lʲ

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

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/).

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 iau iu /aj aw jəw/

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

Prosody

Stress

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

Morphology

Nouns

Ufirlandisg nouns have 2 numbers and 4 cases, but the nominative has merged with the accusative, and the dative with the genitive. Unusually for a Germanic language, there is no grammatical gender. The endings are fairly conservative. However, there has been some conflation between different declension paradigms.

The indefinite article is indeclinable: e is used before consonants and en before vowels. The definite article is likewise always se.

a-stems

Also includes the an-stem nouns (which have regularized their declension).

a-stem: dal 'valley'
Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	dal	dale
Genitive	dale	dalem

a-stem: namen 'name'
Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	namen	namne
Genitive	namne	namnem

ja-stem: baś 'berry'
Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	baś	basi
Genitive	basi	basim

Vowel stems

This class also includes the former ō-stems and u-stems (whose stems end in a hard consonant) and former i-stems, īn-stems and z-stems (whose stems end in a soft consonant).

ō-stem: nasa 'nose'
Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	nasa	nasar
Genitive	nasar	nasam

u-stem: süda 'custom'
Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	süda	südar
Genitive	südar	südam

i-stem: burzie 'birth'
Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	burzie	burzier
Genitive	burzier	burziem

īn-stem: langinie 'length'
Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	langinie	langinier
Genitive	langinier	langiniem

z-stem: lambie 'lamb'
Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	lambie	lambier
Genitive	lambier	lambiem

r-stems

This class includes only these kinship terms: fadier 'father', mādier 'mother', brāzier 'brother', ductier 'daughter', süesdier 'sister'.

r-stem: fadier 'father'
Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	fadier	fadrar
Genitive	fadrar	fadram

Other irregular nouns

muon 'man'
Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	muon	manier
Genitive	manier	muonam

Pronouns

case	1sg.	2sg.	3sg.			1pl.	2pl.	3pl.	reflexive
			'he'	'she'	'it'
nom.	jac	jūr	ir	sī	it	sum	jūr	jā	-
acc.	mic	jou	ina	ije	it	unś	jou	jā	sic
dat.	mir	jou	ime	jare	ime	unś	jou	imi	sir
gen.	mīn	jour	jas	jar	jas	unsier	jour	jara	sīn

Adjectives

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

• se liawa watnie 'the lukewarm water'
• liau watnie 'lukewarm water'
• se watnie iś liau 'the water is lukewarm'
• māra bāce 'big books'
• se bāce iren 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	batier	basd
"bad"	wōnig	wirsier	wirsd
"many"	fial	mēr	mēsd

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

-an verbs

This is the most productive class of verbs.

macan 'to make'

tense	jac	jūr/ir/sī/it/sum	jā
present	maca	macad	macan
past indicative	macadie	macadie	macadien
past subjunctive	macadi	macadi	macadin
imperative	-	maca!	-
present participle	macand
past participle	macad

Also: liaufan 'love', lirnan 'learn'

-in verbs

rēcin 'to reach'

tense	jac	jūr/ir/sī/it/sum	jā
present	rēci	rēcid	rēcin
past indicative	rēcidie	rēcidie	rēcidien
past subjunctive	rēcidi	rēcidi	rēcidin
imperative	-	rēci!	-
present participle	rēcind
past participle	rēcid

Also: arbēdin 'work'; haurin 'hear'; lērin 'teach'; sagin 'say'; ertalin 'tell, recount'; ranin '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	jūr/ir/sī/it/sum	jā
present	bītie	bītied	bītien
past indicative	bēt	bēt	bēten
past subjunctive	biti	biti	bitin
imperative	-	bīt!	-
present participle	bītend
past participle	biten

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

Strong class 2

ciausen 'to choose'

tense	jac	jūr/ir/sī/it/sum	jā
present	ciausie	ciausied	ciausien
past indicative	caus	caus	causen
past subjunctive	curi	curi	curin
imperative	-	ciaus!	-
present participle	ciausend
past participle	curen

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	jūr/ir/sī/it/sum	jā
present	bindie	bindied	bindien
past indicative	band	band	banden
past subjunctive	bundi	bundi	bundin
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	jūr/ir/sī/it/sum	jā
present	biarie	biaried	biarien
past indicative	bar	bar	baren
past subjunctive	buri	buri	burin
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	jūr/ir/sī/it/sum	jā
present	giafie	giafied	giafien
past indicative	gaf	gaf	gafen
past subjunctive	giafi	giafi	giafin
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	jūr/ir/sī/it/sum	jā
present	grafie	grafied	grafien
past indicative	grāf	grāf	grāfen
past subjunctive	grafi	grafi	grafin
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	jā
present indicative	wōt	wōt
present subjunctive	witi	witin
past indicative	wisdie	wisdien
past subjunctive	wisdi	wisdin
imperative	wit!	-
present participle	witend
past participle	wisd

cunen 'can, be able to'

cunen 'can'

tense	jac/jūr/ir/sī/it/sum	jā
present indicative	can	can
present subjunctive	cuni	cunin
past indicative	cundie	cundien
past subjunctive	cundi	cundin

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

magen 'may'

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

magen 'may'

tense	jac/jūr/ir/sī/it/sum	jā
present indicative	mag	mag
present subjunctive	magi	magin
past indicative	māsdie	māsdien
past subjunctive	māsdi	māsdin

Other irregular verbs

wilen 'want to, will'

wilen 'want to, will'

tense	jac	jūr/ir/sī/it/sum	jā
present indicative	wī	wīd	wīn
present subjunctive	wili	wilid	wilin
past indicative	wildie	wildie	wildien
past subjunctive	wildi	wildi	wildin

biaun 'be'

biaun 'to be'

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

han 'have (auxiliary)'

han 'to have (auxiliary)'

tense	jac	jūr/ir/sī/it/sum	jā
present indicative	ha	had	han
present subjunctive	hafi	hafid	hafin
past indicative	hadie	hadie	hadien
past subjunctive	hadi	hadi	hadin
imperative	-	ha!	-
present participle	hafind
past participle	had

dān 'do'

dān 'to do'

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

gān 'go'

gān 'to go'

tense	jac	jūr/ir/sī/it/sum	jā
present indicative	gā	gād	gān
past indicative	giang	giang	giangen
past subjunctive	giangi	giangi	giangin
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 VSO, and VO in imperatives. Questions may use a question particle nie at the end.

Iś sī mīn lēraŕ.

She is my teacher.

Giasdern giang jac bugin ubati.

Yesterday I went to buy fruit.

Nie wōt jūr zat nie?

Don't you know that?

Jat sīn krūtsakar!

Eat your vegetables!

Verbs are negated with nie placed before the verb:

Nie fersdanda jac 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 furrītid.

This language was once featured.

Zank sīn miātar fullikhētar, fīnhētar auk brūklikhētar stamnidie it sic ta furrītin.

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!
• Jac hēta... [jac ˈhɤːtʰa...] - My name is...
• Zanke! [tsaŋkʰə] - Thank you!
• Mir/Unś iś rǖ. [mʲɪr/ʊnʃ ɪʃ rʲyː] - I'm/We're sorry.
• Jac sbriaka ēnć Ufirlandisg. - I don't speak Ufirlandisg.