Wistanian: Difference between revisions

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'''Wistanian''' (IPA: /wɪsˈteɪni.ən/), natively known as '''''anigalilaun''''' (IPA: /əˈniɡəˌlilɑn/), is the first constructed language (conlang) by world-builder, writer, and professional amateur Paul A. Daly, written in 2017 and 2018. The language was created for a novel series. The first novel is near completion, but will likely remain unpublished until the author finishes his education.
'''Wistanian''' (IPA: /wɪsˈteɪni.ən/), natively known as '''''anigalilaun''''' (IPA: /əˈniɡəˌlilɑn/), is the first constructed language (conlang) by world-builder, writer, and professional amateur Paul A. Daly, written in 2017 and 2018. The language was created for a novel series. The first novel is near completion, but will likely remain unpublished until the author finishes his education.


The language is spoken on the fictional planet Vale, on a large, yet isolated, island called Wistania. The language belongs to the Talivian sub-family, which evolved steadily throughout the Taliv's existence. After having been settled on by the Taliv for several hundred years, the island was became the new home for the Bwolotil people, who had fled to the island to hide a large collection of magical and extremely dangerous ajmastones. The Bwolitil were originally apathetic toward the Taliv until they discovered that the Taliv held one such ajmastone as a central symbol of their culture. The Bwolotil therefore engaged in war with the Taliv to apprehend their ajmastone. Three separate people groups also inhabited the island during this war, one of which was the Nati people who allied with the Taliv to win the war. This alliance led to the formation of the Taliv-Nati pidgin, which was later named ''anigalilaun'', which means "the language of peace". During the events of the novel series (about 300 years after the end of the war) Wistanian is the majority language of the island. The language also has a number of influences from the Katapu (sister peoples to the Nati and known for their religious traditionalism), the Uzin (a people distantly related to the Bwolotil who settled the island shortly after the beginning of the war), and the Bwolotil.
The language is spoken on the fictional planet Vale, on a large yet isolated island called Wistania. The language belongs to the Talivian sub-family, which evolved steadily throughout the Taliv's existence. After having been settled on by the Taliv for several hundred years, the island became the new home for the Bwolotil people, who had fled to the island to hide a large collection of magical and extremely dangerous ajmastones. The Bwolitil were originally apathetic toward the Taliv until they discovered that the Taliv held one such ajmastone as a central symbol of their culture. The Bwolotil, therefore, engaged in war with the Taliv to apprehend their ajmastone. Three separate people groups also inhabited the island during this war, one of which was the Nati people who allied with the Taliv to win the war. This alliance led to the formation of the Taliv-Nati pidgin, which was later named ''anigalilaun'', which means "the language of peace". During the events of the novel series (about 300 years after the end of the war) Wistanian is the majority language of the island. The language also has a number of influences from the Katapu (sister peoples to the Nati and known for their religious traditionalism), the Uzin (a people distantly related to the Bwolotil who settled the island shortly after the beginning of the war), and the Bwolotil.


Wistanian is typologically an analytical language with elements of agglutination. Its grammar is initially simple to grasp, lacking noun gender and case, and possessing few verbal conjugations, although most of its difficulty is syntactic and lexical. Despite having a rather regular morphology due to pidginization, there are several groups of words within the same lexical category which operate differently from each other. Wistanian is primarily written using the Talivian alphabet, but some alternate scripts do exist, namely the Diwa Alphabet and Nati Abugida.
Wistanian is typologically an analytical language with elements of agglutination. Its grammar is initially simple to grasp, lacking noun gender and case, and possessing few verbal conjugations, although most of its difficulty is syntactic and lexical. Despite having a rather regular morphology due to pidginization, there are several groups of words within the same lexical category which operate differently from each other. Wistanian is primarily written using the Talivian alphabet, but some alternate scripts do exist, namely the Diwa Alphabet and Nati Abugida.
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==Syntax==
==Syntax==


Wistanian follows a rigid syntax and tight grammar. However, these strict standards, along with the simple phonology, help Wistanian people groups to remain understandable and intelligible among each other.  
Wistanian follows a rigid syntax and tight grammar due to its analytical tendencies. However, these strict standards, along with the simple phonology, help Wistanian people groups to remain understandable and intelligible among each other.  


===Word Order===
===Word Order===
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Wistanian has predominant Verb-Subject-Object word order, modifiers that follow their head (except for possessive pronouns, numbers, and colors), post-positional suffixes, and particles that come before their head. Modifier phrases will usually come at the beginning or end of the sentence.
Wistanian has predominant Verb-Subject-Object word order, modifiers that follow their head (except for possessive pronouns, numbers, and colors), post-positional suffixes, and particles that come before their head. Modifier phrases will usually come at the beginning or end of the sentence.


  '''gaun azavyi ravu miramwi daz ilam aa din naulam ggarauni da zi maumu.'''
  '''azavyi ravu miramwi daz ilam aa din naulam ggarauni ggaun zi maumu.'''
  gaun    azavi-i  ravu miram-wi  daz ilam  aa  din  naulam ggarauni da  zi      maumu.
  azavi-i  ravu miram-wi  daz ilam  aa  din  naulam ggarauni ggaun zi      maumu.
  PFV.PST carry-TEL fast store-LAT man young ACC three melon  large    BEN 3Sa.POSS mother.
  carry-TEL fast store-LAT man young ACC three melon  large    BEN   3Sa.POSS mother.
  "The young man quickly carried three large melons to the store for his mother."
  "The young man quickly carried three large melons to the store for his mother."
  *carried fast store to man young three melons large for his mother.
  *carried fast store to man young three melons large for his mother.
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Questions will typically follow the same syntactic pattern as declarative sentences, except with rising intonation. Typically, Yes/No questions will consist of a statement followed by '''''zau'''''/'''''baun''''' (Yes/No). "Who/What/When/Where/Why" questions will either follow the same declarative-question word pattern, or include a question particle as the object.
Questions will typically follow the same syntactic pattern as declarative sentences, except with rising intonation. Typically, Yes/No questions will consist of a statement followed by '''''zau'''''/'''''baun''''' (Yes/No). "Who/What/When/Where/Why" questions will either follow the same declarative-question word pattern, or include a question particle as the object.


  '''raul magin va. zau?'''
  '''magin na raul. zau?'''
  table REL.has red. yes?
  table has red. yes?
  "Is the table red?”
  "Is the table red?”


  '''rol magiyn va. ari?'''
  '''magiyn na raul. ari?'''
  table REL.has red. why?
  table REL.has red. why?
  “Why is the table red?”
  “Why is the table red?”
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==Morphology==
==Morphology==
<!-- How do the words in your language look? How do you derive words from others? Do you have cases? Are verbs inflected? Do nouns differ from adjectives? Do adjectives differ from verbs? Etc. -->


<!-- Here are some example subcategories:
Wistanian has a low morpheme-to-root ratio, most words being inflectionless and rather interacting with nearby words and word order to express grammatical (and sometimes lexical) distinctions.
 
Nouns
Adjectives
Verbs
Adverbs
Particles
Derivational morphology
 
-->


===Nouns===
===Nouns===
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Once a noun takes on a locative case, it is treated as a modifier, coming immediately after its head. However, it can still be given modifiers of its own that may intervene between the locative and its head. In this case, locative nouns take on their own group, alongside subject nouns and object nouns.
Once a noun takes on a locative case, it is treated as a modifier, coming immediately after its head. However, it can still be given modifiers of its own that may intervene between the locative and its head. In this case, locative nouns take on their own group, alongside subject nouns and object nouns.


  '''buda yau yi ujadiwi ujan.'''
  '''budai yau yi ujadiwi ujan.'''
  buda   yau    yi      ujadi-wi  ujan.
  buda-ai  yau    yi      ujadi-wi  ggarauni.
  walking 1S.NOM 1S.POSS house-LAT green.
  walk-TEL 1S.NOM 1S.POSS house-LAT large.
  "I am walking to my green house."  
  "I walk to my large house."  
 
====Pronouns====
 
''coming soon'''


===Verbs===
===Verbs===
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==Other Resources==
==Other Resources==
[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1LuItcMywTuO0ZdLEg9nv8e9T5VjjgyY6de2WtNUwIw8/edit?usp=sharing Wistanian Lexicon (Google Sheets)]
<!-- Example: Word order, qualifiers, determinatives, branching, etc. -->
<!-- Example: Word order, qualifiers, determinatives, branching, etc. -->


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