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Wistanian (view source)

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'''''UNDER CONSTRUCTION'''''
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Like the lexicon and grammar, Daly redesigned the Wistanian script multiple times - three, to be exact. The original script was an alphabet, but it did not capture the "spirit" of Wistanian, so it was scrapped for an abugida. The abugida, which was beautiful, was also difficult to learn and write, prompting yet another redesign. The original design is now considered as the old Bolotil alphabet, while the abugida is an alternative script used by the Nati.
Like the lexicon and grammar, Daly redesigned the Wistanian script multiple times - three, to be exact. The original script was an alphabet, but it did not capture the "spirit" of Wistanian, so it was scrapped for an abugida. The abugida, which was beautiful, was also difficult to learn and write, prompting yet another redesign. The original design is now considered as the old Bolotil alphabet, while the abugida is an alternative script used by the Nati.
==Syntax==
Wistanian follows a rigid syntax and tight grammar. However, these strict standards, along with the simple phonology, help Wistanian people-group to remain understandable and intelligible among each other.
===Word Order===
Wistanian has Verb-Subject-Object word order (imperatives are VOS), modifiers that follow their head (except for possessive pronouns, numbers, and colors), post-positional spatial suffixes, and non-spatial prepositions. Modifier phrases will usually come at the beginning or end of the sentence. Auxiliary verbs come before transitive verbs, but sometimes after the subject, if the verb is intransitive.
''gaura navu miramwi miz ilam din aanaulaman garani ggaun zi vaumu.''<br>
"The young man is quickly carrying three large melons to the market for his mother."
{| " cellspacing="10"
|-
| ''gaura''  || ''navu''  || ''miram-wi''  || ''miz''  || ''ilam'' || ''din''  || ''aa-naulam-an''  || ''garani'' || ''ggaun'' || ''zi'' || ''vaumu''
|-
| carrying  || fast  || store-toward  || man  || young  || three  || ACC-melon-PL || large || for || 3SG.POSS || mother.
|}
===Questions===
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 '''''zaun'''''/'''''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.
'''''rol magiyn va. zo?'''''<br />
<code><nowiki>red table PRS.COP. yes?</nowiki></code><br />
"Is the table red?”
'''''rol magiyn va. ari?'''''<br />
<code><nowiki>red table PRS.COP. why?</nowiki></code><br />
“Why is the table red?”
'''''luva zon?'''''<br />
<code><nowiki>2SG-PRS.COP who?</nowiki></code><br />
“Who are you?”
There is no Wistanian equivalent to "how," usually being replaced by "what" or "what method". ("How are you?" is literally translated "What are you?")


==Morphology==
==Morphology==
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===Nouns===
===Nouns===


==Syntax==
Nouns are fairly regular with only one case marking, the accusative prefix, '''''aa-''''', which is attached to every direct object to distinguish it from the subject.
===Constituent order===
 
===Noun phrase===
Pronouns, on the other hand, are highly variable, with different forms of the nominative, accusative, possessive, reflexive, and prepositional cases in five persons (1st, 2nd, 3rd animate, 3rd inanimate, and 3rd spiritual) and two numbers (singular and plural). For the third animate and spiritual, the nominative and accusative pronouns are the same, resulting in 46 unique pronouns in all.
===Verb phrase===
 
===Sentence phrase===
Nouns do take on a plural suffix, '''''-(a)n'''''), and a negating suffix ('''''bau(n)-''''') which can apply to any word in Wistanian.
===Dependent clauses===
 
===Verbs===
 
Verbs are also highly regular taking on no inflectional morphology at all. Instead, they rely on particles to determine tense (past, present, future) and aspect (imperfective, perfective, gnomic). The default verb (no particles) is in the imperfective aspect and present mood.
 
'''''miya yau aagarauvi'''''<br />
<code><nowiki>drinking 1S.NOM ACC-water.</nowiki></code><br />
"I am drinking water."
 
'''''va miya yau aagarauvi.'''''<br />
<code><nowiki>GNO.PRS drinking 1S.NOM ACC-water</nowiki></code><br />
"I drink water."
 
'''''vaun miya yau aagarauvi.'''''<br />
<code><nowiki>PFV.PRS drinking 1S.NOM ACC-water.</nowiki></code><br />
"I have drunk water."
 
===Modifiers===
 
Modifiers immediately follow their head, except for colors, numbers, and possessives. Morphologically, there is no difference between an adjective and an adverb, since they rely on word order. Modifiers also provide verb modality and postpositional contrsutions.
 
===Adpositions===
 
There are two types of adpositions in Wistanian:
 
Locative/Directive adpositions are tagged at the end of a noun root, acting as a postposition, similar to the word ''homeward''. (E.g., '''''ujadi-ddal''''' // <code><nowiki>house-in</nowiki></code> // "in the house"). These words must always be featured immediately after the verb.
 
Purpose adpositions, such as the benefactive and instrumental, act as separate prepositional words. These phrases can be expressed at the beginning of the sentence, the end of the sentence, or after the verb.
 
===Converbs===
 
There are a few converbs, which act differently than other verbs. The most important of theses converbs is '''''va''''' which essentially means "which is" and is used as a copula, auxiliary verb, and relative conjunction.
 
As a copula, the word order is psuedo-SVO. Technically, there is only the subject, a relative particle, and an object of the relative clause, and the following sentence is a fragment, which are legal in Wistanian grammar.
 
'''''viddaru va garauda.'''''<br />
<code><nowiki>fruit COP food.</nowiki></code><br />
"fruit is food."<br />
 
As an auxiliary verb, it acts as the gnomic particle.
 
'''''va viga dari aagarauda'''''<br />
<code><nowiki>GNO.PRS eating boy ACC-food</nowiki></code><br />
"The boy eats food."<br />
 
As a relative conjunction, it can be translated as "which is."
 
'''''viga dari aaviddaru va garauda.'''''<br />
<code><nowiki>eating boy ACC-fruit which.is food.</nowiki></code><br />
"The boy is eating fruit, which is food."<br />
 
There are two other converbs: '''''na''''' (having/which has/possessive) and '''''vaun''''' (doing/which does/perfective). These converbs work almost identically with '''''va'''''.
 
===Honorifics===
 
Wistanian has a very exciting honorific system with several unique features. Honorifics are used for almost everyone: familial relationships and close friendships, authorities and superiors, and people who are younger than you. They are often said after a proper noun, take inflectional morphology, and can replace the 2nd person pronouns.
<!-- etc. etc. -->
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==Example texts==
==Example texts==
[[File:WistanianExampleTextLog.PNG|600px|frameless|center]]
<blockquote class="templatequote">
<p>'''''auv lin zun, buda yau, ya gaun inja yau aagawaz garani id. auv yum, gaun bbiyra yau aagawaz, ya ddal lin vaggan min min vilauwa. ya yiga yau; gaun auwina gawaz idzau aahiyari.'''''</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="templatequote">
<p><code><nowiki>during one day, walking 1S.NOM, and PFV.PST finding 1S.NOM ACC-log big PROX. during next, PFV.PST roll 1S.NOM ACC-log, and LOC one stick little little 3SI.NOM-under. And saying 1S.NOM; PFV.PST possessing log DIST child.</nowiki></code></p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="templatequote">
<p>''"One day, I was walking, and I found this big log. Then, I rolled the log over, and underneath was this tiny little stick. And I was like, “That log had a child!”''</p>
<div class="templatequotecite"><cite>— from "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9t-slLl30E Seagulls (Stop It Now)]" by Bad Lip Reading</cite></div>
</blockquote>
==Other resources==
==Other resources==
<!-- Example: Word order, qualifiers, determinatives, branching, etc. -->
<!-- Example: Word order, qualifiers, determinatives, branching, etc. -->
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[[Category:Conlangs]]
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Languages]]
[[Category:Languages]]
[[Category:A priori]]
[[Category:Conscripts]]
[[Category:Analytic Languages]]
[[Category:Conscripts]]
[[Category:Nominative-Accusative Languages]]
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