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'''Wistanian''' (IPA: /wɪsˈteɪni.ən/), natively known as '''''anigaliylaun''''' (IPA: /əˈnigaˌlilɑn/), is the first constructed language (conlang) by world-builder, writer, and professional amateur Paul A. Daly, written in 2017. The language was created for a novel series. The first novel is near completion.
'''Wistanian''' (IPA: /wɪsˈteɪni.ən/), natively known as '''''anigaliylaun''''' (IPA: /əˈniɡəˌlilɑn/), is the first constructed language (conlang) by world-builder, writer, and professional amateur Paul A. Daly, written in 2017. The language was created for a novel series. The first novel is near completion.


It is spoken on the fictional planet Vale, on a large, yet isolated, island called Wistania. The language developed as a creole between two different languages, eventually becoming the ''lingua franca'' among the five different people groups who dwell on the island. Wistanian is an analytical and head-initial language, with VSO word order and a moderately small phonological inventory.
It is spoken on the fictional planet Vale, on a large, yet isolated, island called Wistania. The language developed as a pidgin between two different languages, eventually becoming the ''lingua franca'' among the five different people groups who dwell on the island. Wistanian is an analytical and head-initial language, with VSO word order and a moderately small phonological inventory.


==Introduction==
==Introduction==
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Wistanian is an auxiliary language spoken on the fictional island nation of Wistania. The language stems from a pidgin created between the Nati and Taliv languages during The Wistanian War. After the peace treaty was signed, the Katapu, who were allied with Nati and Taliv but inactive in the war, documented and refined the Nati-Taliv Pidgin for use in the newly established government. Wistanian features mostly Taliv grammar, Nati vocabulary, Katapu influences, many Bolotil loan words, and scientific terms, mathematics, and the lunar calendar derived from the work of the Uzin. Wistanian's native name, ''anigaliylaun'', is a compound of ''ani'' (language) and ''galiylaun'' (peace). It is translated as "Peace Language."
Wistanian is an auxiliary language spoken on the fictional island nation of Wistania. The language stems from a pidgin created between the Nati and Taliv languages during The Wistanian War. After the peace treaty was signed, the Katapu, who were allied with Nati and Taliv but inactive in the war, documented and refined the Nati-Taliv Pidgin for use in the newly established government. Wistanian features mostly Taliv grammar, Nati vocabulary, Katapu influences, many Bolotil loan words, and scientific terms, mathematics, and the lunar calendar derived from the work of the Uzin. Wistanian's native name, ''anigaliylaun'', is a compound of ''ani'' (language) and ''galiylaun'' (peace). It is translated as "Peace Language."


The five different people groups of Wistania remained isolated from each other for part of the post-war era. However, trade and intermarriage became more commonplace, requiring a competent ''lingua franca''. This is followed by religious evangelism by the Katapu, engineering from the Uzin, and entertainment from the Nati, all of which Wistanian was the primary language for distribution and promotion. Eventually, the language became taught as a mandatory subject in school. After only 100 years, Wistanian advanced from a government-only auxiliary language into the national language of the island, natively and fluently spoken by all of its citizens.  
The five different people groups of Wistania remained isolated from each other for part of the post-war era. However, trade and intermarriage became more commonplace, requiring a competent ''lingua franca''. This is followed by religious evangelism by the Katapu, engineering from the Uzin, and entertainment from the Nati, all of which Wistanian was the primary language for distribution and promotion. Eventually, the language became taught as a mandatory subject in school. After only a couple centuries, Wistanian advanced from a government-only auxiliary language into the national language of the island, natively and fluently spoken by most of its citizens.  


As a result, Wistanian is mostly regular, with a moderately small phonological inventory and vast dialectal variation. It is the most spoken and embraced by the Taliv and Nati people groups, and the least spoken by the Bolotil people group, who often protest the language's difficulty. The other five languages are still spoken, especially the Bolotil language. Both the Uzin and Katapu have important texts written in their languages, while Taliv and Nati have shifted into archaism, although they are still taught in school.  
As a result, Wistanian is mostly regular, with a moderately small phonological inventory and vast dialectal variation. It is the most spoken and embraced by the Taliv and Nati people groups, and the least spoken by the Bwolotil people group, who often protest the language's difficulty. The other five languages are still spoken, especially the Bwolotil language. Both the Uzin and Katapu have important texts written in their languages, while Taliv and Nati have shifted into archaism, although they are still taught in school.  


===Goals===
===Goals===
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# '''To be naturalistic, yet unique.''' It should have its own unique phonology, grammar, and lexicon, not identical to any natural language on earth, but still naturalistic and sensible.
# '''To be naturalistic, yet unique.''' It should have its own unique phonology, grammar, and lexicon, not identical to any natural language on earth, but still naturalistic and sensible.
# '''To be simple and mostly regular.''' Due to the language’s history, this is a simple language with plenty of room to grow and evolve over the years. It is an in-universe auxiliary language that should be easy for natives and foreigners alike to learn with fair speed.
# '''To represent the Wistanian culture.''' This language was designed for songs and speeches, bedtime stories and battle cries, gentle wisdom and fierce ambition, hope and struggle. This language is designed for the Wistanians: their personality, their history, and their heart.
# '''To represent the Wistanian culture.''' This language was designed for songs and speeches, bedtime stories and battle cries, gentle wisdom and fierce ambition, hope and struggle. This language is designed for the Wistanians: their personality, their history, and their heart.
# '''To be novel-friendly.''' Crazy letters and long words will confuse and alienate most readers, which is why Wistanian was designed to have short, easily readable words that readers can enjoy, one small sentence at a time.
# '''To be novel-friendly.''' Crazy letters and long words will confuse and alienate most readers, which is why Wistanian was designed to have short, easily readable words that readers can enjoy, one small sentence at a time.
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===Inspiration===
===Inspiration===


Like most first conlangs, Wistanian started as an English relex (but without tense and articles). However, after nearly three mass revisions over a year, Wistanian has become its own unique language. Its primary influences are English semantics, Spanish grammar, and Tamil vocabulary. Despite this, the only limit put upon Wistanian was its author's imagination, therefore these language's influences are far and few between.  
Like most first conlangs, Wistanian started as an English relex (but without tense and articles). However, after nearly four mass revisions over a year, Wistanian has become its own unique language. It's influenced by several languages, especially Spanish and Tamil, but their influence is mostly found in the lexicon while contributing only minimally to the grammar.  


<!-- ***Phonology*** -->
<!-- ***Phonology*** -->
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The consonants are as follows (allophones are in [brackets]):
The consonants are as follows (allophones are in [brackets]):


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2" style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" |
! style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | Labial
! style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | Alveolar<sup>1</sup>
! style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | Palatal
! style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | Velar
! style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | Glottal
|-
|-
| || '''Bilabial''' || '''Labio-Dental''' || '''Alveolar''' || '''Palato-alveolar''' || '''Palatal''' || '''Velar''' || '''Labial-Velar''' || '''Glottal'''
! colspan="2" style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | Nasal
|-  
| style="text-align: center;" | m
| '''Nasal''' || m || || n || || || || ||  
| style="text-align: center;" | n
| style="text-align: center;" |  
| style="text-align: center;" | [ŋ]<sup>2</sup>
| style="text-align: center;" |  
|-
|-
| '''Plosive''' || p  b || || t  d || || || k  g || ||  
! rowspan="2" style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | Stop
! style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | voiced
| style="text-align: center;" | b
| style="text-align: center;" | d
| style="text-align: center;" |  
| style="text-align: center;" | ɡ
| style="text-align: center;" |  
|-
|-
| '''Fricative''' || [ɸ ~ β] || v || z || ʒ || [ʝ] || [ɣ] || || ɦ
! style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" | unvoiced
| style="text-align: center;" | p
| style="text-align: center;" | t
| style="text-align: center;" |  
| style="text-align: center;" | k
| style="text-align: center;" |  
|-
|-
| '''Approximant'''|| || || || || j || || w ||
! colspan="2" style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | Fricative
| style="text-align: center;" | v
| style="text-align: center;" | z
| style="text-align: center;" | ʒ
| style="text-align: center;" | [ɣ]<sup>3</sup>
| style="text-align: center;" | ɦ
|-
|-
| '''Trill''' || || || [r] || || || || ||  
! colspan="2" style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | Liquid
| style="text-align: center;" | w ~ βʷ<sup>4</sup>
| style="text-align: center;" | ɾ ~ r<sup>5</sup>
| style="text-align: center;" | j
| style="text-align: center;" |  
| style="text-align: center;" |  
|-
|-
| '''Tap''' || || || ɾ || || || || ||  
! colspan="2" style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | Lateral
|-
| style="text-align: center;" |  
| '''Lateral<br> approximant''' || || || l || || || || ||  
| style="text-align: center;" | l
| style="text-align: center;" |  
| style="text-align: center;" |  
| style="text-align: center;" |  
|}
|}


====Consonant Allophony====
# Alveolars (except /ɾ ~ r/) are pronounced laminally.
# n > ŋ / _[velar]<
# ɦ > ɣ / #_, [stress]_
# /w/ is spoken in emphasized or slow speech, while /βʷ/ is spoken in quick speech. Whenever immediately following a consonant, this is always pronounced as /w/. In the Western Dialect, it is always pronounced as /w/.
# /r/ is spoken in emphasized or slow speech, while /ɾ/ is spoken in quick speech. In some words, the trilled is preferred even in quick speech; for example, '''''ggarauni''''' (large) is almost always pronounced [kəˈrɑni].
 


/w/ > [ɸ ~ β] / V_V<br/>
/j/ > [ʝ] / _(front vowel)<br>
/k, ɡ/ > [ɣ] / (back vowel)_<br/>
/ɾ/ > [r] / unpredictable; often used for exaggeration (e.g., '''''garani''''' (large) will often be said with the trill.)


===Vowels===
===Vowels===


The vowels are as follows (allophones in [brackets]):
The vowels are as follows ([[Allophony|allophones]] in [brackets]):


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
{| class="wikitable"
! style="text-align: center;" |
! style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | Front
! style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | Central
! style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | Back
|-
|-
| || '''Front''' || '''Central''' || '''Back'''
! style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | High
| style="text-align: center;" | i [ɪ]<sup>1</sup>
| style="text-align: center;" |  
| style="text-align: center;" | ɯ [u]<sup>2</sup>
|-
|-
| '''Close''' || i  [ɪ] || || ɯ
! style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | Mid
| style="text-align: center;" | e
| style="text-align: center;" | [ə]<sup>1</sup>
| style="text-align: center;" |  
|-
|-
| '''Mid''' || e || ə ||  
! style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" | Low
| style="text-align: center;" |  
| style="text-align: center;" | a
| style="text-align: center;" | ɑ [ɒ]<sup>2</sup>
|-
|-
| '''Open''' || || [a] || ɑ
| colspan="4" | '''Diphthong''': ai̯
|}
|}


There is one diphthong: /ai/.
* All vowels lengthen when stressed.
 
* All vowels become breathy after /ɦ/.
====Vowel Allophony====
# /i/ and /a/ shift to [ɪ] and [ə] whenever unstressed. The only exception is when /i/ follows /j/, /w/, or /l/ or is at the end of a word.
 
# /ɯ/ and /ɑ/ shift to [u] and [ɒ] after /w~βʷ/.
/i/ > [ɪ] / (unstressed)<br/>
/ə/ > [a] / (stressed)


===Phonotactics===
===Phonotactics===
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===Prosody===
===Prosody===


Wistanian is a stress-timed language, spoken softly and clearly with very little intonation. Stressed syllables and words are said slower.
In Wistanian culture, speaking loudly is considered rude. Therefore, Wistanian language is typically spoken softly and clearly. It is arguably a stress-timed language that realizes stressed syllables and stressed words by lengthening vowel duration.


===Orthography===
===Orthography===
Upalldayallen
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