Grayis

Grayis
Grayis
Pronunciation	[/ˈgrä.jɪs/]
Created by	BenJamin P. Johnson, additionally creator of: Brooding Dlatci Grayis Maltcégj Northeadish Valthungian
Date	2018
Setting	Planet Oyrigin
Language family	language isolate Grayis
Language codes
ISO 639-3	none

Grayis is an a priori language created by BenJamin P. Johnson commissioned by Infinite Mind Pictures, Inc. to serve as the language of the Grayis Kin, one of six alien races who feature in the board game and upcoming screenplay Pilots of Gallaxia.

Phonology

Vowels

	Front	Central	Back
High	i · ī [ɪ · iː]		u · ū [ʊ · uː]
Mid	ai [e̞ː ~ ai̯]		au [o̞ː ~ au̯]
Low		a · ā [ä · äː]

Consonants

	Labial	Coronal	Dorsal	Glottal
Plosive	p · b	t · d	k · g
Affricate		ch [ʧ] · j [ʤ]
Fricative		s ·	kh · [x]	h ·
Approximant	· w		· j
Tap or Trill		· r [r~ɾ]
Lateral		· l
Nasal	· m	· n

Orthography

/

m

n

p

b

t

d

k

g

ʧ

ʤ

s

x

h

w

j

r

l

i

iː

ai̯

ä

äː

au̯

u

uː

/

‹

m

n

p

b

t

d

k

g

ch

j

s

kh

h

w

j

r

l

i

ī

ai

a

ā

au

u

ū

›

Phonotactics

• Words cannot start with /s/ or /h/.
• /h/ cannot occur intervocalically or follow another consonant.
• /s/ can only occur word-finally.
• Words cannot end with /g/ or any consonant cluster.
• Vowels (except for diphthongs) must be separated by a consonant.
• Word-initial consonant clusters are limited to [plosive]+[liquid] (i.e. {ptkbdg} + {lr}), but not /tl/ or /dl/.
• Intervocalic clusters may be:
  • Any geminates except /gg/, /ss/, /xx/, /hh/, /ww/, or /jj/.
  • Any [plosive]+[liquid] combination (including /tl/ and /dl/).
  • Any [plosive]+/w/.
  • Any [nasal]+[unvoiced plosive].
  • /ngw/

Numbers

The Grayis number system is nonal (base-9), but has reflexes of an ancient system based on multiples of 3, which can be observed in the etymology of the basic numbers.

Grayis	Decimal	Meaning
rī	1	(1)
ai	2	(2)
chil	3	(3)
chirri	4	(3+1)
kilai	5	(3+2)
aichī	6	(2×3)
chalayī	7	(4×2?)
nauri	8	(9-1)
nā	9	(9) (=10 in nonal)

Further numbers are formed by compounding using the word ha ‘and’.

Na (Teens)	Dec.	Non.	Ayinnā (20)	Dec.	Non.	Tens	Dec.	Non.	Multiples	Non.
narī	10	11	ayinnā ha rī	19	21	na-	9	10	nā	10
nanai	11	12	ayinnā ha ai	20	22	ayinnā	18	20	duhkā	100
nachil	12	13	ayinnā ha chil	21	23	chillā	27	30	kaigu	1,000
nachirri	13	14	ayinnā ha chirri	22	24	chirrinnā	36	40	nakaigu	10,000
nakilai	14	15	ayinnā ha kilai	23	25	kilinnā	45	50	duhkakkaigu	100,000
nalaichī	15	16	ayinnā ha aichī	24	26	aichinnā	54	60	īlim	1,000,000
nachalayī	16	17	ayinnā ha chalayī	25	27	chalainā	63	70	jumai	1,000,000,000
nanāli	17	18	ayinnā ha nauri	26	28	naurinnā	72	80
ayinnā	18	20	chillā	27	30	duhkā	81	100

Pronouns

Subject	Object	Possessive
chal I	tdb	tdb	first person singular
kit you	tdb	tdb	second person singular
yun he/she	tdb	tdb	third person singular animate
wih it	tdb	tdb	third person singular inanimate
kichal you and I / we	tdb	tdb	first person dual inclusive
jāla we	tdb	tdb	first person plural exclusive
gīs you (all)	tdb	tdb	second person plural
yaum they	tdb	tdb	third person plural animate
waih they	tdb	tdb	third person plural inanimate