Bright languages

Bright languages are constructed languages intended to be aesthetically pleasing, predictable, and stable in utterance.

Phonology

4 vowels and 8 consonants.

Sound Laws

• Voicing: consonants between vowels are voiced.
• Devoicing: initial and final consonants are voiceless.
• Lenition: if two bordering syllables/syllable portions possess the same consonant, the consonant of the weakest syllable (portion) disappears.
  

EX: The Adamic or Babelic forms vāl "person" and vār "people" become alf and elbë respectively in the Bright Tongue [alp instead of *falf].

• Assimilation:

alba-alp > albabelë; silma-alp > silmemalë; ...

• Harmony: [a > e > i] or [i > e > a]
  
• Mutation: consonants extend grade until there is only one.
  

m/n + p -mb [extension of p]
m/n + t -nd [extension of t]
r/l + f -lb [extension of l]
r/l + c -rd [extension of r]
r/l + m = -lm [extension of m]
r/l + n = -rn [extension of n]

• /t/ can only happen before /a/ and/or /ə/.

Because final consonants are easily lost in Typology, /r/ /l/ /m/ and /n/ always mutate

C̥VC̬VC̥

anë

[the dorsal column was deleted and the distinction of voice lost] ...plus, m and n are added and f and s lost m, l, p, b n, r, t, d

alma > almi > ilmi ilmi nae ilmi tae ilmi ae alba "people" [alp, elbë] arda "things" [art, erdë] alma "high faculties" [al, elmë] arna "emotions, sensations" [ar, ernë] amba "time" [amp, embë] anda "space" [ant, endë] - endar "land", anderë "lands" embal (amba + arda/alba) "celestial body~god", ambelë... endar tirya arni, ernyë

NA > ni [0], nae [1] alba enir ni, pe, ae MA NA PA TA LA RA - ALBA ARDA AMBA ANDA ALMA ARNA

nua vāl / nua valár = ni erec alf ... ni

• analytic
• no articles
• no declension
• context and syntax play important role

iru > erdi erda alf avâla iku

Adamic verb arú > erec ārú > irida

nua sit, askút ni ereden - ísit ārú ni irida ederen

sikt > ciren hal > cilma

cilm

sikt niru nae ciren

ciren

nicae ec icae

anu/nua > ni ani/nia > nae ana/nā > na

Elbë irida indili na = Ara avâla ana ahalâ

Ni irida ereden, ec cilma Tua hícal, rī askút

bdr

bcr

Ni, nicae

Feam, ec

Ae, icae

Ci, ciae

ciren (n), ederen (v) cilma (n), indili (v)

-s-k-t- > ciren, cirendë h/q > n s/z > c k/g > r - t/d > nd

h/q>

z > g > l d > mb

n r c

Velar stops such as /k/ are problematic, therefore removed. Palatalization /ku/ for example has the tendence to inevitably change to /kʷ/ and /b/, whereas /ki/ will lead to /t͡ʃi/ and /ʃi/.

Back vowels are totally erased, to contrast with dark tongues, plus to avoid the sound change /du/ > /dʷ/ > /b/

Morphology

The Bright Tongue is composed of stems, which modify roots.

ALMA > ELEME eldar (alba-endar) erbal (arda-elbar) arbelë ilben, ilbini eleben, af lef, felin ilmen, ilmini elemen, am lem, melin

irdem, irdimi eredem, erc rec, cerin