Scellan

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Names
Fia dlog dy Sgewlib (This page in Skellan)

Scellan
a łynǿñ Eevo
Pronunciation	[Fyxoomian: /ə piˈrits ˈaivɔ/ Skellan (Alcvean): /ˈə pɪˈrɪts ˈevɔ/]
Created by	IlL
Setting	Verse:Tricin
Native speakers	400 million (13b0dd)
Language family	Quame Talmic Tigolic Central Tigolic Scellan
Official status
Official language in	Skella, Fyxoom, ...
Language codes
ISO 639-3	qee

Skellan SKEL-ən (natively Sgewlib Fyxoomian: /ˈskœ̃ˁʟip/; Skellan (Alcvean): /ˈskɛːʟip/, Windermere: brits Scela), in-universe often called Eevo AY-voh (Fyxoomian: /ˈaivɔ/; Skellan (Alcvean): /ˈevɔ/; from Tigol é- 'common' + bó 'language'), is a Talmic language belonging to the Tigolic branch. Skellan is modern Tricin's lingua franca, the third-most widely spoken language (after Hetomic and Clofabosin) and the most widely spoken Quame language. Its vocabulary has been influenced by many languages, most of all by Lakovic classical languages Windermere and Tseer. Typologically, Skellan is a mostly analytic, topic-prominent, head-initial, usually V2 language.

The genesis of the modern Skellan language, dated to ca. fT 1792, is often credited to the Skellan philosopher and poet Oovsari Vyhalv. The name Eevo refers to its origins as a Skellan koiné. Modern Skellan has been a living language for about 500 years, approximately fT 1792-2292.

Skellan is official in the Talman nation of Skella (Sgewla) SKEL-ə. It is also de facto official in Fyxoom fə-SHOME, Þrwhas THROO-həs, and many other countries.

Skellan is inspired by Icelandic, Welsh, Hmong (orthography-wise; the word for 'people, folk' is hmoob, in fact), English (especially Philadelphian and Scottish English), Khmer, and Gaelic.

Todo

Talmic vocab needs more b's and Cr-s

• good construction for future ipfv?
• Goal: Memrise courses
• "Reason, Compassion and Action"
  • Symbolized by Borromean rings?
• might have more talmic than expected
• suffix for halogens, suffix for noble gases, suffixes for radioactive elts
  • metals: -cis
• How much are adjectives like verbs? What tense markers can they take?

• The "21 accents" of Skellan
• (Sometimes misleading) nationality descriptors - like french fries or English horn in English
• Vowel changes before /χ/
• positive anymore
• HOW MANDATORY ARE NUMBER MARKERS? - They tend to be used more for human nouns.
• Add the new words to wordlist
• https://www.ef.edu/english-resources/english-vocabulary/top-1000-words/
• against, de-/dis-/un-
• Merge postvocalic ñ and postvocalic l?
  • No, but use llt > lt and make -l more common in Windermere
• Folk etymology of mine: aver > average. So use this etymology: guess/try > most probable > average
• more nouns with -i

vee, cyvah, çeedi, døll, sdeñg/sdehñ, sawvn, melli, dysið, feeþl, seehi, eela

• replace Clofabic words with Tseer words
• ñ is pronounced the same as l, unless ñ is at the beginning of a stressed syllable
  • hñ is pronounced like ll in similar circumstances
• Revise classical wdm loans (switch x and z, d ~ ð)
• btw p t k in Wdm minor syllables as by- dy- gy- might be better

ceev (cébh or ceaf?), ainið, brawþ, heeg (séag)

TODO words

• Some way to say 'the X associated with each' or 'their respective X'

Diachronics

Phonological history

• Voicing becomes aspiration.
• a > a (CWdm aa often becomes ø)
• á > aw
• ae, ái > ai
• aei > ee
• ao, aoi > øø
• e, ei > e
• é > ee
• éi > oi > wa
• eó, éu > ew
• ai, i, io > y
• í, oí, uí > i
• iu > y
• iú > iw
• o > o
• oi > ø
• ó > oo
• ói, ua > wa
• u > w
• ui > ø
• ú > u /y/
• úi > wi
• rb, rd, rg > /rv, rð, rj/
• -n > -m after aw, ew, iw, oo, øø w, u
  • -ng > -m too
• aw > o in unstressed syllables or before clusters
• Vġ > V; ġ > j or i otherwise

Grammatical history

Many of the most drastic changes from Old Skellan are a result of rapid "creolization" as a result of second-language speakers learning the language.

• Tigol nouns, verbs and adjectives were drastically simplified. Nouns and verbs no longer inflect for person; adjectives no longer agree with nouns.
• Loss of grammatical gender
• A new sgv-plv-col system arises, marked by determiners. Definiteness is lost.
• Old Skellan mutations were lost under the influence of Windermere.
• Development of split ergativity.
• Development of topic-comment syntax.
• Smoothing of certain consonant clusters (e.g. -mn > -m, sñl- > sml-)

Background

See also: Talmic languages, Thensarian, Tigol, Middle Skellan

Phonology

Consonants (mosylisír)

Skellan has a slightly larger-than-average consonant inventory of about 27 consonants.

→ PoA ↓ Manner		Labial mofysíñ	Dental/Alveolar mosybías	Palatal mojycléh	Velar mosgóñ	Uvular moçlyðóo	Glottal motyxág
Nasal mocryí		m /m/	n /n/		ñ /ŋ/
Plosive bintybtéb	unaspirated	b /p/	d /t/		g /k/
	aspirated	p /pʰ/	t /tʰ/		c /kʰ/
Affricate bintsydá	unaspirated		ts /ts/	(dzj /tʃ˭/)
	aspirated			tx, tsj /tʃ/
Non-sibilant binþyré	unvoiced	f /f/	þ /θ/	ç /ç/		ll /χ/	h /h/
	voiced	v /v/	ð /ð/	j /j/
Sibilant binsyréef	unvoiced		s /s/	x, sj /ʃ/
	voiced		z /z/	zj /ʒ/
Resonant binnydúañ	unvoiced		rr /r̥/
	voiced	ł /w/	r /r/			l /ʟ/

Notes

• If not word-final, the unaspirated plosives /p t k/ are most likely to be fully voiced in the clusters /mp nt ŋk/, then after vowels, and never voiced after obstruents.
• Affricates /ts tʃ/ are aspirated but not as strongly as aspirated plosives.
• Aspiration is neutralized in coda; all plosives are unvoiced or all plosives are voiced, depending on the accent.
• /r/ may be a trill [r] or a tap [ɾ].
• /ʟ r/ become their devoiced counterparts /χ r̥/ after aspirates and /s/.
• The liquid transcribed /ʟ/ for convenience may be pronounced [ʀ], [ʁ] or [ɴ̆]. The allophone [ɴ̆] is somewhat more common intervocalically. The allophone [ɫ] occurs in classical singing and in some conservative dialects.
  • Historical L is a uvular consonant in most modern Talman languages.
• /n ʟ r/ can be syllabic in some accents.
• Coda /ç/ is disallowed; /ç/ corresponds to /h/ after a vowel.
• /h/ is often elided after a voiced consonant.

/Cj/ sequences

• /sj, tsj/ become /ʃ tʃ/ in standard Skellan: Slysjon /ˈsχəʃɔn/ 'April'.
  • In addition, zj dzj [ʒ tʃ˭] is used in loanwords.
• lj /ʟj/ is viewed as a separate phoneme /j̃/ by people who analyze nasal vowels as vowel + /ʟ/ and may be pronounced [ɲ] by some speakers.

Vowels (motryłáj)

todo: use vowel shift ee oo øø > /ai au ay/?

The vowel inventory of Skellan is also fairly large, with 8 or 11 basic vowel qualities depending on the accent. Skellan also has many diphthongs, in addition to nasal vowels (in "nasal" accents such as Standard Fyxoomian; these vowels are written with l or ñ in the Skellan orthography).

Oral vowels

	Front		Central	Back
	unrounded	rounded
Close	i, iaj /i~əi/	u /y~əy/		w /u~əu/
Mid	ee /e~ai/	øø /ø~ay/	y /ə/	oo /o~au/
Open	e /ɛ/	ø /œ/	a /a/	o /ɔ/
Diphthongs	/ai~oi ui au~ɛu ɛu iu iə yə uə/

Nasal vowels

	Front		Central	Back
	unrounded	rounded
Close	/ĩ/	/ỹ/		/ũ/
Mid	/ẽ/	/ø̃/	/ə̃/	/õ/
Open	/ɛ̃/		/ã/	/ɔ̃/

Diphthongs

The diphthongs are written as follows:

Phoneme	Spellings
/ai/	ai, aj
/ui/	wi, wj, oj, waj
/au/	aw, ał
/ɛu/	ew, eł, eeł
/iu/	iw, ił, iał, uł, uał
/ɛi/	ee, ej, eej
/œy/	øø
/ɔu/	oo, oł
/iə/	ia
/yə/	ua
/uə/	wa

Nasal vowels

The nasal vowels /ĩ ỹ ũ ẽ ø̃ ə̃ õ ɛ̃ ã ɔ̃/ arose from historical V + /l/ and V + /ŋ/ sequences. In many accents they are also pharyngealized or diphthongized. Most accents merge some nasal vowels with each other or with other vowels. "Non-nasal" accents, such as the Standard (Alcvean) Skellan accent, realize them as long vowels (with no nasalization) - these accents may have "linking" and "intrusive L" realized as [ʁ] or [ɴ̆] analogous to linking and intrusive R in non-rhotic English accents. A handful of remote dialects pronounce them as pharyngealized vowels or vowels followed by [ɫ].

This is how nasal vowels are written in the orthography:

Phoneme	Spellings
/ã/	al, ail, añ, aiñ
/ɛ̃/	el, ewl, eñ
/ẽ/	eel, eeñ
/ĩ/	il, ial, iwl, iñ, iañ, iwñ
/ø̃/	øl, øøl, øñ, øøñ
/ỹ/	ul, ual, uñ, uañ
/ɔ̃/	ol, awl, oñ, awñ
/õ/	ool, wil, ooñ, wiñ
/ũ/	wl, wal, wñ, wañ
/ə̃/	yl, yñ, syllabic l or ñ

After stressed syllables, unstressed /a/ and unstressed /ə/ are merged to /ə/.

Stress

Stress is not marked in the native orthography. Talmic words usually have initial stress, but prefixed verbs are usually not stressed on the prefix. Windermere loans have final stress.

The romanization used in this article and related material will mark non-initial stress with an acute accent.

Intonation

Scellan has a distinctive intonation paradigm. It originates from discursive uptalk in older stages of the language, which has since generalized to all declarative sentences. A few conservative accents in Skella do not use this pattern.

• Topic noun phrases and subordinate clauses start low and gradually rise in pitch.
• In declarative sentences, the stressed syllable of the focused word (if there is no focused constituent, the last word) has a lower pitch than the immediately preceding syllable. ("...mid ꜜ LOW mid...")
• In interrogative sentences, the stressed syllable of the focus word has a higher pitch than the syllable immediately before. ("... mid ꜛ HIGH mid ... ?")
• In exclamations, the stressed syllable starts low and receives a rising intonation ("... mid ꜜ LOW-HIGH mid ... !"), possibly with a gradual drop to low pitch in the end. Angry or indignant questions also use an exclamatory intonation.

Phonotactics

• /z/ devoices to [s] before a stop (plosive or affricate).
• The allowed initial clusters in native (Talmic) vocabulary are listed by type below (some clusters may be listed more than once):
  • Cl: bl, vl, fl, dl, ðl, tl, þl, gl, cl, ml, sl, sgl, sml, hml
  • Cr: br, vr, fr, dr, ðr, tr, þr, gr, cr, mr, ñr, sr, sgr, smr, hmr
  • Cn: vn, tn, þn, gn, cn, hn
  • sC: sb, sd, sg, sm, sn, sñ, sgl, sgr, sml, smr
  • hC: hm, hn, hñ, hml, hmr
• In Tseer loans, many more initial clusters may be allowed.
• Final/post-tonic combinations are a bit more restricted - the allowed post-tonic combinations are generally similar to Irish or Welsh.

Phoneme frequency

b d g > p t c; v ð j > þ ç

Accents

Main article: Skellan/Accents

Pronouncing Skellan words in English

• An epenthetic schwa may be inserted for Skellan clusters that English lacks.
• Voiceless resonants may be pronounced as their voiced counterparts: /hm hn hŋ r̥/ → /m n ŋ r/.
  • /χ, ç/ should be rendered [h] or [x].
• /ʀ~ʁ/ → /l/
• Coda /h/ should be deleted.
• /p t k/ → /b d g/, but:
  • /sp st sk/ → /sp st sk/
  • /hp ht hk/ ⟨hb hd hg⟩ → /p t k/
  • Word-finally, pronounce ⟨b d g⟩ as /p t k/.
• /pʰ tʰ kʰ/ → /p t k/
• Vowels: /i y ə u ɛ œ a ɔ ai au ɛu iu ei øy ou iə yə uə ui/ → /iː uː ʌ~ə uː ɛ ə æ~ɑː ɑ~ɔ aɪ aʊ oʊ juː eɪ oʊ oʊ iːə uːə uːə ɔɪ/
• Vowels before R and L are as expected

Orthography

File:Skellan script.png

Skellan alphabet

Skellan is written in the version of the Talmic alphabet, which is related to the Talman Windermere script. The Skellan alphabet has 30 letters.

Stress accent is not marked. (However, in materials for English speakers we will mark stress.)

The letters l and ñ are only distinguished word-initially and at the beginning of stressed syllables.

The sequences çm, çn, çl, çr are pronounced identically to hm, hn, ll, rr in most modern Skellan accents, except that çm, çn, çr are [xm, xn, xr] in accents that have [x] for ç. çł is also usually pronounced [hw].

In native Talmic words, final /p t k/ tend to be spelled b d g, but the future tense suffix is always spelled -t.

Punctuation

• | = period
• . = comma
• ₂ = strong comma
• ᑉ = question mark
• + = exclamation point
• - = hyphen
• ~ = ellipsis
• ⸗ = semicolon
• ᕑ = colon
• ⟨ ⟩ = parentheses
• : = hyphen (for affixes in linguistics)

Numerals

Skellan uses a base-10 positional numeral system. The digits are as follows:

ɔ ı ʎ ɺ ħ ʕ ʑ ɛ ɴ κ = 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

decimal point: :

1000's separator: · (optional)

Morphology

Skellan inflectional morphology tends to be simpler than most other Talmic languages; for example, it has no grammatical gender, no case, and no number inflection on nouns.

Verbs

Verbs have little inflection, and the bulk of verbs are completely regular.

Skellan preserves the Tigol tense system very well, but most of the forms have been replaced with analytic forms and particles. The following table roughly organizes the tense system of Modern Skellan as well as the regular forms for each in terms of principal parts (PRES = present stem; INF = infinitive; PST = past participle); These are not all of the possible tenses as different constructions can be combined, e.g. Tynd fa dy desg naw lly nee rree. 'I have been eating for three days.'

Skellan tense system

	Past	Present	Future	Imperative
Imperfective	past imperfect jo PRES	present PRES	future I ???	imperative I PRES (im)!
Perfective	simple past PST (regularly PRES-in)	-	future II PRES-t	imperative II PRES-t (im)!
Progressive	past progressive fað dy INF, fady INF	present progressive dy INF	future progressive fahd ___ dy INF	imperative progressive fahd dy INF, fahdy INF!
Perfect	past perfect fað tynd VN, fand VN	present perfect tynd VN	future perfect so fa tynd VN, so fand VN	imperative perfect fa tynd VN! fand VN!

Imperative

The imperfective imperative has the same form as the imperfective future. The perfective imperative is simply the bare verb.

The direct object, if there is one, goes behind the faulty accusative ym.

The cohortative is formed by using the particle gw after the verb.

Tar gw helt na llawm rreem.

go COH plant DET.PL seed today

Let's go plant the seeds today.

Present

The present uses the unmarked form of the verb followed by the subject. For example, Duvwñ, mol naw iar means "Teacher, I thank you".

Archaic Skellan (still used in some historical fiction) uses the following personal endings in the present tense:

I	you (sg.)	he	she	(inanimate)	we (exc.)	we (inc.)	you (pl.)	they (animate)	you (polite)	impersonal
-an	-ir	-ab	-e	-0	-em	-ad	-ag	-að	-ag	-av

Conditional

The conditional uses the suffix -ð. It continues the Old Skellan past subjunctive.

The conditional must be used when using the word matósg 'almost' in the past tense.

Imperfect

The imperfect uses the particle jo.

Progressive/Stative

To form the progressive, the particle dy is used before the verb.

Unlike in English, verbs referring to emotional states also use the progressive in the present tense. For example, Dy ell naw'r means "I love you," and Dy faiðin naw cwig tyn tamranáls ny coo. 'I am happy because my son has graduated.'

Preterite

The preterite is used to describe completed actions. It used to be ergative in Middle Eevo, but since lost its ergativity.

• Iantin naw. = I slept.
• Vesin naw na ahdyn. = I painted the pictures.

Perfect

The perfect, formed by placing tynd 'after' before the verb (often shortened to tyn or tn'), is used for:

• an event in the immediate past
• an event that occurred in the past and is relevant to the present
  • an event that occurred regularly in the past with a cumulative effect on the present

The perfect is being used more and more commonly for any past event, especially in Fyxoomian Eevo.

Example: Tynd iant naw sdawb pug. = I have slept for 6 [Trician] hours. (sdawb pug = 6 hours continuously?)

Syntax

Perfect: tynd VERB SUBJECT

Perfect progressive: tynd fa dy VERB SUBJECT

Pluperfect: jo tynd VERB SUBJECT

Future imperfective

The future imperfective uses the -t affix inherited from Old Skellan. It is used for:

• events that will happen regularly or continually over a period of time in the future
• events that will happen some time in the future, but whose time or outcome is not yet known or determined.

Future perfective

The future perfective tense is formed with so + VERB. It is used for:

• a future event that has a definite ending point or occurs once
• future events with a known definite time point
• outcomes which are likely or certain to occur.

Jussive

Normally the jussive is formed by using the complementizer emb before the clause:

Ir le tic jyvad llyn! Emb asgarni ir dia jovi!

2SG be how_much hate DAT.1SG COMP die_of_thirst 2SG in-SPEC desert

I hate you so much! I hope you die of thirst in the desert!

The morphological jussive is high-register and is formed with the suffix -or. It can be used in conditional statements expressing a generally true rule.

cehnor dy car

if one wishes (fixed expression)

n forr e dyb cliam slahah, coþ n dyb cliam xlor.

n be.JUSS it is_a number counting, then n is_a number real

Let n be a natural number. Then n is a real number.

Copula

The copula is the most irregular verb in Skellan. In the present tense, zero copula is used.

Nouns

Skellan nouns do not inflect, even for number. For specific nouns, number is marked using articles and combined forms of determiners and possessive pronouns.

Pronouns

The direct pronouns are used as pronominal topics, subject markers and objects.

		I	you (sg.)	he	she	it	we (exc.)	we (inc.)	you (pl.)	they	impersonal
Direct	neutral	naw, no	iar, ir, 'r	ob, o	ee	ñe, e	awb	gwad	swad	awr	car
	emphatic	nawña	iarña	obña	eeña	ñeña	awbña	gwadña	swadña	awrña	-
Possessive	sg.	cy	ho	ið	ih	ið	oo	of	os	id	...ry car
	pl.	cyn	hon	in	in	in	om	onf	ons	ind
Dative	neutral	llyn	lles	lleb	llee	llyñ	llib	lleg	lled	ller	lly çar
	emphatic	llynña	llesña	llebña	lleeña	llyña	llibña	llegña	lledña	llerña	-

• The forms no and ir are casual forms used in some dialects.
• iar is commonly pronounced jyr.
• 'r is commonly used after a vowel.
• øø(ña) with inflected forms øð, lløø(ña) is by far the usual gender-neutral neopronoun.

Demonstratives

Skellan has a 4-way contrast in demonstratives:

1. near me, but not near you
2. near us (inclusive)
3. near you, but not near me
4. distal: far from both you and me

	Near 1	Near 1+2	Near 2	Distal	Interrogative	Negative	Every/All	Some	Any	Other
Adjective	mi	fi	ce	ñe	ti (preposed)	-	baw (preposed)		zens (preposed)
Thing	mes	fes	ces	ñes	taw	twm satn			zens satn
Person	-	-	-		tua	twm lias	-	-	niltua
Place	mah	enah	cah	ñah	þlawd		arjavo		nillawd
Source	mylli	enylli	cylli	ñylli	tylli				nilli
Destination	mahd	enahd	cahd	ñahd	tahd				niltahd
Time	sada		ñyv		ihd	fuat	botín		niltin
Manner/Kind	miar	siar	ciar	ñiar	tiar				niltiar
Quantity					tic (how many); ticar (how many-th)
Reason		cwig			tin

Demonstratives with number

The demonstrative adjectives mi, fi, ce, ñe combine with number markers a/að, na as follows:

	sg.	pl.
mi	mið/mia	min
fi	fið/fia	fin
ce	cee/ceð	cen
ñe	ñee/ñeð	ñen

Adjectives

Adjectives behave like verbs in that they can take tense clitics. However, imperative constructions must use fa + ADJECTIVE.

Adjectives usually follow nouns; they may precede nouns in poetry.

Adverbs can be formed from both verbs adjectives by adding dy before the verb or adjective. However, often adverbs are unmarked.

Degree

Unlike other Talmic languages, Eevo has lost the Tigol comparative and superlative. However, some fossilized comparative forms have become new words in the modern language.

• frøs X = comparative (from Tigol for·ois 'to go over')
• snuab X = superlative (from Classical Wdm. superlative snüüp)
• llaw X = very
• jal X = too X

A few adjectives have suppletive comparative and superlative forms:

• slawb 'good': cølly 'better', cøllws 'best'
• orð 'big': jwm 'bigger', jwmt 'biggest'
• dum 'far': ytñí 'farther', ytñít or snuab ytñí 'farthest' (from Classical Windermere ătngi 'having surpassed, farther')
• øør 'many': ram 'more', ramt 'most'
• ñawð 'few': broost 'less', broosws 'least'

'Than' is translated as raw.

Construct state

An adjective may be placed in the construct state by suffixing -að. Construct adjectives are mainly used in constructions like hnoosað ers 'easy to learn', and lloosað fiah 'red-eyed'. In addition they survive in some fixed expressions and prepositions.

• deljað is a preposition meaning 'worth; worthy of', and is the construct form of an adjective *deli ('worthy').
• gruað means "devoid of, lacking"
• segað means "free of"

Syntax

Main article: Skellan/Syntax

Vocabulary

Skellan's basic vocabulary is largely Talmic. However, a large portion of Skellan vocabulary (comparable to English) is borrowed, for example from Windermere, Tseer, or other languages (especially Naquian, Swuntsim, Ciètian, Anbirese, Häskä, Hlou). This gives Skellan a rich array of synonyms.

Layers

• Core Skellic + dialectal doublets
• Classical and Middle Windermere loans
• Classical Tseer loans
• Naquic loans (from trade)
• Other loans from trade
• recently incorporated isoglosses from Proto-Quame, Proto-Talmic or Tigol

Domains that commonly use Windermero-Eevo:

• generic learned words
• music
• philosophy and religion
• politics, law

Domains that commonly use Tseero-Eevo:

• "fancier" learned words
• theater, narrative
• basic geometry, arithmetic, algebra and number theory
• medicine, sciences

Derivational morphology

Native noun-noun compounds are head-final; however, head-initial "noun noun" juxtaposition is preferred. "Noun verb" juxtaposition is also common.

The table below lists selected derivational suffixes.

		From...
		Noun	Verb	Adjective	Adverb
To...	Noun	-wñ (agentive) -os (instrument) -ið (diminutive) -óm (augmentative; Tseer) -emb (female suffix) ni- (non-) ir- (un-) bah- (sub-) ñal- 'before' tynd- 'after' -arn (collective)	-ah (verbal noun) -ev (verbal noun) -wñ (agentive) -os (instrument)	-vih (abstract noun) hal-(abstract noun) -u (abstract noun) -igi (one characterized by X)
	Verb	ar- (applicative) as- (telic) so- fra- or fr-	ar- (applicative) as- (telic) dy- (in) ee- (co-, with) fra- or fr- (causative) fw- (back, re-) gol- (up) oc- (from, out) ro- (down) so- (towards) sen- (well) mi- (mis-) go- (de-, dis-)	fra- or fr-
	Adjective	-ahd -on -ib -ín (Netagin) -ol -flen	-i -in (-ee) -gon, -jon (-able, but ergative)	di- (non-) er- (un-)
	Adverb				-

Nouns

• -i is a frozen diminutive suffix.
• -ið is a diminutive suffix but is often used discursively, somewhat like "a nice X".
• -ló is a Windermere augmentative suffix.
• -wr is a native Talmic augmentative suffix.
• mi- is used in some nouns where it is a prefix meaning 'bad', 'mis-' or sometimes 'pseudo-'.
• hylłiar- is a prefix meaning 'study of X'. Stress falls on the word which the prefix attaches to.
  • hylłiarclíam means 'number theory'.
• -óm is a noun suffix of unclear meaning, historically an augmentative.
• -wñ is a suffix meaning "a person associated with [noun] or who does [verb]" (unknown origin).
  • birítswñ means 'speaker (a person who speaks)', from biríts 'to speak; speech'.
  • trovihwñ means 'vegetarian' (from trovih 'vegetarianism').
  • sbwiþwñ means 'sbwiþ player'. (A sbwiþ is a plucked string instrument with 18-22 sympathetic strings.)
• nw- is a Windermere agentive suffix.
• -u (collective) is a common native affix used to form abstract nouns.
• -lan is another abstract noun suffix.
• -ad is a common noun suffix, from Thensarian -sdos.
• peñ- = 'X-to-be'; from Windermere future tense particle peng
• -yn is an instrumental suffix.

Phrasal nouns

Skellan also has phrasal nouns: these are noun-preposition combinations that are stressed on the preposition.

• beð ry (part of) = component
• hmawg dy (word at) = subject of the conversation
• hmawg lly (word for) = support, endorsememt

Verbs

Old Skellan prefixes remain productive in Modern Skellan.

• fr(a)- (usually pronounced /frə-/) was formerly only found in some frozen "causative" verbs but is gaining productivity in modern Skellan.
• mi- is an affix similar to 'mis-, mal-' in English, also sometimes 'pseudo-'.
• ru- is a Clofabic affix meaning 'too much, over-'.
• as- has the following meanings:
  • achievement of a desired result
  • killing or dying
  • get by X-ing (like German er-, very productive)
  • X one's way to... (used with a directional prefix)

Phrasal verbs

Skellan has phrasal verbs like English does.

Adjectives

• -mell = '-ful', '-some' (lit. 'rich')
• er- is a negating suffix of Talmic origin; it is most commonly used with Talmic adjectives.
• -flen /-fʟɛn/ is an adjectival suffix with the same meaning as Korean -tapta and Japanese -rashii: it means 'like an X is supposed to be' or 'like a typical X'. The suffix comes from Old Skellan compound adjectives of the form X-fheileán (from feil 'name' + -án adjectivizer; i.e. 'like the name X' or 'worthy of the name X'). Some words with the suffix have undergone semantic shifts, e.g. carflen /ˈkʰarfʟɛn/ 'humane, moral, ethical' (from Old Skellan car "human" + -flen).
• -jon is similar to '-able', but it is ergative in that it can also be used for "able to [intransitive verb]". ex. feñgjon 'mortal, human (flowery)' < feñg 'die'.
• jy- (jyn- before C) is a Windermere adjectival suffix.
• -ol /-ɔ̃/ is an adjectival suffix of Talmic origin.
• -on is a Talmic adjectival suffix, from Old Skellan -án (itself from Thensarian -aħnam, Proto-Talmic *-aʁnəm).
• -vað '-like' is another Talmic adjectival suffix.
• -wd = from Tigol -óid
• -wid = from Tigol -óid via Windermere -oyd
• mee- = multi-
• do- = uni-, mono-

Place name morphemes

• -ve 'city, town'
• -døø 'valley'
• -has (country names)
• -sgyb 'mountain'
• -oog 'rock'

Sample texts

Miscellaneous

A brew emb pyduþ lleg, twm ñe emb xaðjon ñe taw pyduþ lleg sa, llysáin emb deljað e taw pyduþ lleg sa.

The reason we hope is not that what we hope for is likely, but that what we hope for is worth it.

A biology abstract

Sloomañ awv a ñwdah yliñ-manoñg-lwtab iñtytseb rið prynel TSP3 dy Sigatføñxys batnyñtxar. TSP3 ...

measure we.EX SPEC folding (cell-owner-nucleus) (do-nucleus) of-SPEC gene TSP3 in Bruchorium sponercii. TSP3 encode it kinase receptor bind to protezine, located LOC SPEC.PL microsporella cytotubular of-SPEC.SG ribosome quanticular, and malfunction TSP3 believe IMPERS widely COMP-COP SPEC source cancer cybothrotic. in this-SG essay prove 1PL.EX LOC use test double_blind Rɪᴇᴛᴢᴇʀ-Yᴀʟɪɴꜱᴋʏ COMP...

We measure the nucleating eukaryotic folding of the TSP3 gene in Bruchorium sponercii. TSP3 encodes a protezine-binding receptor kinase located at the cytotubular microsporellata of the quanticular ribosome, and malfunction of TSP3 is commonly believed to be the source of cybothrotic cancer. In this paper we prove using a Rɪᴇᴛᴢᴇʀ-Yᴀʟɪɴꜱᴋʏ double-blind test that TSP3 binding to the phyllochrypsinase inhibitor occurs (p = 0.856) in the hypotrellome of a healthy Bruchorium cell when adenotoxin concentrations are low. This research will have significant implications for the study of symbrychous descloroma.

If not now, when?

Hinén geeb o, "I twm nawña llyn, tua a fahd llyn? Ah il naw diráð llynña, naw tua naw? As i twm sada, ihd?" (Pirgéj Avóoþ, 1′14″)

Hillel says, "If I am not for me, who will be for me? But if I am only for myself, who am I? And if not now, when?" (Pirkei Avot, 1:14)

Declaration of Independence

Arm, hylrygéen's çipóoj faiðlan

Life, liberty and pursuit of happiness

Featured banner

Fia łynǿñ go rogóhdin car ym ñe ciwr.

This language was once featured.

Nai vøhd ry binsiþlóom hylłavéem, hylbocylisdód, as hylprynées bintomáj ryñ, tynd cmil car lly rogóhd ñe.

Thanks to (lit. by the grace of) its level of quality, plausibility and usage capabilities (variety of uses), it has been voted as featured.

Ode to Joy

Crofdaig lly Bial

Ai Bial, nert eryñ ry swm,
Juah gyl Snawhasewl,
Asgyrr awb, smogin nai sdu,
Ai bas xyñol, ho awþdiaba!
...
...
Baw am swlýnda lly eegað
cah, þlawd sdeevi a sderr ciwmon res.

Ode to Joy

Joy, beautiful spark of the gods,
Daughter from Elysium,
We enter, drunk with fire,
Heavenly One, thy sanctuary!
Your magic binds again
What convention strictly divides;
All people become brothers,
Where your gentle wing abides.

Who has succeeded in the great attempt,
To be a friend's friend,
Whoever has won a lovely woman,
Add his to the jubilation!
Indeed, who calls even one soul
Theirs upon this world!
And whoever never managed, shall steal himself
Weeping away from this union!

All creatures drink of joy
At nature's breast.
Just and unjust
Alike taste of her gift;
She gave us kisses and the fruit of the vine,
A tried friend to the end.
[Even] the worm has been granted sensuality,
And the cherub stands before God!

Gladly, as His heavenly bodies fly
On their courses through the heavens,
Thus, brothers, you should run your race,
Joyful, like a hero going to conquest.

You millions, be embraced.
This kiss is for all the world!
Brothers, above the starry canopy
There must dwell a loving Father.
Do you fall in worship, you millions?
World, do you know your creator?
Seek him in the heavens
Above the stars must He dwell.

An die Freude

Freude, schöner Götterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische, dein Heiligtum!
Deine Zauber binden wieder
Was die Mode streng geteilt;
Alle Menschen werden Brüder
Wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt.

Wem der große Wurf gelungen
Eines Freundes Freund zu sein;
Wer ein holdes Weib errungen
Mische seinen Jubel ein!
Ja, wer auch nur eine Seele
Sein nennt auf dem Erdenrund!
Und wer's nie gekonnt, der stehle
Weinend sich aus diesem Bund!

Freude trinken alle Wesen
An den Brüsten der Natur;
Alle Guten, alle Bösen
Folgen ihrer Rosenspur.
Küsse gab sie uns und Reben,
Einen Freund, geprüft im Tod;
Wollust ward dem Wurm gegeben
und der Cherub steht vor Gott.

Froh, wie seine Sonnen fliegen
Durch des Himmels prächt'gen Plan
Laufet, Brüder, eure Bahn,
Freudig, wie ein Held zum siegen.

Seid umschlungen, Millionen!
Diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt!
Brüder, über'm Sternenzelt
Muß ein lieber Vater wohnen.
Ihr stürzt nieder, Millionen?
Ahnest du den Schöpfer, Welt?
Such' ihn über'm Sternenzelt!
Über Sternen muß er wohnen.

Apology, first clause

Tiar, ai bo am Aþéna, a tynd argíall na nwmyłléj ryn ja swad, twm cwllyn lly oclah...

Fyxoomian: [tʰiəɾ, ai bɔ am aˈθɛnə, ə tʰənt aɾˈkiəχ nə numəwˈʟɛi ɾən jə suət, tʰum ˈkʰuχən χə okχəh]

Skellan (Alcve): [tʰiːɾ, æː bɔ ʁ̃‿am aˈθɛnə, ə tʰənt ar̥ˈkiəχ nə numəwˈʟe ɾən jə suːt, tʰum ˈkʰuχən χə okχəh]

how, VOC COL person Athens, A PERF affect COM PL accuser GEN.1SG with 2PL, NEG can.1SG to deduce

How you, O Athenians, have been affected by my accusers, I cannot tell...

RWBY opening monologue

SALEM: Hulafa.

/ˈhyʟəfə/

legend

SALEM: Legends.

SALEM: Vønd frallóþin pes hiñg.

/vœnt fɾəˈχɔθin pɛs hiŋk/

story scatter-PST.PART across time

SALEM: Stories scattered through time.

SALEM: Swal damol a hugas am dy entsybytsẃal na fosgu ry øøl as llypsid, as gønd ab ñwar dy ciar noos, emb dyb orjyn gwad, odotamés ry ymdáł røsandin.

/suʟ ˈtamɔʟ ə ˈhygəs am tə ɛntsəpəˈtsuʟ nə ˈfɔsky ɾə œʟ əs ˈχəpsit, əs kœnt əp ŋuəɾ tə kiəɾ nɔus, ɛmp təp ˈoɾjən kuət, ɔtɔthaˈmɛs ɾə əmˈtaw ˈɾœsəntin/

quite wont SG species human in recount PL story PL valiant_deed of hero and villain, and lose 3SG.M thought ADV so easy, that is_a remnant 1PL.INC, byproduct, of past forget-PST.PART

SALEM: Mankind has grown quite fond of recounting the exploits of heroes and villains, forgetting so easily that we are remnants, byproducts, of a forgotten past.

SALEM: Am – sñøøin ab gyl a Si – jo cleðn, øøvr, as esginað ñadl ab.

/am – ˈsŋœyin ap kəʟ ə si – kɔ ˈkʟɛðn̩, ˈœyvr̩, əs ˈɛskinəð ˈŋatəʟ ap/

human be.born-PST.PART 3SG.M from SG Dust IMPF strong, wise, and rich-CST gifts 3SG.M

SALEM: Man, born from Dust, was strong, wise and resourceful.

SALEM: Ah ab dy smøøh erlóhyn a jo sñøøin reb.

but 3SG.M in world pitiless A IMPF be.born-PST.PART RY.3SG.M

SALEM: But he was born into an unforgiving world.

SALEM: Sohaðin a maslan eróbasjon, bo mocnía ry bimblasóoð, mocnía Grim, w hawr fiah ar Am as baw blygasu reb.

fix-PST.PART SG darkness inevitable, COL creature of destruction, creature G. ERG 3PL eye on man and all creation 3SG.M

SALEM: An inevitable darkness, creatures of destruction, the creatures of Grimm, set their sights on Man and all of his creations.

SALEM: Jo sñawrand min pirúaf, as dewhyn jo vriþ a maslan lly fwltáwm a hylhyþús ñai ryb Am llyð errah.

IMPF clash this.PL force, and seemingly IMPF intent SG darkness to return SG existence brief of man to-SG nothingness

SALEM: These forces clashed and it seemed that darkness was intent on returning Man's brief existence to the Void.

SALEM: Dimbehd, oos a nert cellws ry þus a solyñ lly oðyñẃð a roféelah, as nai joor, rrawbin a þwðilás, a frañádlu, as a hylþwłyðép bo Am llyfós na garjol lly esnam a çrumi.

[however], even SG spark small-SUP of hope A enough to ignite SG change, and with course, carry-PST.PART 3PL ERG SG passion, SG giftedness, and SG ingenuity toward tools to balance SG table

SALEM: However, even the smallest spark of hope is enough to ignite change, and in time, Man's passion, resourcefulness and ingenuity led them to the tools that would help even the odds.

SALEM: Mia ras a jo fial a dy paloþreh "a Si". Nai þi a devna a moxíaf, rwvin Am øþ meñ a maslan, as dy isír ysli, divin lleed, biniñcymẃax, as dy comol, arm.

SALEM: This power was appropriately named "Dust". Nature's wrath in hand, Man lit their way through the darkness and in the shadow's absence came strength, civilization and, most importantly, life.

SALEM: Ah oos bar ennynéelws a cregi as feñg dy lawðah.

but even light brilliant-SUP A flicker and die [eventually]

SALEM: But even the most brilliant lights eventually flicker and die.

SALEM: As tev octlúast awr, a maslan a forrit.

and when vanish-FUT 3PL, darkness A return-FUT

SALEM: And when they are gone, darkness will return.

SALEM: Ñyv im simynd na nwfiþlóñ red, im dyfían plesit llia smøøh red ñi maint red, ah im broos fiah... dy lleed twm sobt swad a huv.

thus IMP prepare PL defender RY.2PL, IMP raise monument for.SG world RY.2PL as pleasure RY.2PL, but IMP put eye... in strength not find-FUT 2PL SG victory

SALEM: So you may prepare your guardians, build your monuments to a so-called free world, but take heed... there will be no victory in strength.

OZPIN: Ah a huv ar plañ dy sahn fan cryfía a sobt awb ñe, sahn røsandin w hiar dy føhnas: sahn rosvi a lias føs cell's huslanon.

but SG victory [perhaps] in thing COMP simple A find-FUT 1PL.EX it, thing forget-PST.PART ERG 2SG in long_time: thing require SG soul COMP small and honest

OZPIN: But perhaps victory is in the simpler things that you've long forgotten: things that require a smaller, more honest soul.

UDHR, Article 1

Bo am sñøø awr rygéen as þur nai hyltsybás as zin. Awr lawr fyójin nai hylynbyþín as bintoçẃr, ceeda beð rer a tynsé hið velc dy heeb eeðagu.

DET.COL human be_born 3PL free and equal INS dignity and right. 3PL COP-3PL bestow-PST.PART INS rationality-COL and conscience-COL 3PL, therefore part GEN.3PL DET act towards one_another in spirit brotherhood

All humans are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Að øøm Depanjẃn (Making Anisole)

NileRed: Making Anisole

Depanjẃn, ry givolín pnaþafol tamyr tlaméni e, að øømt riav hreem.

Today we're making anisole which is a somewhat nice-smelling organic liquid.

Twm øør bo bintxynóv tamẃx depanjẃn hnoh, as gøørws ñi bannẃts lly bisçǿð as efataþol að txynób car e.

Anisole itself doesn't have many direct applications and it's mostly used as a precursor to perfumes and pharmaceuticals.

Eenand naw nai møø a depaniẃn lly øøm tawtn arbóin cosgarjẃn, ry cnee ciab tyr navta raw agl vallib e.

I plan to use the anisole to make something called anethole, which is 13 times sweeter than regular sugar.

The reaction that we'll be doing to make the anisole is called the Williamson ether synthesis, and I'll cover the mechanism later on in the video. In terms of chemicals, we have four major reagents: sodium metal, methyl iodide, phenol and methanol. We'll also need some sodium hydroxide, some dry calcium chloride, and some dichloromethane for the workup. To start things off, I added 150 mL of dry methanol to a round bottom flask. Once I'm done adding the methanol, I then move on to preparing the sodium metal. Before the sodium metal can be used, we first have to clean off the mineral oil that it was stored in, and then we have to chop it up into smaller pieces. Using a knife I took out a reasonably-sized chunk, and I tried to wipe away as much oil as I could using a paper towel. When I felt like most of the oil had been removed, I dropped the sodium into a beaker. I fill the beaker with toluene until the sodium is covered. Mineral oil is soluble in toluene, so this is just an added step to get rid of as much of the oil as possible. Using my very rusted knife, I try to agitate things as best as I can. After something like a minute, I felt like it had been washed decently enough, so I took it out and placed it on some paper towel. Now for the slightly more fun part where we get to cut the sodium and weigh out about 8 grams. Using my knife, I cut away some moderately-sized pieces and I place them on the scale. The freshly cut sodium is nice and silver, but it very quickly tarnishes. Once about 8 grams are weighted out, I put the sodium to the side and remove the scale. The sodium metal that is left over that we don't need is placed back under mineral oil for storage. Coming back to the round-bottom flask with the methanol in it, I go ahead and dump in all of the sodium. You can see that the sodium reacts quite vigorously immediately after being added. The reaction is going to heat the methanol to its boiling point, and a lot is going to boil off, so it's very important to have a high-efficiency condenser.

From a manifesto

Bo slawb es dy bo hñyl mawr savísi, bo fehd øølyb, as bo jysn hwrðon a derþál ñe?

Fyxoomian: [pɔ sχaup əs tə bɔ ŋɔ̃ˁ mauɾ səˈvisi, pɔ fɛht œ̃ˁʁ̃əp, əs pɔ ˈjəsən ˈhuːɾəðɔn ə tɛɾˈθãˁ ŋɛ]

Skellan (Alcve): [pɔ sχɑup əs tə bɔ ŋ̊ɔ mɑuɾ səˈvɪsɪ, pɔ fɛht ˈoːʁəp, əs pɔ ˈjəsən ˈhuɾəðɔn ə tɛɾˈθɑː ŋɛ]

COL good Q in DET.COL trunk tree towering, DET.COL lake heaven and DET.COL mountain craggy DET reside 3PL

Does good reside in the towering tree trunks, the heavenly lakes, the cragged peaks?

Ia, dy lwm hiar res a sdeevi ryñ.

Fyxoomian: [iə, tə ʁ̃uːm hiəɾ ɾɛs ə ˈstɛɪvi ɾɔ̃ˁ]

Skellan (Alcve): [iː, tə ʁum hiːɾ ɾɛs ə ˈstevɪ ɾɔ]

nay in interior 2SG GEN.2SG DET dwell GEN.it

Nay, it dwells within thyself.

From Zompist

I room llyð am cail as twm lly in srawol, as sgoð ob cail lly mi diraþ nai binsymrua emb beð mi lly brehn as tymiseeþ ym hnawb ðav çawlþ, sec fahað ñe sñiamflen? Ter, hegn dyb tałswñg jytiþwn ry binzycþia ñe! Jahanor að am ñi nwþyvwr desranin nai broosws, nai taw arm ob ar as ambosg ob llyð øltu. Ñyv, sy mocynzin es rofeel ñe i geeb naw "glawð" dy zam "am"? -- ne-Zim

Srüe ruay e croth patsrin, te die ruay ef păcrit rus, te rüe e sed șa fid, mitse ya binsămrüe łithad tsip neab te tămiseath e fid swoch, lea mot bintănse yășithbech? Tieth, fid mot mitse paw yătithun binłăcthie! Thăbur ef croth ngie nuthbur papluas mi-thäș, șang fid plang ło imsrup te thusămpey moang thăprea. To, fi mocănłin pra lea chithud srüe ngil e rie "Seth" mi łam "croth"? - Ne-Sim

If a man has food and his neighbor has none, and he gives him food only on the condition that his neighbor ceaselessly beg and abase himself, would this be honorable? No, it is only a pathetic case of exploitation! Let the man work as a paid laborer at least, that he might stand on his feet and care for a family. Now does your judgment change if I say “god” instead of “man”? —ne-Zim

Poetry

Rhyming poetry is often said to be from Windermere and Tseer influence, as poetry in these languages tend to use rhyme. This supplanted ___ used in Tigol poetry. Eevo uses stress-accentual meters like trochaic/iambic/dactylic meters: the iambic pentameter is common as in English.