Kenlin

Introduction

Kenlin (/'ken.Lɪn/) is intended to be a starting point for a family of constructed languages, like how the Romance family of languages is descended from Latin. It is intended to do this while also not being boring, and its interesting features shall be elaborated later.

The languge takes its roots mostly from natural proto-languages, adapted to fit its phonology.

There is currently no lore or worldbuilding around Kenlin. Its only origin is plain and simple: i made it up.

Phonology

Vowel inventory

Caption

IPA	Romanization
a~ɑ	a
/i/ or /ɪ/	i
e~e͡i	e
o~o͡ʊ~ɔ	o
u	u
a͡u~a͡ʊ~a͡o	ao
a͡i~a͡ɪ	ai

«i» is normally /i/, but sometimes is pronounced /ɪ/ in unstressed syllables.

Consonant inventory

Caption

IPA	Romanization
p	p
b	b
f	f
v	v
t̪~t͇	t
d̪~d͇	d
s	s
z	z
k	k
g	g
x~h	h
L~R	r
N	n

Note that «n» may be any nasal, and «r» any liquid consonant. I usually realize «r» as [ɾ] or [l], and «n» as [n] or a nasal vowel if it's terminal in its syllable.

Syllable structure

Syllable structure is (C)V(T). That is,

• CV
• CVT
• V
• VT

where C is any consonant, V is any syllabic sound (vowel or /N/), and T is any terminal consonant /s z f v n/. Terminal /N/ may not appear before an initial fricative, nor another /N/. Terminal /v/ may not appear before /N/. /N/ is sometimes syllabic, appearing in place of a vowel.

Stress

If a word is one or two syllables, the first is stressed. If it's any longer, the second is stressed. Affixes should always be unstressed, and compound words should stress whichever component is most important, or failing that whichever comes first in the word. Stressing nouns, verbs, and adjectivals (adjectives and adverbs) is preferred to stressing grammatical words like particles. «usun» "water" is /'u.suN/. «usunki» "fish" is /'u.suN.ki/ and not /u.'suN.ki/ because suffixes like «-ki» do not move the stressed syllable.

Irregular stress (which occurs mostly in names from other languages) should be marked with a grave accent above the stressed vowel. So the name "Isabella" becomes «ìsabera».

Intonation

No rules for intonation yet.

Morphology

Nouns

Nouns are not conjugated for class, nor for the interrogative, imperative, or indicative moods.

Syntax

Constituent order

Constituent word order is semantic. Interrogative clauses use VSO, indicatives use SOV, and imperatives use SVO. For interrogative and indicative sentences, the particle «no» is used between the subject and object, to indicate where one ends and the other begins. This particle is optional in sentences with no object.

Modifier order

Adjectives go after their noun. «kanata aka» "bird red", not «aka kanata» "red bird)". Numbers are the same.

Possesives are formed by the preposition «du», which works similarly to English "of", going after the possesed noun and before the possesing one. «nede du so ari» "idea of Ali" or "Ali's idea". «so» is a proper article, indicating a proper noun. Here «du so ari» acts as an adjective or adjectival phrase on the noun.

The rest of this to be written tomorrow.