Letaale

Letaale [leˈtaːle] is a constructed secret language used by tahu, members of the Tagahu, a secretive and technologically advanced male-only military force governing the known parts of the space habitat Oru. Little is known of the designer(s) of the language however its use follows a long tradition. It is taught to all kia tahu (boys who are raised to be tahu) from a young age, adhering to a strict prescriptive standard. All speakers are male and all are also fluent in Guaru, generally speaking both natively. In informal situations, many Tahu engage in extensive code switching.

Name

The name Letaale comes from the lemma-clause letaale meaning "the Letaale speaker speaks Letaale". This is not the name of the language but is used to refer to speaking the language, such as nemaane ("I speak Letaale"). The name of the language in Letaale, although used rarely, is xialetaale, which uses the naming prefix xia- for abstract things.

In the Guaru language, Letaale is known as Uoriuo [ˈ(ʔ)uoɾiˌuo]. This is probably borrowed from the word volivo [ˈvolivo]~[ˈwoɾiwo] which is essentially the accusative form of "you" (literally "you are directly affected") as this may be a word that is heard in interactions with the Tagahu.

Phonology

Consonants

	Labial	Dental/ Alveolar	Palatal	Velar	Glottal	Romanisation
Nasal	m	n		ŋ		< m n g >
Plosive		t		k	ʔ	< t k x >
Fricative	v	s	ʒ		h	< v s j h >
Lateral		l				< l >

Most allophones listed below exist in more or less free variation.

• All of /n t l/ are usually dental but may also be alveolar.
• Both /t/ and /k/ are unaspirated.
• The consonants /t k s/ may be pronounced as voiced /d g z/, especially when non-initial.
• /v/ has a wide range of pronunciation, being essentially anywhere in the realm of [v β ʋ w] although it tightens towards [v] when either of the adjacent vowels is is /u/.
• /ʒ/ likewise has a range of pronunciations, somewhere in the viscinity of [ʒ ʑ ʐ ʝ]. When either of the adjacent vowels is /i/, /ʒ/ is usually pronounced tenser and less likely to appear as [ʝ].
• /l/ may be pronounced as a lateral [l], a tap/flap [ɾ] or a lateral flap [ɺ]

Vowels

Letaale has a simple system of five-vowels qualities, with a long and a short version of each, as in Hawaiian.

Single vowels

	front	central	back
close	i iː		u uː
open mid	e eː		o oː
low		a aː

When stressed, these vowels have the tense cardinal pronunciations of [i e a o u]. When unstressed and short, they tend to weaken towards [ɪ ɛ ɐ ɔ ʊ].

Long vowels are indicated in the romanisation by doubling.

In addition, there are the diphthongs /ai au eo ia io iu oe ua ue ui/.

Phonotactics

The allowable syllable structure of Letaale is CV(V). All syllables begin with a consonant and may contain one or two vowels (long vowels and diphthongs count as two). All combinations of consonant and vowel are allowed.

Prosody

Word stress falls on the last long vowel or diphthong in a word. If all the vowels are short, stress falls on the initial syllable. Prefixes and initial clitics, all of which contain a diphthong other than /ai/, are never stressed.

Morphophonology

The vowels of Letaale can be divided into two types:

1. Primary vowels: the monophthongs /a aː e eː i iː o oː u uː/ and the diphthong /ai/
2. Secondary vowels: the remaining diphthongs /au eo ia io iu ua ue ui/

Each of the eleven primary vowels is associated with a single consonant and vice versa. These pairs are relevant for inversions and conversions in trisyllabic word-clauses, such as the noun k_j_m_ ('the dog') which converts to the verb _uu_o_i ('be a dog').

Consonant	Vowel	Syllable
n	a	na
l	e	le
m	i	mi
j	o	jo
g	u	gu
t	aa	taa
x	ee	xee
h	ii	hii
s	oo	soo
k	uu	kuu
v	ai	vai

All trisyllabic lemmas are composed of three of the resulting syllables. For example jotaale is allowable as a lemma whereas jitaale is not because j and i are not a pair.

Secondary vowels are not associated with any particular consonant and only appear in clitics and naming prefixes. These prefixes are always unstressed.

Morphology

Trisyllabic lemmas

The majority of lemmas (citation forms of words) are trisyllabic. These always constitute a valid clause on their own, a word-clause, containing both a triconsonantal noun as the subject and a trivocalic verb as the predicate. Trisyllabic lemma clauses are always, by definition, self-evidently true sentences of the structure "the X is an X" (or "that which X-es X-es"), and therefore rather void of pragmatic purpose. Here are some examples of trisyllabic roots in their lemma forms.

Trisyllabic roots

Lemma	Translation	Noun	Translation	Verb	Translation
namina	I am me.	n_m_n_	I	_a_i_a	be me
vailevai	You are you.	v_l_v_	you	_ai_e_ai	be you
taaguhii	The tahu* is a tahu.	t_g_h_	tahu, he	_aa_u_ii	be a tahu
hiitaahii	The kia tahu** is a kia tahu.	h_t_h_	the kia tahu, he	_ii_aa_ii	be a kia tahu
levaile	The woman is a woman.	l_v_l_	the woman, she	_e_ai_e	be a woman
soovaigu	The civilian man is a civilian man.	s_v_g_	the civilian man, he	_o_ai_u	be a civilian man
kuumixee	The monkey is a monkey.	k_m_x_	the monkey	_uu_i_ee	be a monkey
kuujomi	The dog is a dog.	k_j_m_	the dog	_uu_o_i	be a dog
minataa	The cat is a cat.	m_n_t_	the cat	_i_a_aa	be a cat
vaijokuu	The bird is a bird.	v_j_k_	the bird	_ai_o_uu	be a bird
milena	The fish is a fish.	m_l_n_	the fish	_i_e_a	be a fish
miguvai	The banana is a banana.	m_g_v_	the banana	_i_u_ai	be a banana
jomijo	The affected one is affected.	j_m_j_	the affected one	_o_i_o	be affected
lejole	The perceiver perceives.	l_j_l_	the perceiver	_e_o_e	perceive
lesoomi	The sleeper sleeps.	l_s_m_	the sleeper, the sleeping one	_e_oo_i	sleep
xeenami	The eater eats.	x_n_m_	the eater, the eating one	_ee_a_i	eat
kuunagu	The hitter hits.	k_n_g_	the hitter, the hitting one	_uu_a_u	hit
gunagu	The killer kills.	g_n_g_	the killer, the murderer	_u_a_u	kill
taanagu	The big one is big.	t_n_g_	the big one	_aa_a_u	be big
hiijole	The beloved one is beloved.	h_j_l_	the (be)loved one	_ii_o_e	be (be)loved
vaimina	The visible one is visible.	v_m_n_	the visible one	_ai_i_a	be visible
hiimijo	This one is here.	h_m_j_	the one near me	_ii_i_o	be near me
xeenajo	That one is there.	x_n_j_	the one near you	_ee_a_o	be near you
taamitaa	What is what?	t_m_t_	what, who, which	_aa_i_aa	be what, be who, which?

* A tahu is a man who is a member of the Tagahu, roughly the militarised police force and government of Oru.
** Kia tahu is the Guaru term for a future tahu, a boy raised to be a tahu.

Naming words

Naming words are generally equivalent to proper names. They begin with a classifying prefix indicating various classes of people and things, then followed by a trisyllabic clause-word.

For example, the name Tuakuumoxu consists of the prefix Tua-, indicating a Tahu in active duty, followed by the trisyllabic word-clause kuumoxu, meaning "the monkey plays" (k_m_x_ "the monkey" + uu_o_u "play"). Prefixes may change over time. When Tuakuumoxu retires from active duty and enters administration, his name will be prefixed with Xua-, indicating a Tahu in an administrative role.

Rarely, two or more classifying prefixes may be stacked together.

Syntax

Word-clauses

Word-clauses consist of a single word, which itself consists of a subject and a verb. These can be created by mixing and matching the consonants from one lemma with the vowels of another. The following table shows examples and is sortable by column.

Lemma	Translation	Noun	Translation	Verb	Translation
xaanijaa	What is that?	x_n_j_	the one near you	_aa_i_aa	is what/who?
himujai	This is a banana.	h_m_j_	the one near me	_i_u_ai	is a banana
huumijee	This is a monkey.	h_m_j_	the one near me	_uu_i_ee	is a monkey
huumiiji	This is a house.	h_m_j_	the one near me	_uu_ii_i	is a house
haamijaa	What is this?	h_m_j_	the one near me	_aa_i_aa	is what/who?
xinujai	That is a banana.	x_n_j_	the one near you	_i_u_ai	is a banana
xuunijee	That is a monkey.	x_n_j_	the one near you	_uu_i_ee	is a monkey
xuuniiji	This is a house.	x_n_j_	the one near you	_uu_ii_i	is a house
nimunai	I am a banana.	n_m_n_	I	_i_u_ai	am a banana
magiva	The banana is me.	m_g_v_	the banana	_a_i_a	is me
viluvai	You are a banana.	v_l_v_	you	_i_u_ai	are a banana
maigevai	The banana is you.	m_g_v_	the banana	_ai_e_ai	is you
neemani	I eat.	n_m_n_	I	_ee_a_i	eat
xanima	The eating one is me.	x_n_m_	the eater	_a_i_a	is me
veelavi	You eat.	v_l_v_	you	_ee_a_i	eat
xainemai	The eating one is you.	x_n_m_	the eater	_ai_e_ai	is you
keejami	The dog eats.	k_j_m_	the dog	_ee_a_i	eats
xuunomi	The eating one is a dog.	x_n_m_	the eater	_uu_o_i	is a dog
kejoomi	The dog sleeps.	k_j_m_	the dog	_e_oo_i	sleeps
kijumai	The dog is a banana.	k_j_m_	the dog	_i_u_ai	is a banana
nemone	I perceive.	n_m_n_	I	_e_o_e	perceive
nameeno	I exist.	n_m_n_	I	_a_ee_o	exist
mageevo	The banana exists.	m_g_v_	the banana	_a_ee_o	exists
nixujai	There is a banana.	n_x_j_	what exists	_i_u_ai	is a banana

Inversion

Inversion is the process of swapping the noun and verb within a word-clause. Many of the examples given above are inversions of another given example.

For example, to invert the word-clause keejami "the dog eats", the noun k_j_m_ "dog" is converted corresponding verb _uu_o_i "be a dog" and the verb _ee_a_i "to eat" becomes the noun x_n_m_ "eater". This produces xuunomi "the one that eats is a dog". Inversion usually results in radically differently looking words with an often fairly subtle shift in pragmatic meaning.

Multiclausal sentences

Multiclausal sentences are formed by simply placing word-clauses next to one another. Modifiers generally follow their heads but word-clause order is quite flexible, with different orders being used to shift emphasis.

Namaina kimaixaa.
[naˈmai̯na kimai̯ˈʔaː]
n_m_n_	I	_a_ai_a	cause
k_m_x_	the monkey	_i_ai_aa	dances
I make the monkey dance.

Kimaixaa namaina .
[kimai̯ˈʔaː naˈmai̯na]
k_m_x_	the monkey	_i_ai_aa	dances
n_m_n_	I	_a_ai_a	am the cause
The monkey dances; I make it.

Kimaixaa navina .
[kimai̯ˈʔaː ˈnavina]
k_m_x_	the monkey	_i_ai_aa	dances
n_v_n_	the cause	_a_i_a	is me
The monkey dances because of me.

Navina kimaixaa.
[ˈnavina kimai̯ˈʔaː]
n_v_n_	the cause	_a_i_a	is me
k_m_x_	the monkey	_i_ai_aa	dances
Because of me, the monkey dances.

Transitivity

There is no explicit transitivity in Letaale. The direct object of a verb is frequently indicated with a clause containing jomijo, which indicates that something is directly affected by another action.

Keemaxi mogivo.
[ˈkeːmaʔi ˈmoŋiwo]
k_m_x_	the monkey	_ee_a_i	eats
m_g_v_	the banana	_o_i_o	is directly affected
The monkey eats the banana.

Definiteness

There are no articles, but the subject of a clause is generally definite and the verb deals with something indefinite. Inversion (swapping the subject and the verb within a clause) is used to achieve this effect. The resulting transformations produce entirely different looking words, such as the change from mogivo (≈ "the banana") to jimujai (≈ "a banana") in the following sentences.

Keemaxi mogivo.
[ˈkeːmaʔi ˈmoŋiwo]
k_m_x_	the monkey	_ee_a_i	eats
m_g_v_	the banana	_o_i_o	is directly affected
The monkey eats the banana.

Keemaxi jimujai.
[ˈkeːmaʔi ʒimuˈʒai̯]
k_m_x_	the monkey	_ee_a_i	eats
j_m_j_	what is directly affected	_i_u_ai	is a banana
The monkey eats a banana.

Location

Locations are indicated with nataami.

Neemani mogivo kahaami.
[ˈneːmani ˈmoŋiwo kaˈhaːmi]
n_m_n_	I	_ee_a_i	eat
m_g_v_	the banana	_o_i_o	is directly affected
k_h_m_	the house	_a_aa_i	is a location
I eat the banana in the house.

Neemani mogivo nuutiimi.
[ˈneːmani ˈmoŋiwo nuːˈtiːmi]
n_m_n_	I	_ee_a_i	eat
m_g_v_	the banana	_o_i_o	is directly affected
n_t_m_	the location	_a_aa_i	is a house
I eat the banana in a house.

Experience verbs

Verbs that don't result in something being directly affected (such as "love", "see") are often present in Letaale as passives and the experiencer is indicated as a perceiver.

Nemone viilove.
[ˈnemone ˈwiːlowe]
n_m_n_	I	_e_o_e	perceive
v_l_v_	you	_ii_o_e	are (be)loved
I love you.

Nemone vailiva.
[ˈnemone ˈwai̯liwa]
n_m_n_	I	_e_o_e	perceive
v_l_v_	you	_ai_i_a	are visible
I see you.

Subordination

Subordination is frequently not overtly indicated syntactically, just as in English.

Nemano velove niimone.
[ˈnemano ˈwelowe ˈniːmone]
n_m_n_	I	_e_a_o	know
v_l_v_	you	_e_o_e	perceive
n_m_n_	I	_ii_o_e	am (be)loved
I know (that) you love me.

Subordination can, however, be indicated using the root gumina ("what I'm about to say is what I'm about to say"). In this following example, it is only necessary if one wishes to indicate that one's perception was visual

Nemone (gaimina) keemaxi mogiva.
[ˈnemone (ˈŋai̯mina) ˈkeːmaʔi ˈmoŋiwa]
n_m_n_	I	_e_o_e	perceive
g_m_n_	what I'm about to say	_ai_i_a	is visible
k_m_x_	the monkey	_ee_a_i	eats
m_g_v_	the banana	_o_i_o	is directly affected
I see the monkey eat the banana.

Coordination

Repetition of either a noun or a verb is used as an equivalent to "and".

Keemaxi neemani mogivo.
[ˈkeːmaʔi ˈneːmani ˈmoŋiwo]
k_m_x_	the monkey	_ee_a_i	eats
n_m_n_	I	_ee_a_i	eat
m_g_v_	the banana	_o_i_o	is directly affected
The monkey and I eat the banana.

Tuugahu nomino komixo kojimo.
[ˈtuːŋahu ˈnomino ˈkomiʔo ˈkoʒimo]
t_g_h_	the tahu	_uu_a_u	hits
n_m_n_	I	_o_i_o	am directly affected
k_m_x_	the monkey	_o_i_o	is directly affected
k_j_m_	the dog	_o_i_o	is directly affected
The tahu hits me, the monkey, and the dog. He hits me, the monkey, and the dog.

Menooti menote jaleeto.
[meˈnoːti ˈmenote ʒaˈleːto]
m_n_t_	the cat	_e_oo_i	sleeps
m_n_t_	the cat	_e_o_e	perceives
j_l_t_	the dream	_a_ee_o	exists
The cat sleeps and (the cat) dreams.

A common equivalent of the word 'but' is gomaane (what I'm about to say is surprising) or occasionally its conversion jutila (what's surprising is something I'm about to say).

Tuugahu lovilo gomaane levole tiigohe.
[ˈtuːŋahu ˈlowilo ŋoˈmaːne ˈlewole ˈtiːŋohe]
t_g_h_	the tahu	_uu_a_u	hits
l_v_l_	the woman	_o_i_o	is directly affected
g_m_n_	what I'm about to say	_o_aa_e	is surprising
l_v_l_	the woman	_e_o_e	perceives
t_g_h_	the tahu	_ii_o_e	is (be)loved
He hits her but she loves him.

Modification

Nemone viilove haajiilaa.
[ˈnemone ˈwiːlowe haːʒiːˈlaː]
n_m_n_	I	_e_o_e	perceive
v_l_v_	you	_ii_o_e	are (be)loved
h_j_l_	the beloved one	_aa_ii_aa	is extreme
I love you very much.

Nemone laajiilaa viilove .
[ˈnemone ˈwiːlowe kaˈhaːmi]
n_m_n_	I	_e_o_e	perceive
l_j_l_	the perceiver	_aa_ii_aa	is extreme
v_l_v_	you	_ii_o_e	are (be)loved
It is clear to me that I love you.

Notes

This conlang has been inspired by Abakwi and Iljena. Check them out! - Imralu