Grayis
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| Grayis | |
|---|---|
| Grayis | |
| Pronunciation | [/ˈgrä.jɪs/] |
| Created by | BenJamin P. Johnson, additionally creator of: |
| Date | 2018 |
| Setting | Planet Oyrigin |
language isolate
| |
| 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 |