Alfinu

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Alfinu
Alfinu
Pronunciation[[Help:IPA|ˈalfinu]]
Created by–
Native speakers- (2014)
Early form
Old Alfinu (?)

Alfinu is a romance languages spoken in the Alps. It is a rather conservative language since it retains four cases and three genders, unlike most other Romance languages. Its phonology is also rather conservative - the most notable dinstinction is the lack of Romance palatalisations since only the first palatalisation applies (a feature shared with Sardinian) and vowel changes, but there are several peculiar phonological innovations. Another feature shared with Sardinian are the Alfinu definite articles: they are derived from Latin ipse rather than ille as it's the case with other Romance languages.

Background

Phonology

Consonants

Bilabial Labio-dental Alveolar Post-alveolar Palatal Velar
Nasal m n
Plosive p b t d k g
Fricative f v s z (ʃ ʒ)?
Affricate t͡s d͡z t͡ʃ d͡ʒ
Approximant j w
Trill r
Lateral app. l

Vowels

Front Back
Close i u
Close-mid e o
Open a

Phonotactics

Orthography

Grammar

Articles

Alfinu has both definite and indefinite articles. Both are inflected for number and gender, as well as case. The indefinite articles are derived from Latin ūnus and the definite articles are derived from Latin ipse, similar to Sardinian but unlike all other Romance languages. The articles are also often shortened when followed by a word beginning in a vowel. The definite articles also combine with prepositions, similar to the Italian system.


Nouns

Nouns in Alfinu belong to one of the three genders preserved from Latin: masculine, feminine, and neuter. There are also four cases: nominative, accusative, genitive, and dative. Nomiantive and accusative are almost always the same, in both singular and plural. Genitive and dative forms have been generalised and regularised. While the system is fairly conservative compared to other Romance languages, there is a high level of syncretism across all forms.

Declensions

Pronouns

Adjectives

Adjectives agree with nouns in gender, number, and case. There are two adjectival declensions, akin to those of Latin: the first/second declension and the third declension.

1—A small number of irregular adjectives have the ending -ui in genitive singular for all three genders.

Verbs

Verbs are relatively well inflected, similar to the verbal system of Italian or Spanish. There are three conjugations: -are, -ere, and -ire. The system has been somewhat symplified nonetheless; for example, the Latin second and third conjugations have merged into a signle paradigm, and as Romance languages go, there are no special passive forms. Apart from the indicative, Alfinu has three other moods: subjunctive, conditional, and imperative. In total, eight tenses are formed synthetically across the moods (not counting the imperative); four in the indicative, one in the conditional, and three in the subjunctive. Aside from that, there are several tenses formed periphrastically.

Morphology

Syntax

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