Nurian/Old

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Nurian/Old
nūrimā
Created byIlL
SettingVerse:Tricin
Quihum
Language codes
ISO 639-3qnr
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Nurian (/ˈnʊəɹiən/, Nurian: gaffā nūrimā, Eevo: Nwrim) is a Talmic language descending from Thensarian, aesthetically inspired by Pali, Italian, and Lithuanian. Close relatives include Eevo and Bênôcian. Nurian is the official language of Nuria (Nūrē) in southwestern Talma. Nurian is extremely conservative, and contains relatively few loanwords.

Todo

Did Thensarian have intensive noun/adjective suffixes that Nurian preserves?

Historical phonology

  • -am -em -im -om -um -ym -ām -ēm -īm -ōm -ūm -ȳm > -ą -ę -į -ą -ų -y̨ -ą -ę -į -ų -ų -y̨
  • -s > -h
  • Thn. cia ce ci cio ciu gia ge gi gio giu > ċia ċe ċi ċio ċiu ġia ġe ġi ġio ġiu
  • e ē ei ea eā > e ē ei ia iā
  • o, ō > a, uo
  • ae oe ui ao eo iu > ai ȳ ui au iuo iū

Cluster assimilations

Nurian is rich in geminate consonants, most of which arise from the following historical assimilations. Geminate consonants become degeminate word-initially.

  • pl bl ml fl tl dl cl gl ngl > ppi bbi mmi ffi ċċi ġġi kki ggi ngi
  • ħl, ȝl > ħħ, ȝȝ
  • nl, rl > both ll
  • sp, st, sc, sȝ, sn, sl, sr > pph, tth, kkh, ħħ, tth, nnh, llh, rrh
  • sb, sd, sg > bb, dd, gg
  • pr, fr, tr, θr, cr, ngr, ħr > pph, ff, tth, θθ, kkh, ng, ħħ
  • br, dr, δr, gr, ȝr > bb, dd, δδ, gg, ȝȝ
  • mr > nn
  • cn, gn > ngh, ng
  • mn > nn
  • rC > CC
  • lC > :C
  • ct > tt
  • VN + fricative > V[+nasal] + fricative
  • tv dv θv δv > pp bb ff vv

Numbers

Phonology

The Nurian sound system has a large inventory of around 56 consonants and 10 vowels. A notable feature of the phonology of most Nurian accents is phonemic velarization vs. palatalization in hard-soft pairs. All consonants except /ħ ʕ h j/ are members of a hard-soft-pair. /ħ ʕ h j/ color the /a/ vowel as if they were soft, and /ħ ʕ/ tend to lower adjacent vowels.

There are two major accents of Standard Nurian.

Phonotactics

Nurian forbids all consonant clusters other than those of the form homorganic nasal + consonant or consonant. Word-medially, every consonant can be geminated except /j/ and /h/. Word-finally, usually only /n/, /ʔ/ (as an allophone of /r/), /h/, /s/ and vowels are allowed.

Dagȳne accent

Consonants

Consonant phonemes in Nurian (Dagȳne)
Labial Dental Alveolar Postalveolar Velar Radical Glottal
hard soft hard soft hard soft soft hard
Nasal voiceless mh m̊ˠ mhi m̊ʲ nh n̪̊ˠ nhi n̊ʲ nghi ŋ̊ʲ ngh ŋ̊
voiced m mi n n̪ˠ ni ngi ŋʲ ng ŋ
Stop tenuis p pi t t̪ˠ ti ċi ki k k -r, -t ʔ
aspirated ph pˠʰ phi pʲʰ th t̪ˠʰ thi tʲʰ ċhi tʃʰ khi kʲʰ kh
voiced b bi d d̪ˠ di ġi gi ɡʲ g ɡ
Fricative voiceless f fi θ θˠ θi θʲ s si ħ, ħi ħ h, hi h
voiced v vi δ ðˠ δi ðʲ z zi
Trill voiceless rh r̥ˠ rhi r̥ʲ
voiced r ri
Lateral voiceless lh l̥ˠ lhi l̥ʲ
voiced l li
Approximant j j ȝ, ȝi ʕ
Notes
  • Voiceless stops and affricates are unaspirated.
  • All hard consonants are velarized (especially /rˠ, lˠ, θˠ, ðˠ/, which are uvularized).
  • All consonants are labialized before the back vowels /u, uː, uɔ/.
  • /tˠ, dˠ, nˠ/ are laminal denti-alveolar [t̪ˠ, d̪ˠ, n̪ˠ].
  • /tʲ, dʲ, nʲ/ are laminal alveolar [t̻ʲ, d̻ʲ, n̻ʲ].
  • /θˠ, θ, ðˠ, ð/ are dental spirants [θʶ, θ, ðʶ, ð].
  • /sˠ, sʲ, zˠ, zʲ/ are laminal denti-alveolar [s̪ˠ, s̪ʲ, z̪ˠ, z̪ʲ].
  • /rˠ/ is uvularized apical alveolar [r̺ʶ] or postalveolar [r̠ʶ]. When not geminated, it can either be a trill [rʶ] or a flap [ɾʶ].
  • /rʲ/ is palatalized alveolar flap [ɾ̪ʲ] and less commonly a trill [r̺ʲ]. It is always a trill [r̺ːʲ] when geminated.
  • /lˠ/ is a uvularized apical alveolar [l̺ʶ] or uvularized laminal denti-alveolar [l̪ʶ].
  • /lʲ/ is laminal alveolar [l̻ʲ].
  • /ɲ/ is postpalatal [ɲ̄].
  • /tʃ, dʒ, ʃ, ʒ/ are laminal palatalized alveolar [tʃʲ, dʒʲ, ʃʲ, ʒʲ].
  • Before /k, ɡ/, /n/ is realized as velar [ŋ].
  • /ħ/ has been variously described as pharyngeal [ħ] and epiglottal [ʜ].
  • /ʕ/ is an epiglottal approximant [ʕ̞].
  • /h/ is voiced [ɦ] after vowels and voiced consonants.

Vowels

Nurian has three short, three long and three nasal monophthongs. There is a considerable degree of allophony in low vowels.

Vowel phonemes
Front Central Back
short long nasal short long nasal short long nasal
Close /ɪ~ɪ̞/ /iː/ /ĩː/ /ʊ/ /uː/ /ũː/
Open [ɛ~æ] [æː] /a/ /aː/ /ãː/ [ɑ] [ɑː]

Diphthongs: /aɪ aʊ iɛ uɔ ʊi/

Notes
  • Short /ɪ/ is lowered to [ɪ̞] after hard consonants.
  • /a aː/ each have three allophones:
    • [ɐ~ɑ ɑː] after non-radical hard consonants
    • [ɛ~æ æː] after soft consonants, radicals and /h/
  • Allophony of /a aː/ is, however, reduced in the speech of many younger speakers, who pronounce both as [ɐ aː]

Fiuġġēra accent

The Fiuggēra [fudˈdʒæːrˁɑ] accent turns hard consonants into uvularized consonants, and soft consonants into plain.

  • θˠ ðˠ > fˁ vˁ

Consonants

Consonant phonemes (Fiuġġēra)
Labial Dental Alveolar Postalveolar Velar Radical Glottal
hard soft hard soft hard soft soft hard
Nasal voiceless m̊ʶ n̥ʶ ɲ̊ ŋ̊
voiced m n̪ʶ n ɲ ŋʶ
Stop tenuis p t k ʔ
aspirated pʶʰ tʶʰ tʃʰ kʶʰ
voiced b d g ɡʶ
Fricative voiceless f θ s ħ h
voiced ð z
Trill voiceless r̥ʶ
voiced r
Lateral voiceless ɬʶ ɬ
voiced l
Approximant w j ʕ


Notes
  • Hard consonants are uvularized, like Arabic emphatic consonants.

Stress

Nurian stress is similar to Modern Standard Arabic:

  • Stress falls on the heavy (CV: or CVC) syllable closest to the end, if it is not the final syllable;
  • if neither the penult nor the antepenult are heavy, the antepenult is stressed.

Orthography

Consonants

Consonants
Grapheme m p b f v n t d θ δ s z r l ng k g ħ ȝ h j
Hard /mˠ/ /pˠ/ /bˠ/ /fˠ/ /vˠ/ /nˠ/ /tˠ/ /dˠ/ /θˠ/ /ðˠ/ /sˠ/ /zˠ/ /rˠ/ /ɫ/ /ŋ/ /k/ /ɡ/ /ħ/ /ʕ/ /h/ /j/
Soft /mʲ/ /pʲ/ /bʲ/ /fʲ/ /vʲ/ /nʲ/ /tʲ/ /dʲ/ /θ/ /ð/ /sʲ/ /zʲ/ /rʲ/ /lʲ/ /ɲ/ /t͡ʃ/ /d͡ʒ/

The pairs of aspirated plosives and voiceless resonants /pʰˠ pʰʲ/, /tʰˠ tʰʲ/, /tʃʰ/, /kʲʰ kʰ/, /m̊ˠ m̊ʲ/, /n̪̊ˠ n̊ʲ/, /ɲ̊ ŋ̊/, /l̥ˠ l̥ʲ/, /r̥ˠ r̥ʲ/ are written ph, th, ċh, kh, mh, nh, ngh, lh, rh.

Final -r is pronounced /ʔ/.

Vowels

  • a: hard /a/ [ɐ~ɑ]
  • ā: hard /aː/ [ɑː]
  • ą: hard /ãː/
  • ai: hard /aɪ/ [ɐɪ~ɑɪ]
  • au: hard /aʊ/ [ɐʊ~ɑʊ]
  • y: hard /ɪ/ [ë]
  • y: hard /iː/
  • : hard /ĩː/
  • u: hard /ʊ/
  • ui: hard /ʊɪ/
  • uo: hard /uɔ/
  • ū: hard /uː/
  • ų: hard /ũː/

  • ia, e: soft /a/ [ɛ]
  • iā, ē: soft /aː/ [æː]
  • ią, ę: soft /ãː/
  • iai, ei: soft /aɪ/ [ɛɪ]
  • iau: soft /aʊ/ [ɛʊ]
  • i: soft /ɪ/
  • ī: soft /iː/
  • į: soft /ĩː/
  • iu: soft /ʊ/
  • ui: soft /ʊɪ/
  • iuo: soft /uɔ/
  • : soft /uː/
  • : soft /ũː/
  • ie: soft /iə/


Grammar

Somewhat unusually, Nurian is verb-final with prepositions and modified-modifier order.

Nouns

Sgv-clv-plv system.

Nouns and adjectives

Masculine nouns

θȳrą 'bird'
Singulative Collective Plurative
Indefinite θȳrą θyθȳrą θȳrīh
Definite θȳrai θyθȳrai θȳrinny

Feminine nouns

Feminine nouns typically end in -ā, -ē, -ī, or -ū.

gandā 'body'
Singulative Collective Plurative
Indefinite gandā gagandā gandār
Definite gandą gagandą gandāh

Neuter nouns

tettyh 'child'
Singulative Collective Plurative
Indefinite tettyh tetettyh tettȳn
Definite tettȳh tetettȳh tettȳr

Mass nouns

jenāh 'water' (n.)
Singulative Collective
Indefinite jenāh jenenāh
Definite jenaȝeh jenenaȝeh

Verbs

TAM

Present
Person tussani "I pray"
(a-stem)
tareni "I bloom, flourish"
(e-stem)
aillini "I love"
(i-stem)
kassyni "I eat"
(ablaut stem)
1SG tussani tareni aillini kassyni
2SG tussar tarer aillir kassyr
3SG.M tussą tarę aillį kassy̨
3SG.F tussah tareh aillih kassyh
3SG.N tussa tare ailli kassy
1EX tussamē taremē aillimē kassymē
1IN tussanti tarenti aillinti kassynti
2PL tussaċċhi tareċċhi ailliċċhi kassyċċhi
3PL tussati tareti ailliti kassyti
Imperfect

Reduplication rules:

  • If word begins with C, redup first CV (V is shortened)
Preterite
Person tussani "I pray"
(a-stem)
tareni "I bloom, flourish"
(e-stem)
aillini "I love"
(i-stem)
kassyni "I eat"
(ablaut stem)
1SG tussanne tarenne aillinne ċēnne
2SG tussȳ tarī aillī ċēvȳ
3SG.M tussamhi taremhi aillimhi ċēmhi
3SG.F tussatthi taretthi aillitthi ċētthi
3SG.N tussasa taresa aillisa ċēsa
1EX tussamer taremer aillimer ċēmer
1IN tussanter tarenter aillinter ċēnter
2PL tussaċċher tareċċher ailliċċher ċēċċher
3PL tussati tareti ailliti ċēter

Syntax

Particles

  • ank = 'and'
    • ħuġġiah ank pādī [ˈħʊdʒːæh æŋk paːdʲiː] = 'bread and milk'
  • nīh (/nʲiːh/) = 'not'

Relative clauses

Nurian uses the resumptive pronoun strategy when the head is not the subject. A resumptive pronoun must be fronted, if it is not embedded in another clause within the relative clause.

Phrasebook

  • Adduorī! = 'Hello!'
  • Malisā! = 'Thank you!'

Sample texts

UDHR, Article 1

Kakarai ħausį gagāry̨ ank θeθēvų di khussiū ank iġġiatū; ammimīdīnį gą ȝiabbī ank dȳkaluttī, siūȝą danθū fētariākah ħaibatthyh di helą venghimę.
[ˈkɐkɐrˠɐɪ ˈħæʊsʲĩː gɐˈgaːrˠɘ̃ː k θʲɛˈθʲæːvˠũː dʲɪ ˈkʰʊsʲːuː k ˈɪdʒːɛtˠuː | æmʲːiːˈdʲiːnʲĩː gɑ̃ː ʕæbʲːiː k dˠiːkɐlˠʊtʲːiː, sʲuːʕæ̃ː dˠɐnθˠuː fæːtˠɐrʲæːkɐh ħæɪbˠɐtʰˠːɪh dʲɪ hælˠɑ̃ː vʲɛŋ̊ʲːɪmʲæ̃ː]
human.COL.DEF be.born-3SG.M.PRES free.COL.INDEF.M and equal.COL.INDEF.M in dignity-3SG.M and right-3SG.M; gifted-COL.INDEF.M with reason and conscience, duty upon-3SG.M behave-INFV mutually in spirit-SGV.DEF brotherly-SGV.DEF.F
All humans are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act toward one another in a spirit of brotherhood.