Glommish

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Glommish
þe glómsьk
Pronunciation[/θˠə ɣɫˠoːmʲsʲk/]
Created byIlL
SettingVerse:Lõis
Native speakers90 million (2015)
Indo-European
  • Germanic
    • Glommish

Glommish (natively þe glómsьke rarde [θˠə ɣɫˠoːmʲsʲkə ɾˠaːɖə]) is a Germanic language which was historically spoken in parts of Southern Italy and Tunisia but is now mostly spoken by diaspora populations in North America and Brazil. It's classified as West Germanic in-universe, but forms a distinct group from what is called West Germanic in our timeline. Glommish is phonologically the most conservative Germanic language in Lõis and is strikingly similar to our timeline's reconstructed Proto-Germanic. Its speakers are called Gloms (Glóme). Glommish is intended to have a pseudo-Irish and pseudo-Slavic aesthetic.

The majority of today's Glommish speakers are Muslim and also speak English, Portuguese, and Arabic. A minority practice forms of Christianity which were historically common in North Africa.

In-universe German name: Glommisch

Arabic name: al-Ghulūmiyyah

TODO

sources of loans: Latin, Greek, Arabic, English; needs more Arabic loans!

Look at OE/Dutch for more vr- words

Try to express things with Germanic roots, but without calquing

Dutchify the grammar

Simplify some consonant clusters like a few cht's?

Introduce random sound changes in the evolution of Glommish, e.g.

  • PWGmc *gardaz -> gerdaz -> żard

Should be a koiné (some "Low Glommish" dialects can have PIE dh/vernerized t -> z which shows up in some words)

Weird vowel mixups (eh2 -> ó instead of á in a few words)

History

A somewhat controversial Simon Stevin-like figure who reformed the language, by essentially creating and promoting his own dialect of Glommish (which eventually turned into modern American Glommish dialects) -- he was a scholar of Germanic philology and invented coinages based on Old English and Old Dutch; he also published a dictionary of the ancient Langobardic language

Orthography

Native script

Glommish today uses an alphabetic writing system inspired by the Arabic script, written from right to left but with a Latin aesthetic. It was devised by Andrie Hóchenhym.

There was a traditional Roman orthography which was historically used in Italy; spelling was very unsystematic and there were sometimes many different glyphs for the same sound (for instance, at least five different glyphs are attested for þ), and vice versa (e.g. final -i mostly denoted both palatalization and -ie, but -ie was sometimes written -ii for disambiguation). In North Africa, the most common writing system for Glommish was the Arabic abjad. Today, the latter is used for ceremonial purposes.

Phonology

Glommish phonology is characterized by retroflexion and pairs of hard (unpalatalized) and soft (palatalized) consonants. Palatalization is as strong as in Russian in the traditional pronunciation of Glommish.

Consonants

Labial Dental Alveolar Postalveolar Velar Glottal
hard soft hard soft hard soft soft hard
Nasal m m n n ng ŋ
Stop voiceless p p t cz k k (ʔ)
voiced b b d d
Fricative voiceless f f þ θ~ð þь θʲ~ðʲ s s sz ʃ chь, hь ç ch x h h
voiced v v z z ż ʒ g ɣ
Resonant l ɫ r ɾ j j

/tʃ, ʒ, ʃ/ are soft alternants of /k, ɣ, x/ in native Glommish. /kʲ, ts, tsʲ/ are mainly found in foreign loans.

Voiceless stops are unaspirated, as in Dutch. (In New York they are aspirated the same way as in American English.)

Orthographical notes:

  • The ь is replaced with an i when followed by a vowel (the i is pronounced as palatalization).
  • The soft sign ь and the palatalizing i soften every consonant in the cluster that precede it by default. (However, consonants do not soften before cz, ż, sz, and velars k, g, ch do not soften.) The hard sign ъ prevents the softening of consonants to the left of the hard sign.
Notes
  • Regressive voicing assimilation occurs in clusters of two or more obstruents, as in Slavic: tiúsdag 'Tuesday' is pronounced as if it were spelled tiúzdag.
  • Hard /θ/ is strongly velarized [θˠ~ðˠ]; soft /θʲ/ may be unpalatalized [θ~ð]. The voiced allophones are used when /θʲ/ is not in the onset of a stressed syllable.
  • Hard /ɾ/ is generally a velarized retroflex approximant or flap. It retroflexes /n t̪ d s/ that follow it, as in Swedish and Norwegian; when this retroflexion happens, it compensatorily lengthens the preceding vowel.
  • Soft /rʲ/ may be [r̝] like Czech ř. The Czech-ř pronunciation predominates in Connecticut and is often known as þe konetekatske żírь 'the Connecticut buzz'.
  • For younger speakers of Glommish in New York, the distinction between non-palatalized and palatalized is neutralized in labials and alveolars, except for labials before back vowels where palatalized labials become /Cj/: biar ik [bjaɹ ɪk~bjɛɹ ɪk] 'I carry' vs. bierier þú [bɛɹəɹ ðʊ] 'you carry'. Furthermore, palatalized t d n are pronounced as in Polish ć dź ń, /ʃ ʒ/ are pronoounced as /ʂ ʐ/, and non-palatalized v is pronounced /w/.

Vowels

There are five phonemic vowel qualities with length. y can be considered the non-palatalizing allophone of í.

Front Central Back
short long short long short long
Close i /ɪ/ í /iː/ (y /ɨi/) u /ʊ/ ú /uː/
Mid e /ɛ/ é /eː/ (e [ə]) o /ɔ/ ó /oː/
Open a /a/ á /ɑː/

Word-initially i and í are pronounced [jɪ] and [jiː].

  • Short u lengthens to /u:/ after soft consonants in younger New York Glommish.
  • In younger NY Glommish, /a/ is [æ] except after a soft consonant, where it becomes [ɛ] or [jɛ].

Dialects

Different Glommish dialects mainly vary in grammar and vocabulary, and extent of English influence.

  • Connecticut Glommish
  • New York Glommish
    • Younger New York Glommish (not quite an English accent of Glommish, it underwent its own peculiar changes)
  • a Glommish-English creole

Morphology

Nouns

Like German, Glommish has 4 cases (kázuse or fále):

  • Nominative (nominatív, forfál)
  • Accusative (akuzatív, fanfál)
  • Dative (datív, famfál)
  • Genitive (żenitív, fizfál)

However, nominative and accusative are only distinguished in pronouns. There are two genders (kundien), masculine (mánlik) and feminine (pienlik); the neuter has merged with the masculine.

  • The dative plural always ends in -em.
  • The genitive plural always ends in -en.
  • For the masculine genitive singular, -es is used if the final consonant is t, d, s, z, þ or their soft counterparts. Otherwise -s is used.
  • Nouns with a -n plural are almost always either feminine or -n-stem masculine.

Articles

Glommish uses the indefinite article a and the definite article þe. Due to historical Arabic influence, Glommish uses the definite article the same way Arabic does: nonspecific nouns take the definite article, unlike in English.

  • Mir davienь þá amblen 'I like almonds (in general)'
  • Ik ví amblen 'I want almonds (specific indefinite plural noun)'
  • Ik ví þá amblen 'I want the almonds (specific definite)'
Definite article
case singular plural
m. f.
nom. þe þá þá
dat. þem þier; þím (inanimate, Connecticut dialectal) þím
gen. þes þier þier


Indefinite article
case singular
m. f.
nom. an ne
dat. nem ner; nem (inanimate, Connecticut dialectal)
gen. nes ner


þiz 'this'
case singular plural
m. f.
nom. þiz þize þize
dat. þizem þizer; þizem (inanimate, Connecticut dialectal) þizem
gen. þizes þizer þizer

Declined likewise are:

  • jín 'that'
  • ál 'all'
  • ylьk 'one's respective'
  • the possessive determiners mín; þín; is; jar; unsier, unsь-; úrer, úr-; jar; sín

Masculine consonant nouns

The genitive plural -n was generalized from masculine n-stem nouns.

vulf (m.) 'wolf'
Case Singular Plural
Nominative þe vulf þá vulfe
Dative þem vulfie þím vulfem
Genitive þes vulfs þier vulfen


bazь (m.) 'berry'
Case Singular Plural
Nominative þe bazь þá bazie
Dative þem bazie þím baziem
Genitive þes bazies þier bazien


sun (m.) 'son'
Case Singular Plural
Nominative þe sun þá sunie
Dative þem sunie þím suniem
Genitive þes suns þier sunien

n-stems

Declined like attributive adjectives. These nouns are masculine, except for nominalized feminine adjectives.

name (m.) 'name'
Case Singular Plural
Nominative þe name þá namen
Dative þem namenь þím namem
Genitive þes namenь þier namen

Also: andie 'end', ave 'river', biare 'bear', fytie 'wheat', hiarte 'heart', knave 'servant', mage 'throat', óge 'eye', óre 'ear', szúe 'sky', ukse 'ox', yriene 'copper'. [ave can also be declined like a feminine noun.]

Arabic nisba names and some Latin and Greek -ō names become n-stems, like Elь-Ferábí, Elь-Ferábíenь 'Al-Farabi', Niare, Niarenь 'Nero', and Apóle, Apólenь 'Apollo'. Feminine Latin and Greek -ō names use the weak feminine declension instead: Júne, Júne, Júner 'Juno'.

Feminine nouns

This declension type is always feminine in modern Glommish, arising from a mixture of Proto-Germanic ō-stems and weak feminine stems. Nouns with certain suffixes like -eng (deverbal noun) or -hyd (abstract noun) and loanwords that were feminine in the source language also belong in this class.

naze (f.) 'nose'
Case Singular Plural
Nominative þá naze þá nazen
Dative þier naze þím nazem
Genitive þier nazer þier nazen


miark (f.) 'girl'
Case Singular Plural
Nominative þá miark þá miarken
Dative þier miark þím miarkem
Genitive þier miarker þier miarken


óre (f.) 'clock'
Case Singular Plural
Nominative þá óre þá óren
Dative þier óre þím órem
Genitive þier órer þier óren

Note: not to be confused with the masculine n-stem noun þe óre 'ear'.


starcze (f.) 'strength, starch'
Case Singular Plural
Nominative þá starcze þá starczen
Dative þier starcze þím starczem
Genitive þier starczer þier starczen


útriakneng (f.) 'bottom line, result'
Case Singular Plural
Nominative þá útriakneng þá útriaknengen
Dative þier útriakneng þím útriaknengem
Genitive þier útriaknenger þier útriaknengen


hond (f.) 'hand'
Case Singular Plural
Nominative þá hond þá hondien
Dative þier hond þím hondiem
Genitive þier hondier þier hondien

Grab bag

mánsьk (m.) 'human'
Case Singular Plural
Nominative þe mánsьk þá liúdie
Dative þem mánsьkenь þím liúdiem
Genitive þes mánsьkenь þier liúdien
mán (m.) 'man'
Case Singular Plural
Nominative þe mán þá mánier
Dative þem mánie þím mánem
Genitive þes máns þier mánen


r-stem: fadier (m.) 'father'
Case Singular Plural
Nominative þe fadier þá fadrie
Dative þem fadrie þím fadriem
Genitive þes fadiers þier fadrien

Also: bráþier 'brother'.

r-stem: mádier (f.) 'mother'
Case Singular Plural
Nominative þá mádier þá mádrien
Dative þier mádier þím mádriem
Genitive þier mádrier þier mádrien

Also: sviestier 'sister', duchtier 'daughter'.

Adjectives

Declension

Predicative adjectives use the bare stem. Like all non-Anglic Germanic languages, Glommish preserves the distinction between strong and weak adjectives.

Weak declension for hard-stem adjectives
case singular plural
nom. þe hóche mán
þá hóche piane
þá hóchen mánier
þá hóchen pianen
dat. þem hóchenь mánie
þier hóchenь piane
þím hóchem mánem
þím hóchem pianem
gen. þes hóchenь máns
þier hóchenь pianer
þier hóchen mánen
þier hóchen pianen
Strong declension for hard-stem adjectives
case singular plural
nom. an hóche mán
ne hóche piane
hóche mánier
hóche pianen
dat. nem hóchem mánie
ner hócher piane
hóchem mánem
hóchem pianem
gen. nes/þes hóches máns
ner/þier hócher pianer
hócher mánen
hócher pianen

Soft-stem adjectives such as skónь 'beautiful' are declined similarly.

Attributive declension for soft-stem adjectives
case singular plural
nom. skónie skónien
dat. skónienь skóniem
gen. skónienь skónien

Bare attributive adjectives are sometimes used as nouns.

Degree

The comparative and superlative are formed with the suffixes -ier and -ьst (k, g, ch + -ьst > -czest, -żest, -szest; cz, ż, sz + -ьst > -czest, -żest, -szest; d/t/z/s + -ьst > d/t/z/s + -iest): svát, svátier, svátiest 'sweet, sweeter, sweetest'.

Predicate forms for superlatives are rare: usually þe/þá X-ste is used predicatively. Example: Mín tat isь þe baste = 'My dad is the best'. When used adverbially, superlatives use -ьst.

Other degree words:

svinþ = 'very'

= 'too'

jám X als = 'as X as'

X-ier nisь = 'more X than'

þe/þá X-ьste av = 'the most X of'

þe/þá ál-X-ьste or þe/þá X-ьste av álem = 'the most X of all'

miénier X = 'less X'

miénьst X = 'least X'

There are a few irregular adjectives, which are listed in the table below.

Meaning Positive Comparative Superlative
"good" gád, vial (adv.) batier baste
"bad (ill-behaved, evil)" druk viszer (expected **virsier) viszte (expected **virьste)
"much, many" miczel, micz (not declined) myr (not declined) myste
"few, little" (not declined) miénier (not declined) miénьste

is used for both count and non-count nouns; Et finsь fó hupie. 'There is little hope.'

Pronouns

Personal

The 2pl úr is also used as a polite 2nd person pronoun.

The neuter pronoun et survives as a dummy pronoun: þídech riagnedie et 'Today it rained'.

case 1sg. 2sg. (familiar) 3sg. 1du. 2du. 1pl. 2pl. 3pl. reflexive impersonal interrogative
m. f.
nom. ik þú er bit it bír úr - sum for
acc. mik þik jan í ump imp unsь ú í sik sumen fan
dat. mir (pronounced mír) þir (pronounced þír) jam jar; ím (inanimate, Connecticut dialectal) ump imp unsь ú ím sir (pronounced sír) sume fam
gen. mín þín jazer jarer umpier impier unsier úrer jarer sín sín fizer

The form bír comes from earlier vír which assimilated to the verb ending -em in inverted constructions: jatem bír 'we eat' < *jatem vír.

The impersonal pronoun sum in the nominative case can be used as the 1st person plural in impersonal speech: Sum gáþ! 'Let's go!' (lit. one goes)

In high register, genitive pronouns can be used as postposed possessive pronouns for indefinite nouns: Ik kánie 'n fríend jazer. 'I know a friend of his.' This is usually Ik kánie 'n fríend av jam.

Possessive pronouns

To form possessive pronouns, "determiner" endings are added to the genitive of the personal pronouns; the stems of unsier and úrer become unsь- and úr- when a suffix is added. The reflexive sín is used to refer to a third person subject in the same clause, while jaz or jar refer to 3rd person subjects other than the subject.

Possessive pronouns in predicative position are the masculine nominative form of the pronoun: Þe siag isь unsier! 'Victory is ours!'

Possessive pronouns
case singular plural
m. f.
nom. mín
þín
sín
jaz
jar
unsier
úrer
fiz
míne
þíne
síne
jaze
jare
unsie
úre
fize
míne
þíne
síne
jaze
jare
unsie
úre
fize
dat. mínem
þínem
sínem
jazem
jarem
unsiem
úrem
fizem
míner
þíner
síner
jazer
jarer
unsier
úrer
fizer
mínem
þínem
sínem
jazem
jarem
unsiem
úrem
fizem
gen. míns
þíns
síns
jazes
jares
unsies
úres
fizes
míner
þíner
síner
jazer
jarer
unsier
úrer
fizer
míner
þíner
síner
jazer
jarer
unsier
úrer
fizer

Demonstrative

  • þiz = this; jín = that
  • þat = (anaphoric) that
  • for, fan, fam = who; fiz = whose; fat = what
  • fanь = when
  • = how; = like this/that, so, thus
  • fár = where; hiér = here; þár = there
  • fanьs, hienьs, þanьs = from where, from here, from there
  • fidier, hidier, þadier = to where, to here, to there
  • fár + preposition = where- + preposition; hiér + preposition = here- + preposition; þár + preposition = there- + preposition
  • fárup = why
  • filьk = which
  • salьk = such; like this, that (attributive)
  • ylьk = (one's) respective (cognate with English each)
    • Álmán háþ ylьke probliámen. = Everyone has their own problems.
    • Sum skál liáten ú biaren riaknes up úrem ylьkem biedrívengem. = Each of you will be held accountable for your own actions.
  • ál = all, every
  • byþe, byþem, byþer = both
  • álþiéng, álmán = everything, everyone
  • kniét, kniétfilьk = some (non-specific); any, arbitrary
    • Furь kniét x, finьs et an y, salьk þat... = 'For any x, there exists a y, such that...'
  • kniétfat, kniétfor, kniétfár... = something, someone, somewhere (non-specific); anything, anyone, anywhere [< *ik ne wait hwat 'I don't know what' etc.]
  • jeþich = some (specific)
  • jeþfat, jeþmán, ... = something, someone (specific)
  • nýþiéng, nýmán = nothing, no one
  • ynfat, ynmán = (not) anything, anyone

Adpositions

Prepositions taking both the dative and the accusative

When governing the dative, these prepositions indicate location; when governing the accusative they indicate destination.

  • afte = after
  • án = (high register) on, upon; to, unto
  • biefur = before, in front of
  • yr = before (temporally)
  • at = at, by, next to
    • Ik stande at þier stráte. = I'm on the street.
    • Ik gá at þier stráte. = I walk on the street.
    • Ik gá at þá stráte. = I walk towards the street.
  • in = in
    • in þem > im
  • siúþen = after
  • uvier = over
  • up = on
  • út = outside of, out of

Prepositions taking the accusative

  • furь = for
  • gaszt = towards
  • sunder = without
  • þruch = through
  • um = around
  • viþ = against

Prepositions taking the dative

  • av = off, from
  • = of, at, in, also used like German bei to indicate 'at someone's place'
  • mid (pronounced mi before þ) = with
    • mid þem > mim
  • ta = to
    • ta + þem, þier > tam, tar
  • úter = except

Prepositions taking the genitive

  • atstad = instead of
  • saker = because of
  • fíler = during

Verbs

Verbs have undergone some simplifications. For example:

  • The present subjunctive only survives in 3rd person imperatives.
  • The past subjunctive has disappeared as a distinct form except viárie 'were, would be' and żenie 'would'. Modal verbs often use the past form for the past subjunctive.

The standalone negator nie/nié and negative verb forms with n- (from Proto-Germanic *ne) remain in use in poetry:

  • ní-, nilien: negative of ví-, vilien (cf. English willy-nilly, from will he, nill he)
  • niém, niér, nisь: negative of jém, jér, isь
  • niét: negative of vyt

Weak verbs

For the past dental suffix -ti- is added if the stem ends in a voiceless consonant (other than t(i) or d(i)); -edi- is added if the stem ends in a t(i) or d(i) or a hard consonant other than k, g, ch; -di- is added otherwise (lióvedie is pronounced lióvъdie, though). Past participles are similar, with -d or -t.

Hard weak
lióven 'to love'
tense ik þú er/sí bír úr
present lióve lióver lióveþ lióvem lióveþ lióvenь
past lióvedie lióvedie lióvedie lióvediem lióvedieþ lióvedienь
imperative - lióv! / lióve! lióve er! lióvem! lióveþ! lióvenь sí!
present participle lióvend
past participle gelióved

Other examples: maken 'make', lirnen 'learn'

Soft weak
varmien 'to warm'
tense ik þú er/sí bír úr
present indicative varmie varmier varmieþ varmiem varmieþ varmienь
past varmiedie varmiedie varmiedie varmiediem varmiedieþ varmiedienь
imperative - varmь! / varmie! varmie er! varmiem! varmieþ! varmienь sí!
present participle varmiend
past participle gevarmied

Other examples: ámlien 'work'; hórien 'hear'; lyrien 'teach'; sażen 'say'; ertalien 'tell, recount'; ránien 'execute, set into motion'; ferránien 'to perform, to commit'; bránien 'burn (transitive)'; lażen 'lay'; vunszen 'wish'

Some verbs with velar/palatal stems, e.g. brinżen, bráchtie, gebrácht 'bring'; bużen, buchtie, gebucht 'buy'; þanczen, þáchtie, geþácht - 'think' form a small subclass of soft stem thematic verbs.

Strong verbs

non-palatalized/palatalized messed up strong verbs a bit.

Strong class 1
bíten 'to bite'
tense ik þú er/sí bír úr
present bíte bítier bítieþ bítem bíteþ bítenь
past bit bit bit bitem biteþ bitenь
imperative - bítь! / bítie! bíte er! bítem! bíteþ! bítenь sí!
present participle bítend
past participle gebiten

Also: színen, szin, geszinen 'shine', dríven, driv, gedriven 'act', klíven, kliv, gekliven 'stick, cling', smíten, smit, gesmiten 'kill', vríten, vrit, gevriten 'write', vríþen, vriþ, gevriþen 'weave'.

Strong class 2
czúzen 'to choose'
tense ik þú er/sí bír úr
present czúze czúzier czúzieþ czúzem czúzeþ czúzenь
past czór czór czór czórem czóreþ czórenь
imperative - czúzь! / czúzie! czúze er! czúzem! czúzeþ! czúzenь sí!
present participle czúzend
past participle geczuren

Also: biúden, biód, gebiuden 'offer, bid', biúgen, bióg, gebiugen 'bow', fliúgen, flióg, gefliugen 'fly', fliún, flió, geflióen 'flee, escape', friúzen, friór, gefriuren 'freeze', liúzen, liór, geliuren 'lose'

Strong class 3
binden 'to tie, to bind'
tense ik þú er/sí bír úr
present binde bindier bindieþ bindem bindeþ bindenь
past biand biand biand biandem biandeþ biandenь
imperative - bindь! / bindie! binde er! bindem! bindeþ! bindenь sí!
present participle bindend
past participle gebiunden

Also: bieżénen, bieżán, bieżónen 'begin'; briénen, brián, gebriónen 'burn (intransitive)'; drinken, driank, gedriunken 'drink'; finden, fiand, gefiunden 'find'; grinden, griand, gegriunden 'grind'; riénen, rián, geriónen 'flow, run'; springen, spriang, gespriungen 'jump, burst, explode'; simben, siamb, gesiumben 'sing'; þrimben, þriamb, geþriumben 'compel'.

Strong class 4

In Glommish, Proto-Germanic class 3b strong verbs have merged with class 4 strong verbs.

biaren 'to carry'
tense ik þú er/sí bír úr
present biare bierier bierieþ biarem biareþ biarenь
past biár biár biár biárem biárþ biárenь
imperative - bierь! / bierie! biare er! biarem! biareþ! biarenь sí!
present participle biarend
past participle gebiuren

Also: gebiaren, gebiár, gebiuren 'give birth', briaken, briák, gebriuken 'break', niamen, niám, geniumen 'take', piamen, piám, gepiumen 'come', driasken, driásk, gedriusken 'thresh', stiarven, stiárv, gestiurven 'long (for)', sviaren, sviár, gesviuren 'swear', viarpen, viárp, geviurpen 'throw', biangen, biáng, gebiungen 'to fear' spriaken, spriák, gespriuken 'to speak'

Strong class 5

Strong class 5 merges completely with strong class 6. The only difference is the softness of the initial consonant.

żaven 'to give'
tense ik þú er/sí bír úr
present żave żevier żevieþ żavem żaveþ żavenь
past żáv żáv żáv żávem żáveþ żávenь
imperative - żevь! / żevie! żave er! żavem! żaveþ! żavenь sí!
present participle żavend
past participle geżaven

Also: driapen, driáp, gedriapen 'hit', ferżaten, ferżát, ferżaten 'forget', liazen, liáz, geliazen 'read', jaten, ját, gejaten 'eat'. The verb sión, siáv, gesión 'see' is irregular. There are also the j-present verbs bidien, biád, gebiaden 'beg, pray', lieżen, liág, geliagen 'lie'

Strong class 6
graven 'to dig'
tense ik þú er/sí bír úr
present grave gravier gravieþ gravem graveþ gravenь
past gráv gráv gráv grávem gráveþ grávenь
imperative - gravь! / gravie! grave er! gravem! graveþ! gravenь sí!
present participle gravend
past participle gegraven

Also: slagen, slág, geslagen 'to beat, to hit', standen, stánd, gestanden 'stand', vaksen, váks, gevaksen 'grow', vasken, vásk, gevasken 'wash'.

Strong class 7

halden, hyld, halden - to hold

fálen, fyl, fálen - to fall

liáten, lít, liáten - to let

sliápen, slíp, sliápen - to sleep

biegrán, biegry, biegrán - to become

Other strongs
ándie 'would like'
tense ik þú er/sí bír úr
past subjunctive - - ándie - - ándienь

This defective verb from Proto-Germanic *unnaną 'to grant' is only used in the past subjunctive, for example in construction Mir ándie... 'I would like...'.

Preterite-present verbs

viten 'to know'
viten 'to know'
tense ik þú er/sí bír úr
present vyt vyt vyt vitem viteþ vitenь
past vistie vistie vistie vistiem vistieþ vistienь
imperative - vyt! / vyte! vite er! vitem! viteþ! vitenь sí!
present participle vitend
past participle gevist
kónen 'can, be able to'
kónen 'can'
tense ik þú er/sí bír úr
present kán kán kán kónem kóneþ kónenь
past kóndie kóndie kóndie kóndiem kóndieþ kóndienь

Similarly skólen 'shall' (skóldie 'should'),

þurven 'to have to'
þurven 'to have to'
Tempus ik þú er/sí bír úr
present þarv þarv þarv þurvem þurveþ þurvenь
past þurvdie þurvdie þurvdie þurvdiem þurvdieþ þurvdienь
dóren 'dare'
dóren 'dare'
tense ik þú er/sí bír úr
present dóre dórer dóreþ dórem dóreþ dórenь
past durstie durstie durstie durstiem durstieþ durstienь

The present has regularized. The past/conditional tense is still irregular from common use:

  • Fí durstie þú... = How dare you...
  • Ik durstь yncz erbaren þá anfer. = I wouldn't dare reveal the answer.
mogen 'may, have a possibility of'
mogen 'have a possibility of'
tense ik þú er/sí bír úr
present mag mag mag mogem mogeþ mogenь
subjunctive moge moger moge mogem mogeþ mogenь
past mochtie mochtie mochtie mochtiem mochtieþ mochtienь

The subjunctive of mogen can be used for wishes like English may:

  • Moge unsie usre niamen gevíszt mid tróst = May our family be blessed with security
máten 'be permitted to'
máten 'be permitted to'
tense ik þú er/sí bír úr
present mát mát mát mátem máteþ mátenь
past mástie mástie mástie mástiem mástieþ mástienь
vín 'want'
vín 'want'
tense ik þú er/sí bír úr
present vím víþ vínь
past vildie vildie vildie vildiem vildieþ vildienь

Other irregular verbs

bión 'be'
bión 'to be'
tense ik þú er/sí bír úr
present jém jér isь sim siþ sinь
past vaz vast vaz viárem viáreþ viárenь
past subjunctive viárie viárie viárie viáriem viárieþ viárienь
imperative - bió! bió er! bióm! bióþ! biónь sí!
present participle biónd
past participle geviáren
dán 'do'
dán 'to do'
tense ik þú er/sí bír úr
present dár dáþ dám dáþ dánь
past dié diést dié diém diéþ diénь
imperative - dá! dá er! dám! dáþ! dánь sí!
present participle dánd
past participle gedán
gán 'go, (future tense auxiliary)'
gán 'to go, (future tense auxiliary)'
tense ik þú er/sí bír úr
present gár gáþ gám gáþ gánь
past indicative żang żang żang żangem żangeþ żangenь
past subjunctive1 żenie żenie żenie żeniem żenieþ żenienь
imperative - gá! gá er! gám! gáþ! gánь sí!
present participle gánd
past participle geżangen

1 Grammaticalized as a counterfactual marker.

Also: fán, fiang, gefiangen - to get, to obtain

Syntax

Glommish word order is V2 but is more similar to Icelandic than German. German-style SOV is considered poetic.

Fanь ik jém már, ví ik biegrán ne lyriernie.
When I grow up, I want to become a teacher.
(German: Wenn ich groß bin, will ich Lehrerin werden.)

Pronoun objects precede infinitives; nominal objects follow them.

Sí kán fádien þe map. / Sí kán jan fádien.
She can feed the boy. / She can feed him.
(German: Sie kann den Jungen ernähren. / Sie kann ihn ernähren.)

Dative pronouns bind more tightly to ditransitive verbs than accusative pronouns:

Ik [[żave jam] jan]. / Ik kán [jan [jam żaven]]. / Ik kán [[jam żaven] þe kempiúter].
I'm giving it to him. / I can give it to him. / I can give him the computer.
(German: Ich gebe ihn ihm. / Ich kann ihn ihm geben. / Ich kann ihm den Computer geben.)

In modern Glommish, phrasal verbs are always separated, except in derived agent and verbal nouns. Colloquial Glommish does so even in agent and verbal nouns derived with -erь and -eng, using the borrowed English construction VERB-erь/-eng PREP-erь/-eng (cf. English fixer-upper). Only the second suffix takes declension inflection.

húżen út
'to express'
úthúżeng
'expression'
húżeng-úteng
(colloquial) 'expressing'

Negation

The negative particle is yncz (pronounced /ɪnʃ/ or /ənʃ/) and has the same syntax as nicht in German independent clauses.

Drincz þe vater yncz, er isь fúl!
Don't drink the water, it's dirty!

Possession

Usually the genitive is placed after the noun: þá żáve míns fadiers 'my father's gift', but genitive before noun is acceptable too when the noun is definite and animate: míns fadiers żáve.

For "have", in addition to using hán 'to have' like other Germanic languages, one can use an Arabic-influenced construction At mir sinь tvy sunie. "I have two sons."

The construction "et finsь" (there is) can take nominative or accusative objects.

Passive

The passive can be formed by using either piamen 'to come' or niamen 'to take', followed by the past participle of the verb. The two choices of auxiliary are in free variation.

For example, Þe káke piám jaten. or Þe káke niám jaten. means 'The cake was eaten.'

Or, one may use the impersonal pronoun sum as the subject. This is used when the object is behind a preposition and hence the verb cannot be passivized.

Simple tenses

Simple present

The simple present denotes habitual actions or generally true facts, like the English simple present. It can also used for future events.

Ik biange mik av nadrem.
I'm afraid of snakes.

Simple past

The simple past is like the English simple past. Except for common short verbs like bión 'to be', hán 'to have' or gán 'to go', and auxiliaries, it's used mostly in New York Glommish, especially by younger speakers.

Imperative

Exactly what it says on the tin.

Compound tenses

Progressive

Progressive tenses denote ongoing actions. An Irish-like construction is used: the auxiliary bión is used (which carries the tense), and the lexical verb becomes at 'at' + infinitive. In formal Glommish, the direct object of the verb takes the genitive.

  • Ik jém at jaten þe apel. "I am eating the apple."
  • Þe hund vaz at þróten jan. "The dog was threatening him."
  • Ik jém þárat. "I'm doing it; I'm on it."

Perfect

The perfect is used like the English perfect; it uses the auxiliary hán + past participle. In modern Glommish there's a tendency to use the perfect where normative Glommish would use the simple past; this is especially true of Connecticut Glommish.

  • Ik há gejaten þe apel. "I have eaten the apple"; in Connecticut Glommish also "I ate the apple"

Future

Clauses

Conjunctions

  • end = and
  • = or
  • nierь = but
  • þóch = although
  • fanь = when
  • þá, als (literary) = when
  • ydier... oþ... = either... or...
  • niádier... nok... = neither... nor...
  • þiersak = because
  • þat = that (can be used with moge + infinitive (present) or mochtie + infinitive (past) for purpose clauses)
    • Ik biesmulte et, þat anþere mogen ferstanden. = 'I'm explaining it so that others may understand.'
    • Ik biesmultedie et, þat anþere mochtien ferstanden. = 'I explained it so that others might understand.'
  • iv = if (used for conditions that could be true)
  • sadь = if (used for counterfactual conditions)
  • þánь = then
  • nisь = than
  • þus = so, thus
  • als = as
  • viedier X oþ Y = Both X and Y
  • sáls = like
  • alsá = thus, therefore

Relative clauses

Glommish relative clauses use the relativizer þat, and a resumptive pronoun when the head is in an oblique argument. This resumptive pronoun structure is from Arabic influence.

The þár- words are used for prepositional objects that are inanimates; the personal pronouns are used for animates.

  • Þá piane þat ik żáv jar fáde þankedie mir. = 'The woman I gave food to thanked me.' (lit. the woman that I gave her food)
    • Or: Þá piane jar ik żáv fáde þankedie mir.
  • þe urd þat ik rián þárav or þe urd þárav ik rián = 'the place I ran from'

Indirect speech

Indirect speech matches the tense of the clause it's embedded in, unlike in German and like in English (due to past Italian influence). Below, the sentences on the left have the same meaning as their corresponding sentences on the right.

Direct speech

Er sażeþ, "Ik há nýn żald."
He says, "I have no money."
Er sażdie, "Ik há nýn żald."
He said, "I have no money."
Er sażeþ, "Ik hádie nýn żald."
He says, "I had no money."
Er sażdie, "Ik hádie nýn żald."
He said, "I have no money."'

Indirect speech

Er sażeþ þat er háþ nýn żald.
He says he doesn't have money.
Er sażdie þat er hádie nýn żald.
He said he didn't have money.
Er sażeþ þat er hádie nýn żald.
He says he didn't have money.
Er sażdie þat er hádie gehád nýn żald.
He said he hadn't had money.


Inverted "if" clause

Like in German.

Exclamatory inversion

Brá, isь aldyrьsk ogel!
Boy, is Old Irish complicated!

Numbers

0-10: nól, yn, tvy, þrí, fiór, finf, siaks, siém, acht, nión, tién /no:l, ɨːn, tvɨː, θʲrʲiː, fʲoːr, fʲɪnf, sʲaks, sʲe:m, axt, nʲoːn, tʲeːn/

11-19: ylьf, tvalьf, þrítién, fiórъtién, finfъtién, siaksъtién, siefъtién, achtién, nióntién /ɨːlʲɪf, tvalʲɪf, θʲrʲiːtʲeːn, fʲoːrtʲeːn, fʲɪnftʲeːn, sʲakstʲeːn, sʲɛftʲeːn, axtʲeːn, nʲoːnʲtʲeːn/

20-90: tvyntich, þrítich, ... achtich, nióntich /tvɨːnʲtʲɪx, etc./

21, 22, ...: yn-án-tvyntich, tvy-án-tvyntich, ...

100: hunderþ /hʊndərθ/

Ordinal numbers are formed with -te or -þe (weak declension): nólþe, yrste, tvyþe, þridie, fiórþe, finfþe, ...

When they do not modify nouns, plural numerals tvy, þrí, fiór, ... have genitive forms tvyer, þríer, fiórer, ..., and dative forms tvym, þríem, fiórem, ....

This is how numerals modify plural nouns:

  • Nominative: tvy þinge 'two things'; þá tvy þinge 'the two things'
  • Dative: tvy þingem; tvym þingem (formal); þím tvy þingem
  • Genitive: tvyer þingen; þier tvy þingen

Vocabulary

A sentence made entirely of Celtic vocabulary (except function words and derivational affixes):

Þe ódiche map isь at ferbytren þe máre ave. = The terrible boy is traversing the big river.

Derivational morphology

  • -ъ- is often used in compound words.
  • bie-: "be-", forms applicatives
  • -bier: '-able'
  • -czen (m): diminutive
    • þe kotczen 'kitten' < þe kot 'cat'
  • -dám (m): "-dom"
    • kuniengdám = kingdom
    • þe júdendám = Judaism
  • end-: 'de-, dis-'
    • endyren: 'dishonor'
  • er-: telic
  • fer-: "for-"
  • fur-: "fore-"
  • -fól: "-ful"
    • fóliefól: "complete" < fólie 'fullness; fill'
  • ge-: intensifies a verb or derives an adverb; collective nouns
    • A false example: geliór ('galore', from Irish go leor)
  • -hyd /-iːd/: -ness, -hood
    • sialvhyd: 'identity'
  • -ich: "-y"; forms adjectives of the form '[adj]-[noun]ed'
    • ynóżich: 'one-eyed' < yn 'one' + óge 'eye'
    • kaldhiertich: 'coldhearted'
  • -iel: forms nouns
    • þe lapiel: 'spoon'
    • þe katiel: 'kettle'
  • -izen: "-ize", from PGmc -isōną
  • -elen: "-le", German -eln (frequentative verbs)
  • -lóz: "-less"
    • andielóz: 'endless' < þe andie 'end'
  • -ling (m): "-ling"
  • -lik: "-ly"; forms adjectives from noun
    • dażlik 'daily' < þe dag 'day'
    • vurdlik 'literal' < þe vurd 'word'
  • mis-: "mis-"
    • misdiád: "misdeed, misdemeanor"
  • -nes (f; pl. -nesen): forms nouns from verbs
  • -nie: feminine suffix
    • þá lyriernie 'teacher (female)' < þe lyrierь 'teacher'
    • þá fuksnie 'vixen' < þe fuks 'fox'
  • sam-: equi-, con-, together
  • -sam: "-some"
    • ynsam 'lonely' < yn 'one'
    • gefiársam 'dangerous' < þá gefiár 'danger'
    • vysam 'woeful' < þe vy 'woe'
  • -sk: "-ish"
  • -skapie: "-ship", forms collective nouns for groups of people
    • simbskapie = chorus
  • tier-: German zer-
  • -tórь, -tórnie (from Italian -tore)
    • kompozitórь 'composer'
  • tví-: "twi-"
  • un-: "un-" (negation or opposite)
    • þá unróe 'unrest, unease'
  • ur-
    • þe urdylь 'decision' < dylь 'part'
  • -eng/-ieng: forms nouns from verbs
    • þá sriáleng 'radiation' < sriálen 'shine, radiate'
    • þá hytieng 'heating' < hytien 'to heat'
  • -eríe = -ery, -erei

Phrasebook

  • Czáv! = hello, goodbye
    • Czáv þir! (informal AND to one person)
    • Czáv ú! (formal OR to more than one person)
  • Gáde murgen/dag/jévend/nachtь! = 'Good morning/afternoon/evening/night!'
  • Vilьpiumen! = 'Welcome!'
  • óntú (formal OR to more than one person) / ónþir (informal AND to one person) = 'please' (lit. may it please you/if it pleases you)
  • Þank! = 'Thank you!'
  • Rió isь mir. = 'I'm sorry.'
  • Rió'sь. = 'Sorry.'
  • Fí hyteþ úr? = 'What is your name?'
  • Ik hyte ... = 'My name is ...'
  • Fí isь þín/úrer mád? = 'How are you?' (lit. What is your state?)
  • Fanьs piemier þú? / Fanьs piameþ úr? = 'Where are you from?'
  • Ik piame av... = 'I'm from ...'
    • Anglandie. = 'England'.
    • Glómsьklandie. = 'Thedeland.'
    • Yrielandie. = 'Ireland.'
    • Kamberlandie. = 'Wales.'
  • Sprieczer þú / Spriakeþ úr ... = 'Do you speak ...'
    • ... angelьsk? = '... English?'
    • ... þiúsk? = '... German?'
    • ... niþerlandьsk? = '... Dutch?'
    • ... itálьsk? = '... Italian?'
    • ... griéczk? = '... Greek?'
    • ... árebьsk? = '... Arabic?'
    • ... tamierьsk? = '... Tamil?'
  • Já. = 'Yes.'
    • Já, þú mát / úr máteþ. = 'Yes, you may.'
  • Ny. = 'No.'
  • Ik spriake glómsьk yncz. = 'I can't speak Glómsьk.'
  • Mát ik ú þúten? = 'May I address you informally (i.e. using þú)?'
  • Isь þat sanþ? = 'Is that true?'
  • Mir davieþ/davenь... = 'I like... (a thing)'
  • Ik há (person) lióv = 'I like (person)'
  • Ándie þir / ú... / Ándienь þir / ú... = 'Would you like...'
  • Mir ándie... / mir ándienь... = 'I would like...'
    • Mir ándie 'n glás vatie, óntú. = 'I would like a glass of water, please.'
    • ... 'n dylь bród. 'a slice of bread.'
  • Míne hond isь in varmenь vatrie. = My hand is in warm water.
  • Mín stiúl isь in míner hond. = My pen is in my hand.
  • mín druchen/míne fróje = sir/miss (polite way to address strangers)
  • Ik lióve þik. = I love you.
  • Mát ik þik kusien? = Can I kiss you?

Names

TODO: P-Celtic, Greek, Hebrew, Latin, and Arabic names; Anglicized Glommish surnames

  • Biarhard (m.) ("bear-hard"; ~ Bernard)
  • Gardie (f.) (~ Gerðr)
  • Gyr- ("spear")
    • Gyrhard (~ Gerhard)
    • Gyrnod (~ Gernot)
    • Gyrъhildь (~ Gerhilde)
  • Hazel /hazəɫ/ (f.) ("hazel")
  • Hildie /çɪlʲdʲə/, -hildь (f.) (< hildiz "battle")
  • Kól (m.) (From a Celtic word for "hazel"; Anglicized as Cole)
  • Machtildь (f.) ("mighty in battle"; ~ Matilda, Mechthild)
  • Onlyv (m.) (~ Olaf)
  • Priten (m.) (~ Brittany)
  • Sanþie /ˈsanθʲə/ (f.) ("truth")
  • Siag- ("victory")
    • Siagfriuþ, Siaghildь, ...
  • Svyn /svɨːn/ (m.) (*swainaz "servant"; ~ Sveinn/Sven)
  • Þuner (m.) (*Þunraz)
  • Váden /vaːdən/ (m.) (~ Odin)
  • Vulf /vʊɫəf/ (m.)
  • Ibrym (~ Ibrahim)

Days of the week

  • miándag = Monday
  • tiúsdag = Tuesday
  • vánsdag = Wednesday
  • þórsdag = Thursday
  • frídag = Friday
  • sabsdag = Saturday
  • sóndag = Sunday

Elements

Elements are masculine.

  • vaterstuf = hydrogen
  • heli = helium
  • liþi = lithium
  • beriuli = Be
  • bóre = boron
  • kólstuf = carbon
  • palьstuf = nitrogen
  • súrstuf = oxygen
  • fluóri = fluorine
  • neë = neon
  • natri = sodium
  • magnézi = magnesium
  • alumini = aluminium
  • samedstuf = silicon
  • liúchtiestuf = phosphorus
  • sviál = sulfur
  • chlóri = chlorine
  • arge = argon
  • yriene = copper
  • siulver/silver = silver
  • tin = tin
  • fítgulþ = platinum
  • gulþ = gold
  • piksiulver/piksilver = mercury (element)
  • bliú = lead

Sample texts

Featured language banner

Þiz rarde vaz ynst gerichtied fur.
This language was once featured.
Þank jazer líkamfólhyder, furvichtlikhyder end ferdavlikhyder geczór sum ta richtien jan fur.
Thanks to its quality (lit. bodyfulness, i.e. concreteness), plausibility (lit. naturalness) and usage features (lit. usefulness), it has been voted as featured.

VENI, VIDI, VICI

Ik piám, ik só, ik siagdie.
I came, I saw, I conquered.

UDHR, Article 1

Álgemynie Útriádeng þier Manьskenriachten
Útgliþ 1
Ále liúdie sinь geburen frí end javen án vurþie end ánriachtem. Sí sinь bieżávd mid ferstandie end riachtkánie end þurvenь biedríven yn gaszt niávьste im andenь bráþierhyder.
[ˈɑːɫə ˈlʲu:dʲɪ sʲɪnʲ ɣəˈbʊɹən fʲɾʲiː ən ˈjavən ɑ:n ˈvuɾʲθʲɪ ən ˈɑ:nrʲæxtəm || sʲiː sʲɪnʲ bʲɪˈʒɑːvd mʲɪt fəˈʂtand ən ˈrʲæxtkɑːnʲɪ | ən ˈθˠʊɹvən bʲɪˈdʲɾʲiːvən iːn ɣaʃt ˈnʲɑːfʲstə jɪn ˈandənʲ θʲɪɹ ˈbrɑːθʲɪɹiːd]
All human beings are 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.

Schleicher's Fable

Þe száp end þá ruse

An száp þat hádie nyn vóle myr siáv ruse: yn at tiúchen an þunge vage, yn at biaren ne máre lost, end yn at snióm biaren an mánsьk. Þe száp sażdie þím rusem: "Þe hiarte isь mir syr, fanь ik sióe an mánsьk at dríven ruse án." Þá ruse sażdienь: "Lusnie, száp, unsь isь þe hiarte syr saker þiz hám bír gesióen: an mánsьk, þe druchtien, makeþ sir varmen klyþe út þier szápen vóle, end þe száp háþ niót vóle myr." Als þe száp hóriedie þiz, flióch er þruch þá miédve.

Gettysburg Address

Achtich-sieven járe isь et, after unsьre fadrie gebarenь án þizem jarþedylie ne niúe þióde, getiúszt in fríhyd, end ervíszt þier belóvneser þat ále liúdie sinь geskafen javen.

Erlkönig

For rídieþ sá lat þruch nachtь end vind?
Et isь þe fadier mid sínem czindie;
Er háþ þe map vial in þem armie,
Er fateþ jan tróstich, er haldieþ jan varm.

Wer reitet so spät durch Nacht und Wind?
Es ist der Vater mit seinem Kind;
Er hat den Knaben wohl in dem Arm,
Er fasst ihn sicher, er hält ihn warm.

Platenь Furьanfer (Plato's Apology)

Fí úr, lió Atiénierie, háþ niumen vichtied án av mínem bievráżeriem, vyt ik yncz; sá bielióvvirczend spriákenь sí, þat ik sialv hadie jénachtь ferżaten for ik viérie. Áltbieachtied hánь sí gesażd tvíls ynfat sanþes.

Súre 1: Þá Erupneng

The syntax and diction used are typical of literary, especially poetic, Glommish.

  1. Im namenь þes geniáþichenь, líchtliátichenь Gudes.
  2. Ále ráþь Gudie, áler viáldien Druchtnie,
  3. þem geniáþichenь, þem líchtliátichenь,
  4. þem im dámsdaże uvierriádendenь.
  5. Þik ályn bíriem bír, end þik ályn bidiem bír um hulpie.
  6. Lydie unsь þe sniále viag,
  7. þe viag jíner án í þú geniáþe viz, nié jíner án í þín turn geviurden isь, nieþ þier jérienden.