Bright languages

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Bright languages are constructed languages intended to be aesthetically pleasing, predictable, and stable in utterance.


Introduction

Phonology

4 vowels and 8 consonants.

Sound Laws

  • Voicing: consonants between vowels are voiced.
  • Devoicing: initial and final consonants are voiceless.
  • Lenition: if two bordering syllables/syllable portions possess the same consonant, the consonant of the weakest syllable (portion) disappears.

EX: The Adamic or Babelic forms vāl "person" and vār "people" become alp and elbë respectively in the Bright Tongue [alp instead of *palp].

  • Assimilation:

alba-alp > albabelë; silma-alp > silmemalë; ...

  • Harmony: [a > e > i] or [i > e > a]
  • Mutation: consonants extend grade until there is only one.

m/n + p -mb [extension of p]
m/n + t -nd [extension of t]
r/l + p -lb [extension of l]
r/l + t -rd [extension of r]
r/l + m = -lm [extension of m]
r/l + n = -rn [extension of n]

  • /t/ can only happen before /a/ and/or /ə/.

Because final consonants are easily lost in Typology, /r/ /l/ /m/ and /n/ always mutate

C̥VC̬VC̥

anë


[the dorsal column was deleted and the distinction of voice lost] ...plus, m and n are added and f and s lost m, l, p, b n, r, t, d

alma > almi > ilmi ilmi nae ilmi tae ilmi ae alba "people" [alp, elbë] arda "things" [art, erdë] alma "high faculties" [al, elmë] arna "emotions, sensations" [ar, ernë] amba "time" [amp, embë] anda "space" [ant, endë] - andar (anda + arda/alba) "land~kingdom", anderë "lands" ambal (amba + arda/alba) "celestial body~god", ambelë... endar tirya arni, ernyë


Velar stops such as /k/ are problematic, therefore removed. Palatalization /ku/ for example has the tendence to inevitably change to /kʷ/ and /b/, whereas /ki/ will lead to /t͡ʃi/ and /ʃi/.

Back vowels are totally erased, to contrast with dark tongues, plus to avoid the sound change /du/ > /dʷ/ > /b/

Consonants

Vowels

Prosody

Stress

Intonation

Phonotactics

Morphophonology

Morphology

Syntax

Constituent order

Noun phrase

Verb phrase

Sentence phrase

Dependent clauses

Example texts

Other resources