Ufirlandisg

Introduction

Ufirlandisg (/ˈt͡ʃjəwtʲisk/; from PGmc *þiudiskaz) is an alternate history Germanic language inspired by Mandarin and the Pfeunic language Qiāmxdier. It is spoken in the area of real-world France.

Phonology

Consonants

Consonant phonemes

		Labial		Dental/Alveolar		Palatal	Velar	Glottal
		plain	pal.	plain	pal.
Nasal		m m	mı mʲ	n n̪	nı nʲ
Stop /Affricate	tenuis	b p	bı pʲ	d t̪	dı tʲ	j tʃ	g k
	aspirated	p pʰ	pı pʲʰ	t t̪ʰ	tı tʲʰ	q tʃʰ	k kʰ
Fricative		f f	fı fʲ	s s		x ʃ		h h
Approximant	central	w w	yu ɥ	r, rı ɹ		y j
	lateral			l ɫ	lı ʎ

Jiudisg has an aspiration distinction in stops; however, the distinction is neutralized in word-final position.

When consonants written with ı is followed by a vowel, the ı is replaced with an i (except with /i/ and /iː/).

Vowels

Vowel phonemes

	Front		Central		Back
	short	long	short	long	short	long
Close	i /i/, ü /y/	ī /iː/, ǖ /yː/			u /u/	ū /uː/
Close-mid			e, (i)e, (yu)e /ə/	ē [ɘː]
Mid	(i)a, (yu)e [ɛ]	(i)ā, (yu)ē [ɛː]	[ə]	er /ɜː/		(u)ō /ɔː/
Open			a /a/	ā /aː/

Diphthongs: ai ei ao ou ar/ār ēr ier/īr/ir our/ūr/ur ür/üer/yuer /aɪ̯ eɪ̯ aʊ̯ əʊ̯ ɑə(ɹ) ɜː(ɹ) jɛə(ɹ) ɔə(ɹ) ɥœə(ɹ)/

The r-colored vowels are monophthongized like in Estuary English for younger speakers.

Morphology

Nouns

Ufirlandisg nouns have 2 numbers and 2 cases, but no grammatical gender. The endings are fairly conservative. However, there has been some conflation between different declension paradigms. The nominative has merged with the accusative, and the dative with the genitive. The genitive is thus also used as a dative: Yak gab se quanar en apel. /jak kap sə ˈtɕɥœnɑɹ ən ˈapʰəɫ/ 'I gave the woman an apple.'

The indefinite article is indeclinable: e is used before consonants and en before vowels. The definite article is likewise always se.

a-stems

Also includes the an-stem nouns (which have regularized their declension).

a-stem: dal 'valley'
Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	dal	dale
Genitive	dale	dalem

an-stem: namen 'name'
Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	namen	namne
Genitive	namne	namnem

Vowel stems

This class also includes the former ō-stems and u-stems (whose stems end in a hard consonant) and former i-stems, īn-stems and z-stems (whose stems end in a soft consonant).

ō-stem: nasa 'nose'
Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	nasa	nasar
Genitive	nasar	nasam

u-stem: xuda 'custom'
Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	xuda	xudar
Genitive	xudar	xudam

i-stem: geburjie 'birth'
Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	geburjie	geburjier
Genitive	geburjier	geburjiem

īn-stem: lanjinie 'length'
Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	lanjinie	lanjinier
Genitive	lanjinier	lanjiniem

z-stem: lambie 'lamb'
Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	lambie	lambier
Genitive	lambier	lambiem

r-stems

This class includes only these kinship terms: fadier 'father', mādier 'mother', brājier (gen. sg. brāzra) 'brother', dūtier 'daughter', xuextier (gen. sg. xuestra) 'sister'.

r-stem: fadier 'father'
Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	fadier	fadrar
Genitive	fadrar	fadram

Other irregular nouns

muon 'man'
Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	muon	manier
Genitive	manier	muonam

Pronouns

case	1sg.	2sg.	3sg.			1pl.	2pl.	3pl.	reflexive
			'he'	'she'	'it'
nom.	yak	zū	ir	xī	it	wīr	yūr	yā	-
acc.	mik	jik	ina	iya	it	unx	youwe, you	yā	xik
dat.	mir	jir	ime	yar	ime	unx	youwe, you	imi	xir
gen.	mīn	jīn	yas	yare	yas	unxier	your	yara	xīn

Adjectives

Most adjectives take -a (for hard stems) or -ie (for soft stems) if it is definite or plural: cf. se liaowa watnie 'the lukewarm water' vs. liao watnie 'lukewarm water' vs. se watnie ix liao 'the water is lukewarm'.

The comparative and superlatives are likewise normal adjectives, but the final consonant is palatalized: liaoyuer 'more lukewarm', liaoyuest 'most lukewarm'.

Verbs

The verbal system is the most conservative part of Jiudesg grammar. Verbs have three paradigms: athematic stems, thematic a-stems and thematic i-stems.

Most verbs have three principal parts: the present stem (remove the -n from the infinitive), the past stem and the past participle. The past subjunctive always uses the past participle stem.

Thematic verbs

-an verbs

This is the most productive class of verbs.

makan 'to make'

tense	yak	zū	ir/xī/it	wīr	yūr	yā
present indicative	maka	makax	makaj	makam	makaz	makanj
present subjunctive	maka	makas	maka	makam	makaz	makan
past indicative	makadie	makadiesd	makadie	makadiem	makadied	makadien
past subjunctive	makadi	makadisd	makadi	makadim	makadid	makadin
imperative	-	maka!	-	-	makaz!	-
present participle	makand
past participle	makad

Also: lirnan 'learn'

-in verbs

rēqin 'to reach'

tense	yak	zū	ir/xī/it	wīr	yūr	yā
present indicative	rēqi	rēqix	rēqij	rēqim	rēqiz	rēqinj
present subjunctive	rēqi	rēqis	rēqi	rēqim	rēqiz	rēqin
past indicative	rēqidie	rēqidiesd	rēqidie	rēqidiem	rēqidied	rēqidien
past subjunctive	rēqidi	rēqidisd	rēqidi	rēqidim	rēqidid	rēqidin
imperative	-	rēqi!	-	-	rēqiz!	-
present participle	rēqind
past participle	rēqid

Also: haorin 'hear', lērin 'teach'

Athematic verbs

Strong class 1

bīten 'to bite'

tense	yak	zū	ir/xī/it	wīr	yūr	yā
present indicative	bīta	bītier	bītiedı	bītem	bītied	bītendı
present subjunctive	bīte	bīter	bīte	bītem	bīted	bīten
past indicative	bēt	bētsd	bēt	bētam	bētad	bētan
past subjunctive	biti	bitisd	biti	bitim	bitid	bitin
imperative	-	bīt!	-	-	bītied!	-
present participle	bītend
past participle	biten

Also: xjīnen, sgēn, xjinen 'shine', drīfen, drēf, drifen 'drive', klīfen, klēf, klifen 'stick, cling'

Strong class 2

qiaosen 'to choose'

tense	yak	zū	ir/xī/it	wīr	yūr	yā
present indicative	qiaosa	qiaoxier	qiaoxiedı	qiaosem	qiaoxied	qiaosendı
present subjunctive	qiaose	qiaoser	qiaose	qiaosem	qiaosed	qiaosen
past indicative	kaos	kaosd	kaos	kaosam	kaosad	kaosan
past subjunctive	kuri	kurisd	kuri	kurim	kurid	kurin
imperative	-	qiaos!	-	-	qiaoxied!	-
present participle	qiaosend
past participle	kuren

Also: biaoden, baod, buden 'offer, bid', biaogen, baog, bugen 'bow', fliaogen, flaog, flugen 'fly', fliaowen, flao, fluwen 'flee, escape', friaosen, fraos, frusen 'freeze'

Strong class 3a

binden 'to tie, to bind'

tense	yak	zū	ir/xī/it	wīr	yūr	yā
present indicative	binda	bindier	bindiedı	bindem	bindied	bindendı
present subjunctive	binde	binder	binde	bindem	binded	binden
past indicative	band	bandsd	band	bandam	bandad	bandan
past subjunctive	bundi	bundisd	bundi	bundim	bundid	bundin
imperative	-	bind!	-	-	bindied!	-
present participle	bindend
past participle	bunden

Also: bieginen, biegan, biegunen 'begin', drinken, drank, drunken 'drink', finzen, fanz, funzen 'find', grinden, grand, grunden 'grind', yuerpen, warp, wurpen 'throw'

Strong class 3b

hialpen 'help':

• hialpa, hialpier, hialpiedı, hialpem, hialpied, hialpendı
• hialpe, hialper, hialpe, hialpem, hialped, hialpen
• halp, halpsd, halp, halpam, halpad, halpan
• hulpi, hulpisd, hulpi, hulpim, hulpid, hulpin
• hialp! hialpied!
• hialpend, hulpen

Also: driasg, drasg, drusgen 'thresh', xdiarf, sdarf, sdurfen 'die'

Strong class 4

In Jiudisg class 4 strong verbs have merged with class 3 strong verbs.

biaren 'bear':

• biara, biarier, biariedı, biarem, biaried, biarendı
• biare, biarer, biare, biarem, biared, biaren
• bar, barsd, bar, baram, barad, baran
• buri, burisd, buri, burim, burid, burin
• biar! biaried!
• biarend, buren

Also: briaken, brak, bruken 'break', niamen, nam, numen 'take', qiamen, kam, kumen 'come', sbriaken, sbrak, sbruken 'speak', xdialen, sdal, sdulen 'steal'

Strong class 5

jiafen 'give':

• jiafa, jiafier, jiafiedı, jiafem, jiafied, jiafendı
• jiafe, jiafer, jiafe, jiafem, jiafed, jiafen
• gaf, gafsd, gaf, gafam, gafad, gafan
• jiafi, jiafisd, jiafi, jiafim, jiafid, jiafin
• jiaf! jiafied!
• jiafend, jiafen

Also: driapen, drap, driapen 'hit, meet', ferjiaten, fergat, ferjiaten 'forget', liasen, las, liaren 'read', xiawen, sao, xiawen 'see'. There are also the j-present verbs bidien, bad, biaden 'beg, pray', lijien, lag, liagen 'lie'

Strong class 6

grafen 'dig':

• grafa, grafier, grafiedı, grafem, grafied, grafendı
• grafe, grafer, grafe, grafem, grafed, grafen
• grāf, grāfsd, grāf, grāfam, grāfad, grāfan
• grafi, grafisd, grafi, grafim, grafid, grafin
• graf! grafied!
• grafend, grafen

Also: faren, fār, faren 'spread', slagen, slāg, slagen 'strike', wagsen, wāgs, wagsen 'grow', wasgen, wāsg, wasgen 'wash', yaten, yāt, yaten 'eat' (reclassified from class 5)

Preterite-present verbs

yüten 'know':

• wōt, wōsd, wōt, yütam, yütad, yütan
• yüti, yütis, yüti, yütim, yütiz, yütin
• yüxdie, yüxdiesd, yüxdie, yüxdiem, yüxdied, yüxdien
• yüxdi, yüxdisd, yüxdi, yüxdim, yüxdid, yüxdin
• yüsd! yütad!
• yütend, yüsd

kunen 'can':

• kan, kansd, kan, kunam, kunad, kunan

biaon 'be'

biaon 'be':

• im, ir, ix, üram, ürad, üranj
• xiye, xiyer, xiye, xiyem, xiyed, xiyen
• was, wasd, was, yuēram, yuērad, yuēran
• yuēri, yuērisd, yuēri, yuērim, yuērid, yuērin
• biao! biaod!
• yuesend, yuēren

Prepositions

Like in German, prepositions govern certain defined cases and change meaning based on the case of the noun. Prepositions may govern the nominative (accusative for pronouns) or the genitive (dative for pronouns).

Numbers

• 1: ēn /əːn/
• 2: tuō /tʰwɔː/
• 3: zrī /tsɹiː/
• 4: fiur /fʲɔə/
• 5: finf /fʲinf/
• 6: xiags /ʃaks/
• 7: xuef /ʃɥœf/
• 8: āta /ˈaːtʰa/
• 9: niaon /nʲaun/
• 10: tiaon /tʲʰaun/
• 11: ēnlif
• 12: tuōlif
• 13: zrītiun
• 14: fiurtiun
• 15: finftiun
• 16: xiagstiun
• 17: xueftiun
• 18: āttiun
• 19: niaontiun
• 20: tuōntig
• 30: zrītig
• 40: fiurtig
• 50: finftig
• 60: xiagstig
• 70: xueftig
• 80: āttig
• 90: niaontig
• 100: hundrad
• 1000: zūsandı

Syntax