Nanyse

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Nanyse is my first and only conlang. Although this is far from its first incarnation, I'm hoping to use this version of my project in a science-fiction novel I'm working on. The language, and the culture of those humans who speak it, was created gradually over time as native speakers from different points in Earth's history were kidnapped and forced to work with speakers from other cultures and languages. I'd call the end result - this current incarnation of my conlang - a macro-pidgin, but in the story there are over 14 million native speakers. I hope you enjoy watching me struggle with creating this language. Please, don't hesitate to send any questions my way - especially if I've slipped up and forgotten my own rules or spellings. Thank you for your attentions!

Nanyse
Иφчψѣɔ
Pronunciation[/nʌ.nɪ.sɛ/]
Created by
Native toDumun Territories
Native speakers14,854,447 (2013)
Multiple
  • Nanyse
Early form
Dialects
  • Ohi
  • Kote
  • Jara
  • Yrem
Official status
Regulated byThe Academy of Unu
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Introduction

Nanyse is the native language of the Ubaneb Dumun and the official language of trade in the known nabdetam. It is an a posteriori language, with reported origins in ancient Sumerian, Hittite, and Chinese, and employs alphabetic orthography, as well as agglutinative grammar. Nanyse is a consonantic and accusative language. There are four recognized dialects of Nanyse and, of them, the Ohi dialect is considered to be the official pronunciation.

Phonology

The Nanyse alphabet is composed of 52 symbols, with separate symbols denoting either the upper or lower case forms of 26 different sounds. Due to the difficulties of learning the native alphabet, and the relatively wise-spread use of the Roman alphabet on Kisar, it is the Roman alphabet that is used to teach new comers the written form of Nanyse. The native alphabet will be described in another article.

Alphabet

Names Am Æp El Yc Is Ot Um Har Bat Din Gan Jen Ci Kap Lun Mos Nem Pan Rom Xo Sel Vas Tro Was Zap
Upper Case A Æ E Y I O U H B D F G J C K L M N P R X S V T W Z
Lower Case a æ e y i o u h b d f g j c k l m n p r x s v t w z

Vowels

Vowels
Front Near-front Central Near-back Back
Close i ʉ u
Near-close ɪ ʊ
Close-mid ɵ o
Mid ə
Open-mid ɛ ʌ
Near-open
Open a

Monophthongs

Monophthongs are pure vowel sounds. Nanyse has four of these: A[ʌ], E[ɛ], Y[ɪ], and U[ʉ]

Diphthongs

Diphtongs are two vowel sounds occurring in the same syllable. Nanyse has three of these: Æ[ɛɪ], I[aɪ], and O[oʊ]

Consonants

Consonants
Bilabial Labio-dental Dental Palato-Alveolar Alveolar Alveolol-Palatal Post-alveolar Retroflex Velar Glottal
Nasal m n ŋ
Plosive p / b t / d k / g
Affricate / dz ʥ
Fricative f / v θ / ð s / z ʃ / ʒ x h
Approximant ɹ w
Lateral app. l ɭ

Pronunciation

In Nanyse, consonants are pronounced as follows:

H[h] - B[b] - D[d] - F[f] - G[g] - J[dʒ] - C[tʃ] - K[k] - L[l] - M[m] - N[n] - P[p] - R[ɹ] - X[ʃ] - S[s] - V[θ] - T[t] - W[w] - Z[z]

Dialects

As mentioned before, the Ohi dialect is considered to be the proper pronunciation of Nanyse, but, standing at 14% of the population, the Ohi are far from the most numerous speakers of the language. Below is how Nanyse is pronounced among the Kote, Jara, and Yrem.

Kote

Vowels: A[a] - Æ[ʌɪ] - E[ɛ] - Y[ə] - I[ɛɪ] - O[u] - U[ɵ]

Consonants: H[silent] - B[b] - D[d] - F[v] - G[g] - J[ʥ] - C[sk] - K[x] - L[ɹ] - M[m] - N[n] - P[t] - R[h] - X[ʃ] - S[s] - V[f] - T[ð] - W[w] - Z[ʒ]

Jara

Vowels: A[ʌ] - Æ[ɛɪ] - E[ɛ] - Y[ɪ] - I[aɪ] - O[a] - U[ʉ]

Consonants: H[h] - B[p] - D[t] - F[f] - G[dʒ] - J[g] - C[ʃ] - K[k] - L[l] - M[m] - N[n] - P[b] - R[ɹ] - X[tʃ] - S[s] - V[θ] - T[d] - W[w] - Z[z]

Yrem

Vowels: A[ʌ] - Æ[aɪ] - E[ɛ] - Y[ɪ] - I[oʊi] - O[o] - U[u]

Consonants: H[h] - B[b] - D[p] - F[ð] - G[g] - J[dz] - C[dʒ] - K[x] - L[ɹ] - M[m] - N[n] - P[d] - R[ɭ] - X[ʃ] - S[s] - V[v] - T[tʃ] - W[w] - Z[ʒ]

Phonotactics

The syllable structure in Nanyse (meaning the number of consonant sounds that may precede or follow a vowel sound) is CCCVCCC (C = consonant, V = vowel), as long as the consonant clusters are an allowed combination. As happens with many languages that are formed over a long period of time from many different sources, there is the occasional word that doesn't fit this format. These words are the exception to the rule and are few in number.

Every syllable has a vowel as its nucleus

A nucleus may stand on its own, or may have one or more consonants before it (onsets) or following it (coda)

If a single consonant is between two vowels, the consonant belongs to the second syllable.

No geminates

Allowed Onsets
Any single consonant
Voiceless plosive + approximant
Voiceless affricate + approximant
Voiceless fricative + approximant
's' + nasal, other than 'ŋ'
's' + voiceless plosive
's' + voiceless fricative
's' + voiceless plosive + approximant
's' + voiceless fricative + approximant
Allowed Coda
Any single consonant
Two voiceless plosives
Two voiceless fricatives
'r' + fricative
'r' + nasal or lateral
'r' + plosive or affricate
Nasal + fricative
Approximant + nasal
Approximant + fricative
Approximant + plosive or affricate
Nasal + plosive or affricate
Plosive + voiceless fricative
Voiceless fricative + voiceless plosive
Three obstruents
'r' + two consonants
Approximant + two consonants
Nasal + plosive + plosive or fricative

Morphology

As the Ubaneb Dumun were forced to adapt to life in new and alien environments, so was their language. Only the aspects that best lent themselves to clear and concise communication survived as the language evolved alongside its people.

Prosody

Nanyse is atonal, meaning tone does not affect the meaning of the words. Syllable stress is light and penult, meaning that the next-to-last syllable is the one stressed, except in single syllable words, where it is omitted.

Gender

Nanyse uses three genders: personal, animate, and inanimate. Gender affects nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.

  • Personal gender is reserved for living things that are intelligent or sacred. Sentient species, stars and gods are all referred to using the personal gender. Some natural genders still exist in vocabulary (ie: man, woman, bull, cow, etc.), but are not present in grammar.
  • Animate gender is used for things that are living or life-like. Non-sentient species, plants, planets, and transportation are all referred to using the animate gender. To refer to something that qualifies for a personal gender with an animate gender is considered insulting.
  • Inanimate gender is used for things that cannot move or are non-living. Buildings, weapons, land marks, and anything dead are all referred to using the inanimate gender. Although land marks are a part of the planet they’re on, they’re considered separate aspects of the planet (in the same way that your hair is part of you, but not actually you).

Favored things are frequently referred to by a gender higher than they should (a weapon might be referred to by a fighter as an animate thing, instead of an inanimate, or a bit of transportation might be by it’s pilot/driver as a personal thing instead of an animate).

Nouns

Nouns are words that denote a person, place, thing, animal, or idea. In Nayse, nouns are affected by definiteness, plurality, and gender.

  • Definiteness differentiates between nouns that are specific and identifiable and nouns that are not.
Definiteness
Prefix Example
Indefinite (none) jex (a tree)
Definite ‘al-’ aljex (the tree)
Construct ‘e-’ (‘eh-’ for words beginning with a vowel) jex esær (the tree of the world)
  • Nanyse uses four plural forms:
Plural Forms
# of Subjects Suffix Example
Singular 1 (none) jex (1 tree)
Dual 2 ‘-z’ (‘-ez’ for words ending in ‘s’, 'x', or 'z') jexez (2 trees)
Paucal 3 - 5 ‘-za’ (‘-eza’ for words ending in ‘s’, 'x' or 'z') jexeza (3 - 5 trees)
Plural 6+ reduplication (the word is repeated) jexjex (6 or more trees)
  • When a noun of personal or animate gender becomes, or is referred to as, inanimate, the prefix 'te-' ('teh-', if the word begins with a vowel) is added to the word. If the noun being modified is already modified by definiteness, the gender modifier follows the definiteness modifier.
    • Example: tejex (a dead tree)
    • Example: altejex(the dead tree)
    • Example: tejex esær(the dead tree of the world)

Pronouns

Pronouns are words and forms that substitute for nouns or noun phrases. Nanyse uses eight types of pronouns. Pronouns are made plural in the same way that nouns are.

Possessive pronouns: indicate possession or ownership (his, hers, its, yours, ours, theirs)

Reciprocal pronouns: refer to a reciprocal relationship (one another, each other)

Demonstrative pronouns: distinguish objects or people that are referred to from other possible candidates.

  • ‘This’ refers to things/people near the speaker.
  • ‘That’ refers to things/people near the addressee or subject.
  • ‘Yonder’ refers to things/people far from both.

Interrogative pronouns: ask which person/thing is meant

Relative pronouns: refer to people/things previously mentioned

Indefinite pronouns: refer to one or more unspecified beings, objects, or places

Pronouns
Personal Possessive Reflexive
Personal First Person ejæ yjæ
Second Person egæ ygæ
Third Person, absent ecæ ycæ
Third Person, present exæ yxæ
Animate Second Person evæ yvæ
Third Person efæ yfæ
Inanimate Second Person edæ ydæ
Third Person etæ ytæ
Pronouns, continued
Personal Animate Inanimate
Reciprocal \\\ by bycy byxy
Demonstrative This re \\\ \\\
That non nox nok
Yonder ul ula ulu
Interrogative What ne neky neki
Which he heky heki
Who/Whom xu xuky xuki
Whose man manky manki
Relative That ge geky geki
Which ny nyky nyki
Who/Whom xy xyky xyki
Whose ku kuky kuki
Indefinite All jye hepsa hepsaki
Another tæren obur oburki
Any leri xen xenki
Anyone horen \\\ \\\
Anything \\\ xenme xenmeki
Both dou tumu tumuki
Each gy her herki
Either oabu axkas axkaski
Enough zugo dala dalaki
Everyone jewen \\\ \\\
Everything \\\ xexe xexeki
Few yxy borca borcaki
Less wu byju byjuki
Little di lal lalki
Many duo iyz iyzki
More genj nama namaki
Most zue plusko pluskoki
Much dehen mec mecki
Neither erzhe ærys æryski
No one wuwen \\\ \\\
None wuhan hec hecki
Nothing \\\ mæxen mæxenki
One zyjy byry byryki
Plenty feng æges ægeski
Several jige peco pecoki
Some mou base baseki
Someone yuren \\\ \\\
Something \\\ xenma xenmaki

Verbs

Verbs are words that convey actions, occurrences, or states of being. In Nanyse, verbs are modified by auxiliary verbs and, rarely, by suffixes.

  • On the occasion that a verb is avalent, the suffix '-i' is used ('-hi' for verbs ending in vowels). This is mostly used for verbs related to the weather.
  • When a verb is negated, the auxiliary verb 'bu' is placed immediately before the verb in question.

Adjectives and Adverbs

gender, tense, aspect(?)

Syntax

Vocabulary

Colors
Brown Su
Red Dara
Orange Huræxu
Yellow Nekwan
Green Tseng
Blue Antara
Purple Hemeda
Pink Hibiz
White Wum
Grey Pexu
Black Danku


Numbers
Arabic Cardinal
(quantity)
Ordinal
(positional)
Ranking
(order)
Partitive
(fractions)
Multiplicative
(repetition)
Reproductive
(replication)
Collective
(sets)
1 dysu asde isten it il besik tiji
2 mynu min sena nyj yd duha rovo
3 esu sal taksu xlam sam belu selu
4 lymu lem nanet xlyg sa empat papat
5 sua yha hansat ynga od lema lima
6 asu æx kaves rok wuk \\\ enem
7 ymu emen nonte xint cil \\\ pytu
8 usu oxe sama pret pæl \\\ zolu
9 ylu lav tecum tek gu \\\ conge
10 suaz udeli jubma gip xip \\\ sepu
11 ytry xadest \\\ syjy \\\ \\\ sewa
12 nyjry tenkor \\\ rolo \\\ \\\ rolas
13 lemry tal \\\ telu \\\ \\\ telas
14 lyjry arba \\\ pepet \\\ \\\ patlas
15 ubry ham \\\ lyma \\\ \\\ limlas
16 rokry siv \\\ nem \\\ \\\ nemlas
17 nytry xab \\\ pitu \\\ \\\ pytlas
18 pretry vom \\\ wolu \\\ \\\ wolas
19 tekry tix \\\ songe \\\ \\\ songlas
20 ubryz no \\\ pulu \\\ \\\ rongpu
Numbers, continued
Arabic Cardinal
0 nat
21 ubryz dysu
22 ubryz mynu
23 ubryz esu
24 ubryz lymu
25 suadesua
26 suadesua dysu
30 asudesua
35 ymudesua
40 usudesua
45 yludesua
50 suazua
55 ytrydesua
60 nyjrydesua
65 lemrydesua
70 lyjrydesua
75 ubrydesua
80 rokrydesua
85 nytrydesua
90 pretrydesua
95 tekrydesua
100 dyslo
200 mynlo
300 eslo
400 lymlo
500 sualo
600 aslo
700 ymlo
800 uslo
900 ylo
1000 dyslæ
2000 mynlæ
3000 eslæ
1,000,000 dyslam
1,000,000 squared
(to the 2nd degree)
dyslamze
1,000,000 cubed
(to the 3rd degree)
dyslamza
1,000,000 quarted
(to the 4th degree)
dyslamzæ
1,000,000 quinted
(to the 5th degree)
dyslamzo


Assorted Nouns
blood uxu, mad, exar, mek
tree jex
world sær
Counting Time
The Year of Blood Et ehUxu
year et
month yt
week orær
day ud
quarter hour ke
minute fen
second sek