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Konukuian
| Konukuian | |
|---|---|
| Kōnukūna | |
| Pronunciation | [[koːnukuːnə]] |
| Created by | The Ramosian |
| Date | 2025 |
| Setting | Alt-history Hawaii] |
| Native to | Konuku |
| Native speakers | ~300 (2007) |
Early forms | |
 Hawaiian is classified as Critically Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger. | |
Konukuian (Konukuian: Kōnukūna) is a critically endangered language of the Sinitic language family that takes its name from Konuku, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed.
Name
The Konukuian language takes its name from the largest island in the Konukuian archipelago, Konuku. Linguists suggest it comes from Old Chinese 東島 /*toːŋ/ /*tuːwʔ/
Family and origin
Konukuian is a member of the Sinitic language family and is related to languages such as Mandarin, Cantonese, and Hokkien.
History
Orthography
Phonology
Grammar
Konukuian, like most Sinitic is an analytic language with subject-verb–object word order.
Verbs
Aspect and Mood
Konikuian verbs can be analytically marked with particles to indicate aspect and mood. Below is a list of common Aspect, and Mood Markers
- Perfective pref 'ulu, from OC 矣
- Imperfective imperf 'o from OC 恆
- Infinitive inf lu, from OC 以
- Intentive int ka, from OC 將
- Present progressive pres.prog 'ua, from OC 于
- Imperative imp a, from OC 做
- Prohibitive proh mo, from OC 毋
Nouns
Pronouns
| Case | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | Genitive | Accusative | |||
| Singular
(1) |
1st | nā (吾) | nāko (吾之) | ne (我) | |
| 2nd | nū (你) | nūko (你之) | nē (汝) | ||
| 3rd | 'ā (它) | 'īko (伊之) | 'ī (伊) | ||
| Plural
(2+) |
1st | incl. | hi'a (咱) | hi'a ko (咱之) | nehi'a (我咱) |
| excl. | puli'a (弗咱) | puli'a ko (弗咱之) | punēli'a (弗汝咱) | ||
| 2nd | nū'u (你等) | nū'u ko (你等之) | nē'u (汝等) | ||
| 3rd | 'āu (它等) | 'āu ko (它等之) | 'īku (伊等) | ||
Demonstratives
Articles
Articles are categorized into two categories, which are definite and indefinite. The indefinite article in Konikuian is not written but the definite articles has two forms:
- he SG from OC 此 /*sʰeʔ/
- 'e PL from OC 多 /*[t.l]ˤaj/
Vocabulary Comparison
Unlike a majority of Sinitic languages, a majority a Konukuian's vocabulary consists of at least two moras. Many Konikuian words have cognates in other Chinese varieties. As compared to Mandarin, Konikuian prefer to use the monosyllabic form of words, without suffixes.
| Meaning | Old Chinese | Konikuian | Mandarin | Cantonese | Hokkien | Wu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 'I' | 吾 *ŋa | nā | wú | ng4 | ngô͘ | 6ngu |
| 'you' | 你 *nɯʔ | nū | nǐ | nei5 | lí | 1ni |
| 'one' | 一 *qliɡ | 'uli | yī | jat1 | it | 7iq |
| 'two' | 二 *njijs | nī | èr | ji6 | jī | 6gni |
| 'three' | 三 *sum | hū | sān | saam1 | saⁿ | 1se |
| 'four' | 四 *hljids | lila | sì | sei3 | sì | 5sy |
| 'five' | 五 *ŋaʔ | nā | wǔ | ng5 | gō͘ | 6ng |
| 'six' | 六 *C-rjuk | lu'u | liù | luk6 | la̍k | 8loq |
| 'sun' | 日 *njit | ni'i | rì | jat6 | li̍t | 8gniq |
| 'name' | 名 *mjeŋ | mie | míng | ming4 | miâ | 6min |
| 'ear' | 耳 *njəʔ | no'u | ěr | ji5 | hī | 6gni |
| 'god' | 神 *Cə.li[n] | holi | shén | san4 | sîn | 6zen |
| 'fish' | 魚 *ŋja | ni'a | yú | jyu2 | hî | 6ng |
| 'air' | 氣 *C.qʰəp-s | kūla | qì | hei3 | khì | 5chi |
| 'bird' | 鳥 *tˤiwʔ | kiu | niǎo | niu5 | chiáu | 5tiau |
| 'death' | 死 *sijʔ | hi | sǐ | sei2 | sí | 5shi |