Letaale

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Uoriuo is a constructed secret language used by tahu, members of the Tagahu, a secretive and technologically advanced male-only military force governing the known parts of the space habitat Oru. Little is known of the designer(s) of the language however its use follows a long tradition. It is taught to all kia tahu (boys who are raised to be tahu) from a young age, adhering to a strict prescriptive standard. All speakers are male and all are also fluent in Guaru, generally speaking both natively. In informal situations, many Tahu engage in extensive code switching.

Name

Uoriuo [ˈ(ʔ)uoɾiˈuo] is the name given to this language in the Guaru language. It may be a corruption of the word volivo [ˈvolivo]~[ˈwoɾiwo] which is essentially the accusative form of "you" as this may be a word that is heard in interactions with the Tagahu. In Uoriuo itself, the language is most commonly referred to using the root taalejo although this is not the name of the language as such but a root that refers to speaking the language.

Phonology

Consonants

Labial Dental/
Alveolar
Palatal Velar Glottal Romanisation
Nasal m n ŋ < m n g >
Plosive t k ʔ < t k x >
Fricative v s ʒ h < v s j h >
Lateral l < l >

Most allophones exist in more or less free variation.

  • Both /t/ and /k/ are unaspirated. /t/ is usually dental.
  • The consonants /t k s/ may be pronounced as voiced /d g z/, especially when non-initial.
  • /v/ has a wide range of pronunciation, being essentially anywhere in the realm of [v β ʋ w] although it tightens towards [v] when either of the adjacent vowels is is /u/.
  • /ʒ/ likewise has a range of pronunciations, somewhere in the viscinity of [ʒ ʑ ʐ ʝ]. When either of the adjacent vowels is /i/, /ʒ/ is usually pronounced tenser and less likely to appear as [ʝ].
  • /l/ may be pronounced as a lateral [l], a tap/flap [ɾ] or a lateral flap [ɺ]


Vowels

Uoriuo has a simple system of five-vowels qualities, with a long and a short version of each, as in Hawaiian.

Single vowels
front central back
close i u
open mid e o
low a

When stressed, these vowels have the tense cardinal pronunciations of [i e a o u]. When unstressed and short, they tend to weaken towards [ɪ ɛ ɐ ɔ ʊ].

Long vowels are indicated in the romanisation by doubling.

In addition, there are the falling diphthongs /ai ia io iu ua ue ui/ and the (marginal) rising diphthongs /iaː ioː iuː uaː ueː uiː/.

Phonotactics

The allowable syllable structure of Uoriuo is CV(V). All syllables begin with a consonant and may contain one or two vowels (long vowels and diphthongs count as two). All combinations of consonant and vowel are allowed.

Prosody

Word stress falls on the last long vowel or diphthong in a word. If all the vowels are short, stress falls on the initial syllable.

Morphophonology

Each of the eleven consonants is associated with a consonant and vice versa. These pairs are relevant for alternations such as the noun k_j_m_ ('the dog') which alternates with the verb _uu_o_i ('be a dog').

Consonant Vowel Syllable
n a na
l e le
m i mi
j o jo
g u gu
t aa taa
x ee xee
h ii hii
s oo soo
k uu kuu
v ai vai

Nearly all lemmata are composed of three of the resulting syllables. For example jotaale is allowable as a lemma whereas jitaale is not because ji is not a lemma syllable since /ʒ/ associates with /o/.

The remaining vowels, the diphthongs beginning with /u/ and /i/, are only found in prefixes and clitics which may begin with any consonant.

Morphology

All lemmata (citation forms of words) are either

  1. trisyllabic, a grouping of three allowable syllables, or
  2. quadrisyllabic, a monosyllabic prefix which always contains a diphthong beginning with /i/ or /u/, followed by a trisyllabic lemma.

A lemma always constitutes a valid clause on its own, containing both a triconsonantal noun as the subject and a trivocalic verb as the predicate. Quadrisyllabic lemma retain their prefix in both forms. Lemma clauses are always true by definition, self-evident sentences of the structure "the X is an X", and therefore rather void of pragmatic purpose. Here are some examples.

Lemma Translation Noun Translation Verb Translation
namina I am me. n_m_n_ I _a_i_a be me
vailevai You are you. v_l_v_ you _ai_e_ai be you
taaguhii The tahu is a tahu. t_g_h_ the tahu _aa_u_ii be a tahu
hiitaahii The kia tahu is a kia tahu. h_t_h_ the kia tahu _ii_aa_ii be a kia tahu
levaile The woman is a woman. l_v_l_ the woman _e_ai_e be a woman
soovaigu The civilian man is a civilian man. s_v_g_ the civilian man _o_ai_u be a civilian man
kuumixee The monkey is a monkey. k_m_x_ the monkey _uu_i_ee be a monkey
kuujomi The dog is a dog. k_j_m_ the dog _uu_o_i be a dog
minataa The cat is a cat. m_n_t_ the cat _i_a_aa be a cat
vaijokuu The bird is a bird. v_j_k_ the bird _ai_o_uu be a bird
milena The fish is a fish. m_l_n_ the fish _i_e_a be a fish
miguvai The banana is a banana. m_g_v_ the banana _i_u_ai be a banana
jomijo The affected one is affected. j_m_j_ the affected one _o_i_o be affected
lejole The perceiver perceives. l_j_l_ the perceiver _e_o_e perceive
lesoomi The sleeper sleeps. l_s_m_ the sleeper, the sleeping one _e_oo_i sleep
xeenami The eater eats. x_n_m_ the eater, the eating one _ee_a_i eat
kuunagu The hitter hits. k_n_g_ the hitter, the hitting one _uu_a_u hit
gunagu The killer kills. g_n_g_ the killer, the murderer _u_a_u kill
taanagu The big one is big. t_n_g_ the big one _aa_a_u be big
hiijole The beloved one is beloved. h_j_l_ the (be)loved one _e_oo_i be (be)loved
vaimina The visible one is visible. v_m_n_ the visible one _ai_i_a be visible
hiimijo This one is here. h_m_j_ the one near me _ii_i_o be near me
xeenajo That one is there. x_n_j_ the one near you _ee_a_o be near you
taamitaa What is what? t_m_t_ what, who, which _aa_i_aa be what, be who, which?

Syntax

Monoclausal sentences

Monoclausal sentences consist of a single word, which itself consists of a subject and a verb. These can be created by mixing and matching the consonants from one lemma with the vowels of another. The following table shows examples and is sortable by column.


Lemma Translation Noun Translation Verb Translation
xaanijaa What is that? x_n_j_ the one near you _aa_i_aa is what/who?
himujai This is a banana. h_m_j_ the one near me _i_u_ai is a banana
huumijee This is a monkey. h_m_j_ the one near me _uu_i_ee is a monkey
huumiiji This is a house. h_m_j_ the one near me _uu_ii_i is a house
haamijaa What is this? h_m_j_ the one near me _aa_i_aa is what/who?
xinujai That is a banana. x_n_j_ the one near you _i_u_ai is a banana
xuunijee That is a monkey. x_n_j_ the one near you _uu_i_ee is a monkey
xuuniiji This is a house. x_n_j_ the one near you _uu_ii_i is a house
nimunai I am a banana. n_m_n_ I _i_u_ai am a banana
magiva The banana is me. m_g_v_ the banana _a_i_a is me
viluvai You are a banana. v_l_v_ you _i_u_ai are a banana
maigevai The banana is you. m_g_v_ the banana _ai_e_ai is you
neemani I eat. n_m_n_ I _ee_a_i eat
xanima The eating one is me. x_n_m_ the eater _a_i_a is me
veelavi You eat. v_l_v_ you _ee_a_i eat
xainemai The eating one is you. x_n_m_ the eater _ai_e_ai is you
keejami The dog eats. k_j_m_ the dog _ee_a_i eats
xuunomi The eating one is a dog. x_n_m_ the eater _uu_o_i is a dog
kejoomi The dog sleeps. k_j_m_ the dog _e_oo_i sleeps
kijumai The dog is a banana. k_j_m_ the dog _i_u_ai is a banana
nemone I perceive. n_m_n_ I _e_o_e perceive
nameeno I exist. n_m_n_ I _a_ee_o exist
mageevo The banana exists. m_g_v_ the banana _a_ee_o exists
nixujai There is a banana. n_x_j_ what exists _i_u_ai is a banana

Multiclausal sentences

Multiclausal sentences are formed by simply placing clauses next to one another. Modifiers generally follow their heads.

Transitivity

There is no explicit transitivity in Uoriuo. The direct object of a verb is frequently indicated with a clause containing jomijo, which indicates that something is directly affected by another action.


Keemaxi mogivo.
[ˈkeːmaʔi ˈmoŋiwo]
k_m_x_ the monkey _ee_a_i eats
m_g_v_ the banana _o_i_o is directly affected
The monkey eats the banana.

Definiteness

There are no articles, but the subject of a clause is generally definite and the verb deals with something indefinite. Inversion (swapping the subject and the verb within a clause) is used to achieve this effect. The resulting transformations produce entirely different looking words, such as the change from mogivo (≈ "the banana") to jimujai (≈ "a banana") in the following sentences.


Keemaxi mogivo.
[ˈkeːmaʔi ˈmoŋiwo]
k_m_x_ the monkey _ee_a_i eats
m_g_v_ the banana _o_i_o is directly affected
The monkey eats the banana.


Keemaxi jimujai.
[ˈkeːmaʔi ʒimuˈʒai̯]
k_m_x_ the monkey _ee_a_i eats
j_m_j_ what is directly affected _i_u_ai is a banana
The monkey eats a banana.

Location

Locations are indicated with nataami.


Neemani mogivo kahaami.
[ˈneːmani ˈmoŋiwo kaˈhaːmi]
n_m_n_ I _ee_a_i eat
m_g_v_ the banana _o_i_o is directly affected
k_h_m_ the house _a_aa_i is a location
I eat the banana in the house.


Neemani mogivo nuutiimi.
[ˈneːmani ˈmoŋiwo nuːˈtiːmi]
n_m_n_ I _ee_a_i eat
m_g_v_ the banana _o_i_o is directly affected
n_t_m_ the location _a_aa_i is a house
I eat the banana in a house.

Experience verbs

Verbs that don't result in something being directly affected (such as "love", "see") are often present in Uoriuo as passives and the experiencer is indicated as a perceiver.


Nemone viilove.
[ˈnemone ˈwiːlowe]
n_m_n_ I _e_o_e perceive
v_l_v_ you _ii_o_e are (be)loved
I love you.


Nemone vailiva.
[ˈnemone ˈwai̯liwa]
n_m_n_ I _e_o_e perceive
v_l_v_ you _ai_i_a are visible
I see you.


Subordination

Subordination is frequently not overtly indicated syntactically, just as in English.


Nemano velove niimone.
[ˈnemano ˈwelowe ˈniːmone]
n_m_n_ I _e_a_o know
v_l_v_ you _e_o_e perceive
n_m_n_ I _ii_o_e am (be)loved
I know (that) you love me.


Subordination can, however, be indicated using the root gumina ("what I'm about to say is what I'm about to say"). In this following example, it is only necessary if one wishes to indicate that one's perception was visual


Nemone (gaimina) keemaxi mogiva.
[ˈnemone (ˈŋai̯mina) ˈkeːmaʔi ˈmoŋiwa]
n_m_n_ I _e_o_e perceive
g_m_n_ what I'm about to say _ai_i_a is visible
k_m_x_ the monkey _ee_a_i eats
m_g_v_ the banana _o_i_o is directly affected
I see the monkey eat the banana.


Coordination

Repetition of either a noun or a verb is used as an equivalent to "and".


Keemaxi neemani mogivo.
[ˈkeːmaʔi ˈneːmani ˈmoŋiwo]
k_m_x_ the monkey _ee_a_i eats
n_m_n_ I _ee_a_i eat
m_g_v_ the banana _o_i_o is directly affected
The monkey and I eat the banana.


Keemaxi neemani mogivo.
[ˈkeːmaʔi ˈneːmani ˈmoŋiwo]
k_m_x_ the monkey _ee_a_i eats
n_m_n_ I _ee_a_i eat
m_g_v_ the banana _o_i_o is directly affected
The monkey and I eat the banana.


Modification

Nemone viilove haajiilaa.
[ˈnemone ˈwiːlowe haːʒiːˈlaː]
n_m_n_ I _e_o_e perceive
v_l_v_ you _ii_o_e are (be)loved
h_j_l_ the beloved one _aa_ii_aa is extreme
I love you very much.


Nemone laajiilaa viilove .
[ˈnemone ˈwiːlowe kaˈhaːmi]
n_m_n_ I _e_o_e perceive
l_j_l_ the perceiver _aa_ii_aa is extreme
v_l_v_ you _ii_o_e are (be)loved
It is clear to me that I love you.


Negation

Notes

This conlang has been inspired by Abakwi and Iljena. Check them out! - Imralu