Alska: Difference between revisions

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Reverted edits by Darthme (talk) to last revision by Fauxlosophe
m (Reverted edits by Darthme (talk) to last revision by Fauxlosophe)
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{{construction}}
{{Infobox language
{{Infobox language
|name = Alska
|name = Alska
|nativename = Alska
|nativename = Alska
|pronunciation = ['alska]
|pronunciation = [als'ka]
|region = Scandinavia/The Baltic States
|region = Alsland & Dependencies
|minority = Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia
|states = Alsland, Grøn-in-Norderøy, Jotunsøy, Dependencies of Jansstass & Ragnargråben
|speakers = No Census Data
|nation = Sovereign Kingdom of Alsland (Soveireinkonngsdøm Alslands)
|date = 2013
|speakers = 50 million
|date = 2012
|familycolor = Indo-European
|familycolor = Indo-European
|fam1 = [[w:Indo-European_languages|Indo-European]]
|fam1 = [[w:Indo-European_languages|Indo-European]]
|fam2 = [[w:Germanic_languages|Germanic]]
|fam2 = [[w:Germanic_languages|Germanic]]
|fam3 = [[w:West_Germanic_languages|East Scandinavian]]
|fam3 = [[w:West_Germanic_languages|East Scandinavian]]
|map          = AlskaArea.png
|fam4 = [[w:Anglo-Frisian_languages|Alslandic]]
|mapcaption    = A map showing Alska's intended area of use.  Red represents the countries which speak languages Alska was based on, Orange represent countries whose languages are not related to Alska, but which may interact frequently with Alska-speakers. Yellow areas are parts of countries that may encounter Alska speakers, but would not normally frequently interact with them. 
|map          =  
|mapcaption    = Map of the two dependencies of Alsland, Jansstass and Ragnargråben
|iso1 = al
|iso1 = al
|iso2 = als
|iso2 = als
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==Background==
==Background==


Alska ['alska] is a Western Scandinavian language created for the purposes of enhancing mutual intelligebility across the main scandinavian languages, Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian. Icelandic and Faroese are represented in the orthography and three-gender system of the language, but most of the main vocabulary is made up of mainland Scandinavian words. It is designed to be mutually intelligible to all Scandinavians without borrowing too heavily from any one language.  
Alska [als'ka] is a Germanic language originating from the nation of Alsland, a rather large (area-wise) island in the northern sea. It is <i>very</i> closely related to them, to the point of being mutually intelligible in some cases, although it is just as different from them as Swedish is from Danish, or as Norwegian is from Swedish.


Also, as a small note, primary stress will be marked in IPA with (') as usual, but secondary stress will be marked with (.) because it is annoying to insert the (ˌ) mark every other syllable.


Alska has two main purposes:  One is to play a role similar to Esperanto, but for Scandinavia.  The other is to be the main language of a fictitious nation, Alsland, in my own conworld.  Alska has a bit more structure when it comes to pronunciation and grammar than modern Scandinavian languages, and sticks to them pretty well, if not for a few irregularities.   


The speakers of Proto-Alska came from an unknown land, banished by their gods, according to legends.  While Alsland itself has a survivable climate, the stories tell of a paradise.  As Alslandic thinking progresses, it has been suggested that the Alslanders are not actually <i>from</i> anywhere, but made these tales up to give a basis for the harsh conditions of Alsland's weather.


<!-- ***Phonology*** -->
<!-- ***Phonology*** -->
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{| {{Table/bluetable}} style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle"
{| {{Table/bluetable}} style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle"
!'''Letter'''
!'''Letters'''
!'''Pronunciation'''
!'''Pronunciation'''
!'''Further information'''
!'''Further information'''
|-
|-
|a
|a
|[a]/[ɑ]
|[a:]
| -
|has no short version
|-
|[aʊ]  
|corresponds to (av) as in Danish ''havnen''
|-
|-
|b
|b
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|[d]
|[d]
| -
| -
|-
|[ð]
|pronounced somewhere in between Icelandic (ð) and (d) in Danish (mad), (gade), (flåd)
|-
|-
|e
|e
|[ɛ]/[e]
|[ɛ] / [e:]
| -
| -
|-
|[ei:]
| -
|-
|-
|f
|f
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|-
|-
|i
|i
|[ɪ]/[i:]
|[ɪ]/[i]
| -
|short 'ɪ', long 'i'
|-
|[ai:]
|corresponds with (ej)/(ei) in Mainland Scandinavia, as well as certain instances of (eg) in Danish
|-
|-
|j
|j
|[j]
|[j]
| -
|corresponds to ''y'' in English ''you''
|-
|-
|k
|k
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|-
|-
|o
|o
|[ɔ]/[o]
|[]/[o]
| -
| -
|-
|-
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|-
|-
|r
|r
|[ɾ]
|[r]
|tapped in all positions
|can be rolled, tapped, trilled, or pronounced non-rhotically, as in most British English dialects.  (depends on Alskan dialect)
|-
|-
|s
|s
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|-
|-
|u
|u
|[u]
| -
|-
|[ʉ]
|[ʉ]
| -
|has no short version
|-
|-
|v
|v
|[f]
| -
|-
|w
|[v]
|[v]
| -
|rarely used, usually replaced with 'v'
|-
|-
|y
|y
|[y:]
|[y:]
|pronounced almost like German (ü)
|pronounced almost like German 'ü'
|-
|z
|[ts]
|rarely used
|-
|[ɔ]
|pronounced somewhat like English 'aw'
|-
|-
|[ø]
|[ø]
|may also represent [œ], but the distinction is not made in Alska
|-
|[o:]
| -
| -
|-
|-
|}
|}


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===Consonants===
===Consonants===
This is a table of the consonantic phonemes in Alska


{| {{Table/bluetable}} style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle"
{| {{Table/bluetable}} style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle"
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|
|
|s
|s
|ɕ
|ʃ
|
|
|t͡ɕ
|ç
|h
|h
|-
|-
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|}
|}


In most dialects, 'sj' is pronounced 'ʃ', with the exception of the word ''sjø'', which is pronounced [sjø]  The Northern dialect group does not follow this rule, and pronouces it as it is spelled ([sj]).  Additionally, the phoneme [ç] corresponds to the 'ch' in German (ich=[iç]) in all dialects, and is spelled 'kj' in words.
Additionally, if any consonant directly precedes 'r', that consonant is silent.  For example:
*<i>Vadr</i> [fa:r] - Father


*(sj) denotes [ɕ] and (kj) denotes [t͡ɕ]
Not all dialects follow this rule; some would pronounce it as [fɑ:tr]


===Vowels===
===Vowels===


 
This is a table of the vowel phonemes in Alska


{| {{Table/bluetable}} style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle"
{| {{Table/bluetable}} style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle"
! rowspan="2" colspan="1"|'''Phonemes'''
! rowspan="2" colspan="1"|'''Phonemes'''
! rowspan="1" colspan="2"|'''Short'''
! rowspan="1" colspan="2"|'''Long'''
|-
|-
!'''Front'''
!'''Back'''
!'''Front'''
!'''Front'''
!'''Back'''
!'''Back'''
|-
|-
!'''Closed'''
!'''Closed'''
|i y
|i
|u ʊ
| -
|
|u:/ü:
|-
|-
!'''Mid-closed'''
!'''Mid-closed'''
|e ø
|o
| -
|e:
|o:
|-
|-
!'''Mid-open'''
!'''Mid-open'''
| -
| -
|-
|-
!'''Open'''
!'''Open'''
|a
|a
| -
| -
|-
| -
| -
|}
|}


===Vowel Length===
===Vowel Length===


There is no reliable way to determine vowel length, however, if a vowel precedes a double consonant such as (tt), it will always be short. The vowels (å) and ) cannot change in lengthLikewise, the letters (á), (é), and (í) cannot become short because they represent diphthongs.
Almost every vowel has a short and a long version, which changes according to whether there is a double consonant cluster immediately following it or not. Any two of the same consonants following a vowel with make it short, with the exceptions of 'a' and 'u'. For example, 'okk' (and) = 'ɔk'ok', while not a word, would be pronounced 'o̞k'.  This does not occur when two different consonants follow a vowel, such as 'ng'.
 
===Diphthongs===
 
Alska has three diphthongs, and one digraph.


===Stress===


Alska uses stress to differentiate words instead of a pitch accent like Norwegian and Swedish do.
{| {{Table/bluetable}} style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle"
!'''Diphthongs'''
!'''Pronunciation'''
|-
|ej
|[ei]
|-
|ie
|[i:e]
|-
|au
|[øy]
|-
|ai
|[e:]
|-
|}


Stress usually falls on the first syllable of a wordWords that do not follow this pattern are usually loanwords, which follow their original pronunciation rules when adopted, although the spelling is often changed to help integrate them into Alska.
'ej' is the most common diphthong, while 'ai' is the least commonThere is no 'ow' sound in  Standard Alska, unlike Standard German.  Some dialects, mostly the northern variants, associate this sound to the letter 'å'.


The prefixes (for-), (be-), and (u-) are unstressed, and primary stress falls on the syllable after them.
===Stress===
*''forstå'' [foɾ'sto:] - to understand


The endings (-tion), (-ti/tik), (-aner), and (-ør) are receive primary stress, even if there is another syllabe after them (for example, the plural ending)
Stress usually falls on the first syllable of a noun.  Stress falls on every root sylable of a compound word.  Words that do not follow this pattern are usually loanwords, which follow their original pronunciation rules when adopted, although the spelling is often changed to help integrate them into Alska.
*''politikkar'' [pɔlɪ'tɪk.aɾ] - politicians


==Grammar==
==Grammar==
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|-
|-
|}
|}
[[Category:Languages]][[Category:Conlangs]]