Aterran Imperial

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Modern Standard Imperial
Drikva Yakke
Pronunciation[ˈdrik.vɑ ˈjɑk.ʃe]
Created byBenJamin P. Johnson,

creator of:

curator of:

Date2020
SettingPlanet Aterra

Drikva Yakke /ˈdrik.vɑ ˈjɑk.ʃe/, or Modern Standard Imperial, is a standardized analytic language developed from an earlier creolized form of of various ancient languages, though it still retains a rather deep orthography from an earlier form. It is written in the Imperial Script (Kuggi Yakke /ˈkuɡ.ʒi ˈjɑk.ʃe/), which is an alphabet originally written vertically in syllable blocks, but is now most commonly written left-to-right in individual letters. The block-form letters are still commonly used similarly to how majuscule letters are used in Latinate scripts.

Phonology

The Imperial Language is actually a snapshot of several languages over the course of several centuries. While the written language changed very little in that time, the spoken language changed significantly, and the word order and syntax became much more rigid. In a way, it is analogous to Latin, the Classical form of which would barely be understood by speakers of Vulgar Latin a few centuries later, but the word forms remained largely the same.

Consonants

  Labial Dental Coronal Palatal Dorsal
Stop p · b t · d     k · ɡ
Fricative f · v θ · ð s · z ʃ · ʒ · h
Nasal m   n   ŋ
Lateral   l ɮ    
Trill     r    
Approximant       j  

Vowels

  Front Back
High i · · u
  ɪ · · ʊ
Mid e · · o
  ɛ · · ɔ
Mid æ · · ɑ

Diphthongs

There were no diphthongs in Old Imperial; The modern diphthongs are contractions or earlier bi-syllabic constructions. E.g. meu ‘I’ was pronounced as /ˈme.u/ rather than the modern /mew/.

  Front Back
Mid-High ej ew
Low-High aj aw

Orthography & Romanization

Rom IPA Description
a ɑ Like 〈a〉 in English father.
ae aj Like 〈i〉 in English wine.
ai aj Like 〈i〉 in English wine.
ao aw Like 〈ow〉 in English house.
à æ Like 〈a〉 in English bat.
b b Like 〈b〉 in English bot.
bb bv Like 〈bv〉 in English obvious.
bh v Like 〈v〉 in English very. Identical to 〈v〉, but from an earlier /bʰ/.
d d Like 〈d〉 in English day.
dd dz Like 〈dz〉 in English adze. Identical to 〈tz〉, but from an earlier /dd/.
dh ð Like 〈th〉 in English this. (Never as in thin.)
dl Not an English sound. Identical to 〈dlh〉, but from an earlier /dl/.
dlh Not an English sound. The sound of 〈d〉 followed immediately by 〈lh〉.
dzh Like 〈j〉 in English joke.
e e Like 〈e〉 in Spanish vero.
ei ej Like 〈ay〉 in English day.
eu ew Like the 〈e〉 in egg followed immediately by 〈w〉.
è ɛ Like 〈e〉 in English bet.
f f Like 〈f〉 in English foot. Identical to 〈ph〉.
g ɡ Like 〈g〉 in English get. (Never as in gel.)
gg ɡʒ A little like 〈gg〉 in English suggest. A 〈g〉 followed by a 〈zh〉 (see).
h h Like 〈h〉 in English have.
i i Like 〈i〉 in English machine.
ie Like 〈ye〉 in English yet.
iu ju Like 〈you〉 in English you.
ì ɪ Like 〈i〉 in English bit.
k k Like 〈k〉 in English keep.
kh Like 〈ct〉 in English action. Identical to 〈kk〉, but from earlier /kʰ/.
kk Like 〈ct〉 in English action. Identical to 〈kh〉, but from earlier /kk/.
l l Like 〈l〉 in English laugh.
lh ɬ~ɮ Not an English sound. Like 〈ll〉 in Welsh llygoden, but usually voiced.
m m Like 〈m〉 in English man.
n n Like 〈n〉 in English no.
ng ŋ Like 〈ng〉 in English singer. (Never as in finger or ginger.)
o o Like 〈oa〉 in English boat.
ò ɔ Like 〈au〉 in English caught.
p p Like 〈p〉 in English put.
ph f Like 〈f〉 in English foot. Identical to 〈f〉, but from earlier /pʰ/.
pp pf Not an English sound. Like 〈pf〉 in German Apfel. From earlier /pp/.
r ɾ Like 〈r〉 in Spanish pero; like 〈t〉 in (American) English water.
s s Like 〈s〉 in English soap.
sh ʃ Like 〈sh〉 in English shoe.
t t Like 〈t〉 in English table.
th θ Like 〈th〉 in English thing. (Never as in these.) From earlier /tʰ/.
tl Not an English sound. Identical to 〈tlh〉, but from an earlier /tl/.
tlh Not an english sound. Like 〈tl〉 in Nahuatl coyotl.
ts ts Like 〈ts〉 in English cats. Identical to 〈tt〉.
tsh Like 〈ch〉 in English chair.
tt ts Like 〈ts〉 in English cats. Identical to 〈ts〉, but from earlier /tt/.
tz dz Like 〈ds〉 in English ads. Identical to 〈dz〉, but from an earlier /ts/ that became voiced.
u u Like 〈oo〉 in English boot.
ua Like 〈wa〉 in English want.
ue we Like 〈we〉 in English went.
ui wi Like 〈wee〉 in English week.
ù ʊ Like 〈oo〉 in English good.
v v Like 〈v〉 in English very. Identical to 〈bh〉, but from earlier /w/.
y j Like 〈y〉 in English yes.
z z Like 〈z〉 in English zoo.
zh ʒ Like 〈si〉 in English vision or 〈g〉 in French genre.