Verse talk:Danterlokhan/Even when issues arise

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Background

The National Simphonian is the official language of Stellean Republic of Simphonia. It is based on Northern Shifer Language, but for centuries has evolved to not resemble its original language. It is given the status of sole official language of High Commission of Simphonia, and is included as subject in schools up to secondary education, alongside a native language.

Phonology

Consonant charts

Pulmonic consonants

Bilabial Labio-dental Dental Alveolar Post-alveolar Retroflex Alveolo-palatal Palatal Velar Uvular Pharyngeal Epiglottal Glottal
Nasal m ɱ n ɲ ŋ
Plosive p b t d k g
Affricate t͡ʃ d͡ʒ
Fricative f v θ s z
ʃ ʒ h
Approximant j
Trill r
Flap or tap ɾ
Lateral fric.
Lateral app. l
Lateral flap

Vowel chart

Front Near-front Central Near-back Back
Close
Blank vowel trapezoid.svg
i
ɨ
u
e
o
ə
ɛ
ɔ
æ
a

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Near‑close
Close‑mid
Mid
Open‑mid
Near‑open
Open


Phonotactics

While the original vocabulary of National Simphonian comes from Shifer, centuries of use allowed it to borrow words from other languages, thereby ensuring diverse forms of syllables.


Orthography

Аа Бб Вв Гг Dd Ее Ĕĕ Жж Ӡӡ Θθ Qq Ии Йй DZʤ Кк Лл
a b v g d e yo zh z th h i y j k l
Мм Нн Оо Пп Рр Сс Тт Уу Хх Фф Чч Шʃ Ыы Яя Ээ Юю
m n o p r s t u kh ph ch sh y ya ye yu

The table above shows the National Simphonian Alphabet together with the transliteration scheme commonly used. Up until now, there is no official romanization scheme set by the Simphonian Language Body. The letter /y/ is used to stand for both [ɨ] and [j]. In general, which is represented can easily be determined: 1. /y/ represents [ɨ] if it is between two consonants. If [ɨ] is preceded or followed by a vowel, a hyphen is used to separate it from the vowel. 2. /y/ represents [j] if it precedes or follows a vowel.

Morphology

Nouns

Nouns are generally not declined, except for marking possession, which varies among dialects of National Simphonian.

Possession

Possession is indicated by the particle /du/, which is used to connect the possessor to the possessum. The possessum precedes /du/ and the possessor follows /du/.

Articles and Numbers

Nouns are not declined for number, so the noun forms are the same for both singular and plural number. However, there is a set of articles which are used to indicate number. These articles precede the noun. National Simphonian has a definite article /zom/. This does not only indicate definiteness but also the topic of the sentence. /zom/ has only standard form, but it is also common to see it declined according to number for certain dialects, so it is also used to indicate the number of the noun.

Case

Nouns are not declined by case. A set of particles is used instead to indicate case. See the syntax for more details.

Pronouns

Personal Pronouns

Long form Short form Value
gome гоме me ме 1st person singular
baten батен ba ба 2nd person singular
neiru неиру ne не 3rd person general, inanimate
shashin ʃаʃин she ʃе 3rd person animate
souka соука ska ска 1st person singular and 2nd person singular
sono соно no но 1st person plural inclusive
soltha соλθа the θе 1st person plural exclusive
rove рове ve ве 2nd person plural
ronche ронче che че 3rd person plural

The short form is used as subject of intransitive verb and object of transitive verb. The particle /e/ is added to follow the short form to indicate the actor of transitive verb. It is also common to use the long form form as actor of transitive verb, but this is confined to dialects. The long form takes special uses, which shall be discussed in the sections below.

Demonstrative Pronouns

Long form Short form Value
kohyra коqыра hra qра proximal
musyra мусыра sra сра medial
dashyta dаʃыта sta ста distal

Demonstrative pronouns are also used to indicate 3rd, 4th, and 5th person in the discourse, thus replacing the 3rd person singular inanimate pronoun /ne/ in several cases.

Possessive Pronouns

Personal Pronouns

Long form Short form Value
miyan миян myan мян 1st person singular
bayey баэй bay бай 2nd person singular
neyey неэй ney ней 3rd person general, inanimate
sheyey ʃеэй shey ʃей 3rd person animate
skayey скаэй skey скей 1st person singular and 2nd person singular
noyey ноэй noy ной 1st person plural inclusive
theyey θеэй they θей 1st person plural exclusive
veyey веэй vey вей 2nd person plural
cheyey чеэй chey чей 3rd person plural

Unlike in personal pronouns, the difference in usage of long and short forms are purely stylistic in nature; the standard use in literature is the long form; in poetry and music, it is common to repeatedly switch between long and short forms.

Adjectives

Adjectives are either in native form or derived. In the case of latter, the suffix /-la/ is used to derive an adjective from a noun. Adjectives either precede or follow the noun. If the adjective has /-la/ suffix, it must precede the noun; otherwise it must follow the noun.

Numerals

Verbs

The verb generally takes this form:

root /ra/ tense transitivity

Verbs are either transitive (marked by /-o/)or intransitive (marked by /-a/). The tenses are perfect, aorist, present, future I and future II. Future I marks a future action that will happen regardless of the situation. Future II is used to mark a future action that the actor decided to do because of current situation.

Tense English National Simphonian
Perfect I ate. Yearada.
Aorist I was eating. Yearaga.
Present I am eating. Yearasa.
Future I I will eat. Yearala.
Future II I will eat. Yearaya.

Adverbs

Adverbs follow the verb and use the suffix /-lne/. The same marker is used in describing other aspect of verbs.

Particles

Affirmation and Negation: Yes is /jana/ while no is /nega/. They immediately follow the word they describe. In certain situations, they are used to replace other words that would usually be used instead.

Derivational morphology

Syntax

National Simphonian is an ergative-absolutive language.

Particles, Transitivity, Intransitivity

Intransitive verbs are marked with /a/ suffix. These verbs take only one subject, and there is no particle needed to mark the subject.

Эараса. Yearasa. I am eating.

Transitive verbs are marked with /o/. These verbs take an actor and object. The object is unmarked while the subject is followed by the particle /da/.

Кара dа эанqа эарасо. Kara da yeanha yearaso. 'Kara is eating food.