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Van (''havan'' [ʔavãn]) is a small language designed for rapid private use. It is very sparse in its phonology and inflections.  
Van (''havan'' [ʔavãn]) is a small language designed for rapid private use. It is very sparse in its phonology and inflections.  
==Phonetics and phonology==
==Phonetics and phonology==
===Spelling===
The alphabet consists of the letters: '''a e h i j k l m n ń o p r s t v''' .
* ⟨ń⟩ is a velar nasal [ŋ]
* ⟨h⟩ is a glottal stop [ʔ]
* ⟨v⟩ is a labiodental approximant [ʋ]
===Consonants===
===Consonants===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
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! rowspan="1" | Palatal
! rowspan="1" | Palatal
! rowspan="1" | Velar
! rowspan="1" | Velar
! rowspan="1" | Glottal
|-
|-
! colspan="2" | Nasal
! colspan="2" | Nasal
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| n
| n
|
|
| ɳ
| ŋ
|
|-
|-
! colspan="2" | Stop
! colspan="2" | Stop
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|
|
| k
| k
| ʔ
|-
|-
! colspan="2" | Fricative
! colspan="2" | Fricative
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| s
| s
|  
|  
|
|  
|  
|-
|-
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|
|
| r
| r
|
|
|
|
|
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|l
|l
|j
|j
|
|
|
|-
|-
|}
|}
===Vowels===
===Vowels===
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
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  |- align="center"
  |- align="center"
  ! Mid
  ! Mid
  | ||  || o
  | e||  || o
  |- align="center"
  |- align="center"
  ! Open
  ! Open
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Vowels are nasalised before nasal consonants (/a/ → [ã], /i/ → [ɛ̃], /o/ → [ɔ̃]), backed and lowered before velar (/a/ → [ɑ̞], /o/ → [ɔ]), raised before j (/a/ → [æ], /o/ → [u]).
Vowels are nasalised before nasal consonants (/a/ → [ã], /i/ → [ɛ̃], /o/ → [ɔ̃]), backed and lowered before velar (/a/ → [ɑ̞], /o/ → [ɔ]), raised before j (/a/ → [æ], /o/ → [u]).
===Phonotactics===
===Phonotactics===
====Syllable====
====Syllable====
The typical syllable in Van is composed of a consonantal onset, a vocalic nucleus, and a consonantal coda. Occasionally, a syllable may be phonemically onset- or codaless; traditionally in Van terminology these are termed ''faulty''. Syllables of this form are typically found as affixes. Phonetically, they have as their onset either a glottal stop [ʔ] or a copy of the preceding syllable's final consonant, e.g. vana [vãn.na] 'speak' (< van). Note: A coda is not required at the end of sentences.
The typical syllable in Van is composed of a consonantal onset, a vocalic nucleus, and a consonantal coda (CVC). Occasionally, a syllable may be phonemically onset- or codaless; traditionally in Van terminology these are termed ''faulty''. Syllables of this form are typically found as affixes. Phonetically, they have as their onset either a glottal stop [ʔ] or a copy of the preceding syllable's final consonant, e.g. vana [vãn.na] 'speak' (< van). Note: A coda is not required at the end of sentences.


====Word====
====Word====
The word is composed out of syllables but has additional properties that set it apart. A word may only end with a nasal, sibilant or a rhotic consonant.  
The word is composed out of syllables but has additional properties that set it apart. A word may only end with either a vowel, sonorant, or a sibilant.


===Morphophonology===
===Morphophonology===
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Some examples:
Some examples:
::# The verbal markers '''-a''', '''-e''' always copy the nearest preceding consonant, e.g., /vana/ -> [vãnna] ‘speak’, /tore/ -> [dor.re] ‘to be excited’. Note: No ʔ is appended as the vowel is word final.  
::# The verbal markers '''-a''', '''-e''' always copy the nearest preceding consonant, e.g., /vana/ -> [vãnna] ‘speak’, /tore/ -> [dor.re] ‘to be excited’. Note: No ʔ is appended as the vowel is word final.  
::# The definite and {{sc|possessum}} marker '''a-''' conjures up a glottal stop, e.g. /avan/ -> [ʔavãn] ‘the speech’.
::# The definite and {{sc|possessum}} marker '''a-''' conjures up a glottal stop, e.g. /avan/ -> [ʔaʋãn] ‘the speech’.


==Morphology==
==Morphology==
===Nouns===
Nominal morphology is sparse in Van. Number is not marked, but definiteness and state of possession is. Both definiteness and alienable possession is marked with the prefix '''ha-'''. Inalienable possession is not marked at all.
===Demonstratives and quantifiers===
===Pronouns===
===Verbal inflection===
Verbs are morphologically simple in Van and the few inflections which exist compound in an agglutinative fashion according to the following principle: '''stem''' + '''mode''' + '''voice'''.
====Mode====
Verbs in Van distinguish two modes: dynamic ({{sc|dyn}}) and stative ({{sc|stat}})
All verbs expressing a dynamic meaning have a suffix '''-a''' while stative verbs have an '''-e'''.


===Verbal morphology===
Verbs are simple. Any noun or root can be turned into a verb by adding '''-a''' for dynamic verbs or '''-e''' for stative verbs.
While there is a morphological opposition between dynamic and stative verbs, there only other verbal inflection is the one for voice '''-s''' (active, non-active).
{|
{|
|
|dynamic
|dynamic
|stative
|stative
|-
|-
|
|vana (speak)
| vana (speak)
|kore (love)
| kore (love)
|}
|}
The distinction between dynamic and stative is most readily gleaned in the example opposition ''kore tan mir, pa-kon'' ‘I am in love with you, bacon’ (state) vs. ''kora tan mir, pa-kon'' ‘I am loving you, bacon’ (action).
====Voice====
Two voices are recognised in Van, the active ({{sc|act}}) and the nonactive ({{sc|nonact}}). Of these, the default voice is the active one which is unmarked. The nonactive is indicated by an '''-s''' suffix.
===Derivational morphology===
====Derived verbs====
It is quite easy to create new verbs: any noun or stem can be turned into a verb by adding the appropriate mode suffix ('''-a''' for dynamic verbs or '''-e''' for stative verbs).


The distinction between dynamic and stative is most readily gleaned in the example opposition ''kore tan mir, pa-kon'' ‘I am in love with you, bacon’ (state) vs. ''kora tan mir, pa-kon'' ‘I am loving you, bacon’ (action).
====Derived nouns====
There are several semantically-restricted options for creating a new noun from a verb.
 
*'''Nomen agentis''': prefix ''li-'' to the stem of the verb. Thus, ''love'' ‘alive, living’ whose stem is ''lov-'' becomes ''lilov'' ‘being’.
*'''Nomen actionis''': add the definite marker to the stem of the verb. ''laja'' ‘sing’ → ''halaj'' ‘the act of singing’
*'''Nomen instrumentis''': instruments or tools that go with a verb; marked with the suffix ''-ka''; ''jasa'' ‘to watch’ → ''jasaka'' ‘glasses’
*'''Nomen obiecti''': suffix ''-las''; added to transitive verbs denote the object of an action. ''laja'' ‘sing’ → ''lajalas'' ‘song’
 
There is one operation available to derive nouns from nouns: the collective ({{sc|COLL}}) reduplication, which usually a full initial L→R reduplication. However, for polysyllabic words, only the first CV pair is copied.


===Nominal morphology===
*'''ha-tav''' ‘a feeling’ → '''ha-tatav''' ‘sentiments, emotional state’
Nouns are unmarked for number but are marked for definiteness and possession (syncretic: '''[ʔa]-''').
*'''ha-tok''' ‘a chicken’ → '''ha-toktok''' {{CIPA|[ʔa̰d̪ɔg̚d̪ɔ̰k̞͡x̞]}} ‘poultry’
*'''ha-lilov''' ‘a being’ → '''ha-lililov''' ‘humanity’ ( and not **ha-lilovlilov)


==Syntax==
==Syntax==
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===Phrase order===
===Phrase order===
====Modifiers====
====The noun phrase====
Numerals and determiners precede their head nouns.
Numerals and determiners precede their head nouns.


(1.)
(1.)


::[ʔɛ̃ŋa tʰaʋ ʔadɔk̚ tʰãn]
::[ʔɛ̃ŋa tʰãm ʔadɔk̚ tʰãn]
:{|
:{|
|-
|-
|''hińa''||''tav''||''ha-tok''||''tan''||
|''hińa''||''tam''||''ha-tok''||''tan''||
|-
|-
|{{sc|prox.det}}||five||{{sc|poss}}-chicken||{{sc|1sg}}||
|{{sc|prox.det}}||five||{{sc|poss}}-chicken||{{sc|1sg}}||
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:‘Those five chicken (are) mine’
:‘Those five chicken (are) mine’


====Genitive constructions====
=====Possessive constructions=====
Possessors follow their possessum.
Possessors follow their possessum.


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|}
|}
:‘Your language’
:‘Your language’
Intrinsically possessed nouns or obligatorily possessed nouns like ''vas'' ‘head’ do not get prefixed with the possessive marker.
:{|
|-
|''vas''||''tan''
|-
|head||{{sc|1sg}}
|-
|}
:‘My head’


===Verb phrase===
===Verb phrase===
The prototypical verb phrases is composed of the phrasal head, any enclitics, subject pronoun.
====Intransitive====
:{|
|''karesi tan''
|-
|''kar-e=si''||''tan''
|-
|grey-{{sc|stat}}={{sc|little}}||{{sc|1sg}}
|-
|}
:‘I'm a little bit grey’
====Transitive====
A transitive verb requires at least an object (O) in addition to the previous type.
:{|
|''lana tan ha-tok''
|-
|''lan-a''||''tan''||''ha-tok''
|-
|cook-{{sc|dyn}}||{{sc|1sg}}||{{sc|def-}}chicken
|}
:‘I cook the chook’
A transitive verb with discarded object and second argument promotion with the directive marker '''-e'''.
:{|
|''nimańa laja tan mire''
|-
|''ni=mań-a''||''laj-a''||''tan''||''mir=e''
|-
|{{sc|perhaps}}=try-{{sc|dyn}}||sing-{{sc|dyn}}||{{sc|1sg}}||{{sc|2sg}}={{sc|dir}}
|-
|}
:‘Perhaps I should try to sing for you’
====Non-active constructions====
====Non-active constructions====
In non-active constructions (autostative, passive, mediopassive; all formed with [-s]) the word order remains the same as in the default word order.
In non-active constructions (autostative, passive, reciprocal, mediopassive; all formed with [-s]) the word order remains the same as in the default word order.


(3.) ''autostative''
(3.) ''autostative''
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|}
|}
:‘I make you happy’
:‘I make you happy’
(8.)
:{|
|''vel-a=vaj''||''mer-e=si''||''mir''||''tan''||
|-
|strike-{{sc|dyn}}={{sc|suddenly}}||sorrowful-{{sc|stat}}={{sc|little}}||{{sc|2sg}}||{{sc|1sg}}
|-
|}
:‘You hit me suddenly and (it makes me) a bit sad’
====Comparative constructions====
Comparative constructions are created with the conjunction ''mar'' in the pattern {{sc|VP }} '''mar''' {{sc|VP}}.
The second {{sc|VP}} can be replaced with the common pro-verb ''vań-'' as in the second example.
(9.)
:{|
|''par-e''||''johana''||''mar''||''par-e''||''nansi''
|-
|red-{{sc|stat}}||Johanna||than||red-{{sc|stat}}||Nancy
|-
|}
:‘Johanna is redder than Nancy’
(10.)
:{|
|''tanir-e''||''tavi''||''mar''||''vań-e''||''mak''
|-
|rise-{{sc|stat}}||David||than||{{sc|proverb}}-{{sc|stat}}||Mark
|-
|}
:‘David is taller than Mark’


==Sample wordlist==
==Sample wordlist==
* sa- ‘not’, prefix
* sa- ‘not’, prefix
* ta- ‘good’, prefix
* ta- ‘good’, prefix
* ni- ‘perhaps’, prefix
* -si ‘a little bit’, suffix
* -ke ‘fast, quickly’, suffix
* -vaj ‘suddenly’, suffix
* no- general intensifier, prefix
* no- general intensifier, prefix
* vańa, -e, dummy verb, a pro-verb.
* vańa, -e, dummy verb, a pro-verb. Also the causative dummy verb.
* ta ‘from’, adverb
* jin ‘here’
* jin ‘here’
* laja ‘sing’
* laja ‘sing’
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* van ‘speech’
* van ‘speech’
* nar ‘death’
* nar ‘death’
* sak ‘field’
* mare ‘upright’
* lana ‘whisper’, -e ‘be quiet’
<!-- Category Time -->
<!-- Category Time -->
[[Category:Conlangs]]
[[Category:Languages]]
[[Category:Van]]
[[Category:Van]]
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