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Wistanian: Difference between revisions
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==Semantics== | ==Semantics== | ||
The [[Wistanian/Lexicon|Wistanian Lexicon]] currently stands at | The [[Wistanian/Lexicon|Wistanian Lexicon]] currently stands at 600 words as of October 2018, with a goal of accomplishing 2,500 words by the end of the year. A minimum of 10 words are actively added to the lexicon almost every day. | ||
[[File:WistanianFamily.png|thumb|right|A typical Wistanian family]] | [[File:WistanianFamily.png|thumb|right|A typical Wistanian family]] | ||
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===Numbers=== | ===Numbers=== | ||
''under construction'' | |||
Classically, the Taliv only counted up to five with a single word that meant "more than five" (this term is now obsolete, however, it has fossilized as the plural marker '''-(a)n''') The Bwolotil and Uzin, however, came with a different numbering system, as did the Nati and Katapu. That numbering system is currently under construction, and I expect it to be really weird. | |||
===Seat of Emotion=== | |||
In Taliv, Nati, and Katapu culture, the seat of emotion is in the liver, meaning that it is believed emotion comes from the liver (as opposed to the English belief that emotion is from the heart). For this reason, a man with "a cold liver" is said to be nervous and a woman with "a light liver" is said to be in love. In Bwolotil culture, the seat of emotion is in the bowels instead, so that a man with "full bowels" is said to be stressed. The Uzin, however, use the brain as the seat for emotion and thought, saying things such as "the brain is on fire" when someone becomes excited. These phrases travel around the Wistanian and borrowed by most people. | |||
Contrarily, there is a separate seat for the soul of a person, commonly claimed to be near the liver although the exact place is secret. This "seat of the soul" is known as '''gauya'''. Katapu people are so dedicated to this ideology that if a person is stabbed in the belly, they must be left to die or put to death, believing that their soul has been injured or killed and they no longer "human". | |||
===Direction and Time=== | |||
Direction and Time are closely interrelated in the Wistanian language. They correspond with the terms '''mija''' (rising) and '''hina''' (setting), which describe the rising and setting of the sun. Wistanian has two cardinal directions, the rising east and setting west. Time is likewise measured by the rising past and the setting future. This leads to phrases such as "think east" and "go towards the setting" as opposed to English "think back" and "go west". Wistanian has an intrinsic and relative frame of reference, in that when giving directions, they will use the destination's location as described in relation to another object ("towards the lake", in front of my house") as well as using terms for "front", "back", "left" and "right". There is a limited absolute frame of reference with terms for "east" and "west", but no terms for "north" or "south." | |||
===Vulagarity and Taboos=== | |||
Every culture possesses a strong taboo against slurs, which is partly due to the rocky history of racism during the post-war era of the country. Some slurs include '''baubau''', a diminutive of the word Bwolotil, often used to describe things that are dark and ugly. Holding the '''u''' sound can also get a young Wistanian in trouble for its history as a chant against the Uzin. Terms referring to religion are also taboo when used out of context, especially in the Katapu tribes; for example, calling something '''ggauduvahi''' ("great" or "grand") is considered offensive since that term should only be applied to a place of worship. Terms referring to sex or bodily functions are only taboo in the Katapu and, to a smaller extent, the Bwolotil cultures. In fact, public nudity in many Taliv villages is acceptable (although informal, and usually not practiced in larger cities). | |||
It is considered vulgar over the entire nation to use the name of a family member in vain, especially if that family member is deceased. | |||
===Metaphors=== | |||
''under construction'' | ''under construction'' | ||