Vairish

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Vairish
Varišö
Pronunciation[vɑriˈʃø]
Created byAenil2
Date2024
Native speakers400k (1894 CC)
Dialects
  • Aonir Vairish (Varišaüniž)
  • Oira Vairish (Varisoir)
  • Taritren Vairish (Värištriten)
Language codes
ISO 639-2vrs
IETFavr-vi-vrs

Vairish (autoglossonym: Varišö; Vairish : [vɑriˈʃø]) is an Ano-Vaire language spoken in Aonir (Riukish : Aüniž [ɑɯ̯ˈniʒ]). Vairish can be considered as a lingua franca in Aonir and the surrounding regions such as Oira and Taritren, which have different pronunciations, but are almost entirely mutually intelligible. Unless indicated, this article will focus on Varišaüniž (Aonir Vairish).

Phonology

Consonants

The following table is the consonant inventory of Vairish. Dialectal allophones will be indicated in dark cells :

Labials Dentals/Alveolars Post-Alveolars Dorsals
Nasals m <m> n <n> ŋ <ň>
Plosives p <p>, b <b> t <t>, d <d> k <k>, g <g>
Affricates t͡ʃ <č>, d͡ʒ <ž>
Fricatives f <f>, v <v> s <s>, z <z> ʃ <š>
Approximants w <w> l <l> j <j>
Trills r <r>

Dialectal variation :

  • /t͡ʃ/, /d͡ʒ/ and /ʃ/ are pronounced /t͡ɕ/, /d͡ʑ/ and /ʑ/ in Värištriten (Tariten Vairish)
  • /f/ and /v/ are pronounced /ɸ/ and /β/ in Varisoir (Oira Vairish) and Varišaüniž

Vowels

There are 9 vowels in Vairish, with no length distinction :

Front Central Back
Close i <i> ɯ <ü>, u <u>
Mid e <e>, ø <ö> ɵ~ə <ë> o <o>
Open ɑ <a>, ɒ <ä>

Morphophonology

Final devoicing

When a word-final consonant is voiced, it's pronounced as its voiceless equivalent, and when inflected, the consonant becomes voiced again.

Diaeresis

When 2 "non-close" vowels are in hiatus, the hiatus is broken down using a glide (the use of one preferably from another depends on the hiatus constituents)

Stress and pitch

Primary stress falls on the last syllable of a word, except if the last syllable is composed of a single vowel. In this case, the stress falls on the second-to-last syllable

Morphology

Nouns

Nouns can be inflected for number, case and possession.

Numbers

Nouns can be inflected for 4 numbers : Singulative (sgv), Dual (du), Plurative (plv) and Collective (col). Depending on the noun, the unmarked number can be either the Singulative or the Collective

Singulative

The singulative is the default, unmarked form of count nouns. When put into the singulative, mass nouns define the smallest unit of the noun, which is translated into English as a measure word (e.g. water → drop of water).

tolvä
"cloud"
Dual

The dual is only fully productive for body parts, kinship and animals. The dual still exists for other count nouns (as mass nouns can't take it), but is considered archaic by many.

örpa-man-it teiliä
eye-1s.poss-du brown
"My eyes are brown"
Plurative

The plurative is formed by affixing -ide. When a voiced plosive comes just before the affix, it is pronounced as its voiceless equivalent

sëid-jon-ide Äirade ö Olsü
name-3p.poss-plv Äirade and Olsü
"They are called Äirade and Olsü" (litt. "Their names are Äirade and Olsü")
Collective

The collective is the default, unmarked form of mass nouns. Count nouns can't inflect for the collective

siöre
water

Cases

Vairish nouns can be using a set of 8 noun cases :

Nominative and Accusative
Simple morphosyntactic cases. The nominative can also be used for marking the predicate.
Dative
Dative proper
The dative proper is used to indicate the indirect object of a sentence
Dative of measure
The dative of measure is used to indicate the difference of measure between 2 objects
Instrumental
The instrumental is used to indicate the instrument of an action
Lative
The lative is used to indicate motion to a location
Ablative
Ablative proper
The ablative proper is used to indicate motion away from a location
Ablative of location
The ablative of location is used to indicate a location
Causal
The causal indicates that the noun is the cause/reason of the action
Essive
Essive proper
The essive proper is used to indicate that the noun is a state of being
Essive of location
The essive of location is used to indicate that the noun is a temporary location

Possession

Nouns in Vairish can be marked for possession. The basic suffixes are -mVn, -sVn, -ňVn and -jVn.

E.g.

Possession markers of raväi "hope"
Person Singulative Dual Plurative
1st (exclusive) raväiman raväimën raväimon
1st (inclusive) raväisin raväison
2nd raväiňän raväiňen raväiňön
3rd raväijan raväiin raväijön

Paradigms

Declension of sëid "name"
Case markers
Case Singulative Dual Plurative
Nominative sëid sëidit sëidide
Accusative sëidan sëiditan sëididen
Dative sëidi sëidiit sëididei
Instrumental sëidäte sëidität sëididät
Lative sëidnë sëidilnë sëididenë
Ablative sëidev sëidite sëididev
Causal sëidnu sëiduit sëididenü
Essive sëidör sëiditör sëidideör
Possessive markers
Person Singulative Dual Plurative
1st (exclusive) sëidman sëidmën sëidmon
1st (inclusive) sëidsin sëidson
2nd sëidňän sëidňen sëidňön
3rd sëidjan sëidin sëidjön
Declension of siöre "water"
Case markers
Case Singulative Collective
Nominative siörene siöre
Accusative siörenea siöreta
Dative siörenö siöreö
Instrumental siöreneru siöreru
Lative siörenetë siörettë
Ablative siörenär siöreäre
Causal siöreneu siöreu
Essive siörenemü siöremü
Possessive markers
Person Singulative Dual Plurative
1st (exclusive) siöreman siöremën siöremon
1st (inclusive) siöresin siöreson
2nd siöreňän siöreňen siöreňön
3rd siörejan siörein siörejön