Name That Language!

[bradrn]

From South America?

[Nortaneous]

From South America?

No.

[bradrn]

Then… gosh, I’m really not sure. Perhaps it could be Austronesian?

[Nortaneous]

Then… gosh, I’m really not sure. Perhaps it could be Austronesian?

Yes.

[bradrn]

OK then, we have a place to start. Vowels ⟨a e i o u ã ẽ ĩ ė⟩, consonants ⟨m n p t k ' d j h l r⟩. My first thought was New Caledonian, but that consonant system clearly doesn’t match. But perhaps it could be from the Bismark Archipelago?

The most puzzling feature is, of course, ⟨ė⟩. I’d put that down to typewriter orthographies, except that overdot is not a common diacritic in typewriters. I’ll have to keep on thinking about that.

[Nortaneous]

But perhaps it could be from the Bismark Archipelago?

No.

[bradrn]

On further thought, I’m almost certain this is Enggano. The vowel nasality matches, as does the word length and frequency of glottal stops. But the smoking gun is that I found an online example containing ⟨ė⟩.

(Ironically, Enggano is one of the only Austronesian languages I have any familiarity with. In my defense, this is my first time seeing the practical orthography.)

EDIT: Yes, it’s Enggano. This sample text is the Mahkotaadat story.

[Nortaneous]

On further thought, I’m almost certain this is Enggano.

Yes.

[bradrn]

Next text:

꜒ker-꜒ker ꜒꜖di-꜒꜖i. ꜖꜒ɡal꜒ta ꜒꜖yal ꜒ta ꜖꜒yoɡo ꜖꜒apal ꜖꜒ɡal ꜒ta ꜖꜒yoɡo ꜖꜒nem ꜒꜖ɡolm ꜒꜖duɡwe. ꜒꜖ɡolm꜒ia ꜒꜖yal ꜒sul ꜒꜖i꜒rae ꜒꜖mol ꜒꜖eipka. ꜒꜖taim꜒ta ꜒i꜒ra꜒we ꜖꜒ɡal ꜖꜒tau ꜒ure ꜖꜒yel ꜒꜖dum ꜒꜖duɡwe. ꜖꜒none ꜒nul ꜒꜖du ꜒ku ꜒꜖ele ꜒꜖bus ꜖꜒kuna ꜒i ꜒ka꜖꜒kopa ꜒sre el꜖꜒apɡa ꜒er ꜒꜖si ꜒꜖suɡwal ꜖꜒napn꜒wa ꜒꜖dum ꜒꜖duɡwe.

(Sadly my font doesn’t seem to ligate the tone marks properly. Hope it works for you.)

[Karch]

This is clearly a Chimbu-Wahgi language, and I happen to remember which one, since even though I last looked at the grammar some 4 years ago the left-side tone marks the author chose for the transcription were very distinctive. I however won't say which one it is yet, so that others can also try guessing.

[bradrn]

This is clearly a Chimbu-Wahgi language

Yes, well done. To prevent this from turning into endless repeated questions, I’ll say you can go next if no-one else can find the language in the next 3 or so questions.

[bradrn]

Looks like no-one else is going to hazard a guess, so to keep the game going, I’ll give the next text to Karch.

[Karch]

The language of the last sample, if I'm not mistaken, was Dom. Here's the next sample:

dzwlaì chínazẁ, pwpwuni thaí zivwige, tatá swmòge, maixini zaókhykhó sho, maixini khaóto khó twuni, maixini tozw twu tà baisẁ. maikǐni tosw twu tà, ijě khaóto mẁli pai twukhe, ijě zaókhy pailikhaivwikhe rwùni khó twu tà khó shò tà baisẁ. ve raikaikìko, è lwù twujo lwù vaijo.

[bradrn]

Is this one Sino-Tibetan?

The language of the last sample, if I'm not mistaken, was Dom.

Indeed it was.

[Karch]

Is this one Sino-Tibetan?

Yes, it is.

[bradrn]

Is this one Sino-Tibetan?

Yes, it is.

In that case I’ll probably not guess any further, because I’m terrible at Sino-Tibetan and the game always degenerates to me asking endless random questions. I’ll let Nort work it out.

[Nortaneous]

Is it Lolo-Burmese?

[Karch]

Is it Lolo-Burmese?

No.

[Darren]

Is it a Sal language?

[Karch]

Is it a Sal language?

No.