Zompist Bboard Again

Proto-Macro-Jädewan language

Phonology

*m *n m n
*p *b *t *d *k p b t d k
*θ *ð *s *z *ʃ *ʒ *h θ ð s z š ž h
*ɬ ł
*w *ɹ *l *j w r l y

*æ *ɛ *e *i *a *ɔ *o *u æ ɛ e i a ɔ o u

Two tones, high (acute) and low (unmarked)

A sequence *łł or *ll becomes *tł; *rr becomes *ts. *θθ *ðð *ss *zz *šš *žž become the corresponding affricates.

Syllable structure

(F)(C)V^T(*r/*l)(C)

1SG.F *tłǽrl
1DL.F *alt
1PL.F *tłǽdrǽ
1COLL.M *hóš
1SGV.M *hóhú

2SG.F *šlól
2DL.F *šelšór
2PL.F *šlášǽ
2COLL.M *žbɛ́l
2SGV.M *žbɛ́yú

2SG.F.HON *pɛ́h
2DL.F.HON *zdær
2PL.F.HON *úlš

3SG.F *šrɛr
3DL.F *šǽr
3PL.F *šɛ́ršǽ
3COLL.M *ðlɛlž
3SGV.M *ðlɛdžɔ

Animacy hierarchy

- 2 > 1 > 3 (female)
- Names, people (female)
- Animals
- Inanimates
- Abstractions
- Names, people (male)
- 3 > 2 > 1 (male)

Note that masculines always come second, regardless of their animacy.

-rɔ́ (glossed INV) inverts the animacy of the verb:

*žætłé šúrbaáy ðžɛ́rpɛ

žætłé

3SG.F

šúrb

swallow

-a

PST

=áy

VOL

ðžɛ́rp

fish

-ɛ

SGV

'she ate a fish'

*žætłé šúrbarɔ́ ðžɛ́rpɛ

žætłé

3SG.F

šúrb

swallow

-a

PST

rɔ́

INV

ðžɛ́rp

fish

-ɛ

SGV

'a fish ate her'

Secondary-argument prefixes

1SG.F *ǽtł-
1DL.F *ǽl-
1PL.F *ǽts-
1M *hú-

2SG.F *šlǽ-
2DL.F *šǽre-
2PL.F *šlǽtł-
2M *žbí-

2SG.F.HON *pí-
2DL.F.HON *zdé-
2PL.F.HON *úy-

These only exist for the first and second person.

*ðbídé žbíšhɛtłir ɔθáy

ðbíd

world

-é

DEF

žbí-

2M

šhɛtłir

recall

ɔθ

NEG

=áy

VOL

'the world will forget you'

*hɛ́lzbɛ́h šúrbarɔ́áy ðlɛdžɔ

hɛ́lzbɛ́h

beer

šúrb

swallow

-a

PST

-rɔ́

INV

=áy

VOL

ðlɛdžɔ

3SGV.M

'he drank beer'

*žætłé hɛ́lharɔ́ bɔ́lhé

žætł

woman

-é

DEF

hɛ́lh

see

-a

PST

-rɔ́

INV

bɔ́lh

man

-é

DEF

'the man saw the woman'

Further considerations on phonotactics

Two sibilants cannot occur next to each other; the first dissimilates into a stop. A lateral fricative can stand next to *l but cannot stand next to a sibilant; it becomes *l (and if it's phonotactically messy it metathesizes). A dental fricative can stand next to either.

Final *-lr is not permitted.

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On grammatical number

Feminine nouns can take three numbers: Singular, dual, and plural. The singular, as you might expect, is the bare stem:

*štæž 'yellow plant sp.'
*bírš 'bullwhip'
*zlæršler 'waterfall; curtain'
*lúžlol 'image'
*hɛ́rhæ 'tongue'
*štod 'die (of a set of dice)'
*žlíršúm 'half of the body (divided vertically)'
*θtærl 'gate'

The dual takes a few forms, but these universally cause a high tone on the final stem vowel. After an obstruent, it's *-is:

*štǽž-is 'two of yellow plant sp.'
*bírš-is 'two bullwhips'

Following *-Vr or *-Vl, it geminates (so turns them into *-ts and *-tł respectively);

*zlæršléts 'two waterfalls'
*lúžlótł 'two images'

The dual of a final *-rl converts this into *-st:

*θtǽst 'two gates'

Final *-m or *-n become voiced stops:

*žlíršúb 'body'

Otherwise the dual suffix is *-ɛ́ (becoming *-y after a vowel):

*štódɛ́ '(pair of) dice'
*hɛ́rhǽy 'gossip, busybody' ('two tongues')

Plurals force a low tone on the final stem vowel and generally reshape the coda to infix a *-k-; if an unwieldy cluster is formed, a suffix -ú is added. This *-k- devoices an adjacent obstruent. If the word ends in a vowel or a single consonant, the *-k- appears directly after the vowel; for a biconsonantal coda, it appears between them (and triggers a *-ú).

*štækšú 'yellow plant sp.'
*birkšú 'bullwhips'
*zlæršlekrú 'waterfalls; curtains'
*lúžloklú 'images'
*hɛ́rhæk 'tongues'
*štoktú '(many) dice'
*žlíršukmú 'bodies'
*θtærklú 'gates'

Masculine nouns tend to be mass nouns or collectives, which can be specified for the singulative. The singulative marker is typically just a low-tone echo vowel of the final vowel in the stem.

*bɔ́lh 'men' > *bɔ́lhɔ 'man'
*θlɛl 'water' > *θlɛlɛ 'drop(let); tear'
*škél 'skeleton, bones' > *škéle 'bone'
*ðžɛ́rp '(school of) fish' > *ðžɛ́rpɛ '(a) fish'
*ðžon 'quinoa; food' > *ðžono '(serving of) food, meal'
*łǽž 'wind' > *łǽžæ 'gust'
*θórž 'eelskin' > *θóržo 'eel skin'
*łlord 'lightning' > *łlordo 'lightning bolt'
*bæšólh 'day' > *bæšólho 'hour'

Should the stem end in a vowel, an *-h is appended and lowers the tone of the preceding vowel.

*ždɔ́ 'batter' > *ždɔh 'cake'
*zló '(animal) horn (as substance)' > *zloh '(an) animal horn'
*łɛ́ 'wine' > *łɛh 'glass of wine'
*mo 'gold' > *moh 'diadem'
*ɛžo 'mouth' > *ɛžoh 'tooth'

You can explicitly call multiple singulatives using the preposed particle *æd; this particle assimilates in voicing to a following consonant: *æd ɛžoh 'teeth', *æt łɛ́h 'servings of wine'. It further becomes *-n in anticipation of a nasal: *æn moh 'diadems'.

Verbal tense

*-a PAST
*-(y/i)dí IMMEDIATE PAST
*-Ø PRESENT
*-bu IMMEDIATE FUTURE
*-lɔ́ FUTURE

*píłkíridírɔ́áy hóhú

pí-

2SG.F.HON

łkír

believe

-idí

IMM.PST

=rɔ́

INV

=áy

VOL

hóhú

3SGV.M

'I trusted you!'

*hɛzbíbu hóhú

hɛzbí

die

-bu

IMM.FUT

hóhú

3SGV.M

'he is about to die'

*θlué bórhlɔ́

θlu

sun

-é

DEF

bórh

dim

-lɔ́

FUT

'the sun will dim' (Xi Boötis A is a variable star)

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Verbal aspect

*-Ø PROGRESSIVE
*-n ITERATIVE
*-yæ HABITUAL
*-ð FREQUENTATIVE
*-rθ PROTRACTIVE
*-ó INCHOATIVE
*-bi CESSATIVE

*tłǽrl ɛž

tłǽrl

1SG.F

ɛž

go

-Ø

PRES

-Ø

PROG

'I'm going'

*tłǽrl ɛžin

tłǽrl

1SG.F

ɛž

go

-Ø

PRES

-n

ITER

'I'm going and going'

*tłǽrl ɛžyæ

tłǽrl

1SG.F

ɛž

go

-Ø

PRES

-yæ

HAB

'I go all the time'

*tłǽrl ɛžið

tłǽrl

1SG.F

ɛž

go

-Ø

PRES

-ð

FREQ

'I'm going in fits and starts'

*tłǽrl ɛžirθ

tłǽrl

1SG.F

ɛž

go

-Ø

PRES

-rθ

PROT

'I've been going for a while now'

*tłǽrl ɛžó

tłǽrl

1SG.F

ɛž

go

-Ø

PRES

-ó

INCH

'I'm starting to go'

*tłǽrl ɛžbi

tłǽrl

1SG.F

ɛž

go

-Ø

PRES

-bi

CESS

'I have arrived'

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*tłǽrl žbɛrn ðlɛlž

tłǽrl

1SG.F

žbɛr

learn

-Ø

PRES

-n

ITER

ðlɛlž

3COLL.M

'I am figuring it out'

*tłǽrl žbɛranáy ðlɛlž

tłǽrl

1SG.F

žbɛr

learn

-a

PST

-n

ITER

-áy

VOL

ðlɛlž

3COLL.M

'I have studied/mastered/learned it'

*tłǽrl hortšurayæ

tłǽrl

1SG.F

hortšur

smoke

-a

PST

-yæ

HAB

'I smoked all the time'

*tłǽrl hortšurað

tłǽrl

1SG.F

hortšur

smoke

-a

PST

-ð

FREQ

'I sputtered, I coughed/choked due to the smoke'

*hortšurarθ ðlɛlž

hortšur

smoke

-a

PST

-rθ

PRO

ðlɛlž

3COLL.M

'it smoldered'

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*žɛrdɔr 'stars' > *žɛrdɔrɔ 'star'

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Thoughts on diachronics

The obvious thing to do is to shake up the fricatives by dumping the interdentals…but what if we kept the interdentals (CT has /θ/ but it was basically universally lost in its descendants)?

Given the use of *k in plurals and *h in coda…maybe drop them in clusters with compensatory lengthening.

*hɛ́rhæ : *hɛ́rhǽy : *hɛ́rhæk > hɛ́ɛ́ræ : hɛ́ɛ́rǽy : hɛ́ɛ́ræy > hɛ́ɛ́ræ : hɛ́ɛ́rǽǽ : hɛ́ɛ́rææ

*škél : *škéle > škǽl : škél

*štod : *štódɛ́ : *štoktú > štad : štód : štootú

*sɛðežɔł 'woodpeckers'
> sɛɮeɣɔł
> sɛdežɔθ
> šɛłežɔs
> θɛvezɔl

Proto-Tlar Kyanà phonology

/m n ŋ/
/p b ⁿb t d ⁿd k g ⁿg ʔ/
/ɸ β s z x ɣ h/
/l ɾ/
/w j/

/u o ɔ a ɛ e i/

Tones: *^A *^B *^C *^D

(C)(ɾ)(l)(w/j)V^T(l/ɾ)(N)(S)

m p b ⁿb ɸ β ŋ k g ⁿg x ɣ → mɲ pʃ bʒ ⁿbʒ ɸʃ βʒ ɲ c ɟ ⁿɟ ç ʝ / _{j,i}
t d ⁿd s z k g ⁿg x ɣ → tʃ dʒ ⁿdʒ ʃ ʒ p b ⁿb ɸ β / _w
{w,j} → Ø / C_V
Sɾ → Sʰ
VN → V[+ nasalized] / _(C) (includes prenasalized consonants, which become merely plain voiced) (I'm tired and doing a terrible job of explaining this…upshot is, vowel consumes nasality, stop loses its Spider-powers.)
ɾ → Ø / V_(C)%
ɾ → l
u o ɔ ɛ e i → oi̯ u o e i ei̯
l → ɹ / _(N)(S)%
a → o / _K
Development of register: Aspirated stop/voiceless fricatives → register one; else, register two
Voiced/voiceless merger; prenasalized stops become plain voiced
ei̯ → ai̯
ʔ → Ø
Ba Ea → u̯a i̯a → ɔ ɛ
B E → u̯ i̯ / _V
Nasals assimilate to the place of a following obstruent
The Great Stop Loss: Coda *p deletes entirely, coda *t > *c.
tl → tɬ (male speech)
h → Ø / ! #_
ç ʝ → ʃ ʒ
x ɣ → i̯ / before full vowels (i.e., not onglides)
x ɣ → k g
g → ŋ

Phonology at the time the writing was standardized:

/m n ɲ ŋ/ m n (~ hn) gn g (but mɲ- mj-)
/p b t d c ɟ k/ p b t d c j k (but pʃ- bʒ- ps- bs-) (-c -k -c -cq)
/ɸ β s z ʃ ʒ h/ f v x z s gj h (/h/ is only ever word-initial) (but ɸʃ- βʒ- fj- bj-) (yes, the awful orthography is intentional)
/l ~ ɹ/ l ~ r (realized as a rhotic in the coda)

/u o ɔ a ɛ e i/ u o ao a ae e i
/oi̯ ai̯/ uy ay
/u̯V i̯V/ uV iV (like-semivowel-vowel combinations are disallowed thankfully)

Some words…

/pʃioic/ psiuyc
/bʒɛ̃/ bsaeng
/ɸʃuɔ~k/ fjuaoncq


xixocq tlar cana (looks like some emo kid in the 2000s tried to create a screen name and couldn't spell John Cena)

muy baon, guyna, gnicuhar (that looks like one of those deep-sea fish…it's hideous. I love it.)

gnar toler cana

baxac,

[+nas] Vn before C, Vng otherwise

/βʒãr/ bjanr? bjarng?)
/βʒãrɲɔ/ bjarnggnao…It is hideous. It is beautiful.
/pʃiõk/ psioncq
/mɲiaic/ mjiaic
/ŋoi.a/ guya
/ɲɛ̃/ gnaeng

xixocq tlar cana – mjuy baong – guyna – gnicuhar – gnar toler cana

I did it

I think I did it

I made an orthography that is positively Nortaneous…I've always enjoyed the rational insanity of his romanizations. I feel oddly…happy…

Development of Tones

Mjuy Baong

A1 → mid
A2 → low trailing
B1 → high rising
B2 → low dropping (glottalized unless _S)
C1 → dipping
C2 → high rising (glottalized)
D1 → high rising
D2 → low dropping (glottalized unless _S)

oi̯ ai̯ → ui̯ a
ŋ → n / #_
mɲ ɸʃ βʒ → mj ɸj βj
b d ɟ g → β z ʒ ɣ / #_V[+ high] (includes diphthongs and triphthongs)
ũ ĩ → õ ẽ

Guyna

A1 → mid
A2 → low trailing
B1 → low (dipping unless _S)
B2 → low (dipping unless _S)
C1 → mid rising
C2 → high rising (glottalized)
D1 → low (dipping unless _S)
D2 → low (dipping unless _S)

N → ŋ / _%
V[- high] → Ø / V[- high]_
oi̯ → ai̯
c ɟ → tʃ dʒ
õ ẽ → ɔ̃ ɛ̃

Gnicuhar

A1 → mid level
A2 → low falling
B1 → low rising (glottalized)
B2 → high-mid (glottal stop)
C1 → high rising
C2 → high-mid
D1 → high-mid
D2 → high-mid

S → F / _(C)%
tl → dl (female speech)
ai̯ → oi̯
õ {ɔ̃,ɛ̃} ẽ → ũ ã ĩ
ʃ ʒ → x ɣ

Orthographic tone

A1 a
A2 à
B1 ǎ
B2 â
C1 á
C2 a̋
D1 ȧ
D2 ă

Xi̋xǒcq Tlar Canà
Mjǔy Bǎong
Gùynâ
Gnîcúhȧr

si̋sǒk /si^C2sok^B1/ < sisak < sisat

Man in Space wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 2:03 am I did it

I think I did it

I made an orthography that is positively Nortaneous…I've always enjoyed the rational insanity of his romanizations. I feel oddly…happy…

Sorry to disappoint you, but you’re not quite there yet. This orthography is still far too easy to understand. Although you might get close to Nortaneous if you were to write a few of the vowels with consonant letters and use tone letters instead of diacritics.

Meh, it's good enough for me. I'm happy with this…idiocy.

Dialectal changes reconsidered

Mjǔy Bǎong

A1 → mid
A2 → low trailing
B1 → high rising
B2 → low dropping (glottalized unless _S)
C1 → dipping
C2 → high rising (glottalized)
D1 → high rising
D2 → low dropping (glottalized unless _S)

oi̯ ai̯ → ui̯ a
ŋ → Ø / #_
mɲ ɸʃ βʒ → mj ɸj βj
b d ɟ g → β z z ɣ / #_V[+ high] (includes diphthongs and triphthongs)
Allophonic fronting of back vowels after palatals
{c,ʃ} {ʒ,ɟ} → s z
-ɹ → -n, and then nasalizes the vowel if it ain't already and drops
õ {ɔ̃,ɛ̃} ẽ → ũ ã ĩ
ɲ → j

Xi̋xǒcq Tlar Canà /si^C2 sok^B1 tlaɹ^A1 ca^A1 na^A2/ [siˀ˦˥ sok˦˥ tlã˧ sa˧ na˨]
Mjǔy Bǎong /mɲoi̯^D2 bɔ̃^B1/ [mjyi̯ˀ˨˩ bã˦˥]
Gùynâ /ŋoi̯^A2 na^B2/ [ui̯˨ naˀ˨˩]
Gnîcúhȧr /ɲi^B2 cu^C1 aɹ^D1/ [jiˀ˨˩ sy˨˩˨ ã˦˥]
Gnár Tőlĕr Canà /ɲaɹ^C1 to^C2 leɹ^D2 ca^A1 na^A2/ [jã˧˨˧ toˀ˦˥ lẽˀ˨˩ sa˧ na˨]

Gùynâ

A1 → mid
A2 → low trailing
B1 → low (dipping unless _S)
B2 → low (dipping unless _S)
C1 → mid rising
C2 → high rising (glottalized)
D1 → low (dipping unless _S)
D2 → low (dipping unless _S)

{ɔ̃,ɛ̃} → ã
oi̯ → ai̯
t d → tʃ dʒ / _{i,ĩ}
t d → ts dz / _{u,ũ}
o õ e ẽ → u ũ i ĩ
ɔ ɛ → o e
tl dl → kj gj / _V (if before i̯V, this instead becomes kʃ gʒ)
-i̯ → -c and -ɹ → -t
Vowels lengthen in open syllables

Xi̋xǒcq Tlar Canà /si^C2 sok^B1 tlaɹ^A1 ca^A1 na^A2/ [siˀ˦˥ sok˩ kjat˧ ca˧ na˨]
Mjǔy Bǎong /mɲoi̯^D2 bɔ̃^B1/ [mɲac˨˩˨ bã˨˩˨]
Gùynâ /ŋoi̯^A2 na^B2/ [ŋac˨ na˨˩˨]
Gnîcúhȧr /ɲi^B2 cu^C1 aɹ^D1/ [ɲi˨˩˨ cu˧˥ at˨˩˨]
Gnár Tőlĕr Canà /ɲaɹ^C1 to^C2 leɹ^D2 ca^A1 na^A2/ [ɲat˧˥ tuˀ˦˥ lit˨˩˨ ca˧ na˨]

Gnîcúhȧr

A1 → mid level
A2 → low falling
B1 → low rising (glottalized)
B2 → high-mid (glottal stop)
C1 → high rising
C2 → high-mid
D1 → high-mid
D2 → high-mid

{ŋ,ɲ} → n / #_
c ɟ → ʃ ʒ
oi̯ → ei̯
S → F / _(C)%
tl dl → ts dz (incl. lateral fricatives, male speech)
ai̯ → oi̯
Vowel system reshaped: {a,ɛ} ɔ → æ ɑ
ʃ ʒ → x ɣ
Coda consonants or offglides drop with compensatory lengthening.

Xi̋xǒcq Tlar Canà /si^C2 sok^B1 tlaɹ^A1 ca^A1 na^A2/ [si˥˧ soːˀ˩˧ tsæː˧ xæ˧ næ˨˩]
Mjǔy Bǎong /mɲoi̯^D2 bɔ̃^B1/ [mneː˥˧ bɑ̃ˀ˩˧]
Gùynâ /ŋoi̯^A2 na^B2/ [neː˨˩ næˀ˥˧]
Gnîcúhȧr /ɲi^B2 cu^C1 aɹ^D1/ [niˀ˥˧ xu˦˥ æː˥˧]
Gnár Tőlĕr Canà /ɲaɹ^C1 to^C2 leɹ^D2 ca^A1 na^A2/ [næː˦˥ to˥˧ leː˥˧ xæ˧ næ˨˩]

MB: If two onset fricatives change the second to /j/, and it's before an onglide, it just deletes; also in the initial stages, -c > -t. Fronting of back vowels after palatals promotes /a/ to [æ]
MB, G: i̯ > Ø / [+ palatal]_
G: ki̯- gi̯- > s z, onglide deletion if a consonant precedes, i̯i > i̯e vel. sim., ɸʃ- βʒ- > Øj- bj-
Gn: pʃ- bʒ- > ps- bz-, ɸʃ- βʒ- > ʃ- ʒ- (and thence to velars at the end of it), kj- gj- > ks- gz-

/pʃi̯oi̯c^C2/ psiűyc
MB [pʃyi̯tˀ˦˥]
G [pʃaʃcˀ˦˥]
Gn [psi̯oː˥˧]

/bʒɛ̃^B1/ bsaeng
MB [bʒæ̃˦˥]
G [bʒã˨˩˨]
Gn [bzæ̃ˀ˩˧]

/ɸʃu̯ɔ̃k^D2/ fjuaoncq
MB [ɸu̯ãk˨˩]
G [jãk˩]
Gn [xu̯ɑ̃ː˥˧]

/mɲi̯ai̯c^A2/ mjiàyc
MB [mjæt˨]
G [mɲi̯ac˨]
Gn [mni̯oː˨˩]

/ʒɔɹ^A1/ gjaor
MB [zœ̃˧]
G [ʒot˧]
Gn [ɣɑː˧]

/du^D1tlo^B2/ du̇tlô
MB [zu˦˥ tloˀ˨˩]
G [dzu˨˩˨ kju˨˩˨]
Gn [du˥˧ tsoˀ˥˧]

/ɔɹ^B1ŋai̯c^C1/ hǎorgáyc
MB [õ˦˥ as˨˩˨]
G [ot˨˩˨ ŋac˧˥]
Gn [ɑːˀ˩˧ noː˦˥]

/ɟo^C2/ jő
MB [zøˀ˦˥]
G [ɟoˀ˦˥
Gn [ɣo˥˧]

/ki̯ai̯c^A2nɛɹ^B1/ kiàycnǎer
MB [kjæs˨ nã˦˥]
G [sac˨ neɹ˨˩˨]
Gn [ksoː˧˩ næːˀ˩˧]

/si^C2sok^B1/ xi̋xǒcq
MB [siˀ˦˥ sok˦˥]
G [siˀ˦˥ suk˨˩˨]
Gn [si˥˧ soː˩˧]

/tlẽ^A1/ tleng
MB [tlĩ˧]
G [kjẽ˧]
Gn [tsẽ˧]

/βʒãɹ^C2ɲɔ^D1/ bja̋rnggnȧo
MB [βjæ̃ˀ˦˥ jã˦˥]
G [bjãtˀ˦˥ ɲo˨˩˨]
Gn [ɣæ̃ː˥˧ nɑ˥˧]

/ŋoi̯^A2 a^B2/ gùyâ
MB [ui̯˨ aˀ˨˩]
G [ŋac˨ a˨˩˨]
Gn [neː˨˩ æˀ˥˧]

/ɲɛ̃^D2/ gnăeng
MB [jæ̃ˀ˨˩]
G [ɲẽ˨˩˨]
Gn [næ̃˥˧]

/kõɹ^D1/ kȯr
MB [kũ˦˥]
G [kũɹ˨˩˨]
Gn [kõː˥˧]

/i̯õ^C2 dec^C1/ iőndéc
MB [jỹˀ˦˥ des˨˩˨]
G [jũˀ˦˥ dic˧˥]
Gn [jõ˥˧ deː˦˥]

1SG *hiw A → hicq
1DL.INCL *hɾwo D → hȯ
1DL.EXCL *βo A → vò
1PL.INCL *kjɛ C → ca̋e
1PL.EXCL *βu C → vű

2SG.M *gu A ɾij A → kùlày
2DL.M *kej A tu B → kàytû
2PL.M *gom D → kőng

2SG.F *ŋim C → gı̋ng
2DL.F *ⁿbwɛb B → bâe
2PL.F *ɣɔj A → hiùy

3SG.M *kɾɛ A → kae
3DL.M *dljɔⁿg A → tlàocq
3PL.M *βje C → bje̋

3SG.F *ⁿbji A → bsì
3DL.F *sin B → xǐng
3PL.F *ɸjew D → fjėcq

I recently stumbled across some old work of mine…I can't believe that CT script used to look like this:

Man in Space wrote: ↑Thu Jul 13, 2023 7:04 pm I recently stumbled across some old work of mine…I can't believe that CT script used to look like this:

What does it look like now?

bradrn wrote: ↑Thu Jul 13, 2023 7:58 pm

Man in Space wrote: ↑Thu Jul 13, 2023 7:04 pmI recently stumbled across some old work of mine…I can't believe that CT script used to look like this:

What does it look like now?

Pretty!

Concurred.

Raphael wrote: ↑Sun Jul 16, 2023 9:49 pmPretty!

WeepingElf wrote: ↑Mon Jul 17, 2023 4:54 amConcurred.

Thank you!

----

I'm thinking I'm going to change XTC /ʒ/ to be spelt y. Maybe have ʒ > j in one or two of the dialects (> ɟ / _j)…it'd make it a little less ugly.

gen dump:

A few tweaks:

- Opening diphthongs with /u̯-/ will be severely reduced. Only /u̯a u̯ɔ u̯o u̯ɛ/ will be allowed. /u̯oi̯/ is written uuy.
- Going the Latin route with spelling /k/: qu before e i, k before a ae ao, q before o u.
-- This means that /ku̯a ku̯ɔ ku̯o ku̯ɛ/ qua quao quo quae.

Numbers

XTC counts things in base-25 with a sub-base of 5. The atomic numerals up to 5:

1. he̋nc
2. quő
3. yahé
4. gnıng
5. que̋

The fives up to 25:

10. yuöc
15. tecpsióc
20. psôcbjë
25. quiu̇

quő-vǎy-que̋

quő

two

vǎy

and

que̋

five

'seven'

The twenty-fives up to 125:

50. psôngtuî
75. tëyírng
100. xócq
125. bja̋c

quő-vǎy-quiu̇

quő

two

vǎy

and

quiu̇

twenty-five

'twenty-seven'

gnıng-vǎy-tecpsióc

gnıng

four

vǎy

and

tecpsióc

fifteen

'nineteen'

tëyírng-vǎy-bja̋c

tëyírng

seventy-five

vǎy

and

bja̋c

one.hundred.twenty.five

'two hundred'

he̋nc-vǎy-yuöc-vǎy-xócq

he̋nc

one

vǎy

and

yuöc

ten

vǎy

and

xócq

one.hundred

'one hundred eleven, eleventy-one'

The 125s up to 625:

250. bsota̋y
375. tle̋qő
500. xa̋ync
625. xông

que̋-vǎy-xông

que̋

five

vǎy

and

xông

six.hundred.twenty-five

'six hundred thirty'

For numbers over 625, you use an appropriate modifier:

xông-ı-quő

xông

625

ı

times

quő

four

'twenty-five hundred'

15'625 is va̋ec.

Ignore this, this is for mine own recordkeeping

I've decided I don't like the old pronouns. So, new ones, here we go.

1SG.F to
1SG.M xiur
2SG.F psâc
2SG.M psäoncq
3SG.F kâyr
3SG.M dëcq

1DL.F tlu̇y
1DL.M xu̇y
2DL.F pser
2DL.M psén
3DL.F yüy
3DL.M gòc

1PL.F tle̋c
1PL.M xîryuő
2PL.F psa̋c
2PL.M psuűy
3PL.F gne̋ngpsi
3PL.M bsota̋y

Xiur de̋ncqpse̋rng psäoncq

xiur

1SG.M

de̋ncqpse̋rng

greet

psäoncq

2SG.M

'I greet you'

The suffix -tá signals malicious intent or airs; this suffix lowers e o to ae ao and lowers both ae ao to a in the preceding syllable.

qô 'help' > kâo-tá 'betray'
quáen 'quench, put out, end' > quán-tá 'snuff out, end maliciously'

I'm thinking about having XTC feature an animacy hierarchy. This would go

1 > 2 > 3 > proper names (incl. cities) > people > cities/regions > animate > inanimate

To reverse the hierarchy, the clitic =iên is added:

Xiur-iên de̋ncqpse̋rng psäoncq

xiur

1SG.M

=iên

ANIM

de̋ncqpse̋rng

greet

psäoncq

2SG.M

'you greet me'

Not sure I'm sold on it however.

A Twin Aster Glossary

I have mine own quirky way of referring to things; here's an in-progress list of some of the ones I've gotten to so far. It's a sci-fi setting but I do occasionally go for the purple prose intentionally for the old-timey feel (e.g., "tralphium", "mute-voice") and/or to give an alien feel to the familiar ("slugthrower", "saregun") or the unfamiliar-but-still-conceivable ("oalvat"). (When I'm not coining words from conlangs, I'm given to using French for futuristic weaponry and Anglish for everything else.)

Adasar. Plural of dahsar.

Assembly Plenipotentiary. A United Nations-like body for Írödian diplomacy.

Bade, the. Massive war between the Jädewan and the Tim Ar; the latter were victorious.

Baisse-char. Dropship/flightcraft used to deploy infantry and other ground troops.

Bishop of War. The only wartime position in the religious hierarchy of the Patchwork States. All state and church officials are subordinate to the Bishop of War.

Black plant. Kingdom of plant-like constructs employing black or dark grey chlorophylls.

Bide-maître. Weaponized antimatter.

Big Brother. Larger of the two satellites orbiting Íröd.

Blue weapons. Nuclear weapons.

Bôm Ikkeb. The preëminent major religious figure on Íröd, the focus of hundreds of religions and cults.

Cataplasm. Biotechnological poultice applied to wounds to encourage healing.

City of Cities, the. Ágmrgámr, capital of the Tim Ar Empire.

Countercar. Transport vehicle relying on the Casimir effect to hover slightly above the ground.

Dahsar. Intelligent, caniform-humanoid inhabitant of Íröd.

Darkwater. Standard water.

Doombook. The legal code of the Tim Ar and all of its supplementary edicts.

Doomhouse. Courthouse, place of judgment, hall of justice.

Entask. Taxonomic grouping of large reptiles; dragon, dinosaur.

Ethel, the. The Kmrön n Tim Ar proper.

Eywhite. Proteinaceous slurry originally prepared as military rations but now marketed to consumers.

Face, the. A captured asteroid in geosynchronous orbit around Íröd, administered by the Tim Ar and used for traffic control, observation, communication, and military strategy.

Feith. Cold or clandestine warfare.

Fer-en-vol. High-speed kinetic pebbles; weaponized shrapnel.

Feu-noir. Plural feux-noirs. Single-use, nuclear-pumped X-ray laser. Type of blue weapon.

Firecloud. Spontaneously-combusting aerosolized area-denial weapon.

Fireflood. Pyroclastic flow, lava flow; blast wave of a nuclear weapon.

Flashblood, to. To inject oneself with the blood of another, particularly one who has recently administered narcotics.

Flightcraft. Aerial vehicle operating much like a helicopter or personal turbine.

Greatgun. Artillery piece; something that fires heavy ordnance.

Greenwater. Ocean water; water with significant iron content.

Ho’mount. Short for “homunculus mount”. A primate-like, quadrupedal simian used as an animal mount.

King-of-the-Sky. Xi Boötis B.

Kiss-of-death. Any of a series of extraordinarily powerful nerve agents or toxins derived from a specific class of black plants.

Laisse-tombe. Kinetic weapon in the form of a tungsten-steel rod dropped from orbit, to devastating effect on targets.

Landsquid. Semi-terrestrial, mollusk-like, betentacled creature feared for its ferocious temperament.

Lé Mêĝ. Mountainous region of Maramhír with many similar characteristics to Papua New Guinea; considered sort of a no-man's-land by the Tim Ar administrators.

Little Brother. The smaller satellite of Íröd.

Lyegun. Flamethrower.

Mandamus. Governing body of the Tim Ar military.

Mute Caber. A contingent of Caber-speaking peoples who were integrated as a subpopulation into the Tim Ar Empire.

Mute-voice. Simultaneous translation device, similar to an old-timey radio mic in appearance.

Mziddyun, the. Great desert in the center of Íal.

Náirad. Gas giant orbiting Xi Boötis B, from which helium-3 is harvested.

Oalvat. Tim Ar-constructed spaceship utilizing a torch drive.

Oraculus. Child used for fortune-telling and divination by the Caber.

Pentad, the. Five-seated council that leads the Assembly Plenipotentiary. Comprises three permanent members (the Tim Ar, the Tlar Kyanà, and the Empire of the Violet Sun) and two rotating tetrarchs, one north of and one south of the Messerini line.

Red Death. A plague of virological origin that wiped out much of the adasar population in the 800s AD.

Red plant. Kingdom of plant-like constructs employing red chlorophylls.

Renewer. Focal clergy position in the Banagarinimo hierarchy. Obligatorily female.

Saregun. Machine gun.

Scattershield. Defense consisting of dummy targets or debris between oneself and one’s attacker.

Second Sun (the). Xi Boötis B.

Slugthrower. Kinetic weapon operating on basis of a projectile being fired.

Soldiers’ sickness. Perceived illness or culture-bound disorder whose cause is the breakdown of the bicameral mind in one so afflicted and the emergence of an analog consciousness.

Stavewort. Black plant genus found below the Messerini line with powerful contraceptive properties.

Stonemetal. Depleted uranium.

Suicide plant. A yellow plant that generates copious quantities of MDMA, used ritualistically and recreationally in many cultures, often as a method of capital punishment.

Tetrarch. One of two rotating offices of the Assembly Plenipotentiary, one north of the Messerini Line and one south of it.

Traffic Control. International cooperative regulating and facilitating travel within cisplanetary space around Íröd.

Tralphium. Helium-3.

Truewater. Heavy water.

Wain. Transport vehicle (esp. a wheeled one).

Walbase. Weaponized mercury (typically employed against aluminum targets).

Weird, to. To read or forecast someone’s destiny; to tell someone’s fortune. In Caber practice, often accompanied by the administration of hallucinogens.

Wolfram. Tungsten, especially as employed in orbital-strike weaponry.

World City. Írödkámr, seat of the Assembly Plenipotentiary, built at the intersection of the Írödian equator and prime meridian.

Yellow plant. Kingdom of plant-like constructs employing yellow chlorophylls.

-cq- between vowels indicates /k/. In XTC, a sequence /c + k/ is disallowed; it simplifies to just /k/.

Let's do some more on derivational morphology while we're at it…

-kárng implies that the doer had assistance or that whatever the action was was a team effort.

bsûyquėc 'learn' > bsûyquėc-kárng 'be initiated into, be made privy to, be informed'
laecxöng 'achieve' > laecxöng-kárng 'achieve through difficulty, earn through travail'
qô 'help' > qô-kárng 'pitch in, help with others' help'
quáeng 'quench, put out, end' > quáeng-kárng 'assassinate (with majority support)'

The suffix -tá signals malicious intent or airs; this suffix lowers e o to ae ao and lowers both ae ao to a in the preceding syllable.

qô 'help' > kâo-tá 'betray'
quáeng 'quench, put out, end' > quáng-tá 'snuff out, end maliciously'
sőtǎng 'know' > sőtǎng-tá 'blackmail'
tlótliô 'win' > tlótliô-tá 'cheat (at)'
vuőc 'hear' > vuőc-tá 'eavesdrop, surveil, snoop, pry'

-va̋c indicates some prerequisite or precondition of the verb to which it is suffixed.

bsúycq 'speak' > bsúycq-va̋c 'learn to speak, acquire language'
bsûyquėc 'memorize, commit to memory, learn' > bsûyquėc-va̋c 'study'
qőrpsűyr 'fold' > qőrpsűyr-va̋c 'spread out' (the metaphor is of a fabric)
sőtǎng 'know' > sőtǎng-va̋c 'be knowledgable of, be familiar with'
tlótliô 'succeed, win' > tlótliô-va̋c 'attempt; meet in battle'

-xe signals intent or focus.

qòc 'see' > qòc-xe 'look (at)'
qögnőcq 'drive' > qögnőcq-xe 'direct'
vuőc 'hear' > vuőc-xe 'listen (to)'
vuócxòcq 'play (music), orate, perform (verses)' > vuócxòcq-xe 'mimic, imitate'
xiȧyqöcq 'attack' > xiȧyqöcq-xe 'target, assassinate'

-yüy signals repetition, (re)iteration, or doing over:

bjue̋c 'paint; write' > bjue̋c-yüy 'repaint; rewrite'
gne̋ngpsi 'say s.th.' > gne̋ngpsi-yüy 'say s.th. back (to s.o.), say s.th. again'
psùytia̋yc 'sneeze' > psùytia̋yc-yüy 'have a sneezing fit'
tuäe 'come up with, make up, compose, draft' > tuäe-yüy 'revise, edit'
xuótiér 'recite prose' > xuótiér-yüy 'recite mantras'

The suffixes -qő and -gnèc make a unilateral action out of a reciprocal one; the former implies the referent is an active participant (or "on the giving end") and -gnèc the opposite ("on the business end").

tàncq 'correspond, keep up with' > tàncq-qő 'to report on', tàncq-gnèc 'to receive mail'
tlâydô 'trade, do business' > tlâydô-qő 'to give in trade, to ship', tlâydô-gnèc 'to receive in trade'

quer 'burn' > quer-bse̋ + -anc PL (eats final vowel but assumes tone thereof) > querbsa̋nc
ka̋engtuo 'grow' + -yüy > ka̋engtuoyüy

XTC updated gen dump:
gen dump for Proto-Jädewan:
*θæžyarp : *θæžyarpis : *θæžyarkpú 'bridge'

Locative prefixes, given in the form indefinite: definite:
To, towards, in *ɛ- : *zɛ-
From, out (of) *wó- : *šwó-
To the outside *lé- : *łé-
From the inside *rǽ- : *šǽ-
Within *u- : *šu-
Outside (of) *mé- : *zmé-
Next to, along(side) *ɔl- : *zɔl-
Around, surrounding *pǽ- : *špǽ-

*tłǽrl tšú-dí-l=áy ɛ=ðlɛlž

tłǽrl

1SG.F

tšú

see

-dí

IMM.PST

-l

PERF

=áy

VOL

ɛ=

to.INDEF

ðlɛlž

3M.COLL

'I looked inside (it)'

*šelšór rúrsłál-bu zɛ-łpalwa

šelšór

1DL.F

rúrsłál

motion.toward

-bu

IMM.FUT

zɛ-

to.DEF

łpalwa

larger.moon

'the two of us are going to go to the (larger) moon'

*špæ 'sap; glue'

*žbílǽyórlɔ́lrɔ́ hóhú

žbí-

2M

lǽyór

ruin

-lɔ́

FUT

-l

PERF

-rɔ́

INV

hóhú

1M.SGV

'I will ruin you'

*θlá 'time' > *θlah 'year' > *æt θlah 'years'

*lɔ́łɛ́l pæðłɔ́-a-yæ-rɔ́ hóhú

lɔ́łɛ́l

tea

pæðłɔ́

boil

-a

PST

-yæ

HAB

-rɔ́

INV

hóhú

3M.SGV

'I used to boil tea'

Negation is handled by a particle wǽ:

*tłǽrl wǽ žbí-šyolpar-a-l hɛ́rhæ

tłǽrl

1F.SG

wǽ

NEG

žbí-

2M

šyolpar

cut.out

-a

PST

-l

PERF

hɛ́rhæ

tongue

'I cut out his tongue'

*purwá wǽ ðrɛ́pá-lɔ́-rɔ́ ðlɛdžɔ bɛ?

purwá

again

wǽ

NEG

ðrɛ́pá

return

-lɔ́

FUT

-rɔ́

INV

ðlɛdžɔ

3M.SGV

bɛ

Q

'will he not come home again?'

OK. To reconcile the conlang with my typesetting engine, Vyə is now Vyʌ:

saqhthʌ́sgʌk vá srákhtjhyʌn, gvʌ́r baqrʌ́nyʌk pharv 'waste not your thoughts upon dreams, for you will forget to live'
ġyabrʌgv khrʌ́k gvrʌgivg 'I would have established it'
nu dngʌ́ur bhʌrigrá, rav prʌguthnáu thrághu rav prʌphrágitwʌsq turaqh, ġú khrívġa 'a drought happened, and our crops dried and our cattle died, they said'
dgvʌ́gvʌ khsatk bhrágʌvg 'the man looked at the temple'

Got to figure out something to do with *-ww- and *-yy- clusters…maybe fortition to -b- and -ts-?

*ġyabrə wnə-rə tyaġa-wi > ġyábrʌ vnrə tíġau 'I'm going to go to the moon'

Cases, cases, cases

Grammatical

*-Ø NOMINATIVE (subject/agent)
*-yəgu PEGATIVE (subject with dative arg.)
*-fi GENITIVE (of ~, ~'s)
*-pə DATIVE (to/for ~)
*-ki ACCUSATIVE (direct object/patient) (also used for duration of time)
*-ugu ABLATIVE (general oblique)
*-u PARTITIVE (three ~, forty ~)

Semantic

*-yə CARITATIVE (for want/lack of ~)
*-dja CAUSAL (because of ~)
*-ygə CAUSAL-FINAL (for the sake/reason of ~)
*-yra DISTRIBUTIVE (per ~) (also used as an essive/temporal locative)
*-fyə INSTRUCTIVE (how? ~)
*-tjwa INSTRUMENTAL (using what? ~)
*-naya ORNATIVE (endowed with ~, equipped with ~)
*-wga PRIVATIVE (lacking/without ~)
*-iti SEMBLATIVE (like ~, resembling ~)

Positional

*-dya ADESSIVE (location near ~)
*-rə ALLATIVE (motion to ~)
*-wra ANTESSIVE (before/in front of ~)
*-zə ORIENTATIVE (turned towards ~, facing ~)
*-dgayə REVERTIVE (facing away from ~)
*-awra SUBESSIVE (below/under ~)
*-qhə SUPERESSIVE (on (top of) ~)

Motive

*-aya ELATIVE (out of~)
*-wə POSTELATIVE ((out) from behind ~)
*-dga ILLATIVE (into ~)
*-i INITIATIVE (starting at ~)
*-pəgwə PERLATIVE (via ~, using ~, by ~, through ~, along ~)
*-kwədjə SUPERLATIVE (to the top of ~)
*-gi TERMINATIVE (ending at ~, as far as ~)