Elw language

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The Elw language is an ergative–absolutive agglutinating language spoken in Elwynn, Wintergleam and Talenore.

Background

Blah, blah, language of Elwynn


Phonology

Consonants

Bilabial Alveolar Retroflex Palatal Uvular Glottal
Nasal ⟨ m ⟩
/ m /
⟨ n ⟩
/ n /
⟨ n ⟩
/ ŋ̊ /
⟨ n ⟩
/ ŋ /
⟨ n ⟩
/ ɴ /
Stop ⟨ p ⟩
/ p /
⟨ b ⟩
/ b /
⟨ t ⟩
/ t /
⟨ d ⟩
/ d /
⟨ q ⟩
/ q /
⟨ g ⟩
/ ɢ /
Sibilant fricative ⟨ s ⟩
/ s /
⟨ z ⟩
/ z /
⟨ sh ⟩
/ ʂ /
⟨ zh ⟩
/ ʐ /
⟨ k ⟩
/ k /
Non-sibilant fricative ⟨ f ⟩
/ ɸ /
⟨ v ⟩
/ β /
⟨ sh ⟩
/ ɕ /
⟨  ž ⟩
/ ʑ /
⟨ q ⟩
/ χ /
⟨ r ⟩
/ ʁ /
⟨ h ⟩
/ h /
Approximant ⟨ y ⟩
/ j /
Lateral approximant ⟨ ll ⟩
/ ɬ /
⟨ l ⟩
/ l /

/ q / and / χ / are allophones both written . In a syllable-initial position, ⟨ q ⟩ is pronounced / q / and in a syllable-final position it is pronounced / χ /. The pronunciation of qoq is therefore / qoχ /

/ ʂ / and / ʐ / appear only before / a /, / o /, / u / and / ə / and as a final. They are allophones with / ɕ / and / ʑ / respectively, who appear in the other positions.

Vowels

Front Central Back
Close ⟨ i ⟩
/ i /
⟨ u ⟩
/ u /
Close-mid ⟨ o ⟩
/ o /
Mid ⟨ e ⟩
/ ə /
Open ⟨ a ⟩
/ a /

Each vowel except ⟨ e ⟩ / ə / can be made long, in which case in orthography, the letter is doubled, e.g. ⟨ a ⟩ becomes / a: / ⟨ aa ⟩.


Syllabic structure

Generally speaking, syllables are V, CV, VL, or CVL where V is a vowel, C is any consonant, and L is any non-stop consonant.

However, there are some illegal syllables under these rules, all around the vowel / i /. / i / can never come before uvular consonants. The vowel / i / would under these conditions be realized as / ə / and written ⟨ e ⟩. Similarly, / u / can never appear before uvular consonants. The vowel is then allophonically realized as / o / and written ⟨ o ⟩. These rules are for all native Elw words, and some exceptions exist for loanwords, like Kalirion from Hyperborean.

Orthography

Elw employs Cyrillic. Its usually transliterated either by letter-to-letter (L2L) notation or by the "English" version which attempts to use ASCII as far as possible.

Cyrillic L2L English
А а A a
Б б B b
В в V v
Г г G g
Д д D d
Е е E e
Ж ж Ž ž Zh zh
З з Z z
И и I i
Й й J j Y y
К к K k
Қ қ Q q
Л Л L l
Ԯ ԯ Ł ł Ll ll
М м M m
Н н N n
О о O o
П п P p
Р р R r
С с S s
Т т T t
У у U u
Ф ф F f
Х х H h
Ш ш Š š Sh sh, X x
Ю ю Ů ů Yu yu
Я я Å å Ya ya

Long vowels are indicated by doubling the vowel, except /jaː/ and /juː/ which are written /яа/ (åa, yaa) and /юу/ (ůu, yuu) respectively.

Academic Elw, as well as names of ethnic minorities or foreigners, or words from foreign languages, can be written by a set of extra letters (mainly adapted from the Ocian alphabet, with some additions for other sounds). Note, A–O refers to Amokolian–Ocian names, words, etc.

Cyrillic L2L English A–O Comment
Ә ә ä generally used for /ɛ/-like sounds (also e.g. /æ/)
Ӷ ӷ Ǧ ǧ Gh gh generally used for /ɣ/-like sounds (also e.g. /ʀ/)
Ђ ђ Đ đ Dh dh used for /ð/; A–O: dʲ
Ё ё ë yo /jo/
Ј ј J̌ ǰ J j /j/ (A–O)
Љ љ Ľ ľ Lj lj Lj lj /lʲ/ (A–O)
Њ њ Ň ň Nj nj Nj nj /ŋ/; A–O /nʲ, ɲ/
Ө ө Ö ö for /ø/-like sounds
Р̌ р̌ Ř ř Rh rh For trilled or tapped /r/-like sounds
Ҭ ҭ (Ѳ ѳ) Ť ť Th th /θ/ (the alternative letter is occasionally seen, but generally avoided due its likeness with ö)
Ћ ћ Ć ć Ch ch /tɕ/ (A–O)
Ў ў W w W w /w/
Ү ү ü /y/-like sounds
Ұ ұ û /ʉ/-like sounds (Norse)
Ҳ ҳ Ȟ ȟ Kh kh /x/
Ц ц C c Ts ts /ts/
Ч ч Č č Ch ch /tʂ~tʃ/ (A–O)
Џ џ Ź ź Dz Dž dž /dʑ/ (A–O)
Щ щ Ś ś Shch shch /ʃː~ʃt/ (foreign names)
Ъ ъ ʺ silent (foreign names)
Ы ы Y y Ÿ ÿ ɨ~ɤ (foreign names)
Ь ь ʹ Ý ý palatalization (foreign names)
Э э ê /e/-like sounds

Grammar

Pronouns

Personal pronouns

I We You (sg) You (pl) Zie They
absolutive ан
an
арус
arus
или
ili
илис
ilis
ун
un
орус
orus
ergative анех
aneh
арухес
aruhes
илих
ilih
илихес
ilihes
унех
uneh
орухес
oruhes
instrumental анмеқ
anmeq
арунеқ
aruneq
илимеқ
ilimeq
илинеқ
ilineq
унмеқ
unmeq
орунеқ
oruneq
allative anmus arunus ilimus ilinus unmus orunus
locative anen aruni ilin ilini unyn oruni
ablative anmes arunes ilimes ilines unmes orunes
prosecutive anios aruzios ilios ilizios unios oruzios
equative andus arudus ilidus ilidus undus orudos

Nominals

Cases

Absolutive
Ergative
Instrumental
Allative
Locative
Ablative
Prosecutive
Equative

Simple nominals

Singular Plural English approx.
absolutive -Ø, -q, -r (y)s kizoq kizos
ergative -(e)h -hes kizoh kizohys
instrumental -meq -neq kizomeq kizoneq "using the cat"
allative -mus -nus kizomus kizonus "toward the cat"
locative -(e)n -ni kizon kizoni "in the cat"
ablative -mes -nes kizomes kizones "from the cat"
prosecutive -jos, -ios, -os zios kizojos kizozios "with the cat", "along the cat"
equative -dus -dus kizodus kizodus "like a cat"

Possessives

Possessor Singular Plural Example Example
1st person sg ra ja, ia kizora "my cat" kizoja "my cats"
2nd person sg (i)s sis kizos "your cat" kizosis "your cats"
3rd person sg a e kizoa "his cat" kizoe "his cats"
1st person pl bus hus kizobus "our cat" kizohus "our cats"
2nd person pl ze se kizoze "your cat" kizose "your cats"
3rd person pl as es kizoas "their cat" kizoes "their cats"

Complex nominals/possessives

When the nominal is inflected in another case than absolutive, the possessive comes afterwards. If this means that two consonants will follow each other in the stem, the schwa / ə /, written ⟨ e ⟩, is added inbetween:

  • Kizohera qimnea neriaa:
  • / kizohəʁa qimnea nəʁiaː /
  • Cat (ergative, possessive first person singular) dog (absolutive, possessive third person singuar) eats (intransitive; indicative):
  • My cat eats his dog.

Verbs

Verbs are inflected differently depending on if they take an intransitive or transitive form. In Elw grammar, a transitive form occurs when there is a nominal agent (an object) to the verb.

There are no tenses in Elw; however the verbs are inflected by their mood.

Moods

Intransitive

Indicative Interrogative Imperative Optative Conjunctive Conditional Participial
1st person sg -on -(e)q -lam -ram -ona -son
2nd person sg -ozys -(e)s -(e)hi -lames -rames -ahes -suzes
3rd person sg -or -a -li -rame -oni -ses
1st person pl -ohus -za -ha -lajus -rada -ruza -sus
2nd person pl -oze -ze -haze -laze -raze -ruze -suze
3rd person pl -bus -zas -lis -rameq -runeq -suhus

Here follows an example of neri- (to eat):

Indicative Interrogative Imperative Optative Conjunctive Conditional Participial
1st person sg nerion nereq nerilam nereram neriona nerison
2nd person sg neriozes neris nerihi nerilames nererames neriahes nerisuses
3rd person sg nerior neria nerili nereramy nerioni nerises
1st person pl neriohus neriza neriha nerilajus nererada nereruza nerisus
2nd person pl nerioze nerize nerihaze nerilaze nereraze nereruze nerisuze
3rd person pl neribus nerizas nerilis nererameq nereruneq nerisuhus