Difference between revisions of "Præta"

From ShireWiki
Jump to: navigation, search
Line 119: Line 119:
 
Nouns are capitalized in all instances. Words of other classes are capitalized at the beginning of a sentence.
 
Nouns are capitalized in all instances. Words of other classes are capitalized at the beginning of a sentence.
  
==Grammar==
+
==Declension==
  
===Nominal Morphology===
+
Declension indicates the pattern in which nominals (pronouns, nouns, and adjectives) are declined, or modified in order to reflect their grammatical case.
  
Nouns in Præta are organized into three declensions according to the pattern in which they decline. In [[Praeta Lexicon|dictionary entries]], a noun's declension is indicated by listing the Genitive Singular ending that the noun takes.
+
===Case Function===
 +
 
 +
Præta nominals decline according to five cases: Vocative, Nominative, Accusative, Genitive, Dative.
 +
 
 +
Some patterns in the declensions include:
 +
* Neuter Nominals have the same forms in the Vocative, Nominative, and Accusative
 +
* Genitive Plural is '''''-eï''''' throughout
 +
 
 +
====Vocative====
 +
 
 +
Direct address
 +
 
 +
====Nominative====
 +
 
 +
Subject
 +
 
 +
predicate
 +
 
 +
====Accusative====
 +
 
 +
Direct object
 +
 
 +
prepositions
 +
 
 +
====Genitive====
 +
 
 +
indicates possession or relation
 +
 
 +
prepositions
 +
 
 +
====Dative====
 +
 
 +
indirect object
 +
 
 +
direct object of certain verbs
 +
 
 +
colloquial possessive
 +
 
 +
prepositions
 +
 
 +
 
 +
===Pronouns===
 +
 
 +
===Nouns===
 +
 
 +
Nouns in Præta are organized into three declensions, identified according to their Genitive Singular ending (''-is'', ''-os'', and ''-in'').
  
Nouns decline according to the Vocative, Nominative, Accusative, Genitive, and Dative cases. In all declensions, Neuter nouns have the same form in the Vocative, Nominative, and Accusative.
 
  
 
====1st Declension====
 
====1st Declension====

Revision as of 18:38, 23 February 2018

Præta, formally known as iâ Sziroþs Prætâ / jə ˈʃi.roθs ˈpræ.tə / ("the Shirerithian Speech"), is the official language of Shireroth. Standard Præta, also known as Kaïsars Prætâ, the Kaiser's Præta, or Uikstâs Prætâ, Script Præta, is the chancery standard used by the Golden Mango Throne and its ministries.

Despite being called "the Shirerithian Speech", Præta is the first language only in Brookshire, parts of Goldshire, and territories historically associated with these regions. In other parts of Shireroth, it is acquired to varying degrees of fluency through schooling.

History

Præta derives from the Brookshirese or Prætaic Language Family, specifically the prestige dialect spoken at Raynor I's court. This form of Præta, or Old Præta, bears extensive lexical influence from Khaz Modanian, the now lost language of the Empire of Khaz Modan. Old Præta was introduced to the Shirekeep region and portions of the Red Elwynn during the First Era as a result of concerted efforts to resettle the greater Shirekeep region and western Goldshire with more reliable subjects.

The usage of Old Præta drifted into diverging dialects by the end of the First Era, prompting the reassertion of a centralized standard with the onset of the Second Era, this time derived mostly from the dialect prevalent in Monty Crisco. Middle Præta succeeded in penetrating to the mouth of the Elwynn River and further into Goldshire. New Præta, or the contemporary form, was established in an archaic mode under Kaiser John II and refined under Kaiseress Viviantia I.

Orthography and Phonology

Consonants

Labial Coronal Palatal Velar
Nasal ⟨ M m ⟩
/ m /
⟨ N n ⟩
/ n /
Plosive ⟨ P p ⟩
/ p /
⟨ B b ⟩
/ b /
⟨ T t ⟩
/ t /
⟨ D d ⟩
/ d /
⟨ K k ⟩
/ k /
⟨ G g ⟩
/ g /
Affricate ⟨ Tz tz ⟩
/ tʃ /
⟨ Z z ⟩
/ dʒ /
Fricative sibilant ⟨ S s ß ⟩
/ s /
⟨ Sz sz ⟩
/ ʃ /
non-sibilant ⟨ F f ⟩
/ f /
⟨ V v ⟩
/ ʋ /
⟨ Þ þ ⟩
/ θ /
⟨ Ï ï ⟩
/ j /
⟨ H h ⟩
/ h /
Approximant
Trill ⟨ R r ⟩
/ r /
Lateral Fricative ⟨ Ł ł ⟩
/ ɬ /
⟨ L l ⟩
/ l /
  • ⟨ ß ⟩ is used for / s: /, derived from the archaic ⟨ ſs ⟩. It is only used when the / s: / falls entirely within a single morpheme
    e.g. ⟨ Aß ⟩ "As, ~7 1⁄4 bushels", versus ⟨ rass ⟩ "domestic", from ⟨ Ras ⟩ "House"
  • ⟨ dz ⟩ common in Early New Praeta for / dʒ /, now deprecated.
  • ⟨ ï ⟩ is sometimes written ⟨ i ⟩ or ⟨ ı ⟩ by nonstandard texts.
  • ⟨ n ⟩ before a velar consonant is rendered as a velar nasal

Vowels

Front Central Back
High ⟨ I i ⟩
/ i /
⟨ Î î ⟩
/ ɪ̈ /
⟨ U u ⟩
/ u /
Mid ⟨ E e ⟩
/ e /
⟨ Â â ⟩
/ ə /
⟨ O o ⟩
/ o /
Low ⟨ Æ æ ⟩
/ æ /
⟨ A a ⟩
/ ɑ /
⟨ Â â ⟩, / ə / is not found in stressed syllables.
⟨ Î î ⟩, / ə / is found in Early New Praeta to represent a near-close central vowel, now merged with and written ⟨ Â â ⟩.

Writing Rules

Nouns are capitalized in all instances. Words of other classes are capitalized at the beginning of a sentence.

Declension

Declension indicates the pattern in which nominals (pronouns, nouns, and adjectives) are declined, or modified in order to reflect their grammatical case.

Case Function

Præta nominals decline according to five cases: Vocative, Nominative, Accusative, Genitive, Dative.

Some patterns in the declensions include:

  • Neuter Nominals have the same forms in the Vocative, Nominative, and Accusative
  • Genitive Plural is -eï throughout

Vocative

Direct address

Nominative

Subject

predicate

Accusative

Direct object

prepositions

Genitive

indicates possession or relation

prepositions

Dative

indirect object

direct object of certain verbs

colloquial possessive

prepositions


Pronouns

Nouns

Nouns in Præta are organized into three declensions, identified according to their Genitive Singular ending (-is, -os, and -in).


1st Declension

Genitive Singular: -is

Notable Features:

  1. Nominative and Accusative forms match
  2. Common and Neuter
  3. If the stem ends in ⟨ z ⟩:
    • Endings with ⟨ â ⟩ are realized as ⟨ i ⟩
    • Stem ending shifts from palatalized to unpalatalized (⟨ tz ⟩, ⟨ z ⟩, ⟨ sz ⟩ -> ⟨ t ⟩,⟨ d ⟩, ⟨ s ⟩) with endings featuring ⟨ i ⟩
Common Neuter
"Sovereign"
Kaïsar-
"Shepherd"
Hirz-
"might"
Alf-
"cliff"
Nasz-
Vocative -e Kaïsare Hirze - Alf Nasz
Nominative - Kaïsar Hirz
Accusative
Genitive -is Kaïsaris Hirdis -is Alfis Nasis
Dative -i Kaïsari Hirdi -i Alfi Nasi
 
Nominative -âs Kaïsarâs Hirdis -a Alfa Nasza
Accusative
Genitive -eï Kaïsareï Hirzeï -eï Alfeï Naszeï
Dative -âm Kaïsarâm Hirdim -âm Alfâm Nasim

2nd Declension

Genitive Singular: -os

Notable Features:

  1. Vocative, Nominative, and Accusative forms match
  2. Common only
"Mango"
Gollet-
"Child"
Mog-
Vocative - Gollet Mog
Nominative
Accusative
Genitive -os Golletos Mogos
Dative -u Golletu Mogu
 
Nominative -âs Golletâs Mogâs
Accusative
Genitive -ou Golletou Mogou
Dative -âm Golletâm Mogâm

3rd Declension

Genitive Singular: -in

Notable Features:

  1. Vocative, Nominative match, Accusative distinct for Common
  2. Stems ending in a vowel drop that vowel for non-zero endings
  3. Common and Neuter
Common Neuter
"Worm"
Maþ-
"Language"
Prætâ-
"Egg"
Oï-
Vocative - Maþ Prætâ -
Nominative
Accusative -ân Maþân Prætân
Genitive -in Maþin Prætin -in Oïin
Dative -in Maþin Prætin -in Oïin
 
Nominative -ân Maþân Prætân -ân Oïân
Accusative
Genitive -eï Maþeï Præteï -eï Oïeï
Dative -âm Maþâm Prætâm -âm Oïâm

Lexicon

Præta Lexicon

The core and bulk of the Præta lexicon derives from Common Brookshirian and have been with the language since Old Præta. A large portion, notably concerning matters of prestige, government, and magic, are borrowed from the language of Khaz Modan, due to their hegemonic influence over Brookshire before the founding of Shireroth. Others yet have entered the language from Goldshire and Elwynn and from cultures beyond the borders if the Imperial Republic.

Dialects