Conlang Relay 17/Alurhsa

Text

ZHË LEZÁ KÓLÁSHTHE

Dheve kúweláynû kóláshthen. Zhë dheve ákólô zhë kóláshthen. Zhë kóláshthe ágrô zhë dheven. Zhë dheve ídlásô. Zhë kóláshthe dárshô. Denelsá kóláshthe qíëdónyá. Zhë kóláshthe ídlásónyá. Zhë dheve móghô.

Smooth English

The Bad Horse

A man owned a horse. The man mounted the horse. The horse attacked the man. The man ran. The horse screamed. A hundred horses came. The horses ran. The man died.

Lexicon

• zhë = definite article
• lezá = bad
• kóláshthe = a trained horse/unicorn
• dheve = man
• kúwâ = to own or possess
• ákólâ = to mount up, get on
• ágrâ = to attack
• ídlásâ = to run, race, dash
• dárshâ = to shout, cry, scream
• denelsá = thousand
• qíëdâ = to come
• móghâ = to die

Grammar

The word order is SVO. Nouns take suffixed case markers, of which only -n for the accusative is used here. Plurals are not indicated on nouns unless there is nothing else to show it, so a number takes a singular noun, and a verb form is enough to show a plural subject. Alurhsa uses a narrative present, meaning when telling a story the convention is to have the first verb in the story tense (usually past) while all others are in the present on the theory that the listener is immersing themselves in the moment of the story. Alurhsa verbs mostly (and all those used here) are root + -â for the infinitive, and drop the -â to add endings. Present indicative imperfective endings are mostly used here, being -ô for 3rd person singular and -ónyá for 3rd person plural. Past tenses have the infix -el- between root and suffix. The progressive/continuous 3rd person singular ending is -áyn. Alurhsa verbs can also show aspect, with -û on the end of a personal suffix showing that the action has finished and does not continue on to the present.