Fortunatian
Fortunatian
| Uchunatonc | |
|---|---|
| Pronounced: | ['rɨm.ba u.ʧu.'na.ta] |
| Timeline and Universe: | Fortunate Islands Universe (FIU) |
| Species: | Human |
| Spoken: | Fortunate Islands |
| Total speakers: | 20,000 |
| Writing system: | Roman script |
| Genealogy: | Latin Fortunatian Vulgar Latin Fortunatian |
| Typology: | |
| Morphology: | Partly fusional |
| Morphosyntax: | Marked Nominative |
| Word order: | VSO |
| Credits | |
| Creator: | Linguarum Magister |
| Created: | 2004 |
Fortunatian (Rymba Uchunata or just Uchunata) is a Romance language, with Etruscan and Guanche substrates, spoken in the Fortunate Islands (our world's Canary Islands) in the Fortunate Islands Universe. This is a description of Classical Fortunatian (fl. 12c ACE).
Phonology
The Fortunatian alphabet has 20 letters. There are also four digraphs which are not considered part of the alphabet, but probably should be.
a [a]
b [b]
c [k] before /a/, /o/, /u/, /y/
d [d]
e [e, ɛ]
g [ʤ]
f [f]
h [etymological, or diaeresis marker]
i [i], [j] before another vowel
m [m]
n [n]
o [ə]
p [p]
qu [k] before /e/, /i/
r [r]
s [s]
t [t]
u [u]
x [ʃ]
y [ɨ]
Non-Alphabetic Digraphs
au [o]
ch [ʧ]
hu [w] - this can (rarely) occur before a consonant
nh [ɲ]
Other Writing Systems
Fortunatian expatriates living on the African mainland occasionally use Ajami.
Cases and Declensions
Proto-Fortunatian
Proto-Fortunatian, the stage that set off Fortunatian from the Latin, reduced the Latin cases and declensions to two cases (nominative and accusative) and three declensions (1st declension feminine, 2nd declension masculine and neuter, and 3rd declension). The complete elision of the accusative singular endings in -m changed the nominative-accusative system into a 'marked-nominative' system in all declensions except the 2nd declension neuter, which was unmarked for case in both singular and plural. The 3rd declension also lacked a case distinction in the plural. Under other circumstances, the instability of such a system and the contribution of Etruscan-speakers to Proto-Fortunatian would suggest a sudden collapse into a system of no cases whatsoever. The Proto-Fortunatian speakers, however, contained a large number of Guanche converts, whose native Berber tongue not only contributed much vocabulary, but also pushed the marked-nominative system into a true nominative-absolutive system. Guanche also contributed to the shift from Latin's SOV order to Proto-Fortunatian's dominant VSO, but that is not the subject of this section.
1fem NomSg -a /a/ AccSg -# NomPl -e /e/ AccPl -aʃ /ax/
2masc NomSg -ɨʃ /yx/ AccSg -# NomPl -i /i/ AccPl -oʃ /aux/
2neuter Sg -# Pl -a /a/
3epicene NomSg -s /s/, -ʃ /x/ AccSg -# Pl -eʃ /ex/
First Stage Pre-Fortunatian
In the next stage, from Proto-Fortunatian to First Stage Pre-Fortunatian, the 2nd declension neuters were redistributed to the 2nd declension masculines and 1st declension feminines:
1fem
NomSg -a /a/
AccSg -#
NomPl -e /e/
AccPl -aʃ /ax/
2masc NomSg -ɨʃ /yx/ AccSg -# NomPl -i /i/ AccPl -oʃ /aux/
3epicene NomSg -s /s/, -ʃ /x/ AccSg -# Pl -eʃ /ex/
Second Stage Pre-Fortunatian
In the next stage, from First Stage Pre-Fortunatian to Second Stage Pre-Fortunatian, the 3rd declension nouns were redistributed between the 1st and 2nd declensions. Now the declensional system of Early Fortunatian matched the male-female dichotomy of the Berber languages:
1fem
NomSg -a /a/
AccSg -#
NomPl -e /e/
AccPl -aʃ /ax/
2masc NomSg -ɨʃ /yx/ AccSg -# NomPl -i /i/ AccPl -oʃ /aux/
Verbs
Fortunatian retained the four conjugations of Latin. The contraction of unstressed syllable created a stress contrast between the 2nd singular and the 1st plural forms in the 1st conjugation present. Fortunatian phonology is much friendlier than the other Romance languages to complex initial and final consonant clusters.
'to sing' cantár: cántau, cántax, cant, cantáx, cantách, cántan
'to fear' tmér: tymau, tymex, tymt, tméx,tméch, tymen
'to lead' dúcro: dúcau, dúcx, dúct, dúcmyx, dúctyx, dúcun
'to hear' audír: aúdau, aúdix, aúdt, audíx, audích, aúdun
Syntax
Fortunatian syntax is VSO, following a Berber template provided by the early Guanche converts. Under the influence of Guanche and Berber, Fortunatian prefers VSO order, but a large minority of sentences are SVO, due to the Latin component of the pre-Fortunatian peoples. There is no strong difference between the two orders.
nVS0
Naun cypun biri huar. Men do not cook porridge.
SnVO
Biri naun cypun huar. Men do not cook porridge.
OVnS. This order topicalizes O. The verb changes into a participle which agrees with the subject.
Huar cypontex naun biri. Porridge, men don't cook it.
A different form, with the same topicalization has a participle which agrees with the object.
Huar de cypen naun biri.
If the S is topicalized, the relative verb form + the subjunctive is used. The relative verb forms are derived from the relative participle (pi,p-) and the present indicative forms of the verb to be (x, ex, och, xyx, och, xun).
Naun xun biri pixun cypon huar. It's not men who cook porridge.
Naun biri a cypen huar. It's not men who cook porridge.
Biri xun pixun naun cypon huar. Men are not those who cook porridge.
Biri a cypen naun huar. Men are not those who cook porridge.
The forms with 'de' and 'a' are derived from the conflation of the Latin prepositions de and ad and the Berber particles ti- and 'a', together with the Latin gerundive and the Berber verbal forms. These agree with the O of the clause, following the Latin construction: Which forms are used dependant on the level of formality. More Latinate forms are favored for holy writings and oratory, more Guanche forms are favored for secular writing and casual conversation.
Etruscan-Derived Vocabulary
Most of the Etruscan derived vocabulary was borrowed by the early Christians and transformed into Christian sacramental vocabulary.
abbess - ota
abbot - ofyx
anchoress, nun - xecha
anchorite, monk - rubyx
autumn - autynyx
calculation (esp. of Easter) - ocara
caretaker - texintyx, texinta
child - uxiuryx
church - acha
congregation - rauca
cross - tauryx (originally 'tomb', influenced by Greek 'stavros')
cup - curimna, tauna, xanena
the dead - xibaux
diocese - mocla
eagle - copta
font, baptismal - tinha
god, false - ureryx
grandmother - teta
heaven - uratyx
honey - mata
idol - exora
incense - tura
jug - yrfea
June - ocora
king - lucmaunhyx
lion - royx
martyr, saint - xibyx, xiba
monastic - ofan-yx, -a
moon - tia
noon - yranhyx
nurse - nona
offering - arfnyx, arfasyx, clebyx, tyxa
only - tus
pagan - cricyx, crica, rumachyx, rumacha
people - mechyx, rona
prayer - molhenyx
priest - fafyx (m.)
priesthood - arymnatyx
rite - xera
room - queryx
sanctuary - xamyx
September - cheryx
son (esp. Son of God) - crenyx
soul - intiora
sun - uxryx
then - un
tomb - xutyx
town - xfuryx
vase - tina
the Virgin - xnhata
water of baptism - nhera
wife (esp. Zion as bride of Christ), novice nun - fia
year, liturgical - aulyx
Guanche-Derived Vocabulary
astronomer - babilaunyx
chief priest - guadamenhyx
demons - tibisenax
the Devil - guaiautyx
festival - benhesmere (pl.)
moon - achuguayx
Mother of God - chaxiraxa
mountain - tinda
nun, sacred virgins - maguada, arimaguada
priest - faica'nyx
priest, funerary - cancyx
rain - achucana
sky - achama'nyx
Son of God - chixauraxyx
sun - magyx
teacher for boys - samaranyx
teacher for girls - samara
