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__NOTOC__
__NOTOC__
{{Infobox
{{SCBar|name=Shitullian|#Grammar{{!}}Grammar|/Lexicon{{!}}Lexicon|#Script{{!}}Writing & Script|:Category:Shitullian Glyphs{{!}}''Glyph Category''|:Category:Shitullian Images{{!}}''Image Category''}}
| image = Flag-Kheng.png
{{/Infobox}}
| size = 350px
| bg = #208DC5
| name = '''Shituli / Khengese'''
| native = Śituul
| pronounce = ''Native'': {{IPA|/ʃi.'tɯːɭ/}}<br>''Anglicized'': {{IPA|/'ʃi.tu/}}
| tu = Alternate Earth
| species = Human
| in = Island of Kheng
| no =
| script = Caamśůn (Abugida-esque)
| tree = Śituul is a language isolate
| morph = Somewhat Isolating
| ms = Ergative-Absolutive
| wo = Typically VSO
| creator = [[User:Thirty7|D. Matthew Mikalowsky]]
| date = January 2014
| homepage =
| cals =
}}
 
== Background ==
Śituul is a language isolate spoken by the Khengaali people on the Island of Kheng (an island that exists on an Earth in the distant future that is composed of land that was a part of present day Brazil).  The name of the language is a compound word meaning "speaking tongue" ('''śi-''' being the verbal root for "to speak" and '''tuul''' meaning "tongue").
 
The language is mostly isolating, except for the usage of noun incorporation to express the morphosyntactic alignment (absolutive arguments are incorporated), and in the process of verb serialization in which verb stems can sometime merge.


== Phonology ==
== Phonology ==
Śituul has 19 consonants, six pure vowels (three short, three long), one reduced vowel, and one diphthong (if you don't count the other vowel combinations with /j/).
'''Śitaal''' has 22 consonants and 7 distinct vowels (if you include the syllabic rhotic).  It also has a system that was once phonemic tone, but is now most commonly seen as combination of phonational qualities and vowel lengths.


=== Consonants ===
=== Consonants ===
Plosives and certain approximants in Śituul are classified as either plain or strong.  In most cases, strong consonants are aspirated, with the exception of '''w''' in which case the distinction is one of voicing.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; border: none; background: none;"
 
| width="125px" style="border: none; background: none;" | &nbsp;
Whenever a strong consonant is followed by /j/ the consonant and /j/ merge to form a different phoneme, in most cases this is an affricate that assimilates to the POA of the strong consonant.  With /ʍ/, [ç] is formed instead, and in the case of /s/ (which isn't considered strong), it palatizes to [ʃ].  In all cases this change surfaces in the Romanization's orthography, but not in the language's native script (which will be described more fully below).
! width="125px" | Labial !! width="125px" | Alveolar !! width="125px" | "Palatal" !! width="125px" | Velar
 
|-
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" width="60%"
! Nasal
! colspan="2" | !! Labial !! Coronal !! Dorsal
| '''m''' /m/ || '''n''' /n/ || '''ń''' /ɲ/ || '''ŋ''' ('''ng''') /ŋ/ 
|-
|-
! width="100px" colspan="2" | Nasal
! rowspan="2" style="vertical-align: middle;" | Plosive
| '''m''' [m] || '''n''' [n] || '''-n''' [ŋ]
| rowspan="2" | '''b''' /b/ || '''t''' /t/ || rowspan="2" | &nbsp; || '''k''' /k/
|-
|-
! rowspan="2" | Plosive
| '''d''' /d/ || '''g''' /g/
! width="30px" | {{small|Plain }}
| '''p''' [p] || '''t''' [t] || '''k''' [k]
|-
|-
! {{small|Strong}}
! rowspan="2" style="vertical-align: middle;" | Fricative
| '''ṗ''' [pʰ] || '''ṭ''' [tʰ] || '''ḳ''' [kʰ]
| rowspan="2" | '''v''' /β/ ~ [ɸ] || '''s''' /s/ || '''ś''' /ʃ/ || rowspan="4" | '''h''' /x/ ~ [ɣ]
|-
|-
! colspan="2" | Fricative
| '''z''' /z/ || '''ź''' /ʒ/
| '''f''' [f] || '''s''' [s] and '''ś''' [ʃ] || '''h''' [ç~x]
|-
|-
! colspan="2" | Affricate
! rowspan="2" style="vertical-align: middle;" | Affricate
| '''β''' [p͜f] || '''ć''' or '''c''' [t͜ʃ] || '''x''' [k͜x]
| rowspan="2" | '''bv''' /b͜β/ ~ [p͜ɸ] || '''ts''' /t͜s/ || '''tś''' /t͜ʃ/
|-
|-
! colspan="2" | Approximant
| '''dz''' /d͜z/ || '''dź''' /d͜ʒ/
| || '''-l''' [l~ɭ] and '''r''' [ɹ~ɻ] || '''j''' [j]
|}
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" width="60%"
! rowspan="2" width="100px" | Approximant
! width="30px" | {{small|Plain}}
| '''w''' [w]
|-
|-
! width="30px" | {{small|Strong }}
! Approximant
| '''ẉ''' [ʍ]
| || '''l''' /ɺ/ || || '''ll''' ('''ļ''') /ʟ/
|}
|}


=== Vowels ===
=== Vowels ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" width="35%"
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; border: none; background: none"
! !! Front !! Central !! Back
| style="border: none; background: none;" | &nbsp;
! width="125px" | Front !! width="125px" | Central !! width="125px" | Back
|-
|-
! width="100px" | High
! width="125px" | High
| '''i''' [i]<br>'''ii''' [iː]|| || '''u''' [ɯ]<br>'''uu''' [ɯː]
| '''i''' /i/ || rowspan="2" | '''a''' /ə/ || '''u''' /ɯ/
|-
|-
! Middle
! Middle
| || '''ů''' [ə] ||
| '''e''' /e/ || rowspan="2" | '''o''' /ɔ/
|-
|-
! Low
! Low
| || || '''a''' [ɑ]<br>'''aa''' [ɑː]
| colspan="2" | '''ạ''' /æ/ ~ [a]
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; border: none; background: none;"
| style="border: none; background: none;" | &nbsp;
! width="386px" | Syllabic
|-
! width="125px" | Approximant
| '''ŗ''' ('''r''') /ɹ̩/ ~ [ɚ]
|}
|}


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" width="35%"
=== Tones ===
! width="100px" | Diphthong
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; border: none; background: none;"
| '''ay''' [ɑɪ̯]
| style="border: none; background: none;" | &nbsp;
! width="125px" | Level !! width="125px" | "Falling" !! width="125px" | "Dipping"
|-
! width="125px" | Tone
| '''a''' /ə/ ~ [ə˦] ||  '''ã''' /ə̰/ ~ [ə˥˩] ||  '''aa''' /əː/ ~ [ə˨˩˦]
|}
|}


=== Allophony and Alternations ===
Tones in Shitullian are not always rendered strictly as tone.  Some speakers use length and different phonation qualities to render the same phonemic distinctions for which others would use more traditional tonal contours.  Falling tone (which may also be a low tone in some dialects), when pronounced this way, is seen as a creaky-voiced phonation while the dipping tone would exist as increased vowel length with no presence of tone or alternate phonation.  A syllable with a level tone in this situation would be "plain," that is with no noticeable alternate phonation and an unlengthened vowel.
Perhaps the most interesting case of allophony or alternation in Śituul comes in the form of the merger of /j/ with any strong consonant, and its influence over a few other select consonants, and its pronunciation in certain environments.  The below list should explain quite fully what changes take place around /j/.


* /pʰj/ → [p͜f]
=== Phonotactics ===
* /tʰj/ → [t͜ʃ]
The building of a syllable in modern Shitullian is governed by this basic expression: '''(C)V(K)τ''', where '''V''' is any vowel, '''C''' is any consonant, '''K''' is any velar consonant. Finally, '''τ''' stands for the tone applied to that syllable.
* /kʰj/ → [k͜x]
* /ʍj/ → [ç]
* /sj/ → [ʃ]


As you can see, most often in these changes, an affricate results, with the exception of /s/ and /ʍ/.
==== Stress ====
The system of stress is one of weight governed on the moraic level. By that, it is meant that a syllable can only be stressed if it is the heaviest syllable in the word, or else is the backmost heavy syllable in the word (should there be multiple of the same weight). Heavy, here, means that the syllable has the most morae. In addition, a noun class suffix, or a separable verb suffix will never receive stress.


One may have noticed the convention above of noting [ŋ] with '''-n''', this is due to the fact that [n] can only occur as an initial in a syllable and whenever it would appear as a final, it is realized instead as a velar nasal.  In addition to the above alternations with /j/, the combination /nj/ changes to [ɲ] syllable initially, but remain distinct when they occur across word or syllable boundaries.
Morae are counted in Shitullian according to the following system:
* A bare vowel or an initial consonant and vowel count as a single mora
* Coda consonants add one additional mora
* Long vowels count as an additional mora
* Creaky voiced phonation adds an additional ½ mora (due to it relating to a tonal contour vs. a level tone)


Another place allophony surfaces in the consonant system is in the case of /ɻ/.  While /ɻ/ is considered the base phoneme, it freely alternates with [ɹ] in initial position, and is realized as [l~ɭ] when appearing as a final consonant in a syllable.  While the retroflex pronunciation is the more common pronunciation, [ɹ] and [l] are heard often as well.
Due to this system, many stressed syllables will either end in a coda consonant or contain a long vowel.


Despite the smallish size of the vowel system, a surprisingly small amount of allophony presents here.  One place it is universal, is in the case of a checked syllable. Any short vowel that appears in a checked syllable is reduced to [ə].  This is due to a gradual merger of the various vowel qualities that existed as reduced forms of each of the "pure" vowels in the past. Additionally, the diphthong /ɑɪ̯/ is treated as a long vowel.
==== Allophony ====
One of the most marked places of allophonic variation in Shitullian, is with the "tones." At this point, it might be more accurate to describe them instead as plain, long and creaky voiced vowels. However, they can also be described as high level tone, a falling tone, and a "dipping" tone akin to the third tone in Mandarin.


Owing to the fact that /ɯ/ is unrounded, it does round to [u] when following a bilabial consonant.
* If /ɲi/ would occur, it is instead pronounced as [ɲə]. (This change does not result in a change in spelling.) Other consonants in the "palatal" group do not have similar synchronic changes.
* The "vowel" [ɹ̩] alternates with [ɚ] depending upon if that syllable is stressed and the position in the word, when in unstressed initial or final position [ɚ] surfaces. However, in all other cases, the sound remains [ɹ̩].


== Script ==
== Script ==
The native script is called '''Caamśůn''' (interpreted as "speaking paper" or "written speach").  '''Caamśůn''' is similar to an abugida, except that a letter's orientation can impact the status of its inherent vowel, and separate glyphs exist to represent the vowels in isolation as well as to write a long vowel.
The native script is called '''Tśaaśuŋ''' (interpreted as "paper-speak" and anglicized as Chaashung).  Chaashung is similar to an abugida, except that a letter's location can impact the status of its inherent vowel, and separate glyphs exist to represent the vowels in isolation as well as to write a long vowel.  The following table lists all of the glyphs used to write Shitullian and their meaning as bare phonemes.


The script for Śituul is written in three horizontal rows, with the middle row consisting of glyphs that are automatically interpreted as the consonant they represent plus an inherent '''a''', unless a diacritic is added to shift that vowel to '''i''' or '''u'''. Consonant glyphs that appear above or below that middle baseline do not carry an inherent vowel, and are instead interpreted as a final consonant to the previous syllable. In the example below, we also see that a bar extending from the top row into the middle row is used to indicate that the previous syllable has a '''j''' that appears between the vowel and consonant (giving us a '''CjV''' shaped syllable). Additionally, there is a shorter bar that appears in the middle row that makes the consonant from the previous syllable strong (forming a '''ĊV''' syllable), and finally, though not pictured in the below example, there as another variety of bar that extends from the middle row into the bottom row.  This final mark indicates that the previous syllable has both a strong consonant ''and'' a '''j''' preceding the vowel (forming a '''ĊjV''' syllable).
{|
|
{| class = "wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! colspan="5" | Initials
|-
! width="60px" | ma !! colspan="2" | na !! colspan="2" | nja
|-
| {{SHI|ma|32px}} || colspan="2" | {{SHI|na|32px}} || colspan="2" | {{SHI|nja|32px}}
|-
! ba !! ta !! da !! colspan="2" | &nbsp;
|-
| {{SHI|ba|32px}} || {{SHI|ta|32px}} || {{SHI|ta|32px}}{{SHI|!|13px}} || colspan="2" | &nbsp;
|-
! width="60px" | va !! width="60px" | sa !! width="60px" | za !! width="60px" | śa !! width="60px" | źa
|-
| {{SHI|va|32px}} || {{SHI|sa|32px}} || {{SHI|sa|32px}}{{SHI|!|13px}} || {{SHI|sha|32px}} || {{SHI|sha|32px}}{{SHI|!|13px}}
|-
! bva !! tsa !! dza !! tśa !! dźa
|-
| {{SHI|bva|44px}} || {{SHI|tsa|44px}} || {{SHI|tsa|44px}}{{SHI|!|13px}} || {{SHI|tsha|44px}} || {{SHI|tsha|44px}}{{SHI|!|13px}}
|-
! Øa !! colspan="2" | la !! colspan="2" | &nbsp;
|-
| {{SHI|0|32px}} || colspan="2" | {{SHI|la|32px}} || colspan="2" | &nbsp;
|}
|
{| class = "wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! colspan="2" | Nuclei
|-
! width="48px" | i !! width="48px" | u
|-
| {{SHI|i|32px}} || {{SHI|u|32px}}
|-
! ạ !! o
|-
| {{SHI|ae|32px}} || {{SHI|o|32px}}
|-
! a !! e
|-
| {{SHI|a|32px}} || {{SHI|e|32px}}
|-
! colspan="2" | ŗ
|-
| colspan="2" | {{SHI|r|32px}}
|-
! colspan="2" | &nbsp;
|-
| colspan="2" | {{SHI|blank|32px}}
|}
|
{| class = "wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!! colspan="2" | Codas
|-
! colspan="2" | -ŋ
|-
| colspan="2" | {{SHI|-ng|32px}}
|-
! -k !! -g
|-
| width="48px" | {{SHI|-k|32px}} || width="48px" | {{SHI|-g|32px}}
|-
! colspan="2" | -h
|-
| colspan="2" | {{SHI|-h|32px}}
|-
! colspan="2" | &nbsp;
|-
| colspan="2" | {{SHI|blank|32px}}
|-
! colspan="2" | -ll
|-
| colspan="2" | {{SHI|-ll|32px}}
|}
|}
Chaashung is ordinarily written in two horizontal rows from left to right. Consonants have an inherent vowel, '''a'''. In order to over-ride that vowel, a sign can be added to indicate what vowel stands in its place. There are two types of signs: strong signs, and weak signs. Strong signs are always written above the consonant glyph that is affected and never change positions. However, weak signs are generally written below the consonant glyph. That is, except when that syllable contains a following coda consonant. In that case, the weak sign is instead written above the consonant glyph. It is that movement that distinguishes weak and strong signs. (Also, in general, weak signs are simpler in appearance.) Each vowel, except the inherent '''a''', has a sign to indicate it. The following table uses the "null" glyph to illustrate which vowels take which signs.


{| cellpadding="0"
{|
|- valign="bottom"
|
| {{SHI|dot}} || rowspan="2" width="7px" | {{SHI|bar|7px}} || {{SHI|dot}} || rowspan="2" width="7px" | {{SHI|bar|7px}}
{| class = "wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|- valign="bottom"
! rowspan="2" width="48px" style="vertical-align: middle;" | Weak<br>Signs !! i !! u !! ạ
| {{SHI|s}} || {{SHI|s}} ||  || {{SHI|t}} || {{SHI|u}} || {{SHI|j}} || {{SHI|a}} || width="10px" | &nbsp; || {{SHI|w}} || width="7px" | {{SHI|stroke|7px}} 
|-
|- valign="bottom"
| {{SHI|0i-below|32px}} || {{SHI|0u-below|32px}} || {{SHI|0ae-below|32px}}
| ||  ||  ||  ||  || {{SHI|grave}} || {{SHI|r}} ||  || {{SHI|m}}
|}
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|
! colspan="4" | Śiśituuljaam ẉa.
|
{| class = "wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! rowspan="2" width="48px" style="vertical-align: middle;" | Neutral<br>Sign !! a
|-
|-
| Śi || śituul || jaam || ẉa.
| {{SHI|0|32px}}
|}
|
{| class = "wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! rowspan="2" width="48px" style="vertical-align: middle;" | Strong<br>Signs !! e  !! o !! ŗ
|-
|-
| to_speak || Śituul.{{SC|abs}} || to_do.{{gloss|{{SC|vol}}|Volitional}} || 1{{SC|sg.erg}}
| {{SHI|0e|32px}} || {{SHI|0o|32px}} || {{SHI|0r|32px}}
|-
|}
| colspan="4" | ''I speak Śituul.''
|}
 
There is one way in which Chaashung is a defective script. That way is that tone is underspecified in the written language. Only long vowels are indicated, whereas the falling/creaky tone is never noted. This is rarely confusing, as context is usually sufficient to determine what is meant. (This is shown in the first example below.)
 
=== Examples ===
The following are a series of words and phrases written in Shitullian script.
 
{{SHI!}}
{{SHI+|sh|i}}
{{SHI+|ta|}}
{{SHI+|a|ll}}
{{SHI+|nj|ae}}
{{SHI+|she|}}
|}
'''Śitaall-ńạśe''' is spelled in Chaashung as in the above sample.
 
{{SHI!}}
{{SHI+|o|ll}}
{{SHI+|nja|}}
{{SHI+|_|}}
{{SHI+|s|ae}}
{{SHI+|tsa|}}
{{SHI+|a|}}
{{SHI+|m|u}}
|}
|}
And '''ollńa sạ̃-tsaamũ''' (which means "(There) exists a phrase/sentence") is written above.


The following example shows the differences in pronunciation depending on the placement of a final consonant glyph:
{{SHI!}}
{{SHI+|t|u}}
{{SHI+|u|k}}
{{SHI+|o|}}
{{SHI+|nae|h}}
|}
'''tuukõ·nạh''' — (''n. cl:S'') stone, rock


{| cellpadding="0"
{{SHI!}}
|- valign="bottom"
{{SHI+|tsh|ae}}
| || || || || {{SHI|t}}
{{SHI+|ae|ll}}
|- valign="bottom"
{{SHI+|u|}}
| {{SHI|p}} || {{SHI|a}} || width="10px" | &nbsp; || {{SHI|p}} || {{SHI|a}} || width="10px" | &nbsp; || {{SHI|p}} || {{SHI|a}} || {{SHI|t}}
|- valign="bottom"
| || {{SHI|t}}
|}
|}
{| class="wikitable"
'''tśạạll·u''' — (''n. cl:Æ'') bird, ptero-
| paat || paůt || paata
 
== Grammar ==
=== Nouns ===
{| class = "wikitable floatright" style="text-align:center;"
! width="48px" | Solid !! width="48px" | Liquid !! width="48px" | Aether
|-
| ·mŗ || ·(C)og  || ·niiŋ
|-
| ·ńũk || ·tsã || ·mek
|-
| ·dull || ·(ź)ŗ || ·bvaah
|-
| ·nạh || ·so || ·(C)uuh
|-
| ·(C)akõ || ·(C)ạśe || ·(C)iig
|-
| ·(C)a || ·(C)e || ·(C)i
|-
| ·(C)o || ·(C)ạ || ·(C)u
|}
|}
Nouns in Shitullian all have what is referred to as a "separable suffix" appended to them. These suffixes do not carry (much) inherent meaning, but are loosely tied to the remnants of a much older (and more complex) noun class system. There are 15 total suffixes that make up this category. Whenever a noun is incorporated into a verb (among some other occasions) the separable suffix is dropped. The table to the right is grouped into columns based on to which noun class each suffix now refers, but they are not completely uniform and there are exceptions.
Also of note, is that when a noun is used as a personal name, the suffix is also dropped. However, should someone wish to be very formal and respectufl, it may be re-added only if it agrees with the person's preferred gender where solid generally refers to males, liquid generally refers to females, and aether could refer to either.
==== Number ====
Shitullian nouns are inherently collective in number. Should a single entity of something need to be referred to, a singulative ({{sc|sgv}}) suffix must be added between the stem, and the separable suffix. What this means, is that the noun '''tuukõ·nạh''', it does not simply mean "stone" but rather, "stones" in general. Should one single rock or stone be meant, for example in: "he flung a rock with his sling" the singulative suffix would need to be used. This means that as a direct consequence, any noun that is incorporated will automatically be using the collective form of the noun without its suffix as a noun in singulative cannot be incorporated. The singulative suffix is -('''i''')'''l'''. The '''i''' only makes an appearance when the stem ends in a consonant. This also means that it has the following allomorphs depending on its environment: -'''ill''', -'''il''', -'''ll''' or -'''l'''.
{{Clear|right}}
=== Verbs ===
''Stuff will go here...''


== Lexicon ==
== Lexicon ==
: ''See: [[Śituul/Lexicon|Lexicon]] for a full list of words in Śituul.''
:—''For a full list of words in Śituul, see: [[/Lexicon|Lexicon]].''


The word list for Śituul is small at the moment, but expanding.
The word list for Śituul is small at the moment, but expanding.


==Creator Comments==
==Creator Comments==
I have worked on many different conlangs in the past, and all have died a slow painful death.  This one was meant to be one I could focus on for the long haul and finally move from being a "scrapper" (i.e. someone who creates the skeleton of a language and then immediately stops working on it in favor of a new language) into being more of a "completist."  I have had some success, but my attention has wandered still.
I have worked on many different conlangs in the past, and all have died a slow painful death.  This one was meant to be one I could focus on for the long haul and finally move from being a "scrapper" (i.e. someone who creates the skeleton of a language and then immediately stops working on it in favor of a new language) into being more of a "completist."  I have had some success, but my attention has wandered still. What I aimed to do here, was to create a mostly naturalistic language that integrates features from some of my scrapped languages over the years, as well as develop a language that is pleasing to me.  This page will likely be slow to update, but rest assured that the script, at the very least, will be described fully here!  ''(Scripts tend to be the feature of languages that I work on the hardest and enjoy creating the most.)''


What I aim to do here, is create a mostly naturalistic language that integrates features from some of my scrapped languages over the years, as well as develop a language that is pleasing to me. This page will likely be slow to update, but rest assured that the script, at the very least, will be described fully here!  ''(Scripts tend to be the feature of languages that I work on the hardest and enjoy creating the most.)''
Since my original work on this language, it has gone through a goodly number of changes. The script has, of course, been altered yet again. But, it does seem as though I have something that I like. The entirety of the lexicon needs to get re-done, as the phonology and the rules to construct a syllable have changed significantly. Also, I have changed how things work in terms of incorporation as well as serial verb constructions. What this means, is that I can now have a finite list of verbs (19 total, I believe) that forms a closed class. With luck, I can maintain a bit of focus on this project and continue plugging away at it.


[[Category:A priori conlangs]][[Category:Thirty7]]
[[Category:A priori conlangs]][[Category:Thirty7]]

Latest revision as of 23:56, 3 February 2018


Flag-SHI.png
Shitullian
Śitaall
Pronounced: Native: /ʃi.təːʟ/
Anglicized: /ʃiː.tʌl.i.ən/
Timeline and Universe: Alternate Earth
Species: Human
Spoken: Carnassus
Writing system: "Abugida"
Genealogy: Language Isolate
Typology
Morphological type: Somewhat Isolating
Morphosyntactic alignment: Ergative-Absolutive
Basic word order: Typically VSO
Credits
Creator: Thrice Xandvii | ✎
Created: January 2014

Phonology

Śitaal has 22 consonants and 7 distinct vowels (if you include the syllabic rhotic). It also has a system that was once phonemic tone, but is now most commonly seen as combination of phonational qualities and vowel lengths.

Consonants

  Labial Alveolar "Palatal" Velar
Nasal m /m/ n /n/ ń /ɲ/ ŋ (ng) /ŋ/
Plosive b /b/ t /t/   k /k/
d /d/ g /g/
Fricative v /β/ ~ [ɸ] s /s/ ś /ʃ/ h /x/ ~ [ɣ]
z /z/ ź /ʒ/
Affricate bv /b͜β/ ~ [p͜ɸ] ts /t͜s/ tś /t͜ʃ/
dz /d͜z/ dź /d͜ʒ/
Approximant l /ɺ/ ll (ļ) /ʟ/

Vowels

  Front Central Back
High i /i/ a /ə/ u /ɯ/
Middle e /e/ o /ɔ/
Low ạ /æ/ ~ [a]
  Syllabic
Approximant ŗ (r) /ɹ̩/ ~ [ɚ]

Tones

  Level "Falling" "Dipping"
Tone a /ə/ ~ [ə˦] ã /ə̰/ ~ [ə˥˩] aa /əː/ ~ [ə˨˩˦]

Tones in Shitullian are not always rendered strictly as tone. Some speakers use length and different phonation qualities to render the same phonemic distinctions for which others would use more traditional tonal contours. Falling tone (which may also be a low tone in some dialects), when pronounced this way, is seen as a creaky-voiced phonation while the dipping tone would exist as increased vowel length with no presence of tone or alternate phonation. A syllable with a level tone in this situation would be "plain," that is with no noticeable alternate phonation and an unlengthened vowel.

Phonotactics

The building of a syllable in modern Shitullian is governed by this basic expression: (C)V(K)τ, where V is any vowel, C is any consonant, K is any velar consonant. Finally, τ stands for the tone applied to that syllable.

Stress

The system of stress is one of weight governed on the moraic level. By that, it is meant that a syllable can only be stressed if it is the heaviest syllable in the word, or else is the backmost heavy syllable in the word (should there be multiple of the same weight). Heavy, here, means that the syllable has the most morae. In addition, a noun class suffix, or a separable verb suffix will never receive stress.

Morae are counted in Shitullian according to the following system:

  • A bare vowel or an initial consonant and vowel count as a single mora
  • Coda consonants add one additional mora
  • Long vowels count as an additional mora
  • Creaky voiced phonation adds an additional ½ mora (due to it relating to a tonal contour vs. a level tone)

Due to this system, many stressed syllables will either end in a coda consonant or contain a long vowel.

Allophony

One of the most marked places of allophonic variation in Shitullian, is with the "tones." At this point, it might be more accurate to describe them instead as plain, long and creaky voiced vowels. However, they can also be described as high level tone, a falling tone, and a "dipping" tone akin to the third tone in Mandarin.

  • If /ɲi/ would occur, it is instead pronounced as [ɲə]. (This change does not result in a change in spelling.) Other consonants in the "palatal" group do not have similar synchronic changes.
  • The "vowel" [ɹ̩] alternates with [ɚ] depending upon if that syllable is stressed and the position in the word, when in unstressed initial or final position [ɚ] surfaces. However, in all other cases, the sound remains [ɹ̩].

Script

The native script is called Tśaaśuŋ (interpreted as "paper-speak" and anglicized as Chaashung). Chaashung is similar to an abugida, except that a letter's location can impact the status of its inherent vowel, and separate glyphs exist to represent the vowels in isolation as well as to write a long vowel. The following table lists all of the glyphs used to write Shitullian and their meaning as bare phonemes.

Initials
ma na nja
SHI-ma.png SHI-na.png SHI-nja.png
ba ta da  
SHI-ba.png SHI-ta.png SHI-ta.pngSHI-!.png  
va sa za śa źa
SHI-va.png SHI-sa.png SHI-sa.pngSHI-!.png SHI-sha.png SHI-sha.pngSHI-!.png
bva tsa dza tśa dźa
SHI-bva.png SHI-tsa.png SHI-tsa.pngSHI-!.png SHI-tsha.png SHI-tsha.pngSHI-!.png
Øa la  
SHI-0.png SHI-la.png  
Nuclei
i u
SHI-i.png SHI-u.png
ạ o
SHI-ae.png SHI-o.png
a e
SHI-a.png SHI-e.png
ŗ
SHI-r.png
 
SHI-blank.png
Codas
-ŋ
SHI--ng.png
-k -g
SHI--k.png SHI--g.png
-h
SHI--h.png
 
SHI-blank.png
-ll
SHI--ll.png

Chaashung is ordinarily written in two horizontal rows from left to right. Consonants have an inherent vowel, a. In order to over-ride that vowel, a sign can be added to indicate what vowel stands in its place. There are two types of signs: strong signs, and weak signs. Strong signs are always written above the consonant glyph that is affected and never change positions. However, weak signs are generally written below the consonant glyph. That is, except when that syllable contains a following coda consonant. In that case, the weak sign is instead written above the consonant glyph. It is that movement that distinguishes weak and strong signs. (Also, in general, weak signs are simpler in appearance.) Each vowel, except the inherent a, has a sign to indicate it. The following table uses the "null" glyph to illustrate which vowels take which signs.

Weak
Signs		 i u ạ
SHI-0i-below.png SHI-0u-below.png SHI-0ae-below.png
Neutral
Sign		 a
SHI-0.png
Strong
Signs		 e o ŗ
SHI-0e.png SHI-0o.png SHI-0r.png

There is one way in which Chaashung is a defective script. That way is that tone is underspecified in the written language. Only long vowels are indicated, whereas the falling/creaky tone is never noted. This is rarely confusing, as context is usually sufficient to determine what is meant. (This is shown in the first example below.)

Examples

The following are a series of words and phrases written in Shitullian script.

Śitaall-ńạśe is spelled in Chaashung as in the above sample.

And ollńa sạ̃-tsaamũ (which means "(There) exists a phrase/sentence") is written above.

tuukõ·nạh — (n. cl:S) stone, rock

tśạạll·u — (n. cl:Æ) bird, ptero-

Grammar

Nouns

Solid Liquid Aether
·mŗ ·(C)og ·niiŋ
·ńũk ·tsã ·mek
·dull ·(ź)ŗ ·bvaah
·nạh ·so ·(C)uuh
·(C)akõ ·(C)ạśe ·(C)iig
·(C)a ·(C)e ·(C)i
·(C)o ·(C)ạ ·(C)u

Nouns in Shitullian all have what is referred to as a "separable suffix" appended to them. These suffixes do not carry (much) inherent meaning, but are loosely tied to the remnants of a much older (and more complex) noun class system. There are 15 total suffixes that make up this category. Whenever a noun is incorporated into a verb (among some other occasions) the separable suffix is dropped. The table to the right is grouped into columns based on to which noun class each suffix now refers, but they are not completely uniform and there are exceptions.

Also of note, is that when a noun is used as a personal name, the suffix is also dropped. However, should someone wish to be very formal and respectufl, it may be re-added only if it agrees with the person's preferred gender where solid generally refers to males, liquid generally refers to females, and aether could refer to either.

Number

Shitullian nouns are inherently collective in number. Should a single entity of something need to be referred to, a singulative (sgv) suffix must be added between the stem, and the separable suffix. What this means, is that the noun tuukõ·nạh, it does not simply mean "stone" but rather, "stones" in general. Should one single rock or stone be meant, for example in: "he flung a rock with his sling" the singulative suffix would need to be used. This means that as a direct consequence, any noun that is incorporated will automatically be using the collective form of the noun without its suffix as a noun in singulative cannot be incorporated. The singulative suffix is -(i)l. The i only makes an appearance when the stem ends in a consonant. This also means that it has the following allomorphs depending on its environment: -ill, -il, -ll or -l.

Verbs

Stuff will go here...

Lexicon

—For a full list of words in Śituul, see: Lexicon.

The word list for Śituul is small at the moment, but expanding.

Creator Comments

I have worked on many different conlangs in the past, and all have died a slow painful death. This one was meant to be one I could focus on for the long haul and finally move from being a "scrapper" (i.e. someone who creates the skeleton of a language and then immediately stops working on it in favor of a new language) into being more of a "completist." I have had some success, but my attention has wandered still. What I aimed to do here, was to create a mostly naturalistic language that integrates features from some of my scrapped languages over the years, as well as develop a language that is pleasing to me. This page will likely be slow to update, but rest assured that the script, at the very least, will be described fully here! (Scripts tend to be the feature of languages that I work on the hardest and enjoy creating the most.)

Since my original work on this language, it has gone through a goodly number of changes. The script has, of course, been altered yet again. But, it does seem as though I have something that I like. The entirety of the lexicon needs to get re-done, as the phonology and the rules to construct a syllable have changed significantly. Also, I have changed how things work in terms of incorporation as well as serial verb constructions. What this means, is that I can now have a finite list of verbs (19 total, I believe) that forms a closed class. With luck, I can maintain a bit of focus on this project and continue plugging away at it.

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