Conlang Relay 18/Slovianski

Relay text (Medžuslovjanski)

Latin alphabet

Jednogo dňa, večerom ale ješče ne pozdno, šamanica uspěla prizvati duh medvěďa. Toj medvěď byl ogromny i mnogo silnějši, než možno bylo očekivati od divokogo zvěřa. Kromě togo, ona uviděla, že on byl takož råzgněvany i mnogo agresivny. On råzrušil stěnų i vrčěl glåsno. Potom on pošel do kųta plošči i stanųl, grozno. Medvěď, koj už vśekak ne byl malenki, nyňe råsl ješče vęčej. Vśe prisųče ľudi bojali sę jego i vśegde izběgli, prestrašene.

Medžutym, ina žena, koja tvorila loviteli snov i prodavala ih na ploščě, spokojno ględěla na to vśečo. Potom, pomalo polzajųč črez nagromadžene na krajah plošči kupy sněga, ona sbližala sę do medvěďa i pozvala jego, da by prišel ku ňej. Ona byla krěpka i krasiva, ale jej obliče bylo červeno kak namaľovany Indijan iz drugoj stråny okeana i pot těkl iz ňej kak voda iz lista. Jednakže ona ględěla na životno bezpreryvno. I da! Togda uviděla, kak ono načina vračati. Šla za nim, neočekivano podnesla rųkų, usměhnųla sę k tomu groznomu zvěřu i načęla gladkati jego po nosě.

Cyrillic alphabet

Једного дньа, вечером але јешче не поздно, шаманица успела призвати дух медведьа. Тој медведь был огромны и много силнејши, неж можно было очекивати од дивокого зверьа. Кроме того, она увидела, же он был також разгневаны и много агресивны. Он разрушил стену и врчел гласно. Потом он пошел до кута плошчи и станул, грозно. Медведь, кој уж всекак не был маленки, нынье расл јешче вечеј. Все присуче льуди бојали се јего и всегде избегли, престрашене.

Меджутым, ина жена, која творила ловители снов и продавала их на плошче, спокојно гледела на то всечо. Потом, помало ползајуч чрез нагромаджене на крајах плошчи купы снега, она сближала се до медведьа и позвала јего, да бы пришел ку ньеј. Она была крепка и красива, але јеј обличе было червено как намальованы Индијан из другој страны океана и пот текл из ньеј как вода из листа. Једнакже она гледела на животно безпрерывно. И да! Тогда увидела, как оно начина врачати. Шла за ним, неочекивано поднесла руку, усмехнула се к тому грозному зверьу и начела гладкати јего по носе.

Grammar

Medžuslovjanski means “Interslavic”, and that’s precisely what it is. Yet, it is not a typical auxlang in the sense that everything is concentrated on simplicity and the like, even though the grammar is pretty simple and regular anyway. It has elements of an altlang (“what would Slavic have looked like if it hadn’t fallen apart into 18 languages?”), an engelang (in the sense that everything is created according to algorithms), a reconstructed language (a modernised form of Proto-Slavic) and an educational project as well. It is also known as “Slovianski”.

The phonology is rather inclusive, but that doesn’t really matter here. Most of the diacritics are just there to give a closer approximation to the right pronunciation and to make things a little easier for North Slavs, but most of them can safely be neglected or omitted.

As for grammar, here are some basics.

There are three genders: masculine, feminine and neuter. The cases are nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, instrumental and locative. There’s singular and there’s plural, and that’s about it. There are four declensions: one masculine, one neuter, two feminine. There are no articles.

Adjectives, demonstrative pronouns and the like match the noun in gender, number and case. They usually come first, although that is not a hard rule. In fact, rules are rarely hard in MS.

Pro-drop is allowed, but not obligatory.

Most verbs come in two forms: imperfective (continuous, incomplete, present, iterative, etc.) and perfective (completed, non-progressive, semelfactive, etc.). The difference is lexical and therefore marked in the glossary.

There are three tenses: present, past and future. In this text, there’s only the former two. In a subordinate clause, the tense refers to the “moment” of the verb in the main clause - unlike in English, Slavs say: “He said (yesterday) that he wants coffee (also yesterday)”. In the present tense, verbs are inflected for person and number, in the past tense for gender and number. That’s because the past tense ending -l is actually a participle.

You will encounter the following endings:

Nouns:
-a: m.gen.sg.
-ah: m/f/n.loc.pl.
-ě: m/f/n.loc.sg.
-om: m.instr.sg.
-ov: m.pl.gen.
-u: m/n.dat.sg.
-ų: f.acc.sg.
-y/-i: f.gen.sg; m.nom.pl.

Adjectives:
-a: f.nom.sg.
-e: nom.pl.
-ějši: comparative
-o: n.nom./acc.sg.; adverb
-ogo: m/n.gen.sg.
-oj: f.gen.sg.
-omu: m/n.dat.sg.
-y/-i: m.nom.sg.

Verbs:
-X: present tense, 3rd person singular
-l, -la, -lo, -li: past tense (m., f., n., pl.)
-ti: infinitive
-ny: past perfect participle
-ųč: present active participle (gerund)

When the root of a word ends in a consonant, it may happen that the preceding vowel disappears when an ending is added.

Glossary

agresivny (adj.) aggressive
ale (conj.) but
bezpreryvny (adj.) continuous
bojati sę (vi.) to be scared, to be afraid
byti (vi.) to be
červeny (adj.) red
črez (prep.) through
da (intj.) yes
da by (conj.) so that
deň (m.) day
divoki (adj.) wild
do (prep.) to, towards
drugi (adj.) second, other
duh m. ghost, spirit
gladkati (vi.) to caress, to stroke
glåsny (adj.) loud
ględěti (vi.) to watch, to look
grozny (adj.) dangerous, threatening
i (conj.) and
idti (vi.) to go
ih (pron.pers.) genitive or accusative of “oni”
Indijan (m.) Indian
iny (adj.) other
iz (prep.) from
izběgti (vp.) to escape, to run away
jedin (num.) one
jednakže (adv.) however
jego (pron.pers.) genitive or accusative of “on”
jej (pron.pers.) genitive or dative of “ona”
ješče (adv.) still
k (prep.) to, towards
kak (adv.) how; like
koj (pron.rel.) which
kraj (m.) edge
krasivy (adj.) beautiful
krěpki (adj.) solid, firm
kromě (prep.) except, apart from
kupa (f.) heap, pile
kųt (m.) corner
list (m.) leaf
loviteľ (m.) catcher
ľudi (f.pl.) people
malenki (adv.) tiny, small
medvěď (m.) bear
medžutym (adv.) however, meanwhile, in the meantime
mnogo (adv.) much, a lot; very
možno (adv.) it is possible, it may, it can
na (prep.) on, at
načinati (vi.) to begin, to start
nagromaditi (vp.) to collect, to pile up
namaľovati (vp.) to paint
ne (adv.) not
neočekivany (adj.) unexpectedly
než (conj.) than
nim (pron.pers.) instrumental of “on” or “ono”
nos (m.) nose
nyňe (adv.) now
ňej (pron.pers.) genitive or dative of “ona”
obliče (n.) face
očekivati (vi.) to expect
od (prep.) from
ogromny (adj.) enormous
okean (m.) ocean
on (pron.pers.) he
ona (pron.pers.) she
oni (pron.pers.) they
ono (pron.pers.) it
plošča (m.) town square
po (prep.) after; over
podnesti (vp.) to raise, to lift up
pojdti (vp.) to go
polzati (vi.) to crawl
pomaly (adj.) slow
pot (m.) sweat
potom (adv.) then, after that, subsequently
pozdny (adj.) late
pozvati (vp.) to call, to invoke
prestrašiti (vp.) to scare, to terrify
prijdti (vp.) to come
prisųči (adj.) present
prizvati (vp.) to call, to summon, to evoke
prodavati (vi.) to sell
råsti (vi.) to grow, to become bigger
råzgněvati (vp.) to make angry, to infuriate
råzrušiti (vp.) to destroy, to break into pieces
rųka (f.) hand
sbližati sę (vi.) to draw closer, to approach
sę (pron.refl.) oneself
silny (adj.) strong
sněg (m.) snow
son (m.) dream
spokojny (adj.) quiet
stanųti (vp.) to stand, to come to a halt
stěna (f.) wall
stråna (f.) side
šamanica (f.) female shaman
šel (vi.) past tense of “idti”
takož (adv.) also, too
těkti (vi.) to flow, to leak
togda (adv.) then
toj (pron.dem.) this, that
tvoriti (vi.) to make, to create
usměhnųti sę (vp.) to smile
uspěti vp. to succeed, to manage
uviděti (vp.) to see
už (adv.) already
večer (m.) evening
veś, vśa (adj.) whole; all
vęčěj (adv.) more
voda (m.) water
vračati (vi.) to return, to go back
vrčěti (vi.) to growl, to roar
vśečo (pron.ind.) everything
vśegde (adv.) everywhere
vśekak (adv.) anyhow, anyway
za (prep.) behind
zvěř (m.) animal, beast
že (conj.) that
žena (f.) woman
životno (n.) animal