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| The language creator is Andrew Smith. | | The language creator is Andrew Smith. |
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| Details of the language speakers and culture are speculative as yet. One name I have for this language is 'the language of the ghost people' or 'ghostian', suggesting that the speakers are perceived as a fair-skinned race by outsiders. | | Details of the language speakers and culture are speculative as yet. My working name for the language is ''Shennian''. ''Shente'' is the word for 'people, race, gentiles,' and the adjective ''shenni'' is derived from that as an ethnonym. The native name of the language is ''shennya'' and 'to talk Shennian' is ''bāhant shennyon'', literally talk-language Shennian-thing.' |
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| | Clues about the Shennian culture emerge from their vocabulary. Their language has a respect-based hierarchy. Their religious tradition has a sky-father god, ''Yeuh''. They are sabbatarians with ascetic religious leaders - monks, hermits and mendicants. They use words for technology with which we are familiar. Their history includes a period of expansion. Currently they are eclipsed by a global super-culture whom they call the ''Yimbiane''. |
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| | [[Shennian Lexicon]] |
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| = Pronunciation = | | = Pronunciation = |
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| Vowels: | | Vowels: |
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| OT2.0 has the vowels /i ɪ ɛ a ʉ ʊ ɔ ɑ/. '''i''' and '''ʉ''' are always long and are written with a accent. '''a''' can be long or short and is written with an circumflex when long. '''ɔ''' is considered as a long '''ɑ''' and also written with an circumflex. '''ɛ''' is short and not written with an accent, as are the other short vowels. At the end of words '''i''' and '''u''' are always written as long vowels. | | OT2.0 has the vowels /i ɛ a ʉ ɔ ɑ/. |
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| Orthography: | | Orthography: |
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| In the latin alphabet: | | In the latin alphabet: |
| '''a b ch d e f g h i k l m n ng o p r s sh t u v w y'''
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| The 'original' conscript for OT2.0 is as yet unknown.
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| =Conlang Relay Text 19=
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| ''Ten ve âte yilí botí nirúmbe benas. Údnon premye habot ve kashte “Gak súda petten âyet nisha bena?”
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| ''Tal ve bonte “Na’dâ ve kawiden shame”
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| ''Deng a lúka ve'de. Pena kúhya, brekí ve kashten, “Ya botí, na’dâ pochen shodya nisha benan. Na’dâ ve kashoden ye dâya lúb, dok gúya pena Sei ei petten so bina wa nastra, dok kembí ve kawidet.” ''Botí ve shahente, dok deng a lúka ve shodyete bôt.
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| ''Pet poslí kata deng ve plogete lúb a kashte:
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| ''“Bodú ve ploget nisha benan, dok bodú ve bint bradí surutí, wôda ría ye aotoka dradra.
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| ''Premye habot ve kashte “Magarí kem na’dâ ve gabinten ten.”
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| ''Tal ve bonte “Nas shradyega budet sús nipana.”
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| ''Nidolgon poslí merega, luk ve dâyet lúb a kashte:
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| ''“Bodú ve seft nisha benan, dok bodú ve bint títíg haní, títíg bishí, ye títíg dúdwan.”
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| ''Premye habot ve kashte “Na’dâ wolenshim bina ten.”
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| ''Tal ve bonte “Nas shradyega budet shaten nipana.”''
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| There were two rocks on the slope of a mountain. Once the first rock said, “I wonder what’s beyond the mountain?”
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| The other replied, “We shall never know.”
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| A bird and a mouse was there. On hearing, they said, “O rocks, we can go beyond the mountain. We can go and come again, and tell to you about what we see, and you will know. The rocks agreed, and the bird and the mouse went away.
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| Soon after a time the bird came back and said:
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| “I flew beyond the mountain, and I saw wide streams, green brooks and tall trees.”
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| The first rock said, “I wish we could see that.”
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| The other replied, “Our hearts will be troubled forever.”
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| A long time after some days the mouse came back and said:
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| “I went by foot beyond the mountain, and I saw the same grasses, the same seeds and the same insects.”
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| The first rock said, “We don’t want to see that.”
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| The other replied, “Our hearts will be happy forever.”
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| ==Commentary==
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| This translation was created from Amanda Babcock Furrow's original text in Merechi for Conlang Relay 19.
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| ===Pronouns===
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| ''Bodú'' first person singular pronoun, I. Originally deferential, 'your servant', it has replaced the superior status ''Yao'' in conversational language. ''Bodú'' has no object case and in this text ''súda'' of self, is used as a pronoun: ''gak súda'' my guess, I wonder.
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| ''Na'dâ'' first person plural inclusive pronoun, we (here), you and I. ''Nastra'' of us. ''Nas'' our.
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| ''Kembí'' second person pronoun, you. Originally respectful, 'my lord', it is the common form of the second person pronoun. Like ''bodú'' ''kembí'' has no object case instead the reflexive pronoun ''Sei'', oneself, yourself, is used instead. It can be both singular and plural.
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| ''Brekí'' third person plural pronoun, they.
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| ''Ten'' demonstrative, that, there.
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| ''Tal'' the other.
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| ''Títíg'' definite article, the same.
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| ''Petten'' relative pronoun, what.
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| ===Verbs===
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| ''Ve'' non-present particle used with past and future verbs. It is not used with the future tense ''budet'' will be. This verb is the only exception.
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| ''So'' relative verb particle, that which is. It is inserted between the pronoun and a verb other than 'to be'.
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| The infinitive ending on verbs is ''-a'' or ''-ya''.
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| Past tense verbs end in ''-t'', except for ''íde'' were (at a location), which ends in ''-d''. The first person singular takes no ending, ''Na'dâ'' and ''brekí'' take the ending ''-en''. Nouns and other pronouns take the ending ''-e''.
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| Future tense verbs are prefixed with ''ka-'', except ''budet''. ''Na'dâ'' takes the ending ''-en''. Nouns take the ending ''-et''. The same endings are used for the present tense verbs.
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| The conditional uses a past tense verb. It is prefixed with ''ga-''
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| ''-Shim'' not, is a suffix used to negate a verb.
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| There are two different stems for the verb 'to be (at a location)' ''âte'' for inanimate objects and ''íde'' for animate objects. The text uses ''âte'' for the rocks, and ''íde'' for the animals. Used without a subject they translate as 'to be here' or 'to be nearby.' Both are in the past tense. ''Íde'' elides its stem after ''ve''.
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| The text uses two different words for 'to go'. ''Shodyete'' means generally 'was going'. ''Seft'' means 'went by foot' and refers to a specific action.
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| =Dialogue 1: A Friend Arrives=
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| {|
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| |Host:||''Ei chomú-dâ kú druí''||There is someone at the door
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| |Servant:||''A ítí ten chomú?''||Who is there?
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| |Friend:||''Ei'm''||It is I
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| |Visitor:||''A tí ta chomú?''||Who is it?
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| |Host:||''Bodú úwedshim''||I don't know
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| |Visitor:||''Bodú yir shabinant''||I will go see
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| |Host:||''Kodnen dribí. Bodú bâm Shinuwin a yirant''||No need, I shall tell Shinuwin to go
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| |Host:||''Shinuwin!''||Shinuwin!
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| |Servant:||''Íe!''||Yes!
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| |Host:||''Dâdâ''!||Come here!
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| |Servant:||''Íe!''||Yes!
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| |Host:||''Ei chomú-dâ kú druí. Yirú shabinant kem tí ta chomú.''||There is someone at the door. Go and see who it is.
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| |Servant:||''Íe!''||Right!
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| |Servant:||''Moikorí ya, a tí kembí kakai sinú?''||What is your name, sir?
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| |Friend:||''Moi sinú tí Trushika. A ítí moikorí Kinig kú sebio?''||My name is Trushika. Is Mr Kinig at home?
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| |Servant:||''Íe, taní ítí kú sebio. Kulahú pendânt''||Yes, he is. Please come in
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| |Friend:||''Âriget''||Thank you
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| |Servant:||''Moikorí Trushika ítí dâde''||Mr. Trushika has come
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| |Host:||''Kulahú tamum pendânt''||Ask him to come in
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| |Host:||''Moikorí Trushika ya, a ítí kembí duen ya?''||Hello Mr. Trushika, how are you?
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| |Friend:||''Duen. Moikorí Kinig a meikoren Shiraba ya, a ítí ba sebio duen''||Quite well. Are you Mr. Kinig and Mr. Shirab, both well?
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| |Host and Visitor:||''Duen, duen. Kulahú sedantse''||Quite well. Please take a seat
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| |Friend:||''Âriget âriget''||Thank you, thank you
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| |Host:||''Brobú chân!''||Prepare tea!
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| |Servant:||''Kembí dâguôt nena dok bodú dâ''||Coming in a moment
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| ||Host:||''Kulahú, moikorí Trushika, pihant chân''||Take some tea Mr. Trushika
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| |Friend:||''Âriget''||Thank you
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| |Host:||''A pohatshim sedantse nidolgon''||Can't you stay a little longer?
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| |Friend:||''Gúhú! Ten ítí chomú-dâ so 'pena bodú chekant. Bodú mús tai redir''||Sorry! There is someone waiting for me. I must return
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| |Friend:||''Úhim'na mikantie''||Don't get up
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| |Host and Visitor:||''Talik e nena dât ishikude!''||Where do such words come from!
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| |All together:||''Duabin, duabin''||Good-bye, good-bye
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| |}
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| =Dialogue 2: The Teacher Arrives=
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| {|
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| |Servant:||''Moikorí Kinig ítí dâde''||Mr Kinig is here
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| |Student:||''Kulahú tamum pendânt''||Ask him in
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| |Student:||''Moikorí Kinig ya, a ítí kembí duen ya''||Mr Kinig, are you well?
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| |Teacher:||''Duen. Makorina ya, kembí aft baget alí, kodin?''||Well. You have eaten, haven't you, lady?
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| |Student:||''Íe. Kembí aft baget alí, kodin?''||Yes. You have eaten, haven't you?
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| |Teacher:||''Belem, yao a'bagetshim'' or ''Sonan yao a'''||Not yet, I have not eaten ''or'' On the contrary, I have
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| |Teacher and Student:||''Kulahú sedantse''||Please sit down
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| |Student:||''Kembí tí talik bohoras ristú''||You are too polite
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| |Teacher:||''Kulahú. Da tí shawoltaran''||Please. It is the way things should be
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| |Student:||''Yako brobú chân kapena moikorí''||Could you make tea for the teacher
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| |Servant:||''Íe. Da tí gotúa duen''||Yes. It is well ready
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| |Student:||''Kulahú, moikorí, pihant chân''||Please, teacher, drink some tea
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| |Teacher:||''Âriget''||Thank you
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| |Student:||''Ei nena riaknia lâ, nadastâmshim monion''||I don't understand national language very well
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| |Teacher:||''Kuan veandâde kembí kariakkan e bodúta?''||When did you arrive in our country?
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| |Student:||''Bodú veandâde na kariakkan a kembí yodin mâwet porom''||I arrived in your country only last month
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| |Teacher:||''Kembí dâguôt nena riaknia duen''||You speak national language well
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| |Student:||''Kembí tí'na dohantie sudabodú''||You flatter me
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| |Teacher:||''Ten tí alidení. Kembí dâguôt sha duen''||It is true. You speak very well
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| |Student:||''Nena riaknia tí dakil úwidant, kodin?''||National language is easy to learn, isn't it?
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| |Teacher:||''Sha shim odakilion''||Not too hard
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| |Student:||''Bodú wol tai úwed nena riaknia duen''||I would like to learn national language well
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| |Teacher:||''Yao reb mapena melion úwidant kembí''||I will do my best to teach you
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| |}
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| =Dialogue 3: Conversation with Teacher=
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| {|
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| |Pupil:||''A tí da chet?''||What is this
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| |Teacher:||''Da tí yodna knihan''||That is a book
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| |Pupil:||''A tí da kakanian knihan?''||What (kind of) book is it?
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| |Teacher:||''Da tí yodin nenayon''||It is a dictionary
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| |Pupil:||''A nashiwatse ten tuon chet?''||What is that (thing) called?
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| |Teacher:||''Da tí yodna tugikan''||That is a pencil
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| |Pupil:||''A ve kadachen bodúta chet?''||What shall we do?
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| |Teacher:||''Ye bodúta ve kalehen''||Let us read
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| |Pupil:||''A ve kalehen bodúta kakanian knihan?''||What book shall we read?
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| |Teacher:||''Ye bodúta ve kalehen ten lehayon''||Let us read this reader
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| |Pupil:||''Kulahú lehant. Bodú kâ ot''||Will you please read. I will listen.
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| |Teacher:||''Da kinan tíhim duon''||That is not a very good method
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| |Pupil:||''Dok, kembí lest primon, dua bodú les posli ye kembí, smiet kodin?''||Then will you read first and I will read after you. Will that do?
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| |Teacher:||''Smiet. Da kinan tí duen''||Yes, that's a very good method
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| |Pupil:||''Kam bodú ve galeste salan, kulahú betant bodú''||If I make a mistake in my reading, please tell me
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| |Teacher:||''Shawoltaran''||It is my duty
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| ||Pupil:||''Nú dua shaleste knihan, ai bodúta kadachen chet satek?''||Now that we have finished reading, what else shall we do?
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| |Teacher:||''Bodúta ve kakiriben''||We might write
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| |Pupil:||''Duen. Bodú mí suk kiriban''||Good. I like writing
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| |Teacher:||''A sapiet kiriban kodin?''||Can you write?
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| |Pupil:||''Nam, kin bodú wol tai úwidant''||No, but I am willing to learn
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| |Teacher:||''Dok, yao reb mapena melion úwidant kembí''||I shall do my best to teach you
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| |Pupil:||''Ei kiriba, ai tí dribí kakaye tua''||What do we need for writing?
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| |Teacher:||''Bodúta dribí yodna tugikan, yodin pipas, yodin inon a yodna slina. Dua penglúyen yodne bekken wodata, ya malant inon''||We need a pen, a sheet of paper, ink, and an ink slab. Then we must also add a little water to mix the ink.
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| |Pupil:||''Te tua dost o bodú. Dua bodúta kiriben.''||I will get these things, then we will write
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| |Teacher:||''Duen. Bodúta kiriben''||Good, we will write
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| |}
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| =Vocabulary=
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| {|
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| |''a''||and; accompanitive word, followed by dative case
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| |''a''||question marker, comes before a verb
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| |''a'''||have, first person singular present auxiliary verb, can be written as a prefix
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| |''aft''||have, has, past perfect auxiliary verb
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| |''akuhí''||food, eats
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| |''alí''||rice, cooked rice, rice as food, collective noun
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| |''alidení''||true
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| |''andâde''||arrived, past tense and past participle
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| |''âriget''||thank you
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| |''aweríon''||flying machine
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| |''ba''||both, followed by genitive
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| |''baget''||ate, past tense and past participle of to eat
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| |''bâha''||language
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| |''bâm''||command, tell
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| |''bahon''||blouse, light clothing worn on the upper body by women
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| |''belem''||not yet
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| |''betant''||to tell, to inform
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| |''bodú''||I, me, my; ''bodúta'', we, us, our, first person egalitarian/inferior pronoun
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| |''bohora''||life-force, soul, ''-s'' genitive ending
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| |''brannant''||be taking, would like (something)
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| |''brobú''||brew, imperative
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| |''chân''||tea, accusative
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| |''chekant''||waiting, verbal noun
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| |''chet''||what, interrogative pronoun
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| |''chomú''||who, interrogative pronoun
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| |''chomú-dâ''||someone, pronoun, dative case, also used as direct object for persons
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| |''da''||she, it, pronoun
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| |''dâ''||come, first person singular present
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| |''dachant''||to do, to make
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| |''dâdâ''||come here, imperative
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| |''dâde''||come, here, past participle
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| |''dâguôt''||say (to me), present verb
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| |''dakil''||easy
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| |''dât''||come, present tense verb
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| |''dost''||is gotten, are gotten, active noun, passive meaning
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| |''dohantie''||to praise, flatter, causative verb
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| |''dihí''||bananas
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| |''dok''||so, then, sequence word
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| |''dribí''||need(s), necessary, plural noun
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| |''druí''||door(s)
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| |''duabin''||good-bye
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| |''duen''||good, well, adverb
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| |''dunianin''||person, human being, man
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| |''duon''||good, adjective
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| |''e''||of, accompanitive word, plural
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| |''ei''||topic marker, about; there is,'it is, implies something is physically present, followed by dative case
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| |''ga-''||conditional prefix on verbs, used with ''kam''
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| |''gandon''||wheat
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| |''gotú''||ready, a predicate adjective that must agree with its subject
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| |''grushowik''||truck, lorry
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| |''gúhú''||sorry
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| |''íe''||yes, right
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| |''inon''||ink, neuter noun
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| |''-ion''||very, suffix
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| |''ishikude''||from where (within), interrogative adverb
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| |''ítí''||'is, are (at a place), is, are (in a temporary state of), have (perfect verb)'
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| |''ka-''||to, for, shortened form of ''kapena'' used as a prefix to place words, takes accusative case.
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| |''ka-''||future marker, verbal prefix
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| |''kakai''||what, which, ''kakanian'' feminine accusative, ''kakaye'' plural, interrogative adjective
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| |''kalka''||girl
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| |''kalketa''||girls
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| |''kam''||if
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| |''kânt ot''||to listen, to hear, to speaker
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| |''kapena, 'pena''||for, benefactive
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| |''kei''||village
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| |-
| |
| |''kem''||that, relative pronoun
| |
| |-
| |
| |''kembí''||you, polite form
| |
| |-
| |
| |''kin''||but, after a negative
| |
| |-
| |
| |''kinan''||method, arrangement, abstract noun
| |
| |-
| |
| |''Kinig''||proper name
| |
| |-
| |
| |''kiriba''||writing, feminine noun
| |
| |-
| |
| |''kiribant''||to write
| |
| |-
| |
| |''kniha''||book, feminine noun
| |
| |-
| |
| |''kodin''||no, not a, negative indefinate article; also used as a question tag at the end of sentences, have, haven't, isn't, ''kodnen'' plural form
| |
| |-
| |
| |''kolon''||bicycle
| |
| |-
| |
| |''kude''||where, to where, from where, whither, whence; implies motion
| |
| |-
| |
| |''kulahú''||please; ask someone to, polite form; polite imperative
| |
| |-
| |
| |''kú''||at, at home, followed by the genitive case; also verb marker
| |
| |-
| |
| |''kuan''||when, question-word
| |
| |-
| |
| |''la''||emphatic particle
| |
| |-
| |
| |''lehant''||to read, stem ''les-''
| |
| |-
| |
| |''lehayon''||reader, neuter noun
| |
| |-
| |
| |''liamant''||to love
| |
| |-
| |
| |''liudí''||people, persons, human beings, plural of ''dunianin
| |
| |-
| |
| |'''m''||me, enclitic pronoun, implies the speaker has superior status to the person being addressed
| |
| |-
| |
| |''makkina''||wheeled vehicle
| |
| |-
| |
| |''makorina''||madam, ma'am, missus, lady
| |
| |-
| |
| |''malant''||to mix (things)
| |
| |-
| |
| |''mapena''||most, used with comparative adjectives and adverbs
| |
| |-
| |
| |''mâwet''||moon, month
| |
| |-
| |
| |''meikoren''||sir, mister, lord, indirect case
| |
| |-
| |
| |''melion''||better, best, adverb
| |
| |-
| |
| |''mí''||am, first person singular verb
| |
| |-
| |
| |''mikantie''||to accompany, accompanying
| |
| |-
| |
| |''mina''||oatmeal
| |
| |-
| |
| |''moi''||my, possessive adjective
| |
| |-
| |
| |''moikorí''||sir, mister, lord
| |
| |-
| |
| |''monion''||very well, greatly
| |
| |-
| |
| |''mús''||must
| |
| |-
| |
| |''nadastâm''||understand, first person singular verb
| |
| |-
| |
| |''nam''||no, exclamation
| |
| |-
| |
| |''nashiwantse''||to call (a thing)
| |
| |-
| |
| |''nena''||words, language, plural noun
| |
| |-
| |
| |''nenayon''||dictionary, neuter noun
| |
| |-
| |
| |''nidolgon''||for a time
| |
| |-
| |
| |''nú''||now
| |
| |-
| |
| |''o''||with, by, instrumental or agentive preposition
| |
| |-
| |
| |''odakil''||difficult, hard
| |
| |-
| |
| |''otkai''||why
| |
| |-
| |
| |''pachant''||to cook
| |
| |-
| |
| |''pachí-pachí''||cooked dishes
| |
| |-
| |
| |''padí''||rice, rice plant
| |
| |-
| |
| |''pendânt''||to go in, to come in, to enter
| |
| |-
| |
| |''penglúyant''||to add
| |
| |-
| |
| |''petta''||what?
| |
| |-
| |
| |''pohat''||can
| |
| |-
| |
| |''pô''||port
| |
| |-
| |
| |''pihant''||to drink, drinking
| |
| |-
| |
| |''pipas''||paper, sheet of paper, count noun
| |
| |-
| |
| |''porom''||last
| |
| |-
| |
| |''posli''||after, preposition
| |
| |-
| |
| |''primon''||first, neuter adjective used as adverb
| |
| |-
| |
| |''ratiotas''||soldier
| |
| |-
| |
| |''reb''||strive, first person singular present verb
| |
| |-
| |
| |''redir''||return
| |
| |-
| |
| |''riakka''||kingdom, country, ''-n'' accusative ending
| |
| |-
| |
| |''riaknia''||national, neuter plural adjective, used as a language name
| |
| |-
| |
| |''ristas''||guest; ''ristú'', genitive form, of a guest, guest's
| |
| |-
| |
| |''salan''||mistake, noun
| |
| |-
| |
| |''sapiet''||know how, can, verb
| |
| |-
| |
| |''satek''||other, else
| |
| |-
| |
| |''sebio''||oneself, one's own, reflexive pronoun
| |
| |-
| |
| |''sedant''||to sit, sitting
| |
| |-
| |
| |''sha''||very, too
| |
| |-
| |
| |''shabinant''||to see, seeing, take a look, definite verb
| |
| |-
| |
| |''shalehant''||to finish reading
| |
| |-
| |
| |''shawoltaran''||courtesy, politeness, duty, the way things should be done
| |
| |-
| |
| |''shente''||people, a people, folk, members of an ethnic group, plural noun
| |
| |-
| |
| |''Shinuwin''||proper name
| |
| |-
| |
| |''shim''||not, nothing. Usually suffixed to the verb
| |
| |-
| |
| |''Shirab''||proper name
| |
| |-
| |
| |''shúlant''||to swell
| |
| |-
| |
| |''sinú''||surname, clan, tribe
| |
| |-
| |
| |''slina''||slate for preparing ink, feminine noun
| |
| |-
| |
| |''smiet''||be allowed, verb
| |
| |-
| |
| |''so''||''who is''
| |
| |-
| |
| |''sonan''||on the contrary, but
| |
| |-
| |
| |''súdabodú''||myself, me
| |
| |-
| |
| |''suk''||liking, adjective
| |
| |-
| |
| |''surushika''||pear
| |
| |-
| |
| |''ta''||that, he, it, demonstrative pronoun
| |
| |-
| |
| |''tai''||desiderative particle, used after auxiliary verb
| |
| |-
| |
| |''takneta''||lads
| |
| |-
| |
| |''taknok''||child
| |
| |-
| |
| |''tamum''||him, polite form
| |
| |-
| |
| |''taní''||he, polite form
| |
| |-
| |
| |''talik''||such
| |
| |-
| |
| |''ten''||there, it, pronoun
| |
| |-
| |
| |''tennam''||to have, to hold, to grasp
| |
| |-
| |
| |''tí''||is, are
| |
| |-
| |
| |''Trushika''||proper name
| |
| |-
| |
| |''tugika''||pen, pencil, brush
| |
| |-
| |
| |''tuon''||thing, neuter noun, paradigm of thing-nouns, plural ''tua''
| |
| |-
| |
| |''úwed''||know, come to know, definite verb
| |
| |-
| |
| |''úwidant''||to know, come to know, get to know, teach, learn, verbal noun
| |
| |-
| |
| |''ve''||non-present marker
| |
| |-
| |
| |''wodata''||water, plural noun
| |
| |-
| |
| |''wimbí''||millet
| |
| |-
| |
| |''wolant''||to want, to be willing, would like
| |
| |-
| |
| |''wú''||where? (location)
| |
| |-
| |
| |''ya''||let's, and, with, accompanitive preposition, ''ye'' indirect masculine, and plural, ''yí'' feminine
| |
| |-
| |
| |''ya''||vocative particle, comes after the noun, used as a greeting
| |
| |-
| |
| |''yablok''||apple
| |
| |-
| |
| |''yao''||I, first person singular pronoun, superior status
| |
| |-
| |
| |''yir''||go, first person singular verb
| |
| |-
| |
| |''yirant''||to go, going (on foot)
| |
| |-
| |
| |''yirú''||go, imperative
| |
| |-
| |
| |''yodin''||only, a/an (certain) masculine/neuter indefinite article, ''yodna'' feminine singular, ''yodne'' plural
| |
| |}
| |
|
| |
|
| =Grammar=
| | '''a b ch d e f g h i k l m n ng o p r s sh t u v w y''' |
|
| |
|
| == Infinitive/Verbal Noun ==
| | In the ''Kiriva'', the Shennian alphabet: |
|
| |
|
| The infinitive generally ends with ''-ant''. It is alternative uses to being the infinitive form of the verb. The language also uses it as a verbal noun: a word ending in '-ing' or in '-ation'; and as an adjective derived from verbs.
| | '''a b g d e dy ā ty y k l m n s o p ch r sh t y''' |
|
| |
|
| A number of verbs derived from nouns exist only as verbal nouns; as do causative verbs derived from other verbs. In such cases tense and person are described peripherally from the verb. More information will be released as a better understanding on how they work emerges.
| | The ''Kiria'', the writing, is a Semitic-based script, not yet adapted into an available font. Some letters are written with pointing to mark a sound change. |
|
| |
|
| ==''Wohant'', to be, being ==
| | The long vowels U, Ō and I are written as abjads either written with pointing over a previous consonant or over a short-A. |
|
| |
|
| The present tense of 'to be' is as follows: | | The short-A is called ''Aliv''. |
|
| |
|
| {|
| | NG is written as ''Gim'' marked with a nasal. |
| |''me mi''||I am||''meme en''||we are
| |
| |-
| |
| |''te si''||you (sg) are||''tete ti''||you (pl) are
| |
| |-
| |
| |''ta ti''||he is||''ga en (ti)''||they are
| |
| |}
| |
|
| |
|
| The pronouns for 'she' and 'it' are ''da'' and ''ten'' respectively. If the subject is a plural noun, the verb form is ''ti'' rather than ''en''.
| | H is written as a superscript letter called half-''Āta''. It is inserted between ''Āta'' and ''Tyeta'' in dictionary practice but not listed in the sequence of the alphabet. |
|
| |
|
| In old high literature the forms of the verb for 'we are' and 'they are' are ''emo'' and ''eno''. These forms are not used in the spoken language.
| | The ''Kiria'' has two writing styles. Cursive script is the default script. Square script is used for names and proper nouns. Shennian writing style alternates between both forms. Not knowing where to change into square script appears clumsy and uneducated, over-using square script feels like reading official, formal language. |
|
| |
|
| The past tense of 'to be' is
| | =There Is= |
|
| |
|
| {|
| | ''Ten āyet'', it is, there is a..., there are, that is, which takes a direct object. This may be singular or plural, so ''ten āyet'' means 'there is' or 'there are'. It is a common and useful expression, used in making statements, not when an object is pointed out. It is also used in interrogative sentences when it translates 'is there', 'are there'. |
| |''me wora''||I was||''meme woren''||we were
| |
| |-
| |
| |''te woret''||you (sg) were||''tete woret''||you (pl) were
| |
| |-
| |
| |''ta woret''||he was||''ga woren (woret)''||they were
| |
| |}
| |
|
| |
|
| The past tense of 'to be' translates both 'I have been' and 'I was' It can also acts as an auxiliary. | | The third person ending ''-(e)t'' is silent in spoken Shennian. |
| | |
| The negative verb marker is a clitic. After a consonant it is ''shim'', after a vowel ''him''. In a subordinate clause it becomes an independent adverb and moves to in front of the verb.
| |
| | |
| {|
| |
| |''me ve tehim''||I was not||''meme ve enshim''||we were not
| |
| |}
| |
|
| |
|
| As an independent word ''shim, shidim'' means 'nothing'.
| | It is used in the sense, to be present or to be absent (in a place). It is used with a non-living subject, always in the third person: it is (somewhere), they are (somewhere). It forms sentences if where the thing is, is known: ''A konisa belye' pena trepeye? Āyet'' Is the book on the table? Yes, it is. |
|
| |
|
| The future tense of 'to be' is
| | 'There was, there were' is normally ''Ten we dunide'', literally 'there happened'. In 'there will be', ''ten āyet'' becomes ''ten we dunyet'', literally 'there will happen'. |
| {|
| |
| |''me ve bude''||I will be||''meme ve budun''||we will be
| |
| |-
| |
| |''te ve bud''||you (sg) will be||''tete ve bud''||you (pl) will be
| |
| |-
| |
| |''ta ve bud''||he will be||''ga ve budun (bud)''||they will be
| |
| |}
| |
|
| |
|
| ''Ve'' is described as a non-present participle that is placed between the subject and a past or future verb. It is not used with ''wora'', but it is used with ''bud''
| | The third person moves to the head of the sentence and has existential force to mean ‘there is, there are’. |
|
| |
|
| | ''Ten'' in ''ten āyet'' is considered the secondary subject and the real subject is the noun or pronoun that comes after the verb. The verb does not change for gender, it changes for number, ''Tye āyen''. |
|
| |
|
| The imperative is ''wohú''. This is considered abrupt and only used as a command. | | The pronoun ''ten'' means 'it, there.' It is used in impersonal expressions like ''ten wuet'' it rains and ''ten snyeget'' it snows. |
|
| |
|
| With adjectives <i>mi</i> and <i>wora</i> describes a temporary or accidental situation, and <i>deide mi</i> and <i>deide wora</i> describes a more permanent or general situation.
| | In deferential language ''gohaut'' is substituted for ''āyet'' and ''ō'' for ''iet'', ''ten gohaut lut'' Good morning, lit. it is early. |
|
| |
|
| ==''A'nt'', to have, auxiliary verb== | | = Shim = |
| ''A'nt'' is used to mean 'to have (done something)'. It is not used to mean 'to have, possess or hold'. In this sense the language prefers to use a prepositional phrase. | | The negative is ''shim'' nothing, followed by a genitive noun or noun phrase. ''Shim'' is the word used in conversation and written word. In careful speech it becomes the longer word ''shidim''. It is placed directly after a verb it negates. An infinitive verb or a participle will follow after it. It occurs independently at the end of sentences as 'or not'. |
|
| |
|
| Present tense:
| | ''Bod bovol'' I speak; ''bod bovol shim'' I do not speak. ''Ta lichet'' He reads; ''Kudin lichet'' he does not read. Shennian speakers think of the subject pronouns he, she and it, ''ta'', ''da'' and ''ten'', as wrong in negative sentences. The negative pronouns ''kudin'', ''kudna'' and ''kudnon'', not one, are substituted in their place. |
|
| |
|
| {|
| | If noun or pronoun is contradicted, a form of ''kudin'' is used. |
| |''me a'''||I have||''meme a'n''||we have
| |
| |-
| |
| |''te aft''||you (sg.) have||''tete aft''||you (pl.) have
| |
| |-
| |
| |''ta aft''||he has||''ga a'n (aft)''||they have
| |
| |}
| |
|
| |
|
| In the old high language the contracted forms insert a ''-b-'': ''me ab'', ''meme/ga aben'', ''abant''. This has dropped out of the modern language.
| | ''Kudnon'' can be used to contradict statements: ''Ta dāt ishi Sobye. Kudnon, kudin dāt ishi Sobye'' He comes from Sobye. No, he doesn't come from Sobye. |
|
| |
|
| Past tense:
| | ''Kudnon'' is used as negative question tag: ''Ai-ta morigo kerane, kudnon?'' He is the chief clerk, is he not? |
|
| |
|
| {|
| | With a name or pronoun with ''so'' it means 'not the one who', ''kudin bod so det ten'' it wasn't me who told him. |
| |''me ve yed''||I had||''meme ve yeden''||we have
| |
| |-
| |
| |''te ve yed''||you (sg.) had||''tete ve yed''||you (pl.) had
| |
| |-
| |
| |''ta ve yede''||he had||''ga ve yeden (ve yed)''||they had
| |
| |}
| |
|
| |
|
| ''A'nt'' is not used with reflexive verbs or verbs of motion. Instead these verbs use the verbal noun, combined with the forms of ''wohant'' to indicate the number and the tense. | | Occasionally it can mean 'non-': ''kudni shenni'' non-Shennian |
|
| |
|
| ==Future Auxiliary==
| | ''Kudnon shim'', not un-: ''kudin kōt shim'' he is not unwilling. |
|
| |
|
| The modal auxiliaries ''kal'' and ''wol'' are used with the verbal noun. ''Kal'', shall, be going to, is ...ing, is used with the first person, and ''wol'', will, be willing, want, like, wish, with the second, although this is not rigid.
| | When a future of a negated verb is fronted before the pronoun it means 'it is unlikely': ''kudin we dāyet'' He won't come; ''dāye'lā kudin'' It is unlikely that he will come; he is unlikely to come. |
|
| |
|
| {|
| | Other negatives that can be used as adverbs after a verb: ''shame'' never, ''shidim'' nothing, ''pahon'' nobody. These words can be moved to the start of the sentence and the order of the sentence remains unchanged for the rest of the sentence: ''chota āye'ten? Ei pahon'' Who is there? Nobody. |
| |''me ve kal''||I shall||''meme ve kalen''||we shall
| |
| |-
| |
| |''te ve wolt''||you (sg.) will||''tete ve wolt''||you (pl.) will
| |
| |-
| |
| |''ta ve wolt''||he will||''ga ve wolen||they will
| |
| |}
| |
|
| |
|
| If the verbal noun is a verb of motion it can be dropped if the direction is indicated by an adverb or a preposition. The present tense can be used for future action, especially if it is marked by an adverb of time. ''Dyant'' or ''kal/wol dyant'', will become, can also replace ''bud'' in which case it portends an unchanging state (will always be...). ''Dyant'' cannot replace ''kal/wol aryant'', to be (in a place).
| | ''Kem'' is used as a negative adverb, 'only'. |
|
| |
|
| ==''Yirant'', to go (by foot)==
| | ''Okom, okong, okon'' is used as a stronger negative than ''shim'', not at all. |
|
| |
|
| Present tense:
| | =Hisal= |
|
| |
|
| {|
| | ''Hisal'' means ‘to arise, to come into existence: |
| |'' me yire''||I go||''meme yirun''||we go
| |
| |-
| |
| |''te yir''||you (sg.) go||''tete yir''||you (pl.) go
| |
| |-
| |
| |''ta yir''||he goes||''ga yirun''
| |
| |}
| |
|
| |
|
| The past tense is irregular (there must be a story behind that):
| | ''Ya hisen-lā pena keten payade tolke'', and on this point there are stanzas |
|
| |
|
| {|
| | ''Ishipena ōga hist samōn'', from anger arises delusion |
| |''me ve sefa''||I went||''meme ve seften''||we went
| |
| |-
| |
| |''te ve seft''||you (sg.) went||''tete ve seft''||you (pl.) went
| |
| |-
| |
| |''ta ve sefte''||he goes||''ga ve seften''||they went
| |
| |}
| |
|
| |
|
| Similar to ''Yirant'' is the verb ''yerant'', to go (by vehicle), present tense:
| | An alternative to 'to be' in nominal sentences: ''binon-lā tena ramayon hist pena tache'', the sight of it is delightful to the exhausted. |
|
| |
|
| {|
| | = Lā = |
| |''me yere''||I go||''meme yerun''||we go
| |
| |-
| |
| |''te yer''||you (sg.) go||''tete yer''||you (pl.) go
| |
| |-
| |
| |''ta yer''||he goes||''ga yerun''||they go
| |
| |}
| |
|
| |
|
| ''Yerant'' uses the same ending in the past tense as in the present: | | The two particles ''ai'' and ''lā'' are used to emphasize words. ''Ai'' being used in questions, and ''lā'' in statements. A word may be emphasized by moving it forward in a sentence and tagging it with ''ai'' or ''lā''. |
|
| |
|
| {|
| | At the beginning of a sentence or clause, ''lā'' can replace an impersonal ''ten'': ''dakilbesh-lā ya sodyant keresh suyan'' it is difficult to go across the river. At other times ''kam'' if, at the beginning of a sentence is balanced by ''lā'' on the first word of the main clause: ''kam na' dā tenyen ast a āgorion simodi, na' dā pochen-lā nawesam ten'' if we have enough money, we can buy it. |
| |''me ve yerte''||I went||''meme ve yerten''||we went
| |
| |-
| |
| |''te ve yerte''||you (sg.) went||''tete ve yerte''||you (pl.) went
| |
| |-
| |
| |''ta ve yerte''||he went||''ga ve yerten''||they went
| |
| |}
| |
|
| |
|
| Completed action with these verbs are made by combining the verbal noun with ''wohant'', to be: ''me mi yirant'', I have gone (on foot); ''ga worun yerant'', they had gone (by vehicle).
| | ''Lā'' softens a command, and makes it less abrupt. |
|
| |
|
| ==''Kulahant''==
| |
|
| |
|
| Literally this is a polite word meaning 'to beg'. The phrase ''me kulas'' is used widely to mean 'I beg (you)', 'please' and 'please don't mention it, you are welcome'. With the imperative ending it becomes a polite way of phrasing a command: ''kulahú yirant'', (please) go.
| |
|
| |
|
| [[Category: Conlangs]] | | [[Category: Conlangs]] |
An eclectic language created from texts from the Teach Yourself language books, originally produced by the English Universities Press, latterly by Hodder and Stoughton.
The guiding principle was to take foreign language words from the contents pages of each grammar and use them as the basis of an imaginary language. Also used were irregularities affecting verbs and nouns, etc., and descriptions of courtesy language (notably, Japanese, Samoan and Modern Persian).
The language creator is Andrew Smith.
Details of the language speakers and culture are speculative as yet. My working name for the language is Shennian. Shente is the word for 'people, race, gentiles,' and the adjective shenni is derived from that as an ethnonym. The native name of the language is shennya and 'to talk Shennian' is bāhant shennyon, literally talk-language Shennian-thing.'
Clues about the Shennian culture emerge from their vocabulary. Their language has a respect-based hierarchy. Their religious tradition has a sky-father god, Yeuh. They are sabbatarians with ascetic religious leaders - monks, hermits and mendicants. They use words for technology with which we are familiar. Their history includes a period of expansion. Currently they are eclipsed by a global super-culture whom they call the Yimbiane.
Shennian Lexicon
Pronunciation
Consonants:
|
labial |
dental |
alveolar |
postalveolar |
palatal |
velar |
glottal
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| unvoicedstops |
p |
t |
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k |
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| voiced stops |
b |
d |
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g |
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| affricates |
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tʃ |
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| unvoiced fricatives |
f |
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s |
ʃ |
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| voiced fricatives |
v |
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h
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| nasals |
m |
n |
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ŋ |
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| lateral |
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l |
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| approximant |
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ɹ |
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| semivowels |
w |
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j |
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Vowels:
OT2.0 has the vowels /i ɛ a ʉ ɔ ɑ/.
Orthography:
In the latin alphabet:
a b ch d e f g h i k l m n ng o p r s sh t u v w y
In the Kiriva, the Shennian alphabet:
a b g d e dy ā ty y k l m n s o p ch r sh t y
The Kiria, the writing, is a Semitic-based script, not yet adapted into an available font. Some letters are written with pointing to mark a sound change.
The long vowels U, Ō and I are written as abjads either written with pointing over a previous consonant or over a short-A.
The short-A is called Aliv.
NG is written as Gim marked with a nasal.
H is written as a superscript letter called half-Āta. It is inserted between Āta and Tyeta in dictionary practice but not listed in the sequence of the alphabet.
The Kiria has two writing styles. Cursive script is the default script. Square script is used for names and proper nouns. Shennian writing style alternates between both forms. Not knowing where to change into square script appears clumsy and uneducated, over-using square script feels like reading official, formal language.
There Is
Ten āyet, it is, there is a..., there are, that is, which takes a direct object. This may be singular or plural, so ten āyet means 'there is' or 'there are'. It is a common and useful expression, used in making statements, not when an object is pointed out. It is also used in interrogative sentences when it translates 'is there', 'are there'.
The third person ending -(e)t is silent in spoken Shennian.
It is used in the sense, to be present or to be absent (in a place). It is used with a non-living subject, always in the third person: it is (somewhere), they are (somewhere). It forms sentences if where the thing is, is known: A konisa belye' pena trepeye? Āyet Is the book on the table? Yes, it is.
'There was, there were' is normally Ten we dunide, literally 'there happened'. In 'there will be', ten āyet becomes ten we dunyet, literally 'there will happen'.
The third person moves to the head of the sentence and has existential force to mean ‘there is, there are’.
Ten in ten āyet is considered the secondary subject and the real subject is the noun or pronoun that comes after the verb. The verb does not change for gender, it changes for number, Tye āyen.
The pronoun ten means 'it, there.' It is used in impersonal expressions like ten wuet it rains and ten snyeget it snows.
In deferential language gohaut is substituted for āyet and ō for iet, ten gohaut lut Good morning, lit. it is early.
Shim
The negative is shim nothing, followed by a genitive noun or noun phrase. Shim is the word used in conversation and written word. In careful speech it becomes the longer word shidim. It is placed directly after a verb it negates. An infinitive verb or a participle will follow after it. It occurs independently at the end of sentences as 'or not'.
Bod bovol I speak; bod bovol shim I do not speak. Ta lichet He reads; Kudin lichet he does not read. Shennian speakers think of the subject pronouns he, she and it, ta, da and ten, as wrong in negative sentences. The negative pronouns kudin, kudna and kudnon, not one, are substituted in their place.
If noun or pronoun is contradicted, a form of kudin is used.
Kudnon can be used to contradict statements: Ta dāt ishi Sobye. Kudnon, kudin dāt ishi Sobye He comes from Sobye. No, he doesn't come from Sobye.
Kudnon is used as negative question tag: Ai-ta morigo kerane, kudnon? He is the chief clerk, is he not?
With a name or pronoun with so it means 'not the one who', kudin bod so det ten it wasn't me who told him.
Occasionally it can mean 'non-': kudni shenni non-Shennian
Kudnon shim, not un-: kudin kōt shim he is not unwilling.
When a future of a negated verb is fronted before the pronoun it means 'it is unlikely': kudin we dāyet He won't come; dāye'lā kudin It is unlikely that he will come; he is unlikely to come.
Other negatives that can be used as adverbs after a verb: shame never, shidim nothing, pahon nobody. These words can be moved to the start of the sentence and the order of the sentence remains unchanged for the rest of the sentence: chota āye'ten? Ei pahon Who is there? Nobody.
Kem is used as a negative adverb, 'only'.
Okom, okong, okon is used as a stronger negative than shim, not at all.
Hisal
Hisal means ‘to arise, to come into existence:
Ya hisen-lā pena keten payade tolke, and on this point there are stanzas
Ishipena ōga hist samōn, from anger arises delusion
An alternative to 'to be' in nominal sentences: binon-lā tena ramayon hist pena tache, the sight of it is delightful to the exhausted.
Lā
The two particles ai and lā are used to emphasize words. Ai being used in questions, and lā in statements. A word may be emphasized by moving it forward in a sentence and tagging it with ai or lā.
At the beginning of a sentence or clause, lā can replace an impersonal ten: dakilbesh-lā ya sodyant keresh suyan it is difficult to go across the river. At other times kam if, at the beginning of a sentence is balanced by lā on the first word of the main clause: kam na' dā tenyen ast a āgorion simodi, na' dā pochen-lā nawesam ten if we have enough money, we can buy it.
Lā softens a command, and makes it less abrupt.
