Kala

• Kala is meant to be a simple and euphonic personal conlang.

• Many lexical entries are inspired and/or influenced by any number of natlangs

Phonology

consonants

• Plosives

p - [p~b] | t - [t~d] | k - [k~g] | ' - [?]

• Nasals

m - [m] | n - [n] | ny - [J]

• Fricatives

s - [s~S] | ts - [ts~tS] | h - [h~h\]

• Approximants

u - [u] | y - [j]

• Laterals

l - [l] | tl - [tK]

vowels

• a - /a~a:/ | e - /e~e:/ | i - /i~i:/ | o - /o~o:/ | u - /u~u:/

diphthongs

• ua - /wa:/ | ue - /we:/

phonotactics

• Kala allows only a single consonant at the start or end of a syllable, and up to two consonants word medially across a syllable boundary.

The la syllable is the only restricted syllable; it cannot begin a word.

syllable structure

• (C)V(k, l, m, n, t)

syllable stress

• Kala stress is penultimate; that is, the next-to-last syllable of the word is stressed.

Grammar

plurals

• To make a noun plural, add -m to the end.

Example : kono - stone | konom - stones

• Adjectives do not change when they are plural. However, when an adjective is used in place of a noun, it can be pluralized.

Example : nyeli - pink | nyelim - (the) pink (ones)

gender

• In general, nouns do not indicate their gender. To distinguish the sexes, one can use the adjectival endings -ta and -na.

Example : nikata "a male dog", nikana "a female dog".

articles

• There is only one article in Kala, -ni. It is used primarily as a "noun marker".
• It is ambi-definite, meaning both definite and indefinite. The distinction is made through context.
• It can be singular and plural.

Example : kama "village", kamani "the/a village", kamanim "the villages"

Lexicon

numbers

• zero / nothing / 0 - e'o
• one / 1 - na'o
• two / 2 - ta'o
• three / 3 - ha'o
• four / 4 - ma'o
• five / 5 - ya'o
• six / 6 - tsa'o
• seven / 7 - ka'o
• eight / 8 - pa'o
• nine / 9 - sa'o
• ten / 10 - ue'o
• hundred / 100 - nye'o
• thousand / 1000 - tle'o

higher numbers

• eleven / 11 - uena'o

• twenty / 20 - taue'o

• one hundred one / 107 - nyeka'o

• three hundred twenty five / 326 - hanyetauetsa'o (long form) | hatatsa'o (short form)

• six thousand and twenty / 6020 - tsatletaue'o

ordinals, fractions etc.

• ki- - ordinal/multiple prefix

Example : kisa'o - ninth, or nine times

Example : kiyanyepa'o - 508^th, or 508 times

• i- - fractional prefix

Example : isa'o - a ninth

Example : iha'o pa'o - three eighths, ⅜

family

• family / kin - tlika
• parent - onata
• grandparent - onataha
• spouse - tlanata
• sibling - uanata
• child - inata

• father / uncle - ota
• mother / aunt - ona
• man / husband - tla'ota
• woman / husband - tla'ona
• grandfather - otaha
• grandmother - onaha
• brother / cousin - otaua
• sister / cousin - onaua
• boy / son - ota'i
• girl / daughter - ona'i

colors

• red - ketla
• orange - tliyo
• yellow - yana
• green - kuya
• blue - tsuku
• indigo, violet, purple - tlaku
• white, pale - nyahi
• black, dark - oya
• clear - yehi

General Lexica

• The majority of lexical units in Kala can have multiple roles.
• Most have a primary role, such as verb, noun or adjective, but almost all can serve in at least two roles.
• Because of this, this list is sorted alphabetically and not by part of speech or category.

p t k m n s h l a

a

• a - to be, exist | yes
• ala - to be born | to birth
• ama - time, year, season
• ato - body, anatomy | corpse
• ato'a - torso | chest, belly
• aya - beauty | to be beautiful

h

• hina - near, close, here

i

• ila - bird, avian | to fly, glide
• ina - food, sustenance | to eat, consume
• itsa - love, affection | to love, care for

k

• kala - to speak, talk, say | language, dialect
• kama - village, town, city
• kana - to lead, command | chief, leader
• kata - nature, universe | essence
• kaua - coffee
• ketla - red | blood | to bleed
• kipa - tooth | to bite, chew
• kita - to greet, welcome | hello, hi
• ko - person | agentive
• kono - gray | stone, rock
• ko'o - number, amount, quantity | to count
• kulu - all, every, each
• kuna - to expel | to excrete, shit, defecate
• kuya - green | grass, foliage

m

• ma - and, also, as well | plus | more
• mala - bad, unfavorable, negative
• mata - to kill, murder
• matla - stew, casserole, goulash
• maya - water, fluid | wet
• metla - to whistle | sound of wind | flute
• mo - to locate, place | locative | location [where]

n

• naha - river, stream | lake, pond
• naho - to regulate | rule | grammar
• nika - dog, canine

ny

• nyahi - white | snow | to snow
• nyeli - pink

o

• omo - to exchange, trade | commerce, business

tl

• tlela - to wash, bathe | clean, pure

y

• ya'asa - wind, breeze | air
• yaka - arm, leg | appendage
• yama - mountain, hill | pile, mound
• yato - finger | hand
• yesa - be quiet, tranquil | peaceful

Examples

• mo ta yala ka

place/locale 2sg go/walk/travel INT-part

Where are you going?

• nam tsala inaye

1pl sauce/paste eat-PAST

We ate the sauce.

• ko tayo onatam ka

person 2sg-POSS parent-PL INT-part

Who are your parents?

Article 1, UDHR

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.