Fortunatian

Fortunatian is a Romance language, with Etruscan and Guanche substrates, spoken in the Fortunate Islands (our world's Canary Islands) in the Fortunate Islands Universe. This is a description of Classical Fortunatian (fl. 12c ACE).

Phonology

The Fortunatian alphabet has 20 letters. There are also four digraphs which are not considered part of the alphabet, but probably should be.

a [a]

b [b]

c [k] before /a/, /o/, /u/, /y/

d [d]

e [e, ɛ]

g [ʤ]

f [f]

h [etymological, or diaeresis marker]

i [i], [j] before another vowel

m [m]

n [n]

o [ə]

p [p]

qu [k] before /e/, /i/

r [r]

s [s]

t [t]

u [u]

x [ʃ]

y [ɨ]

Non-Alphabetic Digraphs

au [o]

ch [ʧ]

hu [w] - this can (rarely) occur before a consonant

nh [ɲ]

Gender and Number

Fortunatian has no declension, but three genders (masculine, feminine, and neuter) and two numbers (singular and plural). Note that the Classical Latin third declension has merged with the neuter of the second declension. Nouns and adjectives use the same ending. The root bon- "good" may be used to show the pattern.

xorbync bonync a good servant

huemnonc bononc a good woman

omnoc bonoc a good man (yes, 'man' is neuter)

xorbaux bonaux good servants

huemnax bonax good women

omnex bonex good men

Etruscan-Derived Vocabulary

Most of the Etruscan derived vocabulary was borrowed by the early Christian and transformed into Christian sacramental vocabulary.

brother - rubync calculation (esp. of Easter) - acaroc caretaker - texintync, texintonc child - uxiuroc church - achoc cup - curimnonc, taunonc daughter - xeconc district - mocloc eagle - coptonc family - raucoc father - ofync honey - matoc god, false - ureroc grandmother - tetonc idols - exoroc king - lucmaunync mirror - molhenonc mother (esp. Mary) - otonc nurse - nonoc offering - arfnync, arfasoc, clebonc one - tu once - tus pagan - cricync, criconc, rumacync, rumaconc paternal - ofanync, -onc, -oc people - mecync priest - fafonc (m.) priesthood - arymnatoc room - quelonc sanctuary - xamoc September - queloc son (esp. Son of God) - clenhoc soul - intioroc tomb - xutoc, tauroc town - xfuronc vase - tinonc water of baptism - neroc wife - fionc year, liturgical - auloc