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 Christians and transformed into Christian sacramental vocabulary.

abbess - otonc

abbot - ofync

anchoress, nun - xechonc

anchorite, monk - rubync

calculation (esp. of Easter) - ocaroc

caretaker - texintync, texintonc

child - uxiuroc

church - achoc

congregation - raucoc

cross - tauroc (originally 'tomb', influenced by Greek 'stavros')

cup - curimnonc, taunonc, xanenonc

the dead - xibex diocese - mocloc

eagle - coptonc

font, baptismal - tinhonc

god, false - ureroc

grandmother - tetonc

heaven - uratoc

honey - matoc

idol - exoroc

incense - turonc

jug - yrfeonc

June - ocoroc

king - lucmaunhync

lion - roync

martyr, saint - xiboc

monastic - ofanync, -onc, -oc

moon - tiync

noon - yranhoc

nurse - nonoc

offering - arfnync, arfasoc, clebonc, tyxonc

only - tus

pagan - cricync, criconc, rumachync, rumachonc

people - mechync, rononc

prayer - molhenonc

priest - fafonc (m.)

priesthood - arymnatoc

rite - xeroc

room - queronc

sanctuary - xamoc

September - cheroc

son (esp. Son of God) - clenoc

soul - intioroc

sun - uxroc

then - un

tomb - xutoc

town - xfuronc

vase - tinonc

the Virgin - xnhatonc

water of baptism - nheroc

wife (esp. Zion as bride of Christ), novice nun - fionc

year, liturgical - auloc

Guanche-Derived Vocabulary

astronomer - babilaunoc

chief priest - guadamenhoc

demons - tibisenax

the Devil - guaiautonc

festival - benhesmeroc

moon - achuguaync

Mother of God - chaxiraxonc

mountain - tindonc

nun, sacred virgins - maguadonc, arimaguadonc

priest - faica'noc

priest, funerary - cancync

rain - achucanoc

sky - achama'noc

Son of God - chixauraxync

sun - magoc

teacher for boys - samaranync

teacher for girls - samaronc