Kingspeech

Kingspeech (E La)
Pronounced:	[e la]
Timeline and Universe:	Semiramis Universe, Post-Catastrophe
Species:	Post-Catastrophe Hominid
Spoken:	Phazum (planet)
Total speakers:	c. 500 in Phazum
Writing system:	Unknown
Genealogy:	Isolate
Typology:
Morphology:	Isolating
Morphosyntax:	Accusative
Word order:	SVO
Credits
Creator:	Linguarum Magister
Created:	2012

Kingspeech (E La) is the proto-language (in the sense of early, rather than ancestral) of the re-uplifted humans of the planet Phazum. As of this date, the language skills are small but increasing. A grammar of the contemporary speech, known as Second Stage La E, is under construction.

Phonology

The phonology of Kingspeech is fairly simple, consisting of six consonants and five vowels. The vowels may be low tone (unmarked) or high tone (acute accent). The Transpositive Men who are running the uplift on behalf of the God-Men of Septuagint theorize that the tonal distinction, uncharacteristic of such a language, is a side effect of centuries of parasitic infestation by the insectoid "Kings", but nobody knows for sure.

Consonants
	Bilabial		Alveolar		Velar
Nasal	m		n
Plosive	p		t		k
Plosive			s
Fricative			l

Long Vowels
	Front		Mid		Back
High	i				u
Mid	e				o
Low			a

Long Vowels
	Front		Mid		Back
High	i˥				u˥
Mid	e˥				o˥
Low			a˥

Before a low tone, the voiceless consonants are optionally voiced. In the same position, the nasals have free variation between [n], [r], and [l], and [m], [w], and [f].

Vocabulary

The vocabulary of Kingspeech appears to confirm the ancient hypothesis known as Natural Semantic Metatheory (NSM). Or, rather, it would, if the Transpositive Men had ever heard of a theory from over 10,000 Earth years ago.

Substantives (Class 1)

I/me – a

You – i

Someone/Person – u

People – e

Relational Substantives (Class 2)

Something/Thing – ú

Body – á

Kind – é

Part - í

Determiners (Class 3)

This – sá

Same – sí

Other – sú

Quantifiers (Class 4)

One – ma

Two – mi

Some – mu

All – me

Many/Much – mo

Evaluators (Class 5)

Good - tá

Bad – tí

Descriptors (Class 6)

Big – pá

Small – pí

Mental/Experiential Predicates (Class 7)

Think – pa

Know – pi

Want – pu

Feel – pe

See – po

Hear – pá

Must - pú

Speech (Class 8)

Say – la

Word – li

True – lu

Actions and Events (Class 9)

Do – sa

Happen – si

Move – su

Existence and Possession (Class 10)

There Is/Exist – má

Have – mí

Life and Death (Class 11)

Live – lá

Die – lí

Time (Class 12)

Time – ta

Now – ta ni

Before – ta nu

After – ta ne

A long time – ta no

A short time – ta ná

For some time – ta nú

Moment – ta né

Space (Class 13)

Where/Place – na

Here – (na) ni

Above – (na) nu

Below – (na) ne

Far – (na) no

Near – (na) ná

Side – (na) ní

Inside – (na) nú

Touch (Contact) – né

Logical Concepts (Class 14)

Not – ka

Maybe – ki

Can – ku

Because – ke

If – ki

Intensifier, Augmentor (Class 15)

Very – tú

More – tó

Similarity (Class 16)

Like/Way - pú

An Important Note

Consecutive syllables that agree in vowel and tone lose the final vowel. The main effect of this is to create a distinct durative/imperfective from reduplication of syllables. Thus:

né né > nén

but né ne > né ne

and ne né > ne né

Text and Translation

[This is the Donkey Beater story from the Conlangery Podcast]

Pá no ta, u má sá u nén sá u su ú pe tí. Sú u su su ú u pu pi sá: i né su ú ni ke? Su ú u la: Sá su ú pi sá né ka pi sú né. A pú né sá su ta sá pi sa tá. sá. Sá nú u ka sa nú u tá. Sá ke su ú u né su ú u nú u nú u pe tí. Ná na u pá nú u né pá la su sá nú u. Ná na u la: i pú ka né i nú u ta ta ta. Su ú u su nú u nú na poSu ú u la: a né sá su ta sá pi sá sa nú tá tá ta. Ta su sá ná na u po su ú u su ú u né su ú u pí u na sa si pá u. Sá ta ná na u ka la ú sú sa ka su su ú u su né su ú u é su sa pí ú. Na ta sá né u pu pi ni ke. i né a ni ke? u la: A pu né i su ta i sa sá: i ka né sú.

Pá no ta, u má sá u nén sá u su ú pe tí.

big far time, person exist this person touch-ITER this person move thing feel bad.

long ago man exist this man beat donkey beat

Sú u su su ú u pu pi sá: i né su ú ni ke?

Other person go move thing man want know this: You touch move thing here cause?

other person go animal man ask this: you beat animal why?

Su ú u la: Sá su ú pi sá né ka pi sú né.

Move thing man say: This move thing know this touch not know other touch.

Donkey man say: this donkey know this touch not know other touch

A pú né sá su ta sá pi sa tá.

I must touch this go time this know do good.

I must touch this unti this (one) know (how to) do good

Su ú u su nú u nú na po sá.

Move thing man go inside he inside place see this.

Animal man go inside home/house see this

Sá nú u ka sa nú u tá.

This inside person not do inside person good.

Spouse not do spouse good

Sá ke su ú u né su ú u nú u nú u pe tí.

This cause move thing person touch move thing person inside person inside person feel bad.

This make animal person beat animal person's spouse spouse beat

Ná na u pá nú u né pá la su sá nú u.

Near place person hear inside person touch big say go this inside place.

Neighbor hear spouse beat scream go this house

Ná na u la: i pú ka né i nú u ta ta ta.

Near place person say: you must not touch you inside person time time time.

Neighbor say: you must not beat your spouse too much

Su ú u la: a né sá su ta sá pi sá sa nú tá tá ta.

Move thing person say: I touch this go time this know this do inside good good time.

Animal man say: I (will) beat her until she know this (how to) do household chores well

Ta su sá ná na u po su ú u su ú u né su ú u pí u na sa si pá u.

Time go this near place person see move thing man move thing person touch move thing person small person place do happen big place.

Later this neighbor see animal man animal man beat donkey son in field

Sá ta ná na u ka la ú sú sa ka su su ú u su né su ú u é su sa pí ú.

This time near place person not say thing other do not move move thing man go touch move thing man kind move do small thing.

This time neighbor not say (any)thing but (made) still animal man beat animal man with an instrument

Na ta sá né u pu pi ni ke. i né a ni ke?

Place time this touch person want know here cause. You touch me here cause?

When this beater ask why you beat me why

u la: A pu né i su ta i sa sá: i ka né sú.

He say: I want touch you go time you do this: you not touch other.

he say: I will beat you until you do this you not beat other

Dictionary

a - I, me

é - kind; with (preposition)

i - you

ka - not

la - say

má - exist

na - at; general locative

na ta - when (conj)

ná na u - neighbor

né - touch; DUR nén; (beater) né (beaten) pe tí

ni ke - why?

nú na - house; home

nú u - wife

nú u tá - household chores

pá - hear

pá no ta - distant time

pe ti - feel bad

pi - know

pi u - child

po - see

pu - want; futura tense auxiliary

pú - must

pu pi - ask

sa - do

sa si pá u - field

sa tá - do good; behave

sá - this; demonstrative

sá ke - therefore

sá ta - this time

su - go

su nú - enter

su sa pí ú - (agricultural) instrument

su ta - until

su ú - animal

su ú u - animal owner

su ú u pí u - animal owner's child

sú - other; but (conjuction)

sú u - other person; second participant in event

ta su - later

ta ta ta - too much

tá ta - well

u - person

ú - thing