Conlang Relay 15/Silindion

by Elliot Lash

The Text

Issë i hyumbántëa emmuirë në lindienta ulya i phuryeilirya. Amaivissa eintë liu po lëorna indinyello nanilo i hyumbán - imalyana hyuvë ninindu yendamma - sammi lëorvi, ëan niuprasso në nasenamprasso i hyumbússëa eis hyumbilim samyattë. Emmë molmandë ventivoyo teilim. Verentë në malyantë yestildianta limmo ala semimari. Fantë të efantavoya teini eni vayo. Esi suintë ulya hyuvë nayo nivamán patto norkoindu, issina eni phellín alayorë?

Smooth English

Look at them dancing, leaderless and without music save for their own voices. Though they have not yet learned fully the knowledge of dance - each dancer moving with desire and joy- but still, of all such dances theirs is most full of grace and harmony. There are none more lithe than they. They turn and weave in such a way that they seem of one mind. It is a deed that is by no means difficult for them. Do any other dancers make a greater beauty by less effort, taking no unified step?

Vocabulary

(n)yen-

rejoice (v)

ala

one

alayo-

unify (v)

amaivissa

although, even though (+subjunctive)

e-

do not (v)

e-

be (v, present: ëa-)

efantavoya

undoable, impossible

eis

out of, among, out, from (+genitive/ablative)

emmë

there is not

eni

no

esi

QUESTION ptc.

estildiaT-

seem like, appear, come into sight (v)

fanta

deed, act (a-stem)

hyuB-

dance (v)

hyumbu

dance (a specific instance) (u-stem)

hyuvo

dancer (o-stem)

i

the

id

behold, see, look

indin-

be knowledgeable (v)

lëor

time (r-stem)

limmo

using, through, by (+genitive)

lindë

music (ay-stem)

liu

PERFECT ptc.

malya-

move (v, intr.)

molmando

learner, studier, reader (o-stem)

mui-

steer, direct (v)

nai

great

nanilo

wholly, fully

nasenampra

harmonious

në

and

nin-

desire (v)

niupra

beautiful

nivama

beauty (a-stem)

norkoy-

exert, make an effort (v)

patto

less

pelli

step (i-stem)

po

upto, to, onto (+allative/accusative)

purya

voice (a-stem)

sammi

same

samyaT-

grow similar (v)

semima

mind

sui-

do, make (v)

të

which is

tei-

them

ti-

take (v)

ulya

other, except

vaya

way (a-stem)

ventivoya

flexible, pliable, foldable, bendable (etc)

ver-

turn (v)

Grammar

Syntax

• VSO
• Modifiers: may come before or after noun (usually before)
• This is High Silindion, possessives require an extra definite article before noun.
• Commitative Case may be used to connect two nouns.
• Ablative is used for 'than' in comparative constructions

Sound Changes

1. Consonants
   • d+s > ss
   • n+m > mm
   • m+r > r
   • b+n > mb
   • t+n > nt
2. Vowels
   • ë+e > ie
   • e+i > ei/ë
   • ya+yo > yëo > yo
   • i+yo > yo
   • i+e > ye
3. Lenition:
   • p > ph
   • t > ss

Morphology

Verbs

Imperative

-ssë (plural)

Nominal Gerund

-(V)na (d-stem, or a-stem)

Passive Participle

-rë (-dë, -në, -të, -ë)

Subjunctive

-i

Infinitive

-(e)ye/(a)ya/o-llo (-llë)

Consecutive Gerund

i-….-na

Personal Endings

-n (3rd Singular), -ntë (3rd plural)

Nouns

See: http://erelion.free.fr/morphology.html

Adjectives

Superlative

-sso (-to)

Comparative

-yo

Possessives

-ssëa (-tëa)

'their'

-rya

'his, her, its, their own'

Affixes

en-

'un-'

-enta

'-less'

See also Silindion