Dwekoennish: Difference between revisions

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Dwekoennish (native: Dvekönnešč) is a language spoken on the continent of Arvašag. It is a member of the northwestern branch of the Hovalic languages, the majority of which are concentrated in the Arvaši province of Dwekoennia. Dwekoennish is divided into many dialects, but the central dialect (based mostly on the late Emperor Hoval's own idiolect) is widely understood and has become the de facto written standard. This article deals with the features of the standard dialect.
Dwekoennish (native: Dvekönnešč) is a fictional diachronic language created by Marko Stanković, aka Stelvojoj.


{{Language|
{{Language|
| English = Dwekoennish
| English = Dwekoenish
| native = Dvekönnešč
| native = Dvekönešč
| country = Dwekoennia
| country = Dwekoenia
| nativecountry = Dvekönneas
| nativecountry = Dveköneas
| universe = Arvašag (continent)
| universe = Alternate Earth
| speakers = ~342 million
| speakers = Unknown
| family = Arvaši
| family = Arvaši
| branch = Hovalic
| branch = Hovalic
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| width = 33%
| width = 33%
}}
}}
== History ==
Dwekoennish is actually a name that represents a family of dialects and subdialects within the Hovalic branch of the continental Arvaši family (which is itself, for various reasons, a bit of a misnomer). The Hovalic peoples, named after the bloodline which first established their empire, speak the most conservative of the Arvaši languages, which is believed to be at least partly a result of the Hovalic dynasty's policies on language regulation. Over the centuries, political and cultural motivations have brought about the standardization of regional variants of Dwekoennish, and a few such variants have managed to retain prominence in certain regions. Today, the standard Dwekoennish language enjoys the status of a continental lingua franca, and it remains the primary language of literature and scholarship on Arvašag.
== Geographic Distribution ==
Due to the sensitive nature of politics on Arvašag, a proper census of the continent has not been conducted in over 50 years, and even then, records show that those conducted have never been very precise. Therefore, no clear estimate can be made of the number of Dwekoennish speakers, but academics have used what data that does exist, along with careful methods of error analysis, to estimate that anywhere between 337 and 350 million people speak the language. (For record-keeping purposes, the popular standard estimate is 342 million.) This includes native Dwekoennish speakers and those who speak Dwekoennish as a second language but use it regularly in business or the home.
=== The Empire and Linguistic Cleansing ===
''Main article: [[Dwekoennish Imperial Language Policy]]''
Dwekoennish is spoken throughout much of western Arvašag, most of which was originally under the rule of the Dwekoennish Empire. It is still an official language in many of the independent provinces, but in a few provinces it has lost official status but remains in high usage. Its widespread influence is mostly a consequence of its imposition by Emperor Hoval. Many provinces are enacting movements to revive local languages in retaliation to what they consider the suppression of their cultures.


== Phonology ==
== Phonology ==


Dwekoennish has a rich inventory of consonants and vowels. Of special note are the abundance of coronal fricatives, lateral consonants, and the presence of two fully fronted, fully low vowels.
Dwekoennish has a relatively Indo-Europeanesque inventory of consonants and vowels. Of special note are the abundance of coronal fricatives, affricates, and the presence of two fully fronted, fully low vowels.


=== Consonants ===
=== Consonants ===
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| ||colspan=2| Bilabial ||colspan=2| Labiod. ||colspan=2| Dental ||colspan=2| Alveolar ||colspan=2| Post-alv. ||colspan=2| Palatal ||colspan=2| Velar ||colspan=2| Glottal
| ||colspan=2| Bilabial ||colspan=2| Labiod. ||colspan=2| Dental ||colspan=2| Alveolar ||colspan=2| Post-alv. ||colspan=2| Palatal ||colspan=2| Velar ||colspan=2| Glottal
|-
|-
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| Nasal || || {{IPA|m}} || || || || || || {{IPA|n}} || || || || || || {{IPA|ŋ}}
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| Nasal || || {{IPA|m}} || || || || || || {{IPA|n}} || || || || ({{IPA|ɲ}}) || || ({{IPA|ŋ}})
|-
|-
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| Plosive || {{IPA|p}} || {{IPA|b}} || || || || || {{IPA|t}} || {{IPA|d}} || || || || || {{IPA|k}} || {{IPA|g}}
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| Plosive || {{IPA|p}} || {{IPA|b}} || || || || || {{IPA|t}} || {{IPA|d}} || || || || || {{IPA|k}} || {{IPA|g}}
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|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| Tap, Flap || || || || || || || || {{IPA|ɾ}} || || || || || ||
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| Tap, Flap || || || || || || || || {{IPA|ɾ}} || || || || || ||
|-
|-
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| Fricative || || || {{IPA|f}} || {{IPA|v}} || {{IPA|θ}} || {{IPA|ð}} || {{IPA|s}} || {{IPA|z}} || {{IPA|ʃ}} || {{IPA|ʒ}} || || || {{IPA|x}} || || {{IPA|h}} ||
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| Fricative || || || {{IPA|f}} || {{IPA|v}} || {{IPA|θ}} || {{IPA|ð}} || {{IPA|s}} || {{IPA|z}} || {{IPA|ʃ}} || {{IPA|ʒ}} || ({{IPA|c}}) || || ({{IPA|x}}) || || {{IPA|h}} ||
|-
|-
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| Affricate || || || || || || || {{IPA|ts}} || {{IPA|dz}} || {{IPA|tʃ}} || {{IPA|dʒ}}
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| Affricate || || || || || || || {{IPA|ts}} || {{IPA|dz}} || {{IPA|tʃ}} || {{IPA|dʒ}}
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|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| Approximant || || || || || || || || {{IPA|ɹ}} || || || || {{IPA|j}}
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| Approximant || || || || || || || || {{IPA|ɹ}} || || || || {{IPA|j}}
|-
|-
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| Lateral Fricative || || || || || || || {{IPA|ɬ}} || {{IPA|ɮ}} || || || || || {{IPA|ʟ˔}}
|-
|-
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| Lateral Affricate || || || || || || || {{IPA|tɬ}} || {{IPA|dɮ}} || || || || || {{IPA|kʟ˔}}
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| Lateral Approximant || || || || || || || || {{IPA|l}} || || || || ||
|}
 
</div>
 
=== Short Vowels ===
 
<br/>
<div style="text-align: center;">
 
{| style="text-align: center; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1pt solid #c0c0c0;"
!colspan=11 style="text-align:center; background: #efefef;"| Vowels
|- style="vertical-align: center; font-size: x-small; height: 2em"
| ||colspan=2| Front ||colspan=2| Near-front ||colspan=2| Central ||colspan=2| Near-back ||colspan=2| Back
|-
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| High || {{IPA|i}} || || || || {{IPA|ʉ}} || || || || ||
|-
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| Near-high || || {{IPA|ɪ}} || || || || || || || ||
|-
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| High-mid || || || || || || || || || || {{IPA|ɤ}}
|-
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| Mid || || || || || {{IPA|ə}} || || || || ||
|-
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| Low-mid || || || {{IPA|ɛ}} {{IPA|œ}} || || || || || || ||
|-
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| Near-low || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
|-
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| Lateral Approximant || || || || || || || || {{IPA|l}} || || || || || {{IPA|ʟ}}
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| Low || || || || {{IPA|a}} {{IPA|ɶ}} || || || || || {{IPA|ɒ}} ||
|}
|}


</div>
</div>


=== Vowels ===
=== Long Vowels ===


<br/>
<br/>
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| ||colspan=2| Front ||colspan=2| Near-front ||colspan=2| Central ||colspan=2| Near-back ||colspan=2| Back
| ||colspan=2| Front ||colspan=2| Near-front ||colspan=2| Central ||colspan=2| Near-back ||colspan=2| Back
|-
|-
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| High || {{IPA|i}} || {{IPA|y}} || || || || || || || || {{IPA|u}}
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| High || {{IPA|iː}} || || || || || || || || || {{IPA|uː}}
|-
|-
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| Near-high || || || || || || || || || ||  
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| Near-high || || || || || || || || || ||  
|-
|-
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| High-mid || || || || || || || || || || {{IPA|ɤ}}
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| High-mid || || {{IPA|eː}} {{IPA|øː}} || || || || || || || || {{IPA|ɤː}} {{IPA|oː}}
|-
|-
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| Mid || || || || || || || || || ||
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| Mid || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
|-
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| Low-mid || || || {{IPA|ɛ}} || {{IPA|œ}} || || || || || || {{IPA|ɔ}}
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| Low-mid || || || || || {{IPA|ɜː}} || || || || ||
|-
|-
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| Near-low || || || || || || || || || ||
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| Near-low || || || || || || || || || ||
|-
|-
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| Low || || || || {{IPA|a}} || {{IPA|ɶ}} || || || || {{IPA|ɒ}} ||
|style="text-align: left; font-size: 95%;"| Low || || || || {{IPA|aː}} {{IPA|ɶː}} || || || || || ||
|}
|}


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== Orthography ==
== Orthography ==


The Latin orthography for Dwekoennish is as follows. Note that digraphs are usually collated by phonemes and not alphabetically when discussed in such contexts as those seen in a grammar text.
The Dwekoennish alphabet contains 31 letters. It consists of 9 vowels and 22 consonants.


A a - /a/
A a - /a/
Å å - /ɒ/


B b - /b/
B b - /b/
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Ð ð - /ð/
Ð ð - /ð/


E e - /ɛ, e*/
E e - /ɛ/


F f - /f/
F f - /f/
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G g - /g/
G g - /g/


H h - /h/
H h - /h, x, ç/


I i - /i/
I i - /i/
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L l - /l/
L l - /l/
Ł ł - /ʟ/


M m - /m/
M m - /m/


N n - /n/
N n - /n, ŋ, ɲ/


O o - /ɔ, o*/
O o - /ɒ/


Õ õ - /ɤ/
Õ õ - /ɤ, ɤː/


P p - /p/
P p - /p/


R r - /ɾ, ɹ*/
R r - /ɾ, ɹ/


S s - /s/
S s - /s/
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Þ þ - /θ/
Þ þ - /θ/


U u - /u/
U u - /ʉ/


V v - /v/
V v - /v/


X x - /x/
Y y - /ɪ/


Z z - /z/
Z z - /z/
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Ž ž - /ʒ/
Ž ž - /ʒ/


Ö ö - /œ, ø*/
Ö ö - /œ, øː/
 
Ő ő - /ɶ/
 
Ü ü - /y/
 
Polygraphs:
 
dz - /ʣ/
 
dž - /ʤ/
 
lh - /ɬ/
 
tlh - /tɬ/
 
lz - /ɮ/
 
dlz -/dɮ/
 
łh - /kʟ˔/


kłh - /kʟ˔/
Ő ő - /ɶ, ɶː/


ng - /ŋ/
Non-alphabetic letters:


Á á - /aː/
É é - /eː/
Í í - /iː/
Ó ó - /oː/
Ú ú - /uː/
È è - /ə, ɜː/


<nowiki>*</nowiki>Sometimes raised in stressed open syllables (though this doesn't appear to be a consistent feature-- it is neither regionally determined, nor is it common to all speakers in any context).


<nowiki>**</nowiki>When in word-final position or following a vowel and preceding a consonant.
The vowels marked with acutes represent the long variants of the respective short vowels. The letter È represents a mid-open central unrounded vowel when long and is reduced to a schwa when short. (It is never marked for length.)


Note: O and Ö (as well as U and Ü) are regarded as entirely distinct letters. However, Õ is regarded as a variant of O, and Ő is regarded as a variant of Ö. All other letters whose marked derivatives are collated adjacent to their unmarked counterparts are considered variants.
The letters Õ, Ö, and Ő are also not marked for length. Õ and Ő typically do not change in phonemic value when lengthened, but Ö rises from a mid-open to a mid-close vowel. Y has no long variant.

Revision as of 12:15, 15 June 2010

This article is a work in progress.
The contents may be tentative, incomplete, inaccurate, in need of elaboration, subject to later revision, or just plain sketchy.

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Dwekoennish (native: Dvekönnešč) is a fictional diachronic language created by Marko Stanković, aka Stelvojoj.

Dwekoenish
Dvekönešč
Spoken in: Dwekoenia (Dveköneas)
Conworld: Alternate Earth
Total speakers: Unknown
Genealogical classification: Arvaši
Hovalic
Northwestern Hovalic
Dwekoenish
Basic word order: VSO
Morphological type: inflecting
Morphosyntactic alignment: nominative-accusative
Writing system:
Created by:
Stelvojoj 2008 AD

Phonology

Dwekoennish has a relatively Indo-Europeanesque inventory of consonants and vowels. Of special note are the abundance of coronal fricatives, affricates, and the presence of two fully fronted, fully low vowels.

Consonants


Consonants
Bilabial Labiod. Dental Alveolar Post-alv. Palatal Velar Glottal
Nasal m n (ɲ) (ŋ)
Plosive p b t d k g
Tap, Flap ɾ
Fricative f v θ ð s z ʃ ʒ (c) (x) h
Affricate ts dz tʃ dʒ
Approximant ɹ j
Lateral Approximant l

Short Vowels


Vowels
Front Near-front Central Near-back Back
High i ʉ
Near-high ɪ
High-mid ɤ
Mid ə
Low-mid ɛ œ
Near-low
Low a ɶ ɒ

Long Vowels


Vowels
Front Near-front Central Near-back Back
High iː uː
Near-high
High-mid eː øː ɤː oː
Mid
Low-mid ɜː
Near-low
Low aː ɶː

Orthography

The Dwekoennish alphabet contains 31 letters. It consists of 9 vowels and 22 consonants.

A a - /a/

B b - /b/

C c - /ʦ/

Č č - /ʧ/

D d - /d/

Ð ð - /ð/

E e - /ɛ/

F f - /f/

G g - /g/

H h - /h, x, ç/

I i - /i/

J j - /j/

K k - /k/

L l - /l/

M m - /m/

N n - /n, ŋ, ɲ/

O o - /ɒ/

Õ õ - /ɤ, ɤː/

P p - /p/

R r - /ɾ, ɹ/

S s - /s/

Š š - /ʃ/

T t - /t/

Þ þ - /θ/

U u - /ʉ/

V v - /v/

Y y - /ɪ/

Z z - /z/

Ž ž - /ʒ/

Ö ö - /œ, øː/

Ő ő - /ɶ, ɶː/

Non-alphabetic letters:

Á á - /aː/ É é - /eː/ Í í - /iː/ Ó ó - /oː/ Ú ú - /uː/ È è - /ə, ɜː/


The vowels marked with acutes represent the long variants of the respective short vowels. The letter È represents a mid-open central unrounded vowel when long and is reduced to a schwa when short. (It is never marked for length.)

The letters Õ, Ö, and Ő are also not marked for length. Õ and Ő typically do not change in phonemic value when lengthened, but Ö rises from a mid-open to a mid-close vowel. Y has no long variant.

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