Sov
Sov (en: Language of you; tok: Sinapu) is a minimalist conlang created in May 2024 with now 3 base words. The language is inspired by NSM Theory by Wierzbicka, Toki Pona, Tuki Tiki by ka Tumu, English and Chinese, supposed to express ideas of most words in NSM and Toki Pona. Click here for a brief introduction in Toki Pona.
Phonology
Consonants
| Bilabial | Alveolar | |
|---|---|---|
| Nasal | (n) | |
| Plosive | p | |
| Fricative | s |
Vowels
| Front | Back | |
|---|---|---|
| High | (i) | (u) |
| Low | a | |
Phonotactics
There are 3 variants in this language, but written the same. The valid syllables in each variant for each letter are as follows.
| Letter | o | v | s |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | a | pa | sa |
| Vowel | a | u | i |
| Dual | na | pu | si |
Mix of the syllables from different variants are not allowed. Speakers must stick to one during a whole sentence. Adjacent vowels are always read separately.
Allophones
This language allows a wide range of allophones, but may vary by its variants. You can read the sounds as follows if you find it hard to get the accurate pronunciations.
- p could be any plosive, like /p/ /t/ /k/ /b/ /d/ or /g/.
- n could be of any other single consonant series, like /m/ /n/ /l/ /r/ or /j/, just not to be a fricative. Babies could say /m/ instead as in the word "mama".
- s could be any fricative, like /f/ /v/ /s/ /z/ /ʃ/ /ʒ/ /θ/ /ð/ or /h/.
- i could be any vowel that opens your mouth narrower than /ə/ (the sound in English word "a") and moves your tongue more ahead of in /ə/, like /e/ /ɪ/ /i/ /ɨ/ or /y/.
- u could be any vowel that opens your mouth narrower than /ə/ and moves your tongue less ahead of in /ə/, like /o/ /ʊ/ /u/ /ʉ/ or /ɯ/.
- a could be any vowel that opens your mouth wider than /ə/, like /ɑ/ /a/ /æ/ /ʌ/ or /ɛ/, except the original variant.
- a could only be /ə/ instead in the original variant.
You could choose any language you know with nearby sounds in a translator or TTS platform and enter the sounds of one chosen variant to do some listening exercise. If using a language with an alphabet other than English, you can first find somewhere to change the letters into theirs (e.g. type "Romaji to Hiragana" and search when using Japanese) and copy the latter to create a better speech.
Writing System
The alphabet is "o v s", and the letters also work as symbolic characters.
A Braille pattern of the language consists of 3 dots, from top to bottom. The top dot T denotes whether the character is a punctuation, blank for a punctuation and dotted for a letter. The middle M and bottom B denote the specific character. The pattern for each character is described as follows:
- Dot T: o
- Dots T and M: v
- Dots T and B: s
- All dots: (sign before a capital letter), or question mark "?"
- Dot M: comma ","
- Dot B: period "."
- Dot M and B: colon ":"
- No dots: (space)
A cell of the standard Braille consists of 2 columns, holding 2 characters from left to right. The rules above apply to both columns of the cell.
The machine code works similarly. Each 3 digits of binary code denote information of dots top to bottom from left to right, 0 for the blank and 1 for the dotted.
Grammar
Basis
- This language uses an S-V-O sentence structure, or in the full form, "(subject)(verb) (direct object) (prepositional phrase) (adverb)".
- Spaces are just needed to separate the verb, object, other phrases and adverbs in writing.
- In sentences like "A is B", a predicate (B) that act as a modifier is defined as a verb, and a predicate that act as a noun should have a comma before it and "is" omitted.
- Modifiers except adverbs come after what they modify (the head) by default with no spaces, except cardinal numbers and the opposite sign. The opposite sign is put before the head.
- Prepositional phrases and adverbs come at the end of a sentence. Adverbs come after the prepositional phrases.
- Prepositions could be omitted in sentences with direct objects. A prepositional phrase could be a modifier next to the subject or object if it is not a clause and without the meaning of the sentence changed.
- Stress on heads out of subjects are preferred in verbal communication, for similar effects of spaces in written text, but an extra final nasal "-n" to a word is also allowed. Stress the opposite sign most for a verb with it.
- You can use meanings of any form of a word as you like. There are no changes in forms of word.
- Yes-no question: replace the questioned part with "(questioned part) or not?", and keep the same order of words as in corresponding statements. Repeat the action or say "(as) such" for sure, and say the opposite sign for not.
- Open question: use sentences like "(You) tell (questioned part) to me." and keep the same order of words as in corresponding statements.
- There is a single word for anywhere a preposition in need.
- Sentences involving "make" or their synonyms are usually written as S-V-O where "make" is omitted, but to express "S makes O-V".
- We suggest you break clauses into more but simpler sentences.
- Translation of meanings in its native language is always preferred to loanwords, due to the quite limited sounds of the language that might lead to a huge gap in sound between a loanword and its source word. If you have to, the word should be translated into syllables of the same variant of this language as its context only.
- A loanword is treated as a modifier without its kind of things mentioned in the source word, otherwise treated as a noun. Add a word denoting its kind before it when treated as a modifier.
Numerals
- The language uses the number system with base 5. Numbers 0 to 4 are called sv, vo, vs, so and ss, separately. Just call numbers in decimal digits.
- The order of words and numbers in calculations is the same as in mathematics and equalities.
- The operators are as follows:
- Use vv ("positive high") for addition "+".
- ov ("ob-high") for a minus number or subtraction "-".
- o ("time") for multiplication "×" or "*".
- v (preposition "over") for a fraction or division "÷" or "/".
- oo ("time & time") for exponential calculation "^".
- s for an equal sign "=".
- A cardinal number is placed before the word it modifies.
- Say "(word modified) (cardinal number)" when denoting ordinal numbers, as of "day 1" for "the 1st day" in English.
- The syllables could also be used to denote unknowns, variables or geometric points like "a b c", "O A B" in mathematics.
Lexicon
Definitions below in bold are original meanings and forms of base words, and others of the two could be associated or metaphorized from the origins. The phrase ss (lit. "Group B") could be ahead of a base word as follows to specify its meaning more accurately, especially in a solo sentence.
- o: opposite, altered; time, day; ah
- (ss)o: gas, energy, view
- v: exist, start, move, (preposition)
- (ss)v: the, (this/that, these/those); high, good, value, head
- s: word, sound, language; liquid, water; same, similar, be the same with, group
The word v is kind of like the word "so" in English with various meanings.
Example text
Sentences
You can use the sentences below when meeting difficulties in learning the language. Imagine meeting a sentence new to you and you say...
- s v vs.
- lit.: Tell this (to) existence speaking ("me").
en: What does this say? - s vSov vs.
- lit.: Tell this Sov-ed (to) me.
en: What's this in Sov?
Note: The Sov here is the name of the language. - svvo?
- lit.: Saying (of) this exists (or) not?
en: Is this saying right?
Then you can say...
- Sovv vsov.
- lit.: Sov exists (in the) head speaking time-this.
en: Now I learned Sov. - ovv!
- lit.: (Hope the) opposite existence (are) fine! / You (are) kind! / You (are) great (being here)!
en: Hi! / Bye! / Thanks! / Welcome! / Please! / You are welcome!
Note: This is a greeting in Sov for most situations. - vsov!
- lit.: I (am) not good!
en: Sorry! / Excuse me! - vsov vv.
- lit.: I (am) not good at it. / I (am) bad with it.
en: I can't do it. / I don't need it. / I don't want (to do) it. / I won't do it. / I don't like it.
Note: This is a tactic to replace modal verbs. - v vov.
- lit.: Good at time this (only).
en: It doesn't matter. - s A vs. vsv voosVoos.
- lit.: Call A (to) me. I start from ob-gas ("solid, place") (that) speaks (the) heads-(of)-places-grouped.
en: My name is A. I come from an English-speaking country.
Note: The "Voos" here is a literal translation of "(the) United Kingdom".
Names of places
Key: Sov: English "etymology"
- ooOvvv(v)/ooOvo: Europe "wide eye; the West, falls the sun"
- ooVo: Asia "the East, rises the sun"
- ooOoo: Africa "without cold"
- ooOov: Americas "new land, seen (at) higher time"
- ooVsv: Oceania "in large mass of water"
- ooOo: Antarctica "cold"
Sov to other conlangs
Most content words in Tuki Tiki and Toki Pona could be translated into Sov. Note that some entries are derived from Tuki Tiki to Toki Pona which may lead to inaccurate mappings. Click the "Expand" on the right of the boxes below to show. The asterisk "*" after a target word means a mapping to most meanings of it unless stated elsewhere.
| Sov to Tuki Tiki. |
|---|
|
Key: Sov: Tuki Tiki "lit. in Sov"
|
| Sov to Toki Pona. |
|---|
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Key: Sov: Toki Pona
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The following is a brief introduction to Sov in Sov.
vv Sov
Sov, sov. vovs oSvv 3o. vOosov v o31044.10 v: Ss, Sv, Svvv, sVoos, sOvvv.
o
- 3ooo: o (s "a"), v (s "pa"), s (s "sa"). s 1"a" 1s os.
- oovs: sv (0), vo (1), vs (2), so (3), ss (4). 5oovsv 1oo os. oovs, 5o ovvvs.
s
- v s v: (vv)(ov) (v) v(oo) (oos ov). (SV O prep.P adv.) o" "(space)ov 2o v. vov 2v: vv, ov.
- oos: (v)(oos). vv voos v. 2oo: "o" v"opposite", oovs.
- v s oov: s vvso.
- s v/o vv: (v)o? s "v" (Y), s "o" (N).
- s vv v: s v: s (ov ov) vs.
- s ooSov: os os o sv. os o svvv v: oov sv. v s1.
