Mentolatian (The World)
| Mentolatian | |
| Spoken in: | Mentolatum |
| Timeline/Universe: | The World |
| Total speakers: | 300,000 |
| Genealogical classification: | Aryan |
| Basic word order: | OSV |
| Morphological type: | inflecting |
| Created by: | |
| Padraic Brown | 1990s, revisited in 2010s |
Mentolatian is in some way connected to the Aryan language family; though its affinites and history are not understood well. It is spoken in the land called Mentolatum, which fair country is best known for it many kinds of exported herbs (mint most especially), cheeses and various crafts.
Sentence Structure -- Mentolatian is OSV in declarative sentences, VOS in imperative sentences, with prefixed relational markers; number and some case markers suffixed. Mentolatian is written right to left in a syllabary. Interrogatives are OVS.
Substantives -- Several noun classes exist: -a, -o, -u, -w, consonant stems, -re/-ne, -l/-n. Nominative / agent nouns are unmarked apart from singular or plural. Singular oblique nouns are marked for “case” relationship by various prefixes, e.g., og-, locative; qua-, topic, accusative; nin-, downward, below; ar-, patient of verb; le-, direct object, accusative; etc. Certain plural cases have case endings while most have prefixes as in the singular.
Alienability -- Possession may be described in terms of alienability and possessability. Alienable possession means that the thing possessed can be separable from the possessor, such as personal property, objects or single items in a collection. Inalienable possession means that the thing possessed is an intrinsic property of something, such as color or quality of texture or material of make. Some things may not be possessed or owned by anyone. Forces and aspects of nature, wild animals, geographical features, land, free people and the like are unpossessible. The only exception is that the land that constitutes the territorial extent of the realm is owned by the arquân or king. All manner of other things, livestock, houses, articles of ordinary property, etc. are all possessible.
Ablaut — A shift of accent from the root syllable to the final syllable ablauts the root vowel, either weakening or deleting it. Monosyllabic vs. polysyllabic roots, varying by case, involve differing ablaut: dázg (house) ~ jí (houses) ~ ánd-dəzg & qua-dázg (relationals); fómuz (word) ~ fməzí (houses) ~ ánd-fəməz & qua-fómuz (relat.); molwállw (ill will) ~ mwəllwós (evil spells) ~ ánd-məwllwə & qua-molwállw (relat.); qásc (money, coin) ~ qjós ~ ánd-qəsc & qua-qásc. Not all prefixes take the accent: qua- is a weak prefix (topicaliser) and shifts the accent to the root (thus emphasising the word) while and- (nontopicaliser) is a strong prefix and pulls the accent away from the root (thus deemphasising the word).
Numerals -- Numbers are base-10: 1, syam; 2, du; 3, der; 4, quadur; 5, punc; 6, sano; 7, saffo; 8, oggun; 9, novun; 10, dus.
Verbs -- Mentolatian is a zero-copula language: hi sam cu-firu, he (is) simply a good-man; ha mnare yûûnguscuw, that (is) a woman beautiful.
Verbs conjugate for voice, tense, certain aspects and mood; there is no conjugation for person or number.
Voice is shown by suffixes: -yo-, active; -mn- / -men-, middle; -sam-, passive. Tense is shown by root gradation: bolmno-, fall; balmno-, fell; or by prefixation: vo-bolmno-, shall fall. Moods and aspects may be expressed by prefixation or suffixation: -s, imperfect; -d, perfect; -m, state.
Some Texts
quatrevi, i-dnandu fi-londinno muntu ogronu
qua-trev-i, i-dnandu fi-lond-inno munt-u og-ronu Of plants, for Mankind’s health mint (is) best.
TOPIC-herb-PL POSS-mankind LOC-health-STATE mint-STEM LOC-summit
Qua-rauno his, i-firu og-lamménno; sam-varam rontocu I-dnamnanmos he siyâ-m
Concerning this mystery of the man at him-dying; truly/merely the place of being given birth it is. (i.e., Mankind’s death is truly the place of birth.)
Qua-cabiro: sirt o-canetw og-ronu
As for wealth, contentment of-soul the best.
zan paher, qua-dauv fí-jeuwof dauv og-quarmenom:
nin-fêtyom quesam omfi-secchyom, perem fi-jwí i-dvan, arjjaguz quesam cuscuw, dauv:
qua-varam pahera i-zan qua-dauv og-siyymnom quesam le-nes dauv khoelyos:
qua-náman i-dvan, yisam he arjjagmenem:
qua-reget i-dvan, yisam he nin-wanmnem:
qua-wallwan i-dvan, yisam he og-tintemnem: nô ôg-jájomd og-qua-jwí-nô:
qua-sómat i-zan, cabyôm dauv le-nes yiyi og-yi-sunnu:
qua-erufezzí i-zan, nô suwatyôm dauv qua-nes, hessam nes suwatyos nô:
n-dlatem sem le-nes on-piscamat dauv: rats dlatem le-budem de-yi-tartar:
n-wanmnem sem og-nes sem nenfâs.
Our Father, you who are in the Heavens, look down and see, from your holy and beautiful heavens; for indeed you are our Father, our redeemer; blessed be your name; your reign come; your will be beautifully accomplished on Earth as in Heaven; give us today our allotted sustenance; wash away from us our wrongs, as we wash away from them; put us not to the trial; rather send evil to the uttermost places; and let no iniquities come among us.
