Qanao language/Messy

The Qanao language (Qanao: classical: qana'ôžjinaet [qanaʔo.ʒ̞jɪnaət] vulgar: qana'ôženaet [qanaʔo.ʒ̞enaɪt]) is an in-progress conlang.

Phonology

Consonants

p	t	ť	k	q	`
p	t	c	k	q	ʔ
b	d	ď	g
mb	nd	ɲɟ	ŋg
m	n	ň	ŋ	γ
m	n	ɲ	ŋ	ɴ
φ	c	č
pɸ	ʦ	ʧ
f	s	š			h
ɸʰ	sʰ	ʃʰ			h
v	z	ž
β̞	z̞	ʒ̞
w	r	ř	y
w	ɹ	ɹʲ	j
	l	ľ
	l	ʎ

Vowels

i	í	ji	jí	e	u	ú	wu	wú
i	i:	ʲjɪ	ʲji:	ə	u	u:	ʷʊ	ʷu:
a	á	ja	já	ö	o	ó	wo	wó
a	a:	ʲja	ʲja:	o	ɔ	ɔ:	ʷɔ	ʷɔ:

• Final o is realised as [o].

Vulgar pronunciation

• ji [ʲjɪ] → [ʲe]
• jí [ʲji:] → [ʲe:]
• e [ə] → [ɪ] after front vowels, [ʊ] after back vowels.
• u [u] → [ɯ]
• ú [u] → [ɯ:]
• wu [ʷʊ] → [u]
• wú [ʷu:] → [u:]
• ja [ʲja] → [ʲæ] ~ [ʲɛ]
• já [ʲja:] → [ʲæ:] ~ [ʲɛ:]
• ó [ɔ:] → [o:]
• wó [ʷɔ:] → [ʷo:]

• i* [i*] → [j*]
• ui [ui] → [yi]
• ue [uə] → [yʊ]
• wui [ʷʊi] → [ʷi]
• wue [ʷʊə] → [ʷu]

Reformed vulgar orthography

• ji → e
• jí → é
• e → j / w
• wu → ü
• wú → û
• ja → ä
• já → â

• i* → j*
• ui → üi
• ue → ü
• wui → wi
• wue → wu

Grammar

Inflection

Infixes

Classifiers

• xax - (n1) general: qanae` "Qanae"; patuek "tree"; zael "water"
• xjax - (n2) living things: qjanae` "Qjanae"
• xáx - (n3) permanent things: ázael "ocean"; ápatuek "forest"
• xox - (n4) static objects: noet "writing"
• xjix - (n5) transcendecent: žjinaet "language"; yiôsúer "universe"; kjimi "world"
• xix - (adj) qualities: niet "to be happy"; iôkiem "to be universal"
• xux - (vt) transitive actions: numúet "to cause to die"; muziel "to make clear, to declare"
• xúx - (vi) intransitive actions: múet "to die"; fúzael "to rain"

• x.ex - (n) vocative; (adj) qualitative infinitive vocative (common); (vb) infinitive vocative
• x.ix - (n, adj, vb) qualitative infinitive vocative / stem
• x.jix - (n, adj, vb) qualitative degree vocative / stem
• x.ux - (n, adj, vb) infinitive vocative / stem

Suffixes

Sentence-terminal

• -a - (n) identitative indicative present imperfect; (adj) qualitative indicative present imperfect; (vb) indicative present imperfect
• -ja - (n) identitative indicative future imperfect; (adj) qualitative indicative future imperfect; (vb) indicative future imperfect

Word-terminal

• -ir - qualitative noun-modifier
• -uir - qualitative verb-modifier

Continuative

• -ö- - (n) genitive
• -i- - (n, adj, vb) qualitative modifier

Miscellaneous

C: kómulnumútbö'ómúniťja = V: kómulnumútbö'ómúniťä =

• kó (hon. / 2nd person) +
• mul (3rd person + acc.) +
• nu "to cause" (tr. prefix) +
• mút "to die" (intr. stem) +
• bô (cond. cont.) +
• 'ö (hum. / 1st person) +
• mú "to become" (intr. prefix) +
• niťja "to be happy" (adj. ind. future)

~ "I will become happy if you cause him to die." ~ "I will be happy if you kill him." ~ "Please kill him."

"Universal declaration of human rights" ~ C: ňja'imanöpjinirö'iökimimuziel = V: ňe'imanöpeniröyökimimuzijl =

• ňja'i "person" (liv. + qual. mod.) +
• manö "living thing" (n. gen. cont.) +
• pji "things that are always" (transc. prefix) +
• nirö "to be permitted" (adj. abl. cont.) +
• 'iö "all" (adj. cont'v. prefix) +
• kimi "global" (adj. mod.) +
• mu "to cause to become" (tr. prefix) +
• ziel "to be clear" (adj. inf. voc.)

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

C: iir ňja'imaen múguirľjaq pjinirľjaq liruiq iösimuiq múfúrá. V: yir ňe'imajn múgüirľeq penirľeq lirüiq yösimüiq múfúrá.

• iir "all" (adj. mod. word)
• ňja'imaen "human being" (voc., topic)
  • ňja'i + man + -jal
• múfúrá "to be born" (intr. vb. + ind. aorist)
  • mú + fúrá "to exist/live"
• liruiq "free" (adv. mod. word + concat.)
• iôsimuiq "equal" (adv. mod. word + concat.)
  • iö + simui "same" + q
• múguirľjaq "degree of respect" (intr. erg. + concat.)
  • mú + gur "to raise" + -i- + ľja + q
• pjinirľjaq "right" (intr. erg. + concat.)
  • pji + nir + ľja + q

~ more to do