Svanniskar

Svannískar
Spoken in:	Bavaria, Germany
Timeline/Universe:	n/a
Total speakers:	ca. 13 million
Genealogical classification:	Indo-European  Germanic   West Germanic    Svannískar
Basic word order:	SVO (SOV in infinitive clauses; VSO in imperative clauses and contrafactual statements)
Morphological type:	Fusional
Morphosyntactic alignment:	Accusative-Dative
Native script:	Fuþark	Created by:
Sectori	2006

Svannískar is a West Germanic language spoken in the area known to us as Bavaria, Germany, called Svannlándam in Svannískar. Its speakers refer to themselves as the Svánnar.

Svannískar was created by Sectori, derived via sound changes from Proto-Germanic, courtesy of the Proto-Germanic to West Germanic sound changes provided by Siride of the ZBB.

Sounds

Consonants
	Bilabial		Labiod.		Dental		Alveolar		Palatal		Velar		Labiovelar		Lateral
Nasal		m						n
Plosive	p	b					t	d					k	g	kʷ	gʷ
Fricative			f	v	θ	ð	s				x	ɣ	xʷ	ɣʷ
Approximant								r			j		w		l

These are represented orthographically by the same symbol as their IPA representation, except /θ kʷ gʷ x ɣ xʷ ɣʷ/, which are represented <þ kw gw h ġ hw ġw>

Vowels
	Front		Near-front		Central		Near-back		Back
High	i	y								u
Near-high
High-mid										o
Mid
Low-mid			ɛ							ɔ
Near-low		æ
Low					a

The vowels are represented by their IPA symbol except for /o ɛ ɔ/, which are written <ø e o>. Stress is marked by an acute accent on the vowel: í, ý, ú, ǿ, é, ó, ǽ, á.

i-umlaut

Unstressed -i-, -j-, and -y- in suffixes cause a vowel shift in the preceding syllable, known as i-umlaut. The i-umalut affects the following vowels:

Normal	i-umlaut
a	æ
e	æ
i	y
o	ø
u	y

Sound History

Vj > Vi unless _V
Vw > Vu unless _V
ɛː > ɛ
ɑ > a
ɔː > ɔ
ai > æ
ɛi > a
ɛu > ɔ
au > o
uː > u
ji > i
iː > i
i[-stress] > (nothing)/_#
CCV[-stress] > CC/_#
(only infrequently, possibly another explanation) ð > d/_#
θ > t/_#
β > v
v > b/_#
f > p/_#
ɣ > g/_#
x > k/_#
Cʷ > C/_#
iu, ui > y

Nominal Morphology

Svannískar is a richly inflected language. Each noun inflects for one of five cases in two numbers. Nouns are divided into strong and weak classes.

Nominative Case

The nominative case indicates the subject of a verb. In English:

• I run.
• It was given.

Accusative Case

The accusative case in its most basic sense indicates the direct object of a verb. In English:

• I gave it.
  

The accusative case may also be used with a preposition of motion to indicate motion towards:

• I run to it.
  

Finally, the accusative may also be used as the subject of an infinitive clause:

• I told you to give it to her.

Dative Case

The dative case in its most basic sense indicates the indirect object of a verb. In English:

• I gave it to her.
  

The dative case may also be used with a preposition of location to indicate location within:

• The mouse is in the box.
  

Finally, the dative case may be used to describe the agent of a passive verb.

• The cake was made by me.

Genitive Case

The genitive case in its most basic sense indicates possession or origin. In English:

• It is mine.
• The United States of America are political divisions.
  

The genitive case may also be used with a preposition of motion to indicate motion from:

• I went away from the school.
  

Finally, the genitive may be used to describe a divided whole (the partitive genitive):

• One of the soldiers came into the room.

Instrumental Case

The instrumental case in its most basic sense indicates means. In English:

• I sprayed the wall with paint.
  

The instrumental case may also be used with a variety of prepositions to indicate accompaniment or simultaneity:

• I walked with you.
• During the run, I met her.

Finally, the instrumental may be used to compare nouns or adjectives:

• "I wandered lonely as a cloud."

Gender

Nouns in Svannískar belong to one of three grammatical genders: masculine, feminine, or neuter. Most of the time, words with natural gender have the same grammatical gender (e.g. "man" is masculine), but there are exceptions. Each gender has at least two declension patterns, one or more weak and one or more strong. Nouns are classified by stem vowel (or occaisionally consonant), e.g. a-stems, i-stems, etc.

Strong Declension Patterns

Strong nouns of the following stems are declined as follows:

Masculine a-stems

Case	Singular	Plural
Nom	-ar	-os
Acc	-er	-om
Dat	-a	-am
Gen	-a	-an
Ins	*-i	-am

The instrumental singular form causes i-umlaut (see above). Sample noun: wólfar, wólfer, sa (m., wolf)

Case	Singular	Plural
Nom	wólf-ar	wólf-os
Gen	wólf-er	wólf-om
Dat	wólf-a	wólf-am
Acc	wólf-a	wólf-an
Ins	wǿlf-i	wólf-am

Masculine i-stems

Case	Singular	Plural
Nom	*-ir	*-ir
Gen	*-isa	-ejon
Dat	-e	*-i
Acc	*-in	*-in
Ins	*-i	*-i

Each form marked with an asterix causes i-umlaut. Sample noun: wýrmir, wýrmisa, sa (m., worm)

Case	Singular	Plural
Nom	wýrm-ir	wýrm-ir
Gen	wýrm-isa	wúrm-ejon
Dat	wúrm-e	wýrm-i
Acc	wýrm-in	wýrm-in
Ins	wýrm-i	wýrm-i

Masculine u-stems

Case	Singular	Plural
Nom	-u	*-iwir
Gen	-ør	-uwon
Dat	-æ	*-ymir
Acc	-un	-un
Ins	-æ	*-ymir

Each form marked with an asterix causes i-umlaut. Sample noun: gávlu, gávlør, sa (m., gable)

Case	Singular	Plural
Nom	gávl-u	gǽvliwir
Gen	gávl-ør	gávl-uwon
Dat	gávl-æ	gǽvl-ymir
Acc	gávl-un	gávl-un
Ins	gávl-æ	gǽvl-ymir

Neuter a-stems

Case	Singular	Plural
Nom	-am	-u
Gen	-er	-om
Dat	-a	-am
Acc	-am	-u
Ins	*-i	-am

The instrumental singular form causes i-umlaut. Sample noun: hósam, hóser, þat (n., house)

Case	Singular	Plural
Nom	hós-am	hós-u
Gen	hós-er	hós-om
Dat	hós-a	hós-am
Acc	hós-am	hós-u
Ins	hǿs-i	hós-am

Neuter r-stems

Case	Singular	Plural
Nom	-ar	-aru
Gen	-ares	-arom
Dat	-ara	-aram
Acc	-ar	-aru
Ins	-ara	-aram

Sample Noun: gǽtar, gǽtares, þat (n., goat)

Case	Singular	Plural
Nom	gǽt-ar	gǽt-aru
Gen	gǽt-ares	gǽt-arom
Dat	gǽt-ara	gǽt-aram
Acc	gǽt-ar	gǽt-aru
Ins	gǽt-ara	gǽt-aram

Feminine u-stems

Case	Singular	Plural
Nom	-u	-or
Gen	-or	-om
Dat	-u	-om
Acc	-o	-on
Ins	-u	-om

Sample noun: hándu, hándor, so (f., hand)

Case	Singular	Plural
Nom	hánd-u	hánd-or
Gen	hánd-or	hánd-om
Dat	hánd-u	hánd-om
Acc	hánd-o	hánd-on
Ins	hánd-u	hánd-om

Weak Declension Patterns

Weak nouns of the following declension patterns are declined as follows:

Masculine a-stems

Case	Singular	Plural
Nom	-ar	-æ
Gen	-er	-æno
Dat	-esma	-æmir
Acc	-ano	-an
Ins	-o	-æmir

Sample noun: Gúþar, Gúþer, sa (m., Goth, a member of the East Germanic tribe)

Case	Singular	Plural
Nom	Gúþ-ar	Gúþ-æ
Gen	Gúþ-er	Gúþ-æno
Dat	Gúþ-esma	Gúþ-æmir
Acc	Gúþ-ano	Gúþ-an
Ins	Gúþo	Gúþ-æmir

Feminine o-stems

Case	Singular	Plural
Nom	-o	-or
Gen	-esor	-æro
Dat	-æ	-æmir
Acc	-o	-or
Ins	-æ	-æmir

Sample noun: dǿro, dǿresor, so (f., door)

Case	Singular	Plural
Nom	dǿr-o	dǿr-or
Gen	dǿr-esor	dǿr-æro
Dat	dǿr-æ	dǿr-æmir
Acc	dǿr-o	dǿr-or
Ins	dǿr-æ	dǿr-æmir

Neuter a-stems

Case	Singular	Plural
Nom	-a	-o
Gen	-er	-æro
Dat	-esma	-æmir
Acc	-a	-o
Ins	-o	-æmir

Sample noun: hǽrta, hǽrter, þat (n., heart)

Case	Singular	Plural
Nom	hǽrt-a	hǽrt-o
Gen	hǽrt-er	hǽrt-æro
Dat	hǽrt-esma	hǽrt-æmir
Acc	hǽrt-a	hǽrt-o
Ins	hǽrt-o	hǽrt-æmir

Verbal Morphology

Svannískar's verbs inflect for a great many things. Each verb has four principle parts: infinitive, first person singular preterite indicative, first person plural preterite indicative, and past participle. Each stem has a number of things derived from it:

• 1. present indicative, participle, imperative, and subjunctive.
• 2. all singular preterite indicative forms.
• 3. all preterite plural indicative and preterite subjunctive forms.
• 4. all forms of the past participle, and any derived forms.

Strong Verbs

Some verbs in Svannískar are classified as strong verbs, characterized by an internal vowel shift (ablaut) in principal parts 2-4. There are three classes of strong verbs, characterized by the end of their ablaut pattern.

• I: a > æ > i > i (i-stems)
• II: o > ø > u >u (u-stems)
• III: i(l,r,m,n) > a(l,r,m,n) > u(l,r,m,n) > u(l,r,m,n) (consonant-stems; C-stems)
• IV: i > y > u > u (y-stems)

Weak Verbs

Most verbs in Svannískar are classified as weak verbs, which lack the internal vowel shift. Weak verbs have a single set of conjugation endings for each tense.

Preterite-Present Verbs

A very few verbs in Svannískar (notably máġan, "be able" and skállan "hope, wish") behave in the present tense as if they were the preterites of strong verbs, and their plural present indicatives are the same as all of their preterite forms. Preterite-present verbs have different principal parts from other verbs:

• 1. Infinitive
• 2. First person singular, present indicative
• 3. First person plural, present indicative
• 4. First person singular, preterite indicative
  

For example, the principle parts of máġan: máġan, mǽġ, míġum, míġ.

Indicative Mood

The indicative mood is used to make factual statements, tell fictional stories, and to quote another person. The indicative mood is the default mood, and is used in the vast majority of cases where a verb is used.

• I run.
• John walked to school that day.
• "He said, 'I love to swim.'"

Subjunctive Mood

The subjunctive mood is much less common. It is used to express contrafactual ideas and thoughts, as well as to make indirect statements, to express possibility or wish, and the like. The subjunctive mood can also express exhortation (indirect commands).

• Had I time, I would help.
• I wish I that I could help.
• Let them come.

Imperative Mood

The imperative mood is used to give direct commands. It is generally considered impolite to use the imperative mood with one's elders or superiors.

• Come here.
• O come all ye faithful.
• Do as I say.

Present Tense

The present tense expresses action simultaneous to or closely following the speaking. Many modal auxiliary verbs have one meaning in the present tense and another one in the preterite, an important distinction to make.

• I walk.
• I am about to walk.
• I will walk.

Preterite Tense

The preterite tense expresses action prior to the speaking. It typically carries either an imperfect (used to) sense or a perfective (simple past) sense, but in older texts it is also often used where a more recent writer would use the modal perfect.

Modal Auxiliaries

The subjunctive forms of a number of verbs can be used with the infinitive or either participle of another verb to take on a secondary connotation, such as English will, would, can, could, and so on. Many of these verbs have different connotations depending on whether they are preterite or present tense forms. Many, such as skállan and máġan are preterite-present verbs, and many also have irregular preterites (wóld and skóld, for example). Here are some of the most common such verbs:

• máġan: can (present), could (preterite); plain meaning: to be able (to)
• háven: have [verb]ed (with past participle); plain meaning: to have
• wýllon: will (present), would (preterite); plain meaning: to want, wish
• skállan: shall (present), should (preterite); plain meaning: to want, wish (synonymous with wýllon)

Infinitive

The infinitive is equivalent to the English infinitive, though in translation the English "to" is not obligatory: ik wýllu fáran (I want to go) vs. ik wýllæ fáran (I will go). Infinitives in Svannískar may end in -an, -en, or -on.

Strong Verb Conjugation

Strong verbs have three sets of present indicative conjugation endings depending on their infinitive ending, but otherwise share the same endings for each tense.

Present Indicative Conjugation

The present indicative is derived from first principal part. The present indicative conjugation of regular strong verbs is as follows:

	-an verbs		-en verbs		-on verbs
Person	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural
1st	-u	-am	-u	-am	-u	-om
2nd	-ar	-aþ	-ær	-æþ	-or	-oþ
3rd	-aþ	-and	-æþ	-and	-oþ	-ond

Preterite Indicative Conjugation

The singular forms of the preterite indicative are derived from the second principal part and the plural forms from the third. The preterite indicative conjugation of all regular strong verbs is as follows:

Person	Singular	Plural
1st	-(-)	-um
2nd	*-t	-uþ
3rd	-(-)	-un

*The stem of a verb assimilates voicing to that second person singular ending, e.g. *hǽvt > hǽft.

Present Subjunctive Conjugation

The present subjunctive of strong verbs is derived from the first principal part. The preterite indicative conjugation of all regular strong verbs is as follows:

Person	Singular	Plural
1st	-æ	-æm
2nd	-ær	-æþ
3rd	-æþ	-ænd

Preterite Subjunctive Conjugation

The preterite subjunctive of strong verbs is derived from the third principal parts. The preterite subjunctive conjugation of all regular strong verbs is as follows:

Person	Singular	Plural
1st	-(-)	-um
2nd	*-t	-uþ
3rd	-(-)	-un

*This form assimilates voicing as the preterite indicative.

Imperative Conjugation

The imperative of strong verbs has only two forms: second person singular and second person plural. It is derived from the first principal part. The imperative conjugation of all regular strong verbs is as follows:

Person	Singular	Plural
2nd	-a	-aþ

Weak Verb Conjugation

Weak verbs, which typically, though not always, end in -an, share the same endings for every tense. Regular weak verbs also have invariable stems.

Present Indicative Conjugation

The present indicative conjugation of all regular weak verbs is as follows:

Person	Singular	Plural
1st	-e	-em
2nd	-er	-eþ
3rd	-eþ	-end

Preterite Indicative Conjugation

The preterite indicative conjugation of all regular weak verbs is as follows:

Person	Singular	Plural
1st	-ed	-edum
2nd	-ett	-eduþ
3rd	-ed	-edun

Present Subjunctive Conjugation

The present subjunctive conjugation of all regular weak verbs is as follows:

Person	Singular	Plural
1st	-i	-im
2nd	-ir	-iþ
3rd	-iþ	-ind

Preterite Subjunctive Conjugation

The preterite subjunctive conjugation of all regular weak verbs is as follows:

Person	Singular	Plural
1st	-id	-idum
2nd	-itt	-iduþ
3rd	-id	-idun

Imperative Conjugation

The imperative conjugation of all regular weak verbs is as follows:

Person	Singular	Plural
2nd	-a	-aþ

Pronominal Morphology

Svannískar has three personal (or inanimate) pronouns, all of which have irregular non-nomiantive forms, though they do often follow patterns in these. However, only the third person pronoun sa has instrumental case forms.

First Person Pronoun

The first person pronoun stands for the person(s) speaking. It is declined as follows:

Case	Singular	Plural
Nom	ik	wir
Gen	min	únser
Dat	me	uns
Acc	mik	uns

Second Person Pronoun

The second person pronoun stands for the person(s) being addressed by the speaker. It is declined as follows:

Case	Singular	Plural
Nom	þu	jur
Gen	þin	ýwer
Dat	þe	yw
Acc	þik	yw

Third Person Pronoun

The third person pronoun stands for a person or thing spoken of by the speaker. Sa and its forms describe nouns masculine in gender, so and its forms things feminine, and þat and its forms things neuter.

	Masculine		Feminine		Neuter
Case	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural
Nom	sa	þæ	so	þor	þat	þo
Gen	þes	þéro	þéror	þǽro	þes	þéro
Dat	þésmo	þǽmir	þéræ	þǽmir	þésmo	þǽmir
Acc	þen	þan	þo	þor	þat	þo
Ins	þy	þǽmir	þéræ	þǽmir	þy	þǽmir

Sa as Demonstrative

Technically speaking, sa, so, þat is a demonstrative adjective/pronoun, equivalent to English "this", "that", or "yon". It is a cognate to Old English se, Gothic sa.

Sa as Article

Sa, ever useful, has yet another use as the definite article. Sa and its forms may be used prior to a noun to ascribe definiteness to it the cat, the dog, and so on.

Pronoun Use

Like French or English, pronouns in Svannískar are always be used, though this is by convention rather than necessity. In some particularly ancient texts, however, the pronouns are dropped, based on the assumption that the reader would be able to differentiate the verb forms (which one might suppose would be true today, but it remains convention to use pronouns nonetheless).

Adjectival Morphology

Adjectives in Svannískar decline just as nouns or pronouns do. However, rather than being divided into classes of weak or strong adjectives the way nouns are, adjectives sometimes decline weak, sometimes strong. Adjectives decline weak if:

• ...they follow sa used as an article.
• ...they are a numeric adjective (except ǽnar, "one").
• ...they are the second (or third, fourth, etc.) adjective in a noun phrase.
• ...they are a present participle.
• ...they follow a conjugated verb.
  

The following adjectives never decline weak:

• Past participles
• ǽnar, ǽnu, ǽnam
• Possessive pronouns

Strong Adjective Pattern

The following are the declension endings for adjectives declining strong.

	Masculine		Feminine		Neuter
Case	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural
Nom	-ar	-æ	-o	-or	-a	-o
Gen	-er	-æro	-ero	-æro	-er	-æro
Dat	-esma	-æmir	-æ	-æmir	-esma	-æmir
Acc	-ano	-an	-o	-or	-a	-o
Ins	-o	-æmir	-æ	-æmir	-esma	-æmir

Sample adjective: góðar, góðo, góða (good)

	Masculine		Feminine		Neuter
Case	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural
Nom	góð-ar	góð-æ	góð-o	góð-or	góð-a	góð-o
Gen	góð-er	góð-æro	góð-ero	góð-æro	góð-er	góð-æro
Dat	góð-esma	góð-æmir	góð-æ	góð-æmir	góð-esma	góð-æmir
Acc	góð-ano	góð-an	góð-o	góð-or	góð-a	góð-o
Ins	góð-o	góð-æmir	góð-æ	góð-æmir	góð-esma	góð-æmir

Weak Adjective Pattern

	Masculine		Feminine		Neuter
Case	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural
Nom	-on	-an	-on	-on	-o	-onu
Gen	*-in	-anam	-on	-onam	*-in	-onom
Dat	*-in	-num	-on	-um	*-in	-um
Acc	-anu	-anun	-onu	-onu	-o	-onu
Ins	*-in	-num	-on	-um	*-in	-um

Forms marked with asterixes cause i-umlaut. Sample adjective: góðar, góðo, góða (good)

	Masculine		Feminine		Neuter
Case	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural
Nom	góð-on	góð-an	góð-on	góð-on	góð-o	góð-onu
Gen	gǿð-in	góð-anam	góð-on	góð-onam	gǿð-in	góð-onom
Dat	gǿð-in	góð-num	góð-on	góð-um	gǿð-in	góð-um
Acc	góð-anu	góð-anun	góð-onu	góð-onu	góð-o	góð-onu
Ins	gǿð-in	góð-num	góð-on	góð-um	gǿð-in	góð-um