Fortunatian

Fortunatian is a Romance language, with Etruscan and Guanche substrates, spoken in the Fortunate Islands (our world's Canary Islands) in the Fortunate Islands Universe. This is a description of Classical Fortunatian (fl. 12c ACE).

Phonology

The Fortunatian alphabet has 20 letters. There are also four digraphs which are not considered part of the alphabet, but probably should be.

a [a]

b [b]

c [k] before /a/, /o/, /u/, /y/

d [d]

e [e, ɛ]

g [ʤ]

f [f]

h [etymological, or diaeresis marker]

i [i], [j] before another vowel

m [m]

n [n]

o [ə]

p [p]

qu [k] before /e/, /i/

r [r]

s [s]

t [t]

u [u]

x [ʃ]

y [ɨ]

Non-Alphabetic Digraphs

au [o]

ch [ʧ]

hu [w] - this can (rarely) occur before a consonant

nh [ɲ]

Gender and Number

Fortunatian has no declension, but three genders (masculine, feminine, and neuter) and two numbers (singular and plural). Note that the Classical Latin third declension has merged with the neuter of the second declension. Nouns and adjectives use the same ending. The root bon- "good" may be used to show the pattern.

xorbync bonync a good servant

huemnonc bononc a good woman

omnoc bonoc a good man (yes, 'man' is neuter)

xorbaux bonaux good servants

huemnax bonax good women

omnex bonex good men

Etruscan-Derived Vocabulary

Most of the Etruscan derived vocabulary was borrowed by the early Christians and transformed into Christian sacramental vocabulary.

abbess - otonc

abbot - ofync

anchoress, nun - xeconc

anchorite, monk - rubync

calculation (esp. of Easter) - acaroc

caretaker - texintync, texintonc

child - uxiuroc

church - achoc

congregation - raucoc

cross - tauroc (originally 'tomb')

cup - curimnonc, taunonc, xanenonc

diocese - mocloc

eagle - coptonc

font, baptismal - tinonc

god, false - ureroc

grandmother - tetonc

heaven - uratoc

honey - matoc

idols - exoroc

incense - turonc

jug - yrfeonc

June - ocoroc

king - lucmaunync

lion - roync, rync

martyr, saint - xiboc

monastic - ofanync, -onc, -oc

moon - tiync

noon - yranoc

nurse - nonoc

offering - arfnync, arfasoc, clebonc, tyxonc

only - tus

pagan - cricync, criconc, rumacync, rumaconc

people - mecync, rononc

prayer - molhenonc

priest - fafonc (m.)

priesthood - arymnatoc

rite - xeroc

room - quelonc

sanctuary - xamoc

September - queloc

son (esp. Son of God) - clenoc de doync

soul - intioroc

sun - uxroc

then - un

tomb - xutoc,

town - xfuronc

vase - tinonc

the Virgin - xnatonc

water of baptism - neroc

wife (esp. Zion as bride of Christ) - fionc

year, liturgical - auloc