Sajem Tan

Sajem Tan or Common Honey is a collaborative conlang started in November 2015 by members of the CONLANG mailing list.[1] [2] As of 29 December 2015, the phoneme inventory and romanization have been decided along with some of the phonotactics, a few words have been coined and a few simple sentences written; work on the native script, syntax and morphology are proceeding.

As the language and its documenation grow, we will separate these into subpages.

Creation Myth

The Sajem Tan community is based on the following creation myth, posted by Shanoxilt Cizypij on 30 November 2015:

So very long ago, during gray and overcast days past, Thunder rumbled. From the shaken sky tumbled Thunder's noises and with them Rain. By the fallen Rain, Flower was nourished and River was filled. Upon its web, between Flower and Stone, Spider gathered Rain. When Rain ceased and Thunder silenced, Bee gathered Flower's pollen. Bee then flew away to its hive to make our Common Honey. Upon the hive came Bear who so loved our Common Honey that it shared with all who would sample. Witnessing all this, from atop Stone, Bird declared, "May this recur until all our tribe partakes of Common Honey."

snymmeht keh slnuhm znolkah sno kemfeh dulc Divolm. kem zhasikzheh metfeh dulc Divolmvmeh dolnah keh zloahkahm Telzlnoln. znim Telzlnolnvah gulslimumsun Jidolk keh jelkzhutumsun Shelsheln. sehvmeh zathelndin navnyc, Jidolk keh Thefam sholmak, Telzlnoln znolcfeh Zatheln. vaslnulmfeh Telzlnoln keh simemzhutfehsun Divolm zult, Jidolkvmeh zhetam znolcfeh Kizhult. zhuhzhuhmfeh Kizhult zlovmeh kizhultdin seln dehahvmeh Sajem Tan fmyvuhkfehjahk. kizhultdin dathnycfeh Thefnolm. dehahvmeh Sajem Tan zhejulnmunfeh Thefnolm tyk zo vesneneht zlo shasholcfeh fnit xyt duahkahm. "kasynsho sin duah Sajem Tan shasholcum xyt dehahvmeh molm taznoln" tanzlulcfeh xyt duah duldoltfeh Thefam navnyc Vithit.

Roles

The characters in this myth are also the titles or roles of members of the community:

Thunder	phonology	Samantha Tarnowski
Rain	morphology	Asher Drummond
Spider	syntax	Jim Henry
Flower	semantics	Brett Williams
Stone	orthography	Daniel Swanson
River	pragmatics	James Constable
Bee	corpus	Jim Henry
Bear	pedagogy	Jon Michael Swift
Bird or the swift feathered one	supervision	Shanoxilt Cizypij
Ants	other members of the community	Scott Hamilton, Mia DeSanzo, Noelle Morris et alia
Tree	.	James Hyett
Dust	.	Steel-kun

Each of the roles has certain taboos as well as responsibilities for the development of the language. For instance, Bee cannot refer to the swift feathered one by name. Bear and Bird must speak in the third person, and Flower in the second.

Phonology and romanization

Vowels:
IPA            i  e   ɛ  æ  u   ɑ   ɤ   ʌ  y   ø  ɵ   œ
romanization   i  e  eh  a  u  ah  ul  uh  y  ol  o  el

Consonants:
IPA            ts  t  k  d  g  m  n  f  v   θ  s  z   ʃ   ʒ   ɬ   ɮ  x  ʎ
romanization    c  t  k  d  g  m  n  f  v  th  s  z  sh  zh  sl  zl  x  j

The proper alphabetical order is: d, g, x, j, f, v, th, s, z, sh, zh, sl, zl, m, n, a, el, e, ol, i, y, uh, ul, c, t, k, ah, eh, o, u

The only allowed coda consonants are voiceless plosives and nasals. Any consonant by itself is allowed in onset; the only atttested clusters are fricative + homorganic nasal, e.g. /vm-/, /zn-/.

1. Root words consist of zero or more C(C)V syllables followed by a C(C)VC syllable, containing a restricted subset of vowels: ol, e, el, i, a, ul, uh, y

2. Suffixes and particles are to consist of one (C)V(C) syllable using the other vowels not used in content roots: o, ah, eh, u

3. The final consonant of a syllable can only be a nasal or unvoiced plosive (t, k, c, m, n).

4. If a syllable begins with a consonant cluster, the first consonant must be a fricative and the second a nasal at more or less the same point of articulation. E.g. fm-, vm-, sn-, zn-, shn-, thn-, etc.

Syntax

default OVS word order
relative clauses before their head nouns
auxiliary verbs after main verbs
adjectives before nouns
postpositions (for whatever we aren't marking with case, including some weird stuff that other languages mark with verbs); postpositional phrases precede what they modify
several grammatical particles that introduce neologisms and their initial definitions, or words being used in new senses

Morphology

Self-segmenting morphology
Agglutinating
Dependent marking
Case endings for oblique roles
Lots of applicatives
No noun classes
Minimal declension/conjugation classes
Minimal irregularity

Verbs

Marked on the verb (agglutinating suffixes)

aspect
valency changing operations (voice, applicatives) (optional)

Template: root-aspect-(valency)

Aspect markers for verbs are obligatory. If you want to explicitly mark tense, then you have to use a mood auxiliary.

durative   -feh
continuous -sho
gnomic     -um
habitual   -eht
perfective -dah

Auxilliary verbs

Nonpast                         ol       i
immediate past                  el       e
mid past/indeterminate past     y        a
remote past                     uh       ul

That is, the nonpast dictionary form of an auxiliary verb would have "i" or "ol" while inflected past forms would keep the same consonants but change the vowel as above.

Agent, force, patient and experiencer marked by word order (agent and force after the verb, patient and experiencer before the verb)

Morphological cases

-zheh	focus/source
-thot	recipient/beneficiary
-gu	instrmental I -- tools that fit in the hand
-vah	instrumental II -- tools too big to hold in the hand, and intangible tools like software
-kahm	comitative
-vmeh	genitive

Lexicon

duhdem (d)

danec -- borrowed; copied; imitated

delgem -- select; curate; anthologize

delgemzhum -- Pokemon

dec -- decimal 1

doln -- to make a loud, deep sound; to grumble; to rumble

dolk -- senary 1

divolm -- thunder; phonology

din -- home; hive; etc.

dic -- auxiliary verb: indicative

duhdem -- dam; swamp

don -- sounds like the phoneme sequence, e.g. don zelzeln = sound of a bee

gigim (g)

gajin -- pure awe

gamyk -- tree; one that produces

golm -- auxiliary verb: be obligated to

gigim -- flipper; fin

gyznyt -- nose

gyn -- worker

guhn -- decimal 9

gulslim -- nourish; feed; sustain

xataxym (x)

xaxat -- to laugh

xaslem -- glide; transition smoothly; move forward on a thin cusion of fluid (air, ketchup, slime, etc.)

xamatin -- the frustration of realizing that one has inadvertently invalidated or undone an accomplisment

xanoln -- to greet

xataxym -- hole; pit; ditch

xelteln -- cliff

xen -- no; incorrect; thumbs-down

xek -- senary 6

xulkat -- fun; grammar; climbing; the enjoyment of challenges

xo -- particle indicating that the following word is archaic

jegen (j)

jaxin -- plastic or wooden chair, especially one that has been mass-produced; schoolroom desk

jafin -- melodrama

jafinmeht -- melodramatic

jelk -- full

jegen -- hook

jidolk -- Flower

jizlet -- Quizlet

jit -- auxiliary verb: must; vital; necessary

jikin -- wiki; notebook; bulletin board

jo -- so; therefore; implies; if-then (placed between antecedent and consequent)

fijyc (f)

fmolk -- auxiliary verb: irrealis mood

fmyvuhk -- to make; to create

fmyvu -- to make; to create [archaic, xref "fmyvuhk"]

fam -- decimal 2

felt -- senary 2

femek -- mind; thought; noetic; deduce; realize; Sherlock Holmes; exclaim "Elementary, my dear Watson!"

femektholk -- discovered by telepathy

folt -- senary 36

fijyc -- rainbow

voljam (v)

vmelfelc -- wisdom; silliness

vmelt -- decimal 1000

vmyn -- mouth

vaslnulm -- cease; flee

vakult -- parent; parent figure; teacher; older relative

voljam -- ear

voln -- understood through the reversal of a previously deep belief (evidential adverb)

vith -- bird [archaic, xref "vithit"]

vithit -- bird; overseer

vithitdin -- twig-woven home of the swift feathered one

vynit -- long (time); slow; delayed

vyk -- senary 3

vulc -- decimal 3

thethat (th)

thneduht -- (noun) silence; ominous stillness; void

thnolt -- decimal 100

thnuhduhk -- elephant

theln -- fast; quick(ly) (of processes/actions other than motion verbs, e.g. "*Kizhul* coins words *theln*") [xref "solm"]

thefnolm -- bear

thefam -- stone; writing; orthography

thefammeht -- stony; rocky

thefahm -- stone [archaic, xref "thefam"]

thethat -- wind; breeze

thek -- to scribble; to scrawl

tholk -- direct sensory evidence (evidential adverb)

thishnim -- sleep

tho -- to scribble; to scrawl [archaic, xref "thek"]

thom -- particle linking a nonce word or word used in a new sense with its gloss or definition

sekelt (s)

snat -- learned via seconday/tertiary/etc. sources, especially writings (evidential adverb)

snolzem -- knot

snym -- cloud

snymmeht -- cloudy; overcast

sno -- postposition: in the time of; during

sajem -- common; communal; public

sesuht -- to sing boisterously, especially music that is disliked; to sing Let It Go

sekelt -- valley

solm -- fast; swift; quick (of moving objects, e.g. "the feathered one is *solm*") [xref "theln"]

simem -- (adj) silent, quiet, calm, sleepy [xref "thneduht"]

suhzhnolm -- pleasant

sulfekaslifazhislitikesixasloldolshyc -- cookie

sulfekahslifazhislitikesixahsloldolshyc -- cookie [archaic, xref "sulfekaslifazhislitikesixasloldolshyc"]

sulslem -- nectar

zuhzuhmelt (z)

znenan -- tale; story

znek -- decimal 10

znols -- to gather; to collect [archaic, xref "znolc"]

znolc -- to gather; to collect

znolk -- day

znim -- falling; to fall (unconstrained motion under influence of gravity)

zatheln -- spider; silkworm

zamen -- to hope

zan -- to be

zatenym -- troop; group; platoon

zuhzuhmelt -- ladle; dipper

shuhzhik (sh)

shnuhk -- lips

shasholc -- to partake

shan -- hearsay (via a living person) (evidential adverb)

shelgin -- to perceive

shelsheln -- River; pragmatics

shen -- decimal 6

sholmak -- between

shik -- auxiliary verb: be able to

shuhzhik -- tear; drop

shehn -- feels like, e.g. shehn simem = the feeling of peace, quiet

zhizlik (zh)

zhasik -- (noun) sky; canopy of a forest; ceiling of a cave (but not of a house)

zhat -- decimal 7

zhelt -- senary 216

zhetam -- pollen; semen

zhetamvakult -- biological father

zhizlik -- fish

zhiman -- feather; long lustrous hair

zhimahn -- feather [archaic]

zhuhzhim -- dust; a floating particle; something that settles down or doesn't

zhuhzhuhm -- to fly in a straight line / like a bird

slik (sl)

slnuhm -- (adj) gray; grey; dull; indeterminate; incomplete; boring; plain; numinous

slet -- traditional knowledge; lore (evidential adverb)

slolc -- senary 4

slin -- fight

slingyn -- warrior; Klingon

slik -- yes; thumbs-up; okay; correct

slysyc -- snake

sluht -- decimal 4

sluln -- based on faith/beliefs/subjective experiences (evidential adverb)

slah -- particle indicating the following word is being used in a new sense

zlolfit (zl)

zlnanic -- chameleon

zlelc -- senary 5

zlolfit -- wing

zlolzhit -- poop (thanks, thunder's sister)

zlislym -- creepy; skeleton

zlik -- decimal 5

zlulc -- lump; dollop (of a substance); instance (of something more abstract)

molmelc (m)

ma -- to thank [archaic, xref "man"]

man -- to thank

met -- falling, collapsing, tumbling (chaotic falling, like an stone bouncing many times as it falls down a hill, or a vase breaking when it hits after a simple ballistic fall)

molm -- tribe

molmvakult -- legal/adoptive parent

molmelc -- roof; shelter

molt -- auxiliary verb: not

mizizlat -- wheelbarrow; cart; trolley; pram

muhshim -- to be cool/awesome

muhzl -- that which cities, forests, and hives have in common, a community [archaic, xref "muhc"]

muhc -- that which cities, forests, and hives have in common, a community

nyzlan (n)

navnyc -- upon

nasham -- wave

nanym -- dispatch, especially for military purposes; send a letter

nacen -- also

nolk -- decimal point (both bases)

nyzlan -- snail

nymem -- clumsy

nasham (a)

xelteln (el)

tezet (e)

tolmolm (ol)

mizizlat (i)

slysyc (y)

shnuhk (uh)

tuln (ul)

cuhc (c)

cejym -- OCD; to obsessively organize minute details

coltan -- remote-/telekinetically-controlled item; zombie

cuhc -- foot

culjim -- ant

culjimdin -- anthill

cehsh -- particle indicating the following is a neologism or nonce word [archaic, xref "cehk"]

cehk -- particle indicating the following is a neologism or nonce word

con -- particle indicated that the following word is a transliteration and may not be phonotactically valid

tytyt (t)

tan -- honey; vomit; language; (with verb affix(es)) to speak; to vomit

tanzlulc -- utterance; short speech; sentence; dollop of honey

tat -- dad

telzlnoln -- Rain

tezet -- lightening

tetan -- flying snail (picture)

tolthim -- majestic

tolmolm -- slope

tim -- decimal 0

tyt -- senary 0

tytyt -- clover

tuln -- eye; camera; telescope

tah -- honey; vomit; language; (with verb affix(es)) to speak; to vomit [archaic, xref "tan"]

tahzluv -- utterance; short speech; sentence; dollop of honey [archaic, xref "tanzlulc"]

tahn -- sounds like, e.g. tahn divolm = the sound of thunder

kyfik (k)

kagan -- hoola-hoop; donut

ke -- and [archaic]

kem -- to shake; to cause to vibrate; (with no explicit subject) to shake; to vibrate (intransitive)

kecyc -- Internet; cyberspace; virtual reality; dream; Holodeck; multiplayer game mode; Second Life; Tron

kolthic -- the joy and exhaustion that comes after final exams are over

kolk -- auxiliary verb: polar interogative (yes-no question)

kizhul -- bee [archaic, xref "kizhult"]

kizhult -- bee; harvester [xref "znolc"]; storyteller

kizhultdin -- beehive

kic -- carefully discerned through protracted study (evidential adverb)

kyfik -- arm

kuhc -- letter

kulk -- decimal 8

keh -- and

kut -- feels like the phoneme sequence, e.g. kut xigeldifigeldit = all over the place, higgledy-piggledy

zlnanic (ah)

thnuhduhk (eh)

snolzem (o)

om -- particle to carry conjugations for con, don, kut, shehn, and tahn, e.g. kut xigeldifigeldit omum culjimah = the ants are all over the place / disorganised

vmyn (u)

Suffixes

-ah -- plural

-da -- perfective aspect [archaic, xref "dah"]

-dah -- perfective aspect

-eht -- habitual aspect

-fe -- durative aspect [archaic, xref "feh"]

-feh -- durative aspect

-kah -- suffix for "energetic" and/or "coffee"

-kahf -- suffix for "energetic" and/or "coffee" [archaic, xref "kah"]

-ku -- interogative suffix

-meht -- having a surfeit or plenitude of something

-mon -- collective noun; a group of something

-noc -- the end state or product of an action (suffixes to verb root, not to inflected verb)

-so -- derivational suffix: an entity having the thing referred to by the stem, e.g. zhiman "feather" > zhimanso "feathered one"

-sho -- continuous aspect

-sun -- passive voice

-um -- gnomic aspect

-zhum -- noun derivational suffix, indicates a pet

-zhut -- to cause to be

Numbers

Decimal:

0 -- tim

1 -- dec

2 -- fam

3 -- vulc

4 -- sluht

5 -- zlik

6 -- shen

7 -- zhat

8 -- kulk

9 -- guhn

10 -- znek

100 -- thnolt

1000 -- vmelt

Senary:

0 -- tyt

1 -- dolk

2 -- felt

3 -- vyk

4 -- slolc

5 -- zlelc

6 -- xek

36 -- folt

216 -- zhelt

Decimal point (both): nolk

Pronouns

	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
inanimate	theh	vu	zo
vegetal	thu	vo	zeh
animate	seh	zhu	zlo
neutral	deh	do	du

	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
inanimate	thehs [archaic]	vuzh [archaic]	zozl [archaic]
vegetal	thuzl [archaic]	vos [archaic]	zehzh [archaic]
animate	sehth [archaic]	zhuv [archaic]	zloz [archaic]

Evidentials

Evidentials are declared as adverbs. Nouns may be agglutinated before the adverb to create compound evidentials with more specific meaning (e.g. "femektholk").

slet -- traditional lore, known by many subjects or ascertained from a now-dead person

shan -- hearsay via a living person

tholk -- direct sensory evidence

thec -- deduced from sensory evidence

thef -- deduced from sensory evidence [archaic, xref "thec"]

snat -- learned via seconday/tertiary/etc. sources, especially writings

voln -- understood through the reversal of a previously deep belief

sluln -- based on faith/beliefs/subjective experiences

kic -- carefully discerned through protracted study