Askanil

Askanil language (Eastern Askanil: officially Saċwelgë in Kyliun [sɐˈxʍɜʟɢɘ]; Western Askanil: Saċwelge in Hevera [saˈxʍɛɭgɪ]; meaning "language of the hills") is a minor language spoken in the region of the Silver Vales, on the border between Kyliun and Hevera, including the provinces of Sulya and Thal in Hevera and the westernmost part of Vaara shire in Kyliun.

Classification and Dialects
Askanil is a Nil language (or human language) which belongs to the Aulsavric languages group. These languages are spoken in a large area that includes territories from Hevera to the Galver, contrasting with the Vànthom and Kahaym languages, which are originally from North-Kahaymah. Askanil is considered a northern Aulsavric language.

In spite of the continuous attempts of Heveranish government to replace Askanil with Ovarnil language and despite the spread of important international languages like Kahaym, the Silver Vales have always been a stronghold of this language and the native speakers have kept it as their tongue. But since the region is divided by the Silver Mountains the language has been slightly modified and divided into two main dialects: the Eastern, spoken in Kyliun, and the Western spoken in Hevera. In addition to this, the official languages of these countries has helped creating two dialects.

Phonology
These are the consonants and vowels' sounds used in eastern Askanil dialect, considered by many the "less contaminated" of the two ones.

Writing System
Askanil is formerly based on an oral history and tradition so no evidence showing the original Askanil writing system (if ever existed) has been discovered, and since we have no proofs we can just suppose what it could be like.

According to many scholars, the original writing system should look like the Aulsavric alphabet: more or less 30 letters, made of basic letters and diacritics, written from right to left. Perhaps it could be the alphabet which the Mehayllerdrkon and later the Ovarnilic alphabet came from, even though this supposition is not supported by many scholars.

The need of a writing system for this language failed as soon as the Kingdom of the Silverlands (lasted for about 500 years from the beginning of the First Era) collapsed. Since then, the nation has never been unified again, divided politically and geographically. Slowly, almost everything of the original culture of Askanils got lost and so did the alphabet. The language was getting less and less important and endured in the small, apart villages of the Silver Vales, where a writing system was useless.

After the First Great Revolution and the proclamation of the Confederated Republic of Kahaymah, the minor languages have been reconsidered locally and there started a plan to reintroduce Askanil language. The first problem was to invent a writing system, considering the difference between Eastern and Western dialects, which needed different letters for different sounds.

However, here is shown the alphabet for the Eastern dialect, considered the official koine.


 * *These consonants are voiceless when followed by another consonant.

Long and short vowels
Sometimes a vowel may be pronounced as it were longer than it is normally, sometimes because of the combination with a same vowel (e.g. in cases' terminations). ...

Gender
There are three genders in Askanil language: Masculine, Feminine and Neuter (like in many other Nil languages). It is possible to recognize the gender by looking at the last letter of the noun, even though the same letter may identify more than one gender:
 * Masculine nouns:
 * possible consonant-ending: c - ċ - d - f - g - ġ - h - l - m - n - r - s - ş - t - ŧ
 * possible vowel-ending: a - i - ï - u - y


 * Feminine nouns:
 * possible consonant-ending: b - d - đ - f - g - ġ - h - l - n - r - s - v
 * possible vowel-ending: a - e - i - ï - w


 * Neuter nouns:
 * possible consonant-ending: ċ - d - đ - h - m - n - p - s - ṣ - ş - t - ŧ - v
 * possible vowel-ending: ë - i - o - ö - w - y

Cases
There are 8 cases in Askanil language: Nominative, Accusative, Vocative, Genitive, Dative, Instrumental, Ablative, Prepositive. The cases are divided into groups, called declensions, according to the gender and the ending letter.

I declension
It includes masculine and neuter nouns ending with strong vowels (a - o - ö - u - w)

Example: cewla, part (m) {|class="wikitable article-table" style="width: 600px; text-align:center;" ! rowspan="2" |Case ! colspan="2" |Singular ! colspan="2" |Plural !Termination !Example !Termination !Example !Nominative !Accusative !Vocative
 * [zero]
 * cewla
 * -is
 * cewlais
 * -n
 * cewlan
 * -as
 * cewlâs*
 * [zero]
 * cewla
 * -is
 * cewlais