Nauspayr

Phonology
Note that the descriptive phonology (that is, not the IPA phonology), unless otherwise stated, assumes an RP-English pronunciation (just because everyone knows what one of those sounds like). This description is very approximate and assumes minimal linguistic knowledge.

Note: awaiting Old Script glyph forms.

Vowels
There are fifteen simple vowel sounds, divided into "core", "brief" and "extended". Each Latin grapheme takes one of each of these sounds, each denoted by an acute accent for "extended", a grave accent for "brief" and no accent for "core". There are also six "complex" vowels, each having a Latin digraph.

Word Classes
All content word forms (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs) have a designated word class which effects the manner in which they are inflected (with the exception of stem-changing verbs). A phonologically identical root form may exist in more than one class and may or may not be semantically related to its homonyms. However, these identical roots behave differently when utilised as nouns, verbs, etc.

If a root, when inflected verbally, is stem-changing, this does not affect its inflection nominally or adjectivally and still exhibits the qualities of its class.

Most content words exist within one of the four chief classes, "Y", "D", "L" or "X". There is, however, a fifth archaic class used exclusively with certain proper nouns, in particular names of humans, deities and places.

Non-content and extreme-high-frequency words inhabit a sixth "pseudo-class" and do not inflect in any manner.

"Y" Class
"Y" class words relate to any of the following:
 * Masculine gendered things and animates.
 * Emotions, colours, tools, social structures.
 * Masculine and genderless social roles.
 * Items expressly for male use.
 * All miscellaneous not fitting any other category.

"D" Class
"D" class words relate to any of the following:
 * Man-made artefacts, objects, architecture, settlements, etc which do not fit any other category.
 * Celestial bodies, measurements of time, space, currency, weights, measures.
 * Items related to commerce and trade.

"L" Class
"L" class words relate to any of the following:
 * Female gendered things and animates.
 * Geographical features, weather, genderless living or environmental entities, religious items or symbolism.
 * Female gendered social roles.
 * Items expressly for female use.

"X" Class
"X" class words relate to any of the following:


 * Items relating to un-gendered human body.
 * Food, drink, direction, energy, art, knowledge and their transmission, movement.
 * Items relating to combat and military engagement.
 * Items relating to honour and etiquette.

Nouns
Nouns decline for class, case, number and definiteness. These four discriminated aspects are contained within a single suffix.

Definiteness
There is discrimination between nominal definite and nominal indefinite.

Number
There is discrimination between the singular, dual, trial, paucal and plural. All nouns are considered count nouns, where mass nouns are given always in the plural.

Case
There are four superior cases (nominative, accusative, dative, genitive) and eighteen subordinate cases. Superior cases are those which are most common and which possess unique declension paradigms. Subordinate cases use the declesion paradigms of the nominative case with a further suffix applied finally. Subordinate cases are employed in the presence of specific prepositions.