Fylosan

Fylosan is one of several conlangs created by Sraemoyes for the universe that her novels-in-progress are set in. Please be patient while these languages are being transferred from several loose documents.

Classification and Dialects
Fylosan is descended from Old Fylosan through Middle Fylosan. It is a member of the Fylosic branch of the Ngrial-Fylosic language family.

As a native language, Fylosan is spoken primarily by mountain and river dragons living in or around the Fylosan Mountain Range.

Phonotactics
(C)(C)V(C)

Onsets: t, d, p, b, k, g, f,v, s, z, l, m, n, r, y, kr, tr, gr, w, tw, dw, pw, bw, kw, fw, sw, zw, mw, nw

Diphthongs: ua, ia

Codas: n, m, l, r, t ,d, p, b, k, g, f, v, s, z, l, m, n, r

Intonation
Declarative and expressive sentences fall at the end. Questions, requests, and (polite) commands remain flat. Mockery and (rude) commands rise at the end. These patterns may be broken when emphasizing the final word.

Word stress is volume-based and determined by the penultimate syllable.

Writing System
Fylosan was the first language in its area with a written form. In its early days, it developed logographs that were typically carved into stone or wood. Later, the literate population of dragons dwindled to nothing during the Fylsan Empire's internal collapse, but the written system was passed to a nearby human population (Tunisans) and adapted.

Text reads vertically, left to right.

On this wiki, the language has been romanized for convenience.

Syntax
VSO

SA

C-PP-AdvP-Neg-V

D-N-Adj-Adv-PP

Accusative-case object comes before dative-case object.

Genitive-case NPs follow other NPs.

Subject-dropping and object-dropping are permitted.

Different types of sentences are formed by adding a clause marker to the beginning. The default is a declarative sentence, and the exception is an equative sentence (see "Copula").

Verbs
Verbs inflect for two tenses and three persons. Modal verbs are used, but even when they're present, there may only be one verb per clause. (See "Modals.")

Modals
Modal verbs inflect like any other verb. When present, they force any other verb to become a noun with noun-class-2 suffix -(m)eir. (See "Predictable Derivations" for more information.) They force nouns from these other verbs to take the genitive case, attached to the sentence's subject.

V->N
-ma: forms the gerund for activities (class 3 suffix).

-byo: forms the gerund for experiences (class 3 suffix).

-(m)er: forms the gerund used with modals (class 2 suffix). The m is present if the verb base ends with a vowel.

-le: "one that Verbs" (class 1 suffix).

-(a)ria: "the method of Verbing/how to Verb" (class 2 suffix). The a is present if the verb base ends with a consonant.

V->A
-fya: forms an adjective with positive connotations (class 2 suffix).

-sor: forms an adjective with neutral connotations (class 3 suffix).

-ye: forms an adjective with negative connotations (class 4 suffix).

Copula
Fylosan has no copula. Instead the S and A of these sentences take the default case and function without a verb.

Nouns
Nouns are divided into three classes. They inflect for three cases and two numbers.

N->V
Zero derivation.

N->A
Class 1 nouns become class 1 adjectives through zero derivation.

Class 2 nouns become class 2 adjectives through zero derivation.

Class 3 nouns become class 3 adjectives through zero derivation.

Adjectives and Adverbs
Adjectives and adverbs are the same part of speech in Fylosan. They come in four classes. They inflect for three cases and two numbers. In noun phrases, the adjectives' case and number must match the nouns'. In verb phrases, they use their base forms. The e 's in the class 1 genitive case only show up when required.

Comparatives:
Adjectives form the comparative by taking the prefix pi(r)-. (The r only appears before vowels.) This does not affect their class.

Superlatives:
Adjectives form the superlative by taking the prefix tre(r)-. (Again, the r only appears before vowels.) This does not affect their class.

A->V
Zero derivation.

A->N
-kei: used when adjectives end with a vowel (class 3 suffix).

-ol: used when adjectives end with a consonant (class 3 suffix).

Pronouns
Pronouns decline for three persons, three numbers, and three cases.

Verbs
Gribiba - to enjoy/to like

Grin - to eat

Grivan - to speak

Lakom - to fly

Nya - to leave *irregular form with the suffix -ma: nama

Mayer - to enslave

Rema (modal) - to be obligated to occur

Rinya - to escape; to get out of danger; to get out of something

To - to give

Vasya - to be familiar with

Nouns
Ka (class 2) - fish

Larle (class 1) - priestess; nun; any woman who works with spirituality or religion

Mayerle (class 1) - slaver

Minria (class 2) - goodness (treatment)

Nyama (class 1) - transportation

Rizal (class 2) - human

Adjectives
Gribiba (class 1) - obsessive or compelling

Sude (class 4) - wrong (actions); also used as "unfortunately" or "wrongly."

Ul (class 1) - kind

Vor (class 4) - good (generic)

Idioms
To ... minriamu (someone) - lit. "to give (someone) goodness." It means to show respect.

Other
Lua - not

Me - question marker (a clause marker)

Yar - any (determiner)

Example text
Sude lua to falrile yar minriamu larlemima grivansorva ulya. Unfortunately, Falri didn't show any respect to the kindly-spoken nun.

Grindi boyerle kave. Boyer eats fish.

Grin boyerle kale. Boyer ate a fish.

Remadi boyerle grinerim rizalem. Boyer must eat a human.

Lakommagru nyamagru vor. Flying is good transportation.

Grindi ulrinri mayerlem. Ulrin eats slavers.

Lua vasyadi boyerle rinyariale. Boyer doesn't know how to get out of it.

Me gribibat fu lakombyogru? Do you (singular) like flying?