Gubzgazl


 * this language is in need of complete overhaul***

Gubzgazl is a language that originally was a subset of Ancient Pencil Language that broke off into a new language when the speakers of The Pencil Language fled to The White Realm to avoid being destroyed by an extremely powerful, artificially-engineered god known as The Seer.

Classification and Dialects
Gubzgazl does not have distinct dialects. The language is relatively synthetic and has roughly the same level of synthesis as The Pencil Language, albeit with differences.

Phonology
Gubzgazl has a relatively small consonant inventory, with only 10 distinct sounds.

Consonants
Gubzgazl uses the 3-vowel system (/i/, /a/, and /u/).

Phonotactics
Gubzgazl, overall, is relatively much less restrictive over dipthongs than The Pencil Language and allows "aa"*, "ii"*, "uu"*, "ai", and "ui".

* these dipthongs are technically just longer variants of the regular 3 vowels.

Stress is on the antepenultimate syllable if the word starts with a consonant, and is on the first syllable if the word starts with a vowel (stress is on second syllable if the vowel immediately comes before a glottal stop).

Allowed Consonant Clusters
Gubzgazl is extremely lenient on consonant clusters, and basically allows whatever consonant clusters as long as it is not two repeated consonants in a row.

Sound Changes
/χ/ > /χ/, /ʁ/

Writing System/Orthography
Lengthened vowels are always points of stress.

Nouns
Gubzgazl retained 2 of Ancient TPL's cases (genitive and locative).

The language's alignment is a mix between nominative-accusative and agentive-patientive, and typically they are used interchangeably (although formal texts are usually written exclusively with the agentive-patientive alignment).

Verbs
Verbs conjugate according to aspect, mood, tense, and voice. Gubzgazl does not have a copula.

The verb inflectors are:

a(b)- = negator

i'u(b)- = relativizer/gerund former. Although it is mainly used on verbs, it can also be used on nouns. The inflector can be used with other inflectors to produce conjugated forms of "be", such as "was" and "will be". They are listed below:


 * "abugi'u-" = currently is
 * "bugvigi'u-" = was/were
 * "abugi'u__uv'" = will be
 * "lali'u-" = should be
 * "i'u__uzh" = might be

bugvig(n)- = perfective aspect

abug(n)- = imperfective aspect

la(l)- = imperative mood

-uzh = subjunctive mood

-azh = dative case

-u' = passive voice

-uv' = can be used on words like "bzhiv" (die) to switch the verb from reflexive to non-reflexive, as in bzhivuv' (kill), which literally means "to do death to"). -uv' also can be used to convey interrogative mood by being used as a particle placed at the end of a phrase. uv' can be used to convey lative case, and if used directly with the relativizer it can specify unspecified movement towards something.

-abuv' = reflexive

To specify that the action is able to be performed by the doer (as in "I can see"), the particle "nan" is added after the verb.

The future tense is created by combining the imperfective aspect with -uv'. For example, "li'" means "like", and "abugli'uv'" = "will like".

Special constructions of verbs, such as "[verb 1] to [verb(s) 2]", do not exist in Gubzgazl, instead, the 2nd verbs all get turned into a gerund and the subject plus the instrumental case is added after. For example, "vli'" = "they like", "vli' i'ugan vul" = "they like to see.

Words describing motion of the subject/object are presumed to be in lative case unless stated otherwise.

Adjectives
Adjectives take little marking and are frequently joined to the head if the phonotactics allow it.

Adjectives and verbs are rarely distinguished, with stative verbs and adjectives not being distinguished whatsoever.

Gubzgazl has no individual word for "and", so instead of saying something like "this and that" it is simply "this that". If an adjective is described with other adjectives, the relativizer is added onto all the other adjectives. However, there is a word for "or" (ziib).

Stative verbs (such as "to be different to") are treated as verbs, although they can act as adverbs.

Comparative Affixes
Just like in The Pencil Language, there are 2 comparative affixes.

They are:

iil(g)- = comparative marker

ii'ul(g)- = superlative marker

The comparative marker can be added onto a verb to signify the verb is performed multiple times or more times than the object.

Syntax
The sentence structure is SVO. Adjectives come after the head unless they are inflected via the relativizer, in which the head comes after the adjective (all other adjectives with no relativizer still come after the head).

Example text
Gubzgazl:

I’uulnub buugvigzhiv i’uuzhiba zhuubilgizh. I’uulnub bugvigng’uulabuv’ i’uuzhiv iilg i’uubaghulgu’ i’uubugvigzhiv giiv zhiiba. Giiv nabuluubabuv i’uuzhiv i’uulgiv liign i’uubizhigu’ Zgaazl, Biivig, Duulg, Iinvig, Viigl, Ghaab, Gaav, Nuubg, Uudi, Buuiv, Laavg, Zliig, Uunun, Luuv, I’aagib, Zhaalav. Zgaazl bugvigbaagivi’ Laavg i’uug’ul Laavg nuug Zgaazl duuvnigul. Zgaazl buugvigvagh ii’ubaghud Laagv. Zgaazl iilbugvignguzga Laavg. Zgaazl buugvigzhiv nuub i’uugan i’uugiv iibg i’aabulugivu’ i’uuzhivu’azh i’uugan iivbibgu giig Zgaazlib. Zhaab nuub i’uugan bugviigi’uibg aab’ungig i’uunub i’uugan buugvigng’iv Zgaazl i’uuibgul nuubib i’uugan. Giiv Zgaazl viighulg i’uui’iv buugvigbug buugig. Giiv buugvigbug Aazub Aagva i’uubazub.

English:

In the beginning, Yeb Wakab created the cosmos. Yeb Wakab split itself into countless pieces which formed the first life. The life grouped together into sixteen civilizations: Awef, Befek, Droolk, Enfeg, Freegl, Hap, Kraf, Nopk, Odhe, Poeef, Rafg, Sweek, Unoon, Wof, Yageeb, and Shawaf. Awef and Rafg were originally allies, although a large war separated the two civilizations. Awef and Rafg developed very differently, with Awef becoming more and more progressive and Rafg devevloping slower. Awef soon created The Seer, an indescribably powerful entity designed to watch over its large expanses of territory. However, The Seer grew too powerful, and almost completely wiped out Awef with its powers. The few surviving Awefians were forced to flee, and eventually found a large realm known as The White Realm.

Gloss:

Yeb Wakab PFV-create REL-first cosmos. Yeb Wakab PFV-separate-REFL REL-create portion REL-NEG-count-PASS REL-PFV-create creature first. creature group-REFL REL-create civilization sixteen REL-name-PASS Awef, Befek, Droolk, Enfeg, Freegl, Hap, Kraf, Nopk, Odhe, Poeef, Rafg, Sweek, Unoon, Wof, Yageeb, Shawaf. Awef PFV-allie Rafg REL-separate Rafg from Awef war-INSTR. Awef PFV-grow REL-NEG-to.be.similar.to Rafg. Awef COMP-PFV-progress Rafg. Awef PFV-create god REL-see REL-entity powerful REL-NEG-describe-PASS REL-create-PASS-DAT REL-see territory big Awef-GEN. But god REL-see PFV-REL-powerful too.much REL-god REL-see PFV-destroy Awef GER-power-INSTR god-GEN REL-see. Creature Awef few REL-live PFV-move fast. Creature PFV-move.to realm white REL-realm