Vuén Nabóştï

Setting
The language is spoken in the nation of Suázan Tuídä in the world of Vanar. For more information on the nation, see this forum.

http://z15.invisionfree.com/Citadel_Nexus/index.php?showtopic=330

Phonology
b = b

d = d at the end of a syllable, otherwise d̪

g = g

h = h

hu = ʍ in the IPA, wh in English

j = j (y in English)

ju = made by simply blowing air out of the mouth, rounded, or as a quick j followed by a w. Occasionally sounds like a whistle.

l = l

m = m

n = n, n̪

ŋ = ŋ (ng in English)

p = p

ş = ʃ (sh in English)

q = k

qs = t͡ʃ (ch in English)

qz = ʒ (zh or si in "vision" in English)

s = s

r = ɹ (r in English)

ŗ = ɾ (r in Spanish)

ŗŗ = r (rr in Spansih)

t = t at the end of a syllable, otherwise t̪

u = w

v = v

z = z

a = a, ɑ (a or ah in English)

e = ɛ (e in "end" in English)

i = i (ee in English)

o = o (true o, not the English diphthong)

ė = e (ay in English)

Phonotactics
The letters b, g, j, p, qs, qz, ŗ, and ŗŗ have to be followed by either a vowel or u, and u cannot be placed without a vowel following. H requires a vowel to follow it. V is always followed by u. B, g, h, hu, j, ju, p, qs, qz, ŗ, ŗŗ, s, u, or v cannot be at the end of a word. Both ŗ and ŗŗ are allophones of each other. R cannot be next to ŗ or ŗŗ. If r is next to ŗ or ŗŗ, ŗ or ŗŗ take precedence over r. J is an allophone to ju, but ju cannot be the same to j.

E cannot be at the end of a word. E cannot come before i.

Vowels are given two different diacritics depending on their placing in a word. If they are at the end of a word, they get two dots above them, such as “ä”. This does not affect the word's pronunciation. If they are in the accented part of the word, they get a slash above them, such as “ó”. Keep in mind that neither of these affect “ė”. It is possible to have more than one accent in a word. If the accent is at the end of the word, it overwrites the two dots. The accent is not specifically attached to the point in the word it is and can move around, depending on how the speaker pronounces it. Most speakers accent the places marked in all following examples.

Basic Grammar
In English, sentences are positioned SVO, and are subject-predicate. In Vuén Nabóştï, they are OVS, and are predicate-subject.

Examples:

English: Vuén Nabóştï: Literal

John walked home.: Mínä ştómagï góşibä Şánagä.: His house to walk did John.

Sally is eating an apple.: Quėzaguä muódazáŋ Sáligä.: Apple eating is Sally.

Alice will talk to Bob.: Babígï najómaqar Alíşagä.: Bob to talk will Alice.

The suffix -nä marks possession. -gï is the locative case noun marker. -bä is the simple past tense verb marker. -gä is the nominative subject marker. -guä is the accusative object marker. -záŋ is the simple present tense verb marker. -qar, or -aqar as used here, is the simple future tense verb marker.

Vocabulary

mï: him, he [masculine]

ştómä: house, home [neutral]

góşï: walk

Şán: John, Shawn, Shaun

quėzä: apple [feminine]

muódä: eat [masculine]

Sálï: Sally

Babí: Bobby, Bob

najóm: talk [neutral]

Alíş: Alice

-nä, -anä: possessive marker

-gï, -agï: locative case noun marker

-bä, -abä: simple past tense verb marker

-gä, -agä: nominative subject marker

-guä, -aguä: accusative object marker

-záŋ, -azáŋ: simple present tense verb marker

-qar, -aqar: simple future tense verb marker

The are a few different forms of the verb “is”. Six to be exact.

Examples:

English: Vuén Nabóştï: Literal

It is a dog.: Dázdï zazáŋ qáşagä.: Dog is it.

It is an apple.: Quėzä sizáŋ muígä.: Apple is it.

It is a house.: Ştómä qizáŋ lógä.: House is it.

He is a man.: Mójaş izáŋ mígä.: Man is he.

She is a woman.: Mósan oşazáŋ nógä.: Woman is she.

It is a rock.: Záluan ájozaŋ lógä.: Rock is it.

There are three genders in Vuén Nabóştï words; Feminine, Masculine, and Neutral. Each adjective, noun, and verb are assigned one of these genders and have corresponding forms of “is” and “the”. If a word is neutral, it can also be assigned to masculine or feminine if it is male or female. Zä and ï are both the masculine “is”. Sï and oş are the feminine, and qï and ájö are the neutral. Remember that if it is a form of “is” as the verb, the object is the focus of the gender, while if any other verb is used, the subject is the focus.

Vocabulary

dázdï: dog [masculine]

qaş: it(animal) [neutral]

muï: it(plant) [neutral]

lö: it(object) [neutral]

mójaş: man [masculine]

mósan: woman [feminine]

záluan: rock, stone [neutral]

zä: is(when the preceding word ends with a vowel) [masculine]

ï: is(when the preceding word ends with a consonant) [masculine]

sï: is(when the preceding word ends with a vowel) [feminine]

oş: is(when the preceding word ends with a consonant) [feminine]

qï: is(when the preceding word ends with a vowel) [neutral]

ájö: is(when the preceding word ends with a consonant) [neutral]

There are twelve forms of “the”. There is no “a” or “an”, however.

Examples:

English: Vuén Nabóştï: Literal

The man.(subject): At mójaş.: The man.

The woman.(subject): Íä mósan.: The woman.

The person.(subject): En mómasä.: The person.

The men.(subject): Átjä mójaşaz.: The men.

The women.(subject): Iájä mósanaş.: The women.

The people.(subject): Énjä mómasaş.: The people.

The man.(object): Átam mójaş.: The man.

The woman.(object): Íam mósan.: The woman.

The person.(object): Énam mómasä.: The person.

The men.(object): Átjam mójaşaz.: The men.

The women.(object): Iájam mójaşaz.: The women.

The people.(object): Énjam mómasaş.: The people.

At, íä, and en are singular masculine, feminine, and neutral subject respectively. Átjä, iájä, and énjä are their plural forms. Átam, íam, and énam of singular masculine, feminine, and neutral object. Átjam, iájam, and énjam are their plural forms. The suffixes -az, -ş, and -aş are all plural marker. -z is another plural marker, unused here.

Vocabulary

at: the(singular/subject) [masculine]

íä: the(singular/subject) [feminine]

en: the(singular/subject) [neutral]

átjä: the(plural/subject) [masculine]

iájä: the(plural/subject) [feminine]

énjä: the(plural/subject) [neutral]

átam: the(singular/object) [masculine]

íam: the(singular/object) [feminine]

énam: the(singular/object) [neutral]

átjam: the(plural/object) [masculine]

iájam: the(plural/object) [feminine]

énjam: the(plural/object) [neutral]

mómasä: person [neutral]

-ş, -aş, -oş, -z, -az, -oz: plural marker

To show possession, the suffix -nä, or -anä, is added.

Examples:

English: Vuén Nabóştï: Literal

Alex's dog.: Aléqanä dázdï.: Alex's dog.

Jessica's cat.: Gésiqanä luėn.: Jessica's cat.

This is my horse.: Suánä hójö sizáŋ guėdagä.: My horse is this.

On an additional note on possession, in the sentence “John walked home”, it is given that he walked to his home. In Vuén Nabóştï, however, it isn't. All possessiveness must be told.

Vocabulary

Aléq: Alex

Gésiqä: Jessica

luėn: cat [feminine]

suá: I, me [neutral]

hójö: horse [feminine]

guėdä: this(pronoun) [neutral]

The word “must” is expressed with individual verb suffixes.

Examples:

English: Vuén Nabóştï: Literal

It must be an apple.: Quėzä sijámö muígä.: Apple is must it.

He will be proud.: Zájomaqä záqatár mígä.: Proud will be must he.

She must have been tired.: Vuėnamė sivuė nógä.: Tired have been must she.

-jámö is the present absolute verb tense marker, while -qatár and -vuė are future and past respectively.

Vocabulary

zájomaqä: proud(adjective) [masculine]

vuėnamė: tired(adjective) [feminine]

-jámö, -ajámö: present absolute tense verb marker

-qatár, -aqatár: future absolute tense verb marker

-vuė, -avuė: past absolute tense verb marker

The word “always” is also expressed with individual verb suffixes.

Examples:

English: Vuén Nabóştï: Literal

It is always a dog.: Dázdï zamánï qáşagä.: Dog is always it.

It will always be a dog.: Dázdï zajópä qáşagä.: Dog will be always it.

It has always been a dog.: Dázdï zanėn qáşagä.: Dog has been always it.

-manï is the present infinite tense, and -jopä and -nėn are future and past.

Vocabulary

-manï, -amanï: present infinite tense verb marker

-jopä, -ajopä: future infinite tense verb marker

-nėn, -anėn past infinite tense verb marker

There is also a way to express that something is not. To every verb tense, there is a negative form.

Examples:

English: Vuén Nabóştï: Literal

It is not a dog.: Dázdï zanuï qáşagä.: Dog is not it.

She was not a man.: Mójaş sísö nógä.: Man was not she.

It will not be a house.: Ştómä qiján lógä.: House will not be it.

It must not be an apple.: Quėzä siláguö muígä.: Apple must not be it.

He will not be proud.: Zájomaqä zagóz mígä.: Proud will be must not he.

She must not have been tired.: Vuėnamė simuėtä nógä.: Tired must have been not she.

It is not always a dog.: Dázdï zasuáŋ qáşagä.: Dog is always not it.

It will not always be a dog.: Dázdï zátamï qáşagä.: Dog will always be not it.

It has not always been a dog.: Dázdï zavuėş qáşagä.: Dog has always been not it.

-nuï, -sö, and -jan are negative simple, present, past, and future. -láguö, -goz, and -muėtä are negative absolute present, future, and past. -suaŋ, -tamï, and -vuėş are negative infinite present, future and past.

Vocabulary

-nuï, -anuï: negative simple present tense verb marker

-sö, -asö: negative simple past tense verb marker

-jan, -ajan: negative simple future tense verb marker

-láguö, -aláguö: negative absolute present tense verb marker

-goz, -agoz: negative absolute future tense verb marker

-muėtä, -amuėtä: negative absolute past tense verb marker

-suaŋ, -asuaŋ: negative infinite present tense verb marker

-tamï, -atamï: negative infinite future tense verb marker

-vuėş, -avuėş: negative infinite past tense verb marker

The word “want” when applied to a verb also is expressed through a suffix.

Examples:

English: Vuén Nabóştï: Literal

I want to run.: Gobánaqílä suágä.: Run want I.

I wanted to see you again.: Juágï qėnazóhö suágä.: You wanted to meet again I.

We will want to leave.: Azígomuen suázagä.: Want to leave will we.

I don't want to run.: Gobánaşin suágä.: Run want not I.

I didn't want to see you again.: Juágï qėnasuä suágä.: You wanted to meet again not I.

We will not want to leave.: Gobánajoŋ suázagä.: Want to leave will not we.

Vocabulary

gobánä: run(verb) [masculine]

juá: you [neutral]

qėnä: to meet someone again [neutral]

azígö: leave(verb) [neutral]

-qilä, -aqilä: present wanting tense verb marker

-zohö, -azohö: past wanting tense verb marker

-muen, -amuen: future wanting tense verb marker

-şin, -aşin: negative present wanting tense verb marker

-suä, -asuä: negative past wanting tense verb marker

-joŋ, -ajoŋ: negative future wanting tense verb marker

Vuén Nabóştï uses a decimal system of numbers. For any number over ten, the o at the beginning is dropped and the rest of the number is added to the end. There are exceptions, such as for the numbers for all of the hundreds, one thousand, ten thousand, one hundred thousand, one million, and more. When written, numerals are still used instead of letters to represent the numbers. If a number combination would conflict with phonotactics in the area of consonants, the vowel a is added in between the two conflicting letters. If it were to happen with vowels(possible if it happens with a consonant), then the consonant n is added between them.

Examples:

English: Vuén Nabóştï: Literal

Zero.: Óbuė.: Zero.

One.: Ózö.: One.

Two.: Ónï.: Two.

Three.: Óbï.: Three.

Four.: Ónä.: Four.

Five.: Ójä.: Five.

Six.: Óŗŗä.: Six.

Seven.: Ósaŋ.: Seven.

Eight.: Ódon.: Eight.

Nine.: Óquä.: Nine.

Ten.: Ólar.: Ten.

Eleven.: Olárzö.: Ten-one.

Twelve.: Olárnï.: Ten-two.

Thirteen.: Olárbï.: Ten-three.

Fourteen.: Olárnä.: Ten-four.

Fifteen.: Olárjä.: Ten-five.

Sixteen.: Oláŗŗä.: Tensix.

Seventeen.: Olársaŋ.: Ten-seven.

Eighteen.: Olárdon.: Ten-eight.

Nineteen.: Olárquä.: Ten-nine.

Twenty.: Óqzė.: Twenty.

Thirty.: Ópuä.: Thirty.

Forty.: Óvuö.: Forty.

Fifty.: Óhė.: Fifty.

Sixty.: Óŗė.: Sixty.

Seventy.: Ótel.: Seventy.

Eighty.: Ósoq.: Eighty.

Ninety.: Óqsad.: Ninety.

Hundred.: Ómï.: Hundred.

Two hundred.: Onímï.: Two-hundred.

Three hundred.: Obímï.: Three-hundred.

Thousand.: Óşï.: Thousand.

Ten thousand.: Óstä.: Ten thousand.

Hundred thousand.: Ózėŋ.: Hundred thousand.

Million.: Óŗiş.: Million.

Ten million.: Óhuaŋ.: Ten million.

Hundred million.: Ólim.: Hundred million.

Vocabulary

óbuė: zero [neutral]

ózö: one [neutral]

ónï: two [neutral]

óbï: three [neutral]

ónä: four [neutral]

ójä: five [neutral]

óŗŗä: six [neutral]

ósaŋ: seven [neutral]

ódon: eight [neutral]

óquä: nine [neutral]

ólar: ten [neutral]

óqzė: twenty [neutral]

ópuä: thirty [neutral]

óvuö: forty [neutral]

óhė: fifty [neutral]

óŗė: sixty [neutral]

ótel: seventy [neutral]

ósoq: eighty [neutral]

óqsad: ninety [neutral]

ómï: hundred [neutral]

óşï: thousand [neutral]

óstä: ten thousand [neutral]

ózėŋ: hundred thousand [neutral]

óŗiş: million [neutral]

óhuaŋ: ten million [neutral]

ólim: hundred million [neutral]

As shown earlier, there is common plural as commonly used in English. Vuén Nabóştï expands this with dual and triple grammatical numbers, where there are two or three in the group. In older Vuén Nabóştï, they went up to ten before using the way modern Vuén Nabóştï handles any number over three, but this is no longer commonly used and is limited mainly to scholars and members of the Toŋvuíqziş. The use of suffixes over three has been changed to using numbers, and numbers are also occasionally used for two and three as well.

Examples:

English: Vuén Nabóştï: Literal

Apple.: Quėzä.: Apple.

One apple.: Ozóqä quėzä.: One(adjective) apple.

Apples.: Quėzaş.: Apples.

Two apples.: Quėzaqsoz.: Apples(two).

Two apples.: Oníqä quėzaş.: Two(adjective) apples.

Three apples.: Quėzamėş.: Apples(three).

Three apples.: Óbiqä quėzaş.: Three(adjective) apples.

Four apples.: Quėzanaz.: Apples(four).

Four apples.: Onáqä quėzaz.: Four(adjective) apples.

Five apples.: Quėzahuiz.: Apples(five).

Five apples.: Ojáqä quėzaş.: Five(adjective) apples.

Six apples.: Quėzaguiş.: Apples(six).

Six apples.: Oŗŗáqä quėzaz.: Six(adjective) apples.

Seven apples.: Quėzauaz.: Apples(seven).

Seven apples.: Osáŋaqä quėzaş.: Seven(adjective) apples.

Eight apples.: Quėzajuiş.: Apples(eight).

Eight apples.: Odónaqä quėzaz.: Eight(adjective) apples.

Nine apples.: Quėzaŗaz.: Apples(nine).

Nine apples.: Oquáqä quėzaş.: Nine(adjectve) apples.

Ten apples.: Quėzaboş.: Apples(ten).

Ten apples.: Oláraqä quėzaz.: Ten(adjective) apples.

The suffix -qä is used to make a noun into an adjective, as demonstrated on the numbers(which count as nouns).

Vocabulary

-qsoz, -qsoş, -aqsoz, -aqsoş: dual plural marker

-mėz, -mėş, -amėz, -amėş: triple plural marker

-naz, -naş, -anaz, -anaş: four plural marker(not commonly used)

-huiz, -huiş, -ahuiz, -ahuiş: five plural marker(not commonly used)

-guiz, -guiş, -aguiz, -aguiş: six plural marker(not commonly used)

-uaz, -uaş, -auaz, -auaş: seven plural marker(not commonly used)

-juiz, -juiş, -ajuiz, -ajuiş: eight plural marker(not commonly used)

-ŗaz, -ŗaş, -aŗaz, -aŗaş: nine plural marker(not commonly used)

-boz, -boş, -aboz, -aboş: ten plural marker(not commonly used)

-qä, -aqä: makes a noun into an adjective

Dictionary
Vuén Nabóştï Dictionary