Taurahe

Taurahe is the language spoken by the Tauren from the Warcraft universe.

Orthography
Taurahe historically had no written language, so different methods resulted in vastly different transcriptions. This page uses a phonology-based alphabet of 19 letters:

A E F H I K L M N NG P PH S T TH U V X Z

This results in words that don't look like established transcriptions, such as Mu'sha and An'she, which are spelled musia and anasi with this system. No matter the spelling convention, the words have the same meaning.

Ancient Taurahe
The oldest form of the language is known from ancient Kaldorei writings. While the Tauren themselves did not keep written records, they did interact with the night elves, who transliterated some Taurahe words and speech. During the period that these texts were composed, Taurahe appears to have been undergoing a drastic shift in the nature of vowels. In the earliest texts, vowels were transcribed in a uniform fashion. However, in later texts, new consonants or semi-consonants appeared irregularly in certain places.

Vowels
Ancient Taurahe apparently had 3 vowels and 2 vowel lengths. In later texts, the long vowels were sometimes replaced with the sequences *je, *β̞o, and *ʟa, suggesting that the long vowels were undergoing a form of fortition.
 * Short vowels: *e, *o, and *a
 * Long vowels: *ee, *oo, and *aa

Consonants

 * {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"

! ! Labial ! Coronal ! Velar ! Glottal ! Nasal ! Plosive ! Approximant
 * *m
 * *n
 * *ŋ
 * *p
 * *t
 * *k
 * (*β̞)
 * (*j)
 * (*ʟ)
 * *h
 * }

Unlike modern Taurahe, the consonant inventory of Ancient Taurahe was very small, with only 7 phonemes. *j, *β̞, and *ʟ appear in later texts, bring the total to 10 consonants.

Phonotactics
The maximum syllables were (C(h))V and (C)V, where C = nasal or plosive. Syllables with consonant clusters never had long vowels.

Ceremonial Taurahe
No other written records of Taurahe have been found, but another ancestral variety of Taurahe still exists in the form of ceremonial Taurahe. Spoken only in formal rituals and recitation of myths, its existence is useful for analyzing how the language has developed in more recent history.

Vowels

 * {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"

! !Front !Back !High/Midhigh !Low/Midlow
 * i [ɪ]
 * u [ʊ]
 * e [ɛ]
 * a [ɒ]
 * }

There a a few differences between ancient and ceremonial vowels. The concept of vowel length has been fully abandoned, and the ancient *e has split into /i/ and /e/, resulting in a 4 vowel system.

Consonants

 * {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"

! colspan=2| ! Labial ! Coronal ! Velar ! Glottal ! colspan=2| Nasal ! rowspan=2| Plosive || Plain !Aspirated ! rowspan=2 | Fricative || Voiceless ! Voiced
 * m [m]
 * n [ɳ]
 * ng [ŋ]
 * p [p]
 * t [t]
 * k [k]
 * ph [pʰ]
 * th [tʰ]
 * rowspan=2 | kh-x [kʰ~x]
 * f [f]
 * s [ʂ]
 * h [h]
 * v [v]
 * z [ʐ♂~ɻ♀]
 * l [ʟ]
 * }
 * }

Consonant clusters no longer appear. However, aspirates have surfaced where *ph, *th, and *kʰ. Similarly, voiceless fricatives /f/ and /s/ are thought to have formed via theoretical clusters *β̞h and *jh. /kh-x/ appears as an aspirated plosive [kʰ] word-initially; elsewhere it is a fricative [x]. /z/ has two realizations: [ʐ] is used by males, [ɻ] by females.

Phonotactics
Syllables are limited to (C)V.

Stress
With the exception of some clitics, stress is regular across words. Normally, stress is trochaic: the first syllable is always stressed. However, in words longer than three syllables, the penultimate syllable receives primary stress.


 * lápu stone
 * fíziu girl
 * akaláke man
 * zàkasatíe to catch
 * fùzakàsatíe caught

Bloodhoof Taurahe
Bloodhoof Taurahe is a cosmopolitan dialect of Taurahe originating in Mulgore. Since the founding of Thunder Bluff, it has become the de facto standard dialect of Taurahe, supplanting ceremonial Taurahe in areas of trade and tribal politics. Most tribes now speak the language; a notable exception is the Grimtotem tribe, who have actively resisted incorporation into greater Tauren society.

Vowels

 * {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"

! !Front !Back !High/Midhigh !Low/Midlow
 * i ĩ:
 * ʊ ʊ̃:
 * æ æ̃:
 * ʌ̟ ʌ̟̃:
 * }

The four vowels from ceremonial Taurahe have been slightly changed, and can now appear nasalized.

Consonants

 * {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"

! rowspan=2 colspan=2 | ! rowspan=2 |Labial ! colspan=2 |Coronal ! rowspan=2 |Palatal ! rowspan=2 |Velar ! rowspan=2 |Glottal ! Central ! Velarized Lateral ! colspan=2| Nasal ! rowspan=2| Plosive || Plain !Aspirated ! rowspan=2 | Fricative || Voiceless ! Voiced
 * m
 * colspan=2| ɳ
 * ɲ
 * ŋ
 * p
 * t || t͡lˠ
 * rowspan=2 | t͡ʃ~t͡ʃʰ
 * k
 * pʰ
 * tʰ || t͡ɬˠ
 * rowspan=2 | kʰ~x
 * f
 * ʂ || ɬˠ
 * ʃ
 * h
 * v
 * ʐ♂~ɻ♀~r || ɮˠ
 * ʒ
 * lˠ♀
 * }
 * }

Phonotactics
Due to elision of unstressed vowels, the maximum syllable structure is (C)V(C)(C), such as in /mʌ̟ɲt͡ʃ/ ear of corn and /ʐivr/ zhevra.

Stress
Stress is assigned according to ceremonial phonology. Thus, it has been lexically marked rather than predictable.

Clitics
Stress pattern is normally predictable in Taurahe words by simple syllable count. Normal clitics are those which do not change the position of the main stress in a word, despite changing the number of syllables.

For example, a typical 3 syllable word has the pattern μ́μμ, as in kákama strider. A typical 4 syllable word has the pattern μ̀μμ́μ, as in àkaláke man. However, the plural marker /mu-/ is a normal clitic, meaning it doesn't change the position of the main stress. Therefore, mukakama striders has the pattern μμ́μμ. Secondary stress can change, however, so muakalake men has the pattern μ̀μμμ́μ rather than μμ̀μμ́μ.

Abnormal clitics do affect the syllable structure of the word, and can cause a shift of stress. The interrogative marker /nga-/, for example, can shift the stress in the case marker ilusa:


 * ixúngate suli ílusa he/she has an idea.
 * ixuúngate suli ngàilúsa who has an idea?

Verbs
All verb roots end with /e/.


 * luke to go (somewhere)
 * kenite to climb
 * pukae to love
 * tuvale to attack
 * maziuve to cry
 * peziese to hear

Tense
There are verb tenses, formed by appending a normal clitic to the verb.


 * /fu-/ -past tense
 * fupukae loved
 * /i-/ - present tense and imminent future
 * imaziuve cries, is going to cry
 * /kava-/ - non-imminent future
 * kavatuvale will attack

Aspect
Taurahe contrasts perfective and imperfective aspect, with the perfective being unmarked and the imperfective marked by the adverb nga.


 * futumaphate sa anga I slept.


 * futumaphate nga sa anga  I was sleeping.


 * futumaphate nga sa anga fuzazeve zi thi luxa I was sleeping when you arrived.

Mood
The unmarked mood is the declarative mood, but there are three other moods, formed via varying methods.


 * The interrogative mood is marked by the normal clitic infix /-u-/ before the stressed vowel.
 * ikuenite zi thi Are you going to climb?
 * The imperative mood is marked by replacing the tense marker with /a-/. This construction has no agent, but an implied thi.
 * azanupe sa u Check this out.
 * The mirative mood is marked by the normal clitic infix /-za-/ after the stressed vowel.
 * ithazaze aa zi thi You dance well!
 * The potential mood is marked by replacing the normal clitic with /tiula-/.
 * ilusazi lavuzuthi tiulamanime ilusasa mukakama The wolf might eat the striders.

Nouns
Every noun must have a determiner. The determiner is composed of two parts, the class and the case. Taurahe has five noun classes and fifteen cases, yielding a total of sixty different determiners.

Class
The first half of the determiner marks the class. There are 5 non-arbitrary noun classes: magical, animate, inanimate natural, inanimate constructed, and abstract.


 * ha: magical objects as well as astrological phenomena, weather, and fire
 * ilusa: creatures which can move under their own volition, but are not magical
 * ku: naturally occurring objects, places, and phenomena. All nouns in this class end in either /i/ or /u/.
 * u: objects such as tools, clothing, and such implements, as well as buildings and such constructions. All nouns in this class end in either /i/ or /u/.
 * ∅: abstract concepts


 * hapali phu the wind
 * ilusapali thalu the woman
 * kupali muti the tree
 * upali hatiaki the arrow
 * pali asale the knowledge

Case
There are four argument cases in Taurahe.


 * zi: the ergative case, the subject of active verbs. zi only modifies magical and animate nouns.
 * izazeve ilusazi akalake The (subject) man is going to come.


 * sa: the absolutive case, the agent of passive verbs, and patient of all verbs
 * ilusazi lavuzuthi maniame kusa muangi The wolf eats the (patient) meat.
 * iluie usa kaizu pali asale The (passive) books contains knowledge.


 * suli: a form of the ergative case triggered by verbs involving communication and thought
 * suli anga iasale sa falavaze I know how to swim


 * pali: the oblique case, triggered by certain verbs
 * ilusazi akalake fungetute ilusasa fiziu kupali kaizu The man gave (oblique) the book to the girl.
 * ngetute means to give [something] to. The [something] is indicated by the oblique case.

There is also a possessive case, indicated by na.
 * ilusana siuhalu of the Tauren

The possessive case appears alongside the adjective nu, which means its, where it refers to the possessive object.


 * upali nu kaizu ilusana siuhalu the Tauren's book

Pronouns
Pronouns are formed by decomposing the determiner into its two parts, then moving the case before the class. Thus;


 * ilusazi the dog becomes zi ilusa him (i.e. the dog)
 * kuna angazu of the seed becomes na ku of it (i.e. the seed)

The first and second person pronouns anga and thi function in this way. zi anga ithaze sa thi I am going to dance with you.

Interrogatives also rely on this function, relying on the abnormal clitic /nga-/.


 * ilusazi fiziu fungetute ilusasa kanini kupali muangi
 * the girl gave the meat to the dog.


 * zi ngailusa funguetute ilusasa kanini kupali muangi
 * who gave the meat to the dog?


 * ilusazi fiziu funguetute sa ngailusa kupali muangi
 * the girl gave the meat to whom?


 * ilusazi fiziu funguetute ilusasa kanini pali ngaku
 * the girl gave what to the dog?

Pluralization
Pluralization is formed by the normal clitic /mu-/.


 * khutu kodo
 * mukhutu kodos


 * siuphi child
 * musiuphi children

Adjectives
Adjectives appear within the noun phrase, after the determiner but before the noun.


 * kupali tanga muangi the red fruit/meat
 * kupali itia keleki the white flower
 * kupali sakua lapu the black stone

Numbers
Taurahe uses an octal number system (based on 6 fingers and 2 horns).