Chathan

Chathan (/tʃeɪθən/ sounds like "chay-thuhn") (Tjatamsjk /tʃatamʃk/ or Njugermansjk /njuɡɚmanʃk/ "New Germanic") is an a posteriori constructed language conceived by Tim Pappas (user Isaac Bonewits) during an August '07 trip to Amsterdam as a (semi-)naturalistically Germanic conlang. As its creator learned more about natural Teutonic languages, Chathan has gone through numerous changes since being what may now be called "proto-Chathan". Pappas thought of the name "Chathan" as a demonym of Chatham Dr., a street in his subdivision. In the Kingdom of Pacardia, Chathan is a regional language in the city-states of Dawngate and Whytecliffe.

Classification
Chathan is an is an a posteriori Germanic conlang, meaning its vocabulary is heavily influenced by tongues such as Dutch, German, Danish, and Swedish. Grammar, more specifically, is mostly West Germanic in morphology and syntax. Unlike natural languages, Chathan lacks a definite taxonomic location, but as a whole, some may consider it to lie between German and Dutch.

Chathan Ek vejst niek velk honden sin sjvart. /ɛk veɪst nik vas hɔndɛn sɪn ʃvɑɚt/ English I don't know which dogs are black. Dutch Ik weet niet welke honden zwart zijn. Afrikaans Ek weet nie wat honde swart is nie. German Ich weiß nicht, was Hunde schwarz sind. Danish Jeg ved ikke, hvilke hunde er sorte. Swedish Jag vet inte vilka hundar är svarta. Icelandic Ég veit ekki hver hundarnir eru svartir.

Alphabet
With 23 letters, Chathan's variant of the Latin alphabet excludes C, Q, X, Y, and Z. It includes Æ and Ë.

Aa Ææ Bb Dd Ee Ëë Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww

Letter : Name Aa : /a/ Ææ /eʃ/ Bb : /bi/ Dd : /di/ Ee : /eɪ/ Ëë /ɛ/ Ff : /ɛf/ Gg : /ɡi/ Hh : /ha/ Ii : /i/ Jj /jɔt/ Kk : /ka/ Ll : /ɛɫ/ Mm /ɛm/ Nn /ɛn/ Oo /oʊ/ Pp : /pi/ Rr : /eɚ/ Ss : /ɛs/ Tt : /ti/ Uu : /u/ Vv : /vi/ Ww /aʊ/

Ë is used in the case of a word like gëejtt /gɛeɪt/ (eaten), gërowkt /gɛʀoʊkt/ (smoked), and siën /siɛn/ (to see). The umlauts keep them pronounced as /ɛ/ ans not influenced by the following letter.

Consonants
/b/ : b /d/ : d /f/ : f /ɡ/ : g /h/ : h /ç/ : h before j /j/ : j /k/ : k /l/ : l /ɫ/ : l before consonant, ending l /m/ : m /n/ : n /ŋ/ : ng /p/ : p /ʀ/ : r before a vowel and not after one /s/ : s /t/ : t /v/ : v /ʃ/ : sj /tʃ/ : tj

Vowels and Diphthongs
/ə/ : ending e, consonants before l/m/n unless preceding e                             /a/ : a    /u/ : u   /ɛ/ : short e, ë /ɪ/ : short i                                                              /ɔ/ : short o                                /eɪ/ : long e, ej  /i/ : long i, ie /oʊ/ : long o, ow                                 /aɪ/ : aj  /ɔɪ/  : oj /aʊ/ : aw                                /eɹ/ : ær

Diphthongs with Vocalic R
/ɑɚ/ : before consonant/ending ar /eɚ/ : before consonant/ending ær /ɚ/ : before consonant/ending er /iɚ/ : before consonant/ending ir    /ɔɚ/ : before consonant/ending or  /uɚ/ : before consonant/ending ur

Diphthongs with Alveolar Tap
/aɾ/ : ar before vowel /eɾ : ær before vowel /əɾ/ : er before vowel /iɾ/ : ir before vowel /ɔɾ/ : or before vowel /uɾ/ : ur before vowel

Copulae
Ek bes... (I am...)

Ju best... (You are...)

Hej/Sej/Hes ist... (He/She/It is...)

Vej/Jej/Dej sin... (We/You (all)/They are...)

Ek/Ju/Hej/Sej/Hes var... (I/You/He/She/It was/were...)

Vej/Jej/Dej varen... (We/You (all)/They were...)

Ek hab... (I have...)

Ju habt (You have...)

Hej/Sej/Hes havt... (I/You/He/She/It have...)

Vej/Jej/Dej haven... (We/You (all)/They have...)

Nouns and Orthographic Accommodations
-en is added to the end of a noun to denote its plural form. In this case, no accommodation is needed to be made for any vowels.

hond (dog)

honden (dogs)

In this next example, an extra t must be added to retain the o's short /ɔ/ sound.

flod (river)

flodden (rivers)

In the following situations, the w must be removed because if the o precedes a single consonant before a vowel, it will still be pronounced with a long /oʊ/ sound.

bowt (boat)

boten (boats)

Articles
Nouns, and all other words, are genderless and the sole definite article is de.

de rowk (the smoke)

en is the only regular indefinite article.

en bord (a table)

kejn is a negative indefinite article akin to the Dutch geen and German kein. It is used to denote not having, not being, or there not being something.

Ek hab kejn vaser. (I have no water.)

Det ist kejn haws. (This is not a house.)

Dar sin kejn volken (There are no clouds.)

Adjectives
Chathan adjectives are placed before the noun. They undergo no variants.

en rowd abl (a red apple)

rowd ablen (red apples)

On a side note, when -en is added to apl, the /ə/ sound between the p and l is dropped.

Verbs
fligen (to fly)

Present Simple

Ek/Ju/He/Se/Hes/Ve/Je/De fliegt. (I/You/He/She/It/We/You (all)/They fly/flies.)

Present Progressive

Ek bes fliegning. (I am flying.)

Ju best fliegning. (You are flying.)

Hej/Sej/Hes ist fliegning. (He/She/It is flying.)

Vej/Jej/Dej sin fliegning. (We/You (all)/They are flying.)

Past Progressive

Ek/Ju/Hej/Sej/Hes var fligen. (I/You/He/She/It was flying.)

Vej/Jej/Dej varen fligen. (We/You (all)/They were flying.)

Simple Past

Ek/Ju/Hej/Sej/Hes/Vej/Jej/Dej gefliegt. (I I/You/He/She/It/We/You (all)/They flew.)

A verb like legen (to play) becomes gellejgt, with an extra l so the e in ge- is still pronounced /ɛ/ and not /eɪ/.

Past Perfect Simple

Ek hab gefligen. (I have flown.)

Ju habt gefligen. (You have flown.)

Hej/Sej/Hes havt gefligen. (You/He/She/It have flown.)

Vej/Jej/Dej haven gefligen. (We/You (all)/They have flown.)

Future

Ek/Ju/Hej/Sej/Hes/Vej/Jej/Dej ska fligen (I will fly.)

Imperative (command)

Flieg! (Fly!)

Pronouns
Person : Subject : Object : Possessive 1st singular : ek : meg : mejn 2nd singular : ju : ju : jejn 3rd singular (m) : hej : hem : hems 3rd singular (f) : sej : hen : hens 3rd singular (n) : hes : hes : hets 1st plural : vej : os : ons 2nd plural : jej : jej : jejns 3rd plural : dej : dem : dejn

Demonstrative Pronouns
this : det these : des that : dat those : das

Prepositions
about : uver among(st) : bland at : om before : for behind : hinter between : tvusjken by : bej for : fur from : aws of : av on : awp through : drok to : su under : onter with : med

Basic Phrases
excuse me : unskild goodbye : farvel hello : halo hey : hoj please : alstjublief sorry : rawvig thank you : tank ju (no) thanks : (nej) tanken welcome : vilkom good morning : gud morgn good day : gud dag good evening : gud avdn good night : gud nakt

Interrogatives : Fragenden
who : vir what : vas where : vawr when : van why : varfor how : vorn which : velk

People : Folken
boy : dreng girl : jent man : man woman : kvin brother : broder/bror sister : sister/sis father : fader/far mother : moder/mor son : sown daughter : dotter husband : ektman wife : fraw

Numbers : Talen
0 : nol 1 : ejn 2 : tvej 3 : drej 4 : fir 5 : fejm 6 : seks 7 : sievn 8 : akt 9 : nejgn 10 : tien 11 : ellev 12 : tvolv 13 : dretien 14 : firtien 15 : fejmtien 16 : sekstien 17 : sievntien 18 : aktien 19 : nejgntien 20 : tvantig 21 : enontvantig 22 : tveontvantig 23 : dreontvantig 24 : firontvantig 25 : femontvantig 26 : seksontvantig 27 : sievnontvantig 28 : aktontvantig 29 : nejgnontvantig 30 : dretig 40 : firtig 50 : fejmtig 60 : sekstig 70 : sievntig 80 : aktig 90 : nejgntig 100 : honderd 1,000 : dawsend

Amounts : Fielheden
all : al every : jider many : fiel some : sommig few : venig none : kejn more : mær less : fær

Colors : Fargen
red : rowd orange : oransj yellow : gejl green : grun blue : blaw violet : fjolet purple : lila pink : rows black : sjvart white : vis grey : graw brown : brawn

Days : Dagen
Sunday : sondag Monday : mandag Tuesday : tisdag Wednesday : vonsdag Tuesday : torsdag Friday : fredag Saturday : lordag

Months : Monaden
January : januari February : februari March : marts April : april May : mej June : juni July : juli August : awgust September : september October : oktober November : november December : disember

Seasons : Jarsteden
winter : vinter spring : forjar summer : sommer autumn : hærst

Directions : Riktingen
north : nord south : sawd west : vest east : owst up : op down : ned left : links right : rekts

Clothing : Kleden
blouse : blus dress : kjol glasses : bril glove : handsjko hat : hud helmet : hjelm jacket : jak pants : bruk shirt : hemd shoe : sjko skirt : rok sock : sok sunglasses : sonbril sweater : traw

Animals : Diren
ape : ap     bear :	bjorn bird : fowgl cat : kat chicken : kikling cow : ku     deer: hjort dog: hond dolphin: delfejn elephant: olefant fish : fisjk frog : frosjk giraffe: giraf goat : gejs hippo : flodpærd horse : pærd human : mensjk lion : leu lizard : owgl louse : laws mouse : maws rabbit : konin rat : rot rhino : nejshorn shark : haj sheep : sjkap snake : sjlang swine : sjvejn tiger : teger turtle : sjkilpad whale : val zebra : sebra

Weather : Vær
cloud : volk fog : mist hail : hagl hurricane : orkan ice : ejs lightning : bliks rain : rejgn snow : sjnej storm : storm sun : son thunder : tonder tornado : tornado wind : vind

Body Parts : Likamtelen
arm : arm belly : bawk breast : borst blood : blod brain : hjærn ear : or eye : awg face : gessikt finger : finger foot : fus hair : har hand : hand head : hawfd heart : hjært knee : kni leg : bejn mouth : mond nail : nagl neck : hals nose : nejs skin : hawd tail : sjvant toe : ta tongue : tong tooth : tand

Food and Drinks : Mad on Dranken
apple : abl bacon : spek beer : bir bread : browd (breakfast) cereal : morgngran butter	: smor cake : kak cheese : kas coffee	: koffi cola : kola cookie : kejks corn : majs egg : ej fruit : frukt ham : sjkink ice cream : ejsrowm jam :silt juice : saf ketchup : ketjup meat : flejsj milk : mjelk mustard : semp nuts : nosen orange : sinabl pepper : pefer pie : tort pizza : pitsa potato : jardabl salad : salat salt : salts sausage : vorst soup : sup steak : (bief)stejk sugar : suker tea : tej toast : towst vegetable : grownsak water : vaser

Media and Communication : Medjen on Samskipt
box : boks letter : brief mailbox : briefboks mailman : briefman magazine : tejdsjkrift newspaper : teding package : paket postage stamp : briefmark postcard : briefkort satellite : filgisvejn (tele)phone : (tele)fown television : fjærnsi video game : videospiel

Transport : Ferfur
airplane : fliegtawg bicycle : tvejol boat : bowt bus : bus car : awto, biel helicopter : helikopter hot air balloon : (hejs)luftbalong motorcycle : motorjol submarine : onterbowt subway : onterban truck : fraktbiel

Fire : Eld
candle : kærs chimney : sjkorsjtejn extinguisher : eldbusjker fireplace : eldsted flame : flam lighter : eldtanden match : eldstok smoke : rowk

Places : Stedden
town : bi city : sjtad state : stat city-state : sjtadstat realm : rejk kingdom : koningrejk country : land continent : værldtejl world : værld

Hair : Har
bald : kal beard : skjeg facial hair : gessikthar mustache : uverskjeg

Countries : Landen
North America : Nordamerika Canabda : Kanada Cuba : Kuba Greenland : Grunland Mexico : Meksiko United States : Ferenigt Staten

South America : Sawdamerika Brazil : Brasiljen Chile : Tjili Colombia : Kolombjen Venezuela : Venesvela

Europe : Evropa Austria : Owsterejk Belgium : Belgjen Czech Republic : Tjekjen Denmark : Danmark England : England Finland : Finland France : Frankrejk Germany : Dawtsland Great Britain : Growsbritanjen Greece : Grekland Iceland : Ejsland Ireland : Irland Italy : Italjen Netherlands : Nederland Norway : Norvegen Poland : Polen Portugal : Portugal Scotland : Skotland Spain : Spanjen Sweden : Sjveden Switzerland : Sjvitserland United Kingdom : Ferenigt Koningrejk

Africa : Afrika Algeria : Algerjen Egypt : Egipten Morocco : Marokko South Africa : Sawdafrika Tunisia : Tuniesjen

Asia : Asjen Afghanistan : Afganistan Bhutan : Butan China : Sjina India : Indjen Iraq : Irak Japan : Japan Mongolia : Mongoljen North Korea : Nortkorea Pakistan : Pakistan Philippines : Filipenen Russia : Rusland Saudi Arabia : Sawdiarabjen South Korea : Sawdkorea Thailand : Tajland Vietnam : Vietnam Yemen : Jemmen

Oceania : Oseanjen Australia : Awstraljen New Zealand : Njuseland Papua New Guinea : Papua Njuguinea

Adjectives : Befuglik Namvorden
bad : sjlekt big : grows clean : rejn cold : kawd correct : rektig creative : sjkapend dirty : fawl, sjmutsig dry : drowg dull : stomf fast : sjnel far : fjærn first : ærst full : fol empty : tom good : gud heavy : sjvar last : sidst long : lang narrow : sjmal near(by) : dikt(bej) new : nju old : awd rotten : rot round : rond sharp : sjkarf short : kort slow : langsam small : klejn smooth : glad straight : grad thick : dik thin : dun warm : varm wet : nas wide : brejd

Verbs : Verkvorden
to ask : sporgen to bite : besen to blow : blasen to breathe : admen to buy : kawpen to come : kommen to count : tellen to cut : sjneden to dance : dansen to die : sterven to dig : graven to do : gjoren to drag : sjleppen to drink : drenken to eat : eten to get : kregen to give : geven to go : gaen to fall : falen to fear : fresen to fight : kjempen to fly : fligen to follow : folgen to freeze : frisen to hear : horen to hit : sjlogen to hold : halden to hunt : jagen to jump : springen to kill : doden to know : vesen to laugh : laken to learn : læren to lie (down) : ligen to listen : lawsten to live : leven to open : owbnen to play : legen to pull : trekken to push : driuen to run : lawpen to rub : vreven to scratch : kratsen to see : siën to sew : najen to sing : sengen to sit : sitten to sleep : sjlapen to smell : rawken to smoke : roken to speak : spreken to spin : spinnen to spit : spjuten to squeeze : druken to stab : steken to stand : staen to suck : sawgen to swell : sjvellen to swim : sjvemmen to take : nemmen to think : tenken to throw : gojen to tie : binden to touch : roren to understand : beggrefen, ferstaen to want : vollen to wash : vasjken to wear : dragen to wipe : vesjken to wish : vensjken to write : sjkreven

Dawngate Dialect
Chathan speakers within the urban core of the City-State of Dawngate, Pacardia are likely to observe the Dawngate Dialect, in which more words end in voiceless sounds, and the spelling changes accordingly. The dialect is also more rhotic than Standard Chathan.

Standard Chathan : Dawngate Dialect -b : -p -d : -t -g (exception for -ng) : -k -v : -f

/ɹ/ : r except in er /ɑɚ/ : every ar /ɚ/ : every er /iɚ/ : every ir /ɔɚ/ : every or /uɚ/ : every ur

Human Right
Standard Chathan

''Al mensjklik senen sin gebbort frej on glejk ien værdighejd on rekten. Dej sin geggift med ferstand on gevvejs on skolt handlen til enander ien en gejst av brodersjkap.''

Dawngate Dialect

''Al mensjklik senen sin gebbort frej on glejk ien værdikhejt on rekten. Dej sin geggift met ferstant on gevvejs on skolt hantlen til enander ien en gejst af brodersjkap.''

SC IPA

/aɫ mɛnʃklɪk seɪnɛn sɪn gɛbɔɾɛn fʀeɪ ɔn gleɪk in veɚdɪgheɪd ɔn ʀɛktɛn. deɪ sɪn gɛgɪft mɛd fɚstand ɔn gɛveɪs ɔn skɔlɛn handlɛn tɪɫ eɪnandɚ in ɛn geɪst av bʀoʊdɚʃkap/

DD IPA

/aɫ mɛnʃklɪk seɪnɛn sɪn gɛbɔɹɛn fɹeɪ ɔn gleɪk in veɚdɪkheɪt ɔn ɹɛktɛn. deɪ sɪn gɛgɪft mɛt fɚstant ɔn gɛveɪs ɔn skɔlɛn hantlɛn tɪɫ eɪnandɚ in ɛn geɪst af bɹoʊdɚʃkap/

English

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Featured
English

This language was once featured.

Thanks to its level of quality, plausibility and usage capabilities, it has been voted as featured.

Standard Chathan

Det sprak var ejnst gëopvejst.

Tanken su hets nivo av kvalitejd, gellawfværdighejd on gebrawk bekvamheden, hes havt gessenen gestempt als gëopvejst.

IPA

/dɛt spʀak vɑɚ eɪnst ɡɛɔpveɪst/

/taŋkɛn su hɛts nivoʊ av kvaliteɪd, ɡɛlaʊfveɚdɪgheɪd ɔn ɡɛbʀaʊk bɛkvamheɪdɛn, hɛs havt ɡɛseɪnɛn ɡɛstɛmpt aɫs ɡɛɔpveɪst/