Nauspayr

Nauspayr (Nauspék) /nɔ'spɛːkǝ̆/ is the native language of a formerly tribal people of a large expanse of low hills in a Cascadian Maritime Climate. Since imperial colonisation these people fell into the lowest social castes and, since the Civil War following devolution of power, make up a large percentage of the resulting diaspora.

Phonology
Note that the descriptive phonology (that is, not the IPA phonology), unless otherwise stated, assumes an RP-English pronunciation (just because everyone knows what one of those sounds like). This description is very approximate and assumes minimal linguistic knowledge.

Note: awaiting Old Script glyph forms.

Vowels
There are fifteen simple vowel sounds, divided into "core", "brief" and "extended". Each Latin grapheme takes one of each of these sounds, each denoted by an acute accent for "extended", a grave accent for "brief" and no accent for "core". There are also six "complex" vowels, each having a Latin digraph.

Word Classes
All content word forms (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs) have a designated word class which effects the manner in which they are inflected (with the exception of stem-changing verbs). A phonologically identical root form may exist in more than one class and may or may not be semantically related to its homonyms. However, these identical roots behave differently when utilised as nouns, verbs, etc.

If a root, when inflected verbally, is stem-changing, this does not affect its inflection nominally or adjectivally and still exhibits the qualities of its class.

Most content words exist within one of the four chief classes, "Y", "D", "L" or "X". There is, however, a fifth archaic class used exclusively with certain proper nouns, in particular names of humans, deities and places.

Non-content and extreme-high-frequency words inhabit a sixth "pseudo-class" and do not inflect in any manner.

"Y" Class
"Y" class words relate to any of the following:
 * Masculine gendered things and animates.
 * Emotions, colours, tools, social structures.
 * Masculine and genderless social roles.
 * Items expressly for male use.
 * All miscellaneous not fitting any other category.

"D" Class
"D" class words relate to any of the following:
 * Man-made artefacts, objects, architecture, settlements, etc which do not fit any other category.
 * Celestial bodies, measurements of time, space, currency, weights, measures.
 * Items related to commerce and trade.

"L" Class
"L" class words relate to any of the following:
 * Female gendered things and animates.
 * Geographical features, weather, genderless living or environmental entities, religious items or symbolism.
 * Female gendered social roles.
 * Items expressly for female use.

"X" Class
"X" class words relate to any of the following:


 * Items relating to un-gendered human body.
 * Food, drink, direction, energy, art, knowledge and their transmission, movement.
 * Items relating to combat and military engagement.
 * Items relating to honour and etiquette.

Nouns
Nouns decline for class, case, number and definiteness. These four discriminated aspects are contained within a single suffix.

Definiteness
There is discrimination between nominal definite and nominal indefinite.

Number
There is discrimination between the singular, dual, trial, paucal and plural. All nouns are considered count nouns, where mass nouns are given always in the plural.

Case
There are four superior cases (nominative, accusative, dative, genitive) and eighteen subordinate cases. Superior cases are those which are most common and which possess unique declension paradigms. Subordinate cases use the declesion paradigms of the nominative case with a further suffix applied finally. If two identical vowels combine in this process the vowel is converted into its extended form. Subordinate cases are employed in the presence of specific prepositions.

Archaic Nouns
Only functioning with a certain cluster of proper nouns, this class (sometimes termed the "I Class") only marks case; it assumes that these proper nouns are always definite and singular (it is not possible to say "some Nadias"). I Class nouns have no root form, they may only decline according to this single paradigm and are lexically listed in their nominative form. The subordinate cases function in exactly the same manner as with Y, D, L and X class nouns, but the superior declensions are as follows:

Hence the name "Nadìa" may decline also as "Nadì", "Nada" and "Nadìá".

Archaic nouns also possess a unique diminutive form: +tya

Adjectives
Adjectives do not inflect for number or case, but do inflect for class:
 * 1) The adjective inflects to match the class of the noun it describes
 * 2) The way in which the adjective inflects is dependent upon the adjective's own class

Inflection
As nouns do, adjectives inflect with the affixation of a suffix. In the table below, the X axis denotes the class of the noun described and the Y axis denotes the class of the adjective.

Comparatives
These forms are produced by the affixation of a further suffix to the correct inflected adjectival form.
 * Relativity: +dun
 * Superlative: +mun

Adverb
The form of the adverb is similar to that of the comparatives. The correct inflected adjectival form is produced (where the "class of noun" is replaced by "class of verb" (even with stem-changing verbs)) and then an adverbial suffix is applied:
 * Adverbial: +vhurr

Superior / Inferior Markers
When a proper noun is used it may be suffixed (after ordinary nominal declension) with a marker denoting the social relationship of the proper noun to the speaker. This marker also denotes gender and is dependent upon the word class of the proper noun.

"Want" Mood Uses
There is a subtle distinction between the several verbal moods denoting "want"
 * Precative: "want the world to be so", "I want to mow the lawn today"
 * Cohortative: "want you to do so", "I want you to go shopping"
 * Optative: "hope" for something beyond one's control. "I hope for world peace"
 * Jussive: a final request or plea, particularly to a superior, such as a god, "please don't send me to gaol"
 * Desiderative: a simple "I want" statement "I want to have a banana"

Affirmation / Negation Types
The terms for "yes" and "no" differ according to the speaker's relationship with the addressee.

Imperative / Prohibative Markers
It is considered impolite to request or deny an action from a superior and thus the imperative or prohibitative mood of a verb must be "softened". Similarly it is considered uncouth and demeaning not to lend credence to a request or denial to an inferior without a similar addition. This is denoted using one of a pair of postpositions which follow the imperative or prohibitative verb.
 * Superior: +sau
 * Inferior: +sen