Slwöhnièsà

Consonants

 * Slwöhnìesà has a relatively large collection of consonants. This is due to palatalization of certain consonants and velarization of l. Swöhnìesà has also three affricates: ʧ, ʦ and ʃ͡ʧ (palato-alveolar fricative + palato-alveolar affricate).


 * All consonant letters have two different ways to be pronounced. The only exception is the letter l with three ways of pronunciation: alveolar, palatal and velar.


 * Consonants are divided into two groups:
 * The consonants correspond to each other in that order (in other words: c - g, n - m, t - h...). This is an important aspect of forming the past tense and the imperative.

Vowels

 * Slwöhnìesà has only six full vowels and one unstressed vowel for special cases. Vowels e and o can be either closed or open depending on speaker's preference. There is no rule how to use them.


 * The schwa vowel is used only when a word begins with the same consonant as the previous word ends: gals u'sayat = /x ɑls ə 's ɑjɑ t/.


 * The vowel /æ/ is written with the letter e just like the sound /e/ itself. There are four rules to determite wheter to pronunce it as /e/ or as /æ/.
 * 1) At the end of the word it is ALWAYS /e/.
 * 2) If the next syllable has the vowel / ɑ/, /o/ or /u/ it is pronunced as /æ/.
 * 3) The syllable must be stressed to have the vowel /æ/ in it.
 * 4) /æ/ is NEVER part of a diphthong.


 * There are also four rules to determinate the stress of the word:
 * 1) s + `/ t + `/ y + `/ z + ` - sisìstoc = /si 'ʃistok/
 * 2) Long syllable aka. a syllable with a long vowel or a diphthong - wyíhse = /u 'ji:hse/
 * 3) The first syllable if all the vowels are short or rule 1. doesn't happen - saya = /'saja/
 * 4) Affixes are NEVER stressed.

Writing System

 * - Vowels have five possible diacritics: ´, `, ^, ¨ & ~.


 * 1) ´ marks a long vowel: é = /e:/
 * 2) ` marks the second form of a consonant: tè = / ʧe/. It also marks a /h/ sound before a short vowel in front of a vowel-ending word: té àsálètcie = /te: h ɑ' s ɑ : ʎetkie/.
 * 3) ^ marks the third form of l: lâtna = / ɫ ɑtn ɑ/. It also marks a /h/ sound before a long vowel in front of a vowel-ending word: té âlyetca = /te: 'h ɑ:l jetk ɑ /
 * 4) ¨ marks an irregular stress with a short vowel: csozwisölna = /kso ʦuis'oln ɑ /.
 * 5) ~ marks an irregular stress with a long vowel: maisãrca = /m ɑi 's ɑ :rk ɑ /


 * Y is used to show palatalization in front of long vowels. Thus syo = /sjo/ but syó = /ʃo:/
 * Ù is used when there's a consonant after the second/third form or the word ends to it. Eg. zesù = / ʦeʃ/.

Nouns

 * Vowels decline in seven cases and two numbers. There is no grammatical gender. Plural is marked with a prefix and the case is with a suffix.


 * All nouns end in a vowel.


 * There are no articles.


 * All nouns have a form that is used in counting. It is marked with a -t at the end of a word (yaica -> yaicat). It is used with numbers greater than 1 (fés yaica -> gals yaicat -> hyíls yaicat...).
 * Example: Yaica (an apple)


 * Singular: yaica - yaicalû - yaicasie - yaicasnw - yaicasyo - yaicasea - yaicastai


 * Plural: cayaica - cayaicù - cayaicasie - cayaicasnw - cayaicasyo - cayaicasea - cayaicastai


 * Words ending in -ie or -ea have a bit different forms in locative and comitative. In those cases, the last diphthong is removed and the ending is attached straight to the last consonant. (riëtèa -> riëtùsea). This happens only with the case that has a similar ending, thus riëtèasie, not riëtùsie. If the last consonant is /s/, then this doesn't happen. (hrwnozìsie -> hrwnozìsiesie)


 * (!!) Words ending in -zie/-zea get the entire ending replaced (asmostözie -> asmostösie)

Cases

 * Nominative is the basic form of a noun. It marks the subject of a sentence. It is never used with any prepositions.


 * Genitive is used to mark the owner of something: asmostözielû atsíe = the location of a parking lot. Another possibility is to add a possessive suffix at the end of the thing being owned. They are: la, sw, hi, mé/né, ce & fo. Example: mostoze -> mostozehi, car -> his/her car.


 * Locative is used to express location. It's used with prepositions sa, il, hlo, ra, ye, wl, is, co, le, oz, pa, sya.


 * Dative is used to express the receiver. (Znàwtasasnw so = Give it to me).


 * Accusative is used to mark the object of a sentence. (Lyẃnal yaicasyo. = I eat an apple).


 * Comitative marks that something is done with something. (Méreh cozosìeraseahi hlo tàtrasie. = He went to the theatre with his sisters.)


 * Abessive marks that something is done without something. (Mérel zotìenestaila hlo tàtrasie. = I went to the theatre without my brother.)

Adjectives

 * Adjectives end in -aya, -eye, -iyi, -oyo or -wyw.
 * They have two different forms depending on if they're attributive or predicate.
 * Attributive adjectives have the -aya etc endings. Predicative adjectives have -as, -es etc endings.
 * They have three comparison degrees: positive - comparative - superlative.
 * Attributive comparative is made by replacing the ending with -ast, est etc. With predicatives the ending is -àsù, -èsù etc.
 * Superlative is made by adding -ais, eis, ies, oi or wis with attributives. With predicatives -ayalû, eyelû etc.
 * Example: To mwtro ê carnas. = This house is red.
 * Example: To ê carnaya mutro. = This is a red house.

Verbs

 * All verbs end in -z in infinitive form.


 * The subject is attached in place of -z. There are two endings for 1st person plural. -m is used for groups with the listener included. -n is used when the listener isn't included. Eg. nérem = we go (and you too), néren = we go (but you don't).


 * The passive is marked with -tù. Eg. retroscaz -> retroscatù.
 * The object is included as a vowel after the subject. It is marked also if the object is inanimate. In singular -i is used and in the plural -o is used. Eg. nowlàli mostozesyo - nowlàlo comostozesyo, I buy a car - I buy cars.
 * Negation is made by using the negation verb and declining the verb being negated to the correct persona. Eg. I don't sing = la scalal . The negation verb declines like this: la, sw, hi, mé, ní, ca, fo.

Tenses

 * Verbs have three tenses: present, past and future.
 * Past tense is formed by changing the initial of the verb. Every single verb begins with a letter from group 1 in the present tense. The corresponding letter is used to form the past tense. Eg. siez -> ziez, sielw -> zielw (I love you -> I loved you).


 * Verbs beginning with /r/ simply lose their initial letter. Eg. riasacal -> iasacal (I draw -> I drew).
 * Future is marked with a prefix ans-. Verbs beginning with /s/ will get only an- added in front of them.

Moods

 * Verbs have 5 moods: Indicative, Imperative, Conditional, Quotative and Potential.


 * Imperative is formed from the same stem as the past tense (siez -> ziez). To distinguish them apart from each other, one must add ` to the first vowel (ziez -> zìez) and thus either palatalizing or changing the initial sound. In the case of verbs beginning with /r/ the lost initial will just be a long vowel ´ (riasacaz -> iasacaz -> iásacaz [´ is always marked on the last letter of a diphthong/triphthong]).


 * The conditional is formed by adding a prefix ies-/iese-. Eg. siez -> iesesiez, nérez -> iesnérez. Iese- is used only before verbs beginning with /s/. In past tense the prefix is added in front of the new root. Eg. siez -> ziez -> iesziez.


 * The quotative marks hearsay. It is formed by palatalizing the ending. Eg. Cwirahù. = He is sleeping (apparently). The past tense is formed just like with other moods. - Gwirahù. = He was sleeping (apparently). Exception is the passive where the palatalization is removed. Eg. sietù -> siet.


 * Potential marks possibility. It is formed by adding a prefix lâz-/lâza-. Eg. Lâznéreh. = Maybe he comes . The rules are almost the same as for the conditional except now also verbs beginning with z- will use the lâza- prefix. Eg. siez -> lâzasiez, ziez -> lâzaziez.

Gerund

 * To express that someone was doing something one must remove the -z and add -sùt. Subject's object vowel is added instead of the consonant. To express the object, the consonant is used. Eg. lariazaz = to wait, lariazasùta = I 'm waiting, lariazasùtas = I'm waiting for you

Syntax

 * The word order is extremely free due to the case system. However, the main order is VSO. All these sentences are correct:
 * 1) Lyẃnah maisãrca yaicasyo.
 * 2) Lyẃnah yaicasyo maisãrca.
 * 3) Maisãrca lyẃnah yaicasyo.
 * 4) Maisãrca yaicasyo lyẃnah.
 * 5) Yaicasyo lyẃnah maisãrca.
 * 6) Yaicasyo maisãrca lyẃnah.
 * However, the first one is the most common.

Example text
Hàcolis mnworosla hlo nalaya trwocsie.

Sohsie cè zwitáli lariazasùtim.

Tohsie êm, u'mnworos. Trwociemé hlotih zesù.

Zinsaya... zwitáli pwontrah!

Cót Lòco - ê gìsazemé.

Cót Lòco - tgò saprayasé.

Cót Lòco - yèmo citìesyo.

Cót Lòco - názeh trwocie!!

Come with me to an electric world.

There is an evil waiting for us.

Here we are, together. Our world gets brighter.

Today... the evil disappears!

Code Lyoko - is our power.

Code Lyoko - when you ask for us.

Code Lyoko - let's help the victims.

Code Lyoko - the world survives!!

~ Code Lyoko theme song