Mhiilküð

Classification and Dialects
Mhiilküþit Ŋhanankyaya ([ˈm̥iːlkyθit ˌŋ̊ɑnɑncɑjɑ] "The Tongue of the People/Elves", anglicised as Meelkithit Nanankyer /milkɪθɪt nænænkaɪər/) or simply Mhiilküð ([ˈm̥iːlkyð]) is one of several Elven Languages in the Lost Heir Universe. It is mainly spoken by the Moon Elves that live in the the eastern Commonwealth of Tachankelky (Mhiilküð: Allooŋkuyin Tääxänkelkinoy [ˈɑlːoːŋkujit ˌtæːxænkelkinoj], Issándarin: Miu Táȝankelkito Suttinot [ˌmjuː ˈtaːxɐnkəlkɪtʌ sʊtˌtiːnʌt], Ulatjut: Ikkwesow Mandanukuj [ikʷːøsow mɑndɑŋ(ʷ)uk(ʷ)uj]). The language's dialects do not differ as much in pronunciation as they do in words used and inflectional paradigms.

Phonotactics
The syllable structure is

(P) (R) V (R) (P)

or

(C) V (C)

Whereas

P = Plosive or Fricative, R = Sibilant or Liquid, V = Vowel, and C = Obstruents (including nasals and approximants).

Sharpening (Askruufü)
Sharpening is an active process in inflection that moves consonants towards a harder mode when an inflectional suffix starts on /i, y, e, æ/. Consonants are moved along following paradigms:

mh>m>v>f>p, nh>n>ð>þ>t, ŋh>ŋ>ȝ>x>k, c>s.

Softening (Cuulmanü)
Softening is an active process in inflection that moves consonants towards a softer mode when an inflectional suffix starts on /u, o, ø, ɑ/. Consonants are moved along following paradigms:

p>f>v>m>mh, t>þ>ð>n>nh, k>x>ȝ>ŋ>ŋh, s>c.

Writing System
The language uses a subset of Elvish runes, though it is transcribed with the Latin script as follows.

Nouns and Pronouns
Nouns and pronouns carry one or more of 6 genders---sentient common, sentient feminine, animate common, animate feminine, inanimate, conceptual. They can be inflected for 7 cases---nominative, vocative, accusative, instrumental, attributive, possessive, prepositional---and 6 grammatical numbers---collective, singular, dual, trial, plural, total. Furthermore, articles are suffixed to them to show definiteness and demonstrativeness.

All nouns are declined the same, no matter their gender, however, adjectives are declined to agree in gender with the noun, as are the suffixed articles.

Inclusive, exclusive and reciprocal cannot be used with a suffix marking for singular.

Verbs
Verbs are inflected for tense, mood, voice and aspect. They lack any inflection for number or person. Furthermore, they are marked for question, volition, wish etc. via particles either postpositional to the verb or sentence.

Adjectives
Adjectives are inflected for two grammatical numbers---collective and non-collective---and all 6 grammatical genders. They are declined for 4 comparative degrees---absolutive, comparative, superlative, ultimative---in 4 modes---positive, negative, ambiguous, contrastive. Ultimative is used to express insurmountable supremacy, thus there is one or more that hold attribute X, where it is improbable that they be surpassed, whilst superlative is used to express surmountable supremacy, thus there is one or more that hold attribute X, where it is probable that they be surpassed. Negative mode is used to signal that an attribute is absent, ambiguous mode that an attribute is not entirely clear, and contrastive that the opposite attribute is present.

Sentient Common, Feminine, Animate Common, Feminine, Inanimate and Conceptual are formed via suffixation. 1) Is used following vowels not homorganic with the first option.

2) Is used following close vowels not homorganic with the first option.

Syntax
The most common word order is SOV, though it is entirely variable. Questions are not indicated by a change in word order, as in English, but rather through a question particle postpositional to the verb, or the sentence, similar to how Japanese forms questions.