Lutanian

The conlang uses the Latin script - basic alphabet with various diacritics. It is a pluricentric language regarding pronunciation, vocabulary and writing.

The letter W [vé doule, wau] is not a part of the alphabet, but the letter J is included instead representing the sound / ͡jʝ/ or  /j/ with the alphabetical name / ͡jʝe/ or /je/. The alphabetic letter C is read /ts/ like the sound in German.

Main characteristics of pronunciation

The main values of consonants in stressed syllables are:

A /a/, E /ɛ/ ~ /e/, I, Y /i/, O /o/, U /u/ (as found in the alphabet)

â, î = /ə/

Note: i, î, and y can represent intervocalic /j/ (a semiconsonant). Word initially, i (or y) in front of a vowel is pronounced /j/. The diacritic ^ on the vowel u (û) indicates the semivowel sound /w/.

The circumflex on o (ô) denotes a long open pronunciation or a diphthong: /wo/ ~ /(w)ɔ:/ ~ /wɔ:/ (equivalent alternative pronunciations).

The alphabetic consonants are pronouunced mainly as in English (unless indicated otherwise, see below). B /b/, D /d/, G /ɡ/, P /p/, T /t/, K /k/ are not aspirated.

There are three ways to read the alphabet:

1) The conventional: add the vowel sound /e/ after consonants B, C /͡tse/, D, G*/ɡe/ ~ /ʒe/, J /je/ ~ /͡jʝe/, Nj (ň), /nje/, P, Q* /ke/ or /ku:/*, T, V* /ʋe/, X* /ʃe/ or /iks/*, Lj /ʎe/, Z /ze/~ /dze/.

Add /ɛ/ ~ /e/ in front of consonant sounds: F /ɛ̯f:(ə)/, L /ɛ̯ɫ(ə)/ ~ /ɛ̯l(ə)/, M /ɛ̯m(ə)/, N /ɛ̯n(ə)/, R /ɛr:(ə)/, S /ɛ̯s:(ə)/ (long consonants are: /f:/, /r:/, /s:/)

Y= /ips/, used primarily as the conjunction "and", replaced by et /e/ either if the preceding word ends or the following word starts in a vowel.

Special consonants which are pronounced with the vowel: -a /a/ : H /xa(k)/, K /ka:/ or /ka̯p˺/

Special consonant that can be pronounced with /e/ or /u/: Q /ke:/ or /ku:/, V /ʋe/ or /ʋu:/

2) The simplified first: add /e/ to every consonant sound, pronounced as explained. Some differences are: F /f:e/, H /xe:/, L /le:/, S /s:e/ etc.

3) The simplified second: add /ə/ to every consonant sound, pronounced as explained. Some examples: H /xə/, L /lə/, S /s:ə/ etc.

Nasals - letters with ogonek diacritic (a, e, u with ogonek) are not included in the alphabet count as they are considered to be variants of the main vowel. They are pronounced the same in stressed and unstressed syllables:

Ą ą /ɑ̃/, non nasal variant /ɔ/,

Ę ę /ɛ̃/, non nasal variant /ɛ/, regionally /e:/

-on, alternative: Ų ų  /ɔ̃/, non-nasal variant /ɔ/, /on/, /ɔ(n)/.

These three letters are important as distinctive grammatical endings. They can sometimes appear inside a word root (like męs /mɛ̃:s/), but their pronunciation word internally can also be an oral equivalent of the vowel (similar or identical to a, e, u or o: męs /mɛ:s/ ~ /mẽ:s/).

Vowel reduction feature

Final syllable sound -e is reduced to /ə/ in an unstressed syllable, not applicable to diphthongs (like -ei) except dialectally. This is important for grammatical endings: -e (without diacritics) vs -ę. The exact distribution of stressed variants /ɛ/ vs /e/ and /o/ vs /ɔ/ is not significant, although it is suggested (sometimes by accent diacritics, see below). Unstressed -e- in other positions is /e/ in the standard variety, and /ə/ in certain dialects. Unstressed -o- is always /o/ in standard pronunciation (not /ɔ/).

Dialectally, variations are found with reduction of unstressed -e- in all syllables and also in the unstressed diphthong -ei-, reduction of unstressed -a- to /ɐ/ or /ə/, and/or unstressed -o- to /u/ (rare, region dependent), all by influence of the speakers' native languages.

Using accute and grave accents: The marked accent denotes the stressed (tonic) syllable. The existing forms are: á, é, í, ó, ú (with acute accent) and à, è, ò, ù (with grave accent).

Generally, the acute accent represents a slightly longer vowel in open syllables (like á /a:/), while the grave accent generally denotes a somewhat shorter vowel: à /a̯/ in closed syllables. As word final vowels, letters with accents may be used with grammatical value (as endings), so the brevity rule does not always apply (the grammar rule dictates pronunciation, like in the verbal infinitives: cantà /kan.'ta/ - to sing).

The acute or grave accent on e and o also have a recommended pronunciation with different qualities:

é /e/ and è /ɛ/ (as in French), ó /o/ and ò /ɔ/ (all recommended). The letter ô denotes a long, open sound /ɔ:/, or a diphthong /wɔ:/ ~ /wɔ:/ (recommended): as in: oôs/ous - eggs, dôs/dous/duos - two.

Monosyllabic words only may have acute or grave accent for grammatical reasons (example: bé - letter name, B, èsse - letter name, S).

Vowel combination: -ai- is pronounced as a monophthong /ɛ/, word finally /e/. This doesn't apply when diacritics are used: âi /əj/, ài /a̯j/, ái /a:j/, aí /a.'i/ (the latter example represents two syllables).

Diphthongs: diphthongs are formed with all of the vowels a, e, i, o, u except for the combinations: ae, oe, ai. The sound /ə/ makes the diphthongs /əj/ (âi, îi) and or /wə/ (uâ).

The strong components of the diphthongs are: a, e, o (/a/, /e/, /o/, "a" is the strongest), and the weak components are i, u. In diphtongs like ea, oa, e becomes the equivalent of weak -i- /j/, and o the equivalent of a semivocalic -u- /w/, so ea = /e̯a/ ~ /ja/, oa = ua = /wa/. If not marked by diacritics the weak (i, u) combinations are pronounced with the full first vowel: ui /uj/, iu /iw/, word initially iu-/ju/. The combinations eo and ao practically do not appear as they are identical in pronunciation to eu /ew/ and au /aw/. An accent mark may change the stressed part of the diphthong, or produce two separate syllables, as in eó /e̯o/ or /jo/ - identical to io /jo/; aí /a.'i/ - two syllables, as the vowel "a" cannot be made a weak part of a diphthong.

Some words morphologically have separate syllables in place of the diphthong, e.g. ei /'e.i/ or /e:j/ = they (from e + ending -i), eos /'e.os/ - them (from e- + -os), virtúe /ʋir.'tu.ə/ (stem + ending -e), melodíe /me.lo.'ði.ə/  ~ /mə-/.

Spelling considerations for the diphthong -ie

If the consonants D, N, R, T are followed by the diphthong -ie in an unstressed syllable, write ďe /djə/, ňe /ɲə/, ře /ɾjə/, ťe /tjə/. In stressed syllables you should write: dě /dje/, ně /nje/, rě /rje/, tě /tje/. With other consonants the unstressed form is written -ie /jə/, and the stressed form: -ě /je/. If the printing options are limited, every -ě can be replaced by -ie (alternative spelling).

Consonant sounds

We will explain consonants with diacritics, digraphs representing one sound and special sounds. With all consonants, word final devoicing may occur e.g. /b/ → /p/ etc., depending on the speaker.

B̌ b̌ (B with caron): /w/, identical to û /w/: example: pob̌l /powl/ (alternative script - B'/b' or B̌ and lowercase b').

C - /k/ in syllables ca, co, cu, câ /kə/, and in front of consonants like: cr e me /'kre:.mə/;

/s/ or /ts/ in syllables ce, ci, cî. Note: cai = /kaj/ (avoided, breaks the ai /ɛ/ vowel rule in favour  the ca /ka/ rule).

CC - follows the rule of C + consonant (like CTI /kt(s)i/, CCI /ksi/)

Ç - word initially and finally /͡ts/, regionally /s/, word-internally between vowels: /s/, after a consonant: /ts/.

G /ɡ/ in syllables ga, go, gu (+a, â, o or cons.), gă /ɡə/; /ʒ/ in syllables ge, gi, gî; /dʒ/ in word-final -eig /e̯dʒ/, -aig /a̯dʒ/ or /ɛ̯dʒ/, otherwise word finally /ɣ/ (recommended in unstressed syllables), or /k/, /k˺/, /ɡ/ (voicing in "liaison").

GU /ɡ/ in front of -i, -e, -î: gui /ɡi/, gue, guî; otherwise as other rules provide. In some areas (dialectally), GU + vowel always gives /g/.

TG - in intervocalic or word-final position: /dʒ/ (regionally spelt TJ)

Note*: gai = /ɡaj/, guai = /ɡɛ/, gûai /ɡwɛ/

J - pronounced as / ͡jʝ/ or  /j/. JJ is marked: /ʝ/ ~ /͡jʝ/. TJ, CJ, KJ= /͡tʃ/. SJ = /ʃ/, ZJ = /ʒ/, GJ = /dʒ/, HJ = /ç/

Lj - /ʎ/ or regionally /j:/ ~ /jl/, (Spanish variant) /ʝ/ ~ /͡jʝ/, geminated (spelling): jlj /ʎ:/, regionally spelt: LH

H - mute (not pronounced), when pronunciation is needed it is written double: hh /x/ ~ /h/, as in the letter name: H: hhá /xa/.

Qu - /kw/ in syllables qua, quo, quâ, /k/ in syllables que, qui, quî. Note: quai = /kɛ/.

S - /s/, in intervocalic position /z/, even accross words (by linking). Regionally: always /s/. The geminated -SS- is always pronounced /s/.

X - /dz/ in syllables xa, xo, xu, (rare), /ʃ/ ~ /ɕ/ in syllables xe, xi, xî, xâ, eix /e(j)ʃ/, aix /a̯(j)ʃ/, and after T in all contexts (see TX).

May be /ks/ in internationalisms like taxi /'ta̯ksi/. Ortographically: xia /ʃa/ ~ /ɕa/, xiu /ʃju/~ /ɕ:u/ xio /ʃo/ ~ /ɕo/ (without diacritics).

** in -aix the a+i rule is broken in favour of the pronunciation: /a̯ʃ/, /ajʃ/.

* TX = /͡tʃ/ in all contexts.

Z - /z/,  only regionally /dz/.

The consonant D in intervocalic position can be pronounced as /ð/ - recommended.

The consonants D, N, R, T, have palatalised versions: Ď/ď /dj/~ /dʐ/, Ň/ň /ɲ/, Ř/ř /rj/ ~ /ɾj/, Ť/ť /tj/ ~ /tj/, used in front of vowels with a grammatical value. Alternative spellings are with an apostrophe or the tilde (~): D'/d', N'/ n' or Ñ/ñ, R'/r' and T'/t'. Since the ň can be geminated (-ňň-), the apostrophe would be used only once after double n: aňňos / añños / ann'os /'a̯.ɲ:os/.

Geminated consonants, if they appear, are pronounced long, e.g. -SS- /s:/, -RR- /r:/. They also may be separated by the rule of syllable boundaries: e.g. -cce /k.se/, -cca /k:a/, /k.ka/

Word stress (accent)

Variable nominal words (nouns, adjectives, pronouns) receive stress on the penultimate syllable of their full plural nominative form (if the word ends in a vowel + -s), and generally the same place of stress is maintained in all inflected forms (including different genders of adjectives).

Following the rule above

- most singular words ending in a vowel have stress on the penultimate vowel or diphthong (except if it is -i- or -u-), and

- most singular words ending in a consonant (including etymological, but dropped final -n, -l, -r) have stress on the last vowel or diphthong (except if it is -i- or -u-).

E.g.

cugine - cugines (subject form sg./pl.) - kitchen(s) /ku̯. 'ʒi.nə(s)/

cătăine - cătenes - chain(s) /kə. 'təj.nə/ /kə. 'te:.nəs/

natiú[n] - natiunes - nation(s) /na̯.'tsju.nəs/

natíu (natif, natí) - natíos - native /na̯.' tiw/ /na̯.'ti̯.os/ (adj. masculine sg./pl.)

The adjective forming suffix -ic- /i̯k/ and its variant -ec- /ək/ cannot be stressed, so the stress moves one syllable to the left in these forms: històric, classic /i̯.'stɔ̯.ri̯k/ /'kla̯.s:ik/. The default penultimate syllable stress in these masculine singular subject forms is maintained in all other forms: hist ò ricos, cl a ssicos.

Exceptions include the instances when the vowel which should receive stress is -i- or -u- or belongs to a so-called unstressed syllabic infix (mostly -u- or /ə/):

c o nsul /' kon.sul/ - a consul, h o măns /' ɔ.məns/ - of a man, man's, c o rpures /'kur.purəs/

Action doer morpheme syllable -or, -ur is unstressed when no ending follows (with -Ø ending), but stressed in other forms. This creates an exception to the accentuation rule, which is not followed in all regions.

pintur/pintur - pintores - painter(s); de pintôre /pin'two:.rə/ - from a painter

The action doer suffix -ul- cannot be stressed: consul - consules - a consul, de consule - from a consul

Verbal forms have the stress determined by grammatical form, but the default stress is on the penultimate syllable of the full form (also zero elements must be counted). The verbal forms have a feature of not pronouncing the final syllable -e is plural conjugation forms (which is also counted as a syllabic element).

cant-u or cant (-Ø) I sing (stem + ending).

Grammar

$1. Nouns and adjectives

Lutanian nouns and adjectives distinguish:

a) gender (masculine/M, feminine/F, neuter or neutral/N)

b) number (singular and plural)

c) case (grammatical and euphonic)

d) definiteness (definite and indefinite, through form and the usage of articles)

The default word order is S-V-O.

Lutanian nouns are divided in four groups (I - IV) based on their morphology and assigned characteristics (e.g. gender). Adjectives have the sane morphology as nouns (of groups I - III), but are organised in only two groups.

The genders are distributed as follows:

- group I - F, group II - M or N (animate -M, inanimate M or N), group III - F or M+N, group IV - F. The feminine gender nouns can be animate or inanimate. M and N nouns can be selected based on Latin roots or arbitrarily/euphonically. Animate nouns will be masculine (not neuter) except for some nouns which do not make explicit reference to biological sex, like animal (group III), fant (group III - child).

Most nouns /adjectives distinguish at least two grammatical - functional and euphonic forms: subject form (lexical form or the nominative) and non - subject form, which is typically preceded by a preposition - prepositional [case] form.

In the euphonic declension, a singular number noun can have the ending zero (-Ø ) or a vocalic ending (-a, -e, -u).

Group I nouns always have a non-zero ending: -a for the definite form and -e /ə/ for the indefinite singular form (originating from a phonetic reduction of -a to -ă /ə/, ortographically always -e). Example: (la) casa / une case - the house / a house

The subject (nominative form - singular ) has the default endings: -a (definite, group I), -Ø (no ending, groups II - IV). E.g.

casa - house (group I), mur - wall (group II), nuit - night (group III)

The subject ending can be a non-zero for certain phonological and grammatical reasons (to emphasize gender or definiteness) group II -u, group III/IV -e. The given vowels (-a, -u, -e) are called thematic endings for the respective groups.

Examples: t e mplu - neuter gender - group II (also phonologically induced ending), hospit a l(e) - neuter gender - group III.

cr i se - crisis (F gender, phonologically induced ending, from Lat. cris is),

nuit - night (F gender, no phonologically induced ending, from Lat. nox ).

The vowels -u and -e (as thematic) are optional/euphony based for neuter gender nouns (in groups II and III) and in group IV nouns (which are of F gender). The vocalic ending (-a or -e as definite/indefinite) is mandatory for group I nouns in singular (which are feminine).

The prepositional form (or case) in singular has the default thematic vowel endings: -a (definite, group I), -u (group II), -e (groups III/IV).

Whenever a singular noun is preceded by a preposition (with exceptions for direct/indirect objects), it can have a thematic ending (characteristic of its group). The ending -a is mandatory, others are optional (euphony based):

în casa - in (the) house (group I), în mund(u) - on the world (group II), în nuit(e) - in the night (group III), în face /în faç (group IV).

Group IV noun stems usually end in -i- (stressed or unstressed). The unstressed stem-final -i- is orthographically dropped if the ending is -e(s) or Ø, with possible palatalization effect on the preceding consonant, in all noun groups, e.g.

faç (stem faci- + -Ø) - the face

soç (stem soci + -Ø) - partner (M), compare: con sociu /'so(t)sju/ - with a partner.

soce (from soci + -e) - partner (F), compare: con socia /'so(t)sja/ - with a partner.

Nouns of group II (u-nouns by Latin heritage) which are designated as neuter gender by the speaker, can also optionally have the ending -e (singular), if it would make them more similar to their English or French language equivalents. E.g.

lu templu / lu temple - the temple (group II or III), pal a u - pal a ce (group II or III) (consonantic sound change - stem palatsi- → palaçi- + -u/-e)

lu vidriu / lu v i dre /'ʋiðrə/- glass (group II or III).

The direct object form marking (accusative) is not mandatory, and it can be:

a )  identical to the subject form (inanimate non-feminine and all plural)

b ) similar to the non-subject form (only in sg.) - thematic, with nasal ending employed for all animate and all feminine gender nouns in sg.

Nasal endings correspond to their oral counterparts by group: I -ą /ɑ̃/, II -on /ɔ̃/, III and IV: -ę /ɛ̃/.

The genitive case singular

To express a possessive relation or partition you can use a prepositional construction: noun +  de + noun  (for abstracts terms), or noun +  a(L) + noun .

E.g. une t a ce de v i n(u) - a glass of wine,   c a rta di acc o rd(iu) - an agreement letter, amic a(l) fiu -