Nellen

Characteristics
Nellen is a language of Efhang origin, featuring a complex noun declension.

As a North Efhang language, r is pronounced as.

Words are stressed on the first syllable, except when an unstressed prefix is used.

Consonants
The plosive consonants have fricative allophones, used at the end of syllables:
 * [p] -> [ɸ]
 * [t] ->
 * [k] -> [x]
 * [b] -> [β]
 * [d] ->
 * [g] -> [ɣ]

The allophones for [t] and [d] merge with the original and. For most speakers, [ɣ] merges with as well.

Vowels
Vowels are:

Nouns
There are three gender of nouns: masculine, feminine and neuter. Nouns are declined according to two numbers: singular and plural; definiteness (definite, indefinite); and to five cases, viz.:
 * 1) Nominative (subject)
 * 2) Accusative (direct object)
 * 3) Dative (indirect object)
 * 4) Ablative
 * 5) Genitive (possessive)

Adjectives
Adjective declension follows basically that of nouns, except that the only vowel allowed in endings is -i.

Superiority
The suffix -yl- is added to the stem of the adjective. Ex.:
 * kelmt "large", kelmtyl "larger"
 * muh "new", muhyl "newer"
 * pun "good", punyl "better"

Superlative
The suffix -ejn- is added to the stem of the adjective, which is then used in the definite form. Ex.:
 * kelmt "large", kelmtejnin "the largest"
 * muh "new", muhejnin "the newest"
 * pun "good", punejnin "the best"

Pronouns
Pronouns follow the same declension system used for nouns and adjectives, with little differences in some forms.

Possessive
Possessives are not declined at all. They require the noun to be in the definite form, while any accompanying adjective must be in the indefinite form.

Examples:
 * mi henrejhan "my family"
 * mi ðejtetin "my town"
 * mi elnehun "my brothers"
 * di har enejkin "your old friend"
 * di hari enejkun "your old friends"

Demonstrative
There is only one demonstrative er, which may stand for "this", "that", "such". The deictic particles jen "here", ha "there (next to you)", re "there", "over there" may be added after the noun for specification. The same as with possessives, demonstratives require the noun to be definite and any accompanying adjective to be indefinite. The demonstrative er itself does not decline. Ex.:


 * er gesan "this/that/such a house"
 * er gesan jen "this house"
 * er gesan ha "that house (next to you)"
 * er gesan re "that house (over there)"
 * er muh gesan jen "this new house"
 * er harið gesað re "those old houses (over there)"

Interrogative
Interrogatives have an unstressed prefix a-, so they are stressed on the second syllable.
 * arij "what"
 * arawn {{XIPA|a'R{wn}} "who"
 * agor "which"
 * agun "how"
 * atir "where"
 * amtor "when"

Relative
The only relative pronoun is ra {{XIPA|r{}}, standing for "that", "which", "who".

Indefinite

 * erkon "some", "any"
 * mejhon "no", "none"
 * dut "all", "every"
 * ret "each", "every"

Cardinal Numbers

 * 0 mor
 * 1 hon
 * 2 tejd
 * 3 deð
 * 4 hel
 * 5 ðeg
 * 6 zið
 * 7 ðawd {{XIPA|D{wD}}
 * 8 hejd
 * 9 muw
 * 10 tawð {{XIPA|t{wD}}
 * 11 hontawð
 * 12 tujawð
 * 13 deðawð
 * 14 hellawð
 * 15 ðengawð
 * 16 zijawð
 * 17 ðawdawð {{XIPA|'D{wdaD}}
 * 18 uytawð
 * 19 muwawð
 * 20 hemd
 * 21 hemd hon
 * 30 lemd
 * 40 helemd
 * 50 ðengemd
 * 60 zihemd
 * 70 ðawdemd {{XIPA|'D{wdem(D)}}
 * 80 hejdemd
 * 90 muhemd
 * 100 ðawn {{XIPA|D{wn}}

Ordinal Numbers
Ordinal numbers are regular adjectives.
 * 1 bellin
 * 2 ðikemd
 * 3 delðij
 * 4 golled
 * 5 ðemmed
 * 6 zihejð
 * 7 ðawdejn {{XIPA|'D{wdejn}}
 * 8 hejdeh
 * 9 mujim
 * 10 tawðejn {{XIPA|'t{wDejn}}

Coordinating

 * roj "for"
 * ge, "and"
 * mah {{XIPA|m{h}} "nor"
 * ðawt {{XIPA|D{wT}} "but"
 * ho "or"
 * ihted "yet"
 * ðejn "so"

Correlative

 * henep … ge …  "both … and … "
 * ho … ho …  "either … or … "
 * mah … mah …  "neither … nor … "
 * me … ðawt …  {{XIPA|m{ ... D{wt}} "not … but … "
 * með … denep …  {{XIPA|mED ... 'dEnep\}} "not only … but also … "

Subordinating

 * tib "after"
 * gedot "although"
 * ðije "if"
 * iððawd "unless"
 * rijuk "so that"
 * belmed "therefore"
 * bijsel "in spite of", "despite"
 * roj "because"

Verbs

 * Moods: Indicative
 * Tenses: Present, Perfective, Aorist, Future, Future Perfect
 * Persons: 1st, 2nd and 3rd
 * Numbers: Singular and Plural

Sample Conjugation: hejtil "see"
Nellen incorporates old pronominal elements to the endings used in verb conjugation.

The infinitive ends in -l, and old thematic vowels are kept, except in the present tense in which it is optional for all persons but third singular.

Vocabulary

 * Swadesh List: Here we give the Swadesh List for North Efhang.

Sample
{{XIPA|'dutin 'uwnanun 'mEDjun 'REjliD, 'tEjkemtetum ge 'tEjlijdem. Run 'd{jun 'lEs2 ge 'gEmzejz2, ge 'tihjun 'ESejl hOn 'hOlluNg 'spEjlejdum 'hElnemtetix.}}
 * "Dutin uwnanun meðjun rejlið, tejkemtetum ge tejlijdem. Run dajun lesö ge gemzejzö, ge tihjun eʃejl hon hollung spejlejdum helnemtetik."
 * ("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.")