Eridanian

Eridanian, [ɛɹɪdænɪjən] (Natively Rdàanssbaix, [ʁ̩dãːsspaiç]), is an Anglic language spoken on Epsilon Eridani III in the year AD 4000, one of many languages that evolved from English. It is a synthetic language with a rich morphology of prefixes derived from English prepositions, articles, axillary verbs, modals, and other grammatical particles and constructions.

=Setting= In 2389 several hundred thousand Americans and Canadians from around the Great Lakes region fled an increasingly totalitarian Terran Federation government to a nearby Earth-like planet that was as yet unsettled, Epsilon Eridani III, about 10 light-years from Earth. When the Federation collapsed in the early 2500's the infrastructure that allowed for interstellar travel collapsed, resulting in a period later generations would call a "dark age" reminiscent of the one following the fall of Rome. The various interstellar colonies, including E. Eridani III, which came to be called Eridanus, later Rdahns, were cut off from the Solar System and on their own. The various dialects of spoken English, which were already quite different from the written language, "Classical English", began thier divergence into separate languages.

=Phonology=

Consonants
Fortis Plosives: /pʰ tʰ kʰ qʰ/ p t k q Lenis Plosives: /p t k q ʔ/ b d g q ' Nasals: /m n ɲ ŋ/ m n ny ng Affricates: /ʦʰ ʦ ʧʰ ʧ/ ts dz c j Unvoiced Fricative: /f s ʃ x h/ f s sh x h Voiced Fricatives: /v z ʒ/ v z zh Liquids: /ɫ r/ l rr Semivowels: /j ʁ w/ y r w

Oral
Front: /e e: i i:/ e ee i ii Mid: /a: ɜ/ aa a Back: /o o: u u:/ o oo u uu Diphthongs: / ai au/ ai au

Nasal
An "n" following a vowel indicates that it is nasalized.

Allophony
/k/ weakens to a voiced velar fricative ɣ between vowels. /d/ is realized as a alveolar flap ɾ between vowels. /ɫ ʁ m n ɲ ŋ/ have syllabic allophones

Phonotactics
Syllable structure is (C)(C)(C)V(C)(C)(t/s)

Stress and Prosody
Eridanian is a stress-timed language with primary stress located on the first syllable of the root. It also has a pitch accent derived from the elision of consonants. Some roots and morphemes are only distinguished by having a rising, falling, or level pitch.

=Basic Grammar=

Noun and Adjective Morphology
Adjectives precede nouns. If a noun has no dependent adjectives the case and article affixes attach to the noun. If the adjective is present the affixes attach to the adjective.

Plural
"-as" after siblants & affricates, "-s" elsewhere.

Articles
Definite
 * "d-" before /i/ -- dir "the ear"
 * "j-" before all other vowels -- jefl "the apple"
 * "da-" before consonants --dagriinn "the ground"

Indefinite
 * "a-"before consonants -- afaarr "a father"
 * "n-" before vowels -- neer "an aisle"
 * "som-/sm-" when plural -- sombwes/smornjas "some boys/some oranges"

Cases
Common: No Affix Genitive: "ov-" ovjiis = "of the house" Dative: "fo-" fojiis = "for the house" Ablative: "fro-" frojiis = "from the house" Lative: "tau-" taujiis = "to the house" Locative: "en-" enjiis = "in the house" Instrumental: "wi'-" wi'jiis = "with the house" Adessive: "aan-" aanjiis = "on the house" Illative: "idau-" idaujiis = "into the house" Allative: "aadau-" aadaujiis = "onto the house" Elative: "iida-" iidajiis = "out of the house" Apudessive: "bee-" beejois = by the house Perlative: "trau-" traujiis = through the house Subessive: "odr-" odrjiis = under the house Superessive "bov-" bovjiis = above the house

Adjectival Affixes
Adjectival Affixes are derived from common English adjectives. "-lir-" ("Little") "-bix-" ("big") "-xauzh-" ("huge")

Personal Pronouns
The Personal Pronouns inflect for case somewhat irregularly due to fusional tendencies with the object pronouns and the case prefixes

Subject
1stS: ee 2ndS: yau 3rdSA: see 3rdSI: i' 1stP: wee 2ndP: yaa 3rdP: deer

Object
1stS: mee 2ndS: yau 3rdSA: em 3rdSI: i' 1stP: os 2ndP: yaa 3rdP: dem

Genitive
1stS: vmee 2ndS: vau 3rdSA: vem 3rdSI: vi' 1stP: vos 2ndP: vaa 3rdP: vem

Dative
1stS: fomee 2ndS: fau 3rdSA: fem 3rdSI: fi' 1stP: fos 2ndP: faa 3rdP: fem

Ablative
1stS: frmee 2ndS: frau 3rdSA: frem 3rdSI: fri' 1stP: fros 2ndP: fraa 3rdP: frem

Lative
1stS: tmee 2ndS: cau 3rdSA: twem 3rdSI: twi' 1stP: twos 2ndP: caa 3rdP: twem

Locative
1stS: emee 2ndS: nau 3rdSA: enm 3rdSI: ni' 1stP: nos 2ndP: naa 3rdP: enm

Instrumental
1stS: wimee 2ndS: wyau 3rdSA: wim 3rdSI: wi' 1stP: wyos 2ndP: wyaa 3rdP: wim

Adessive
1stS: aamee 2ndS: aanau 3rdSA: aanem 3rdSI: aani' 1stP: aanos 2ndP: aanaa 3rdP: aanem

Illative
1stS: edmee 2ndS: edau 3rdSA: edem 3rdSI: edi' 1stP: edos 2ndP: edaa 3rdP: edem

Allative
1stS: aadmee 2ndS: aadau 3rdSA: aadem 3rdSI: aadi' 1stP: aados 2ndP: aadaa 3rdP: aadem

Elative
1stS: iidmee 2ndS: iidau 3rdSA: iidem 3rdSI: iidi' 1stP: iidos 2ndP: iidaa 3rdP: iidem

Apudessive
1stS: bemee 2ndS: byau 3rdSA: byem 3rdSI: bi' 1stP: byos 2ndP: byaa 3rdP: byem

Perlative
1stS: tromee 2ndS: trwau 3rdSA: trum 3rdSI: trwi' 1stP: trwos 2ndP: trwaa 3rdP: trwem

Subessive
1stS: nrmee 2ndS: nryau 3rdSA: nrem 3rdSI: nri' 1stP: nros 2ndP: nraa 3rdP: nrem

Superessive
1stS: bomee 2ndS: bovau 3rdSA: bovem 3rdSI: bovi' 1stP: bovos 2ndP: bovaa 3rdP: bovem

Other Pronouns
Singilar/Plural "dis-/dees-" = Proximate Demonstrative "de'-/dos-" = Medial Demonstrative "dedeer-/dozair-" = Distal Demonstrative "au" = Animate Relative "wa'" = Inanimate Relative

Verbal Morphology
Eridanian verbs are agglutinative in structure and inflect for Tense, Aspect, Mood, Voice, and for the person and number or the subject and direct object. Some affixes have various forms marking for number and person, preserving their origin as English's axillary verbs and modal particles.

Weak vs. Strong Verbs
Eridanian retains many verbs that have the old Germanic vowel ablaut in the Simple Past form and in some cases the Perfect and Past Participle forms.

Personal Endings
The number and person of both the subject and direct object are marked on the verb with affixes derived from pronouns. The 3rd Person Singular distinguishes between animate and inanimate nouns.

Active Indicative
Subject/Object 1stS: e(w)-/-mee 2ndS: ya(w)-/-(y)au 3rdSA: se(y)-/-(a)m 3rdSI: i'- (t- before s)/-(i)' 1stP: we(y)-/-(o)s 2ndP: yaa-/-(y)aa 3rdP: dee-/-(a)m

Active Subjubctive
Subject/Object 1stS: fe(w)-/-mee 2ndS: fo(w)-/-(y)au 3rdSA: ise(y)-/-(a)m 3rdSI: fi'-(fit- before s)/-(i)' 1st: iwi(y)-/-(o)s 2nd: fyaa-/-(y)aa 3rd: izee-/-(a)m

Reflexive Indicative
1stS: meesl- 2ndS: yorsl- 3rdSA: imsl- 3rdSI: itsl- 1stP: aarsl- 2ndP: alisl- 3rdP: deesl-

Reflexive Subjunctive
1stS: imeesl- 2ndS: iforsl- 3rdSA: ifemsl- 3rdSI: iftsl- 1stP: ifaarsl- 2ndP: ifalisl- 3rdP: izeesl-

Tense
Eridanian has 3 tenses, Present, Past, and Future; but preserves many elements of the old Germanic Past/Non-Past system, especially in the conjugation of "to be" and the use of the affix "-gan" to mark the future tense, a relic of the modern spoken English periphrastic "be + gonna" Future construction (the old "will/shall" periphrastic Future is gone with little trace). --- Present
 * ee-shaaf = I stop
 * ee-bee = I buy

Past
 * ee-shaaf-t = I stopped
 * ee-baa' = I bought

Future
 * ee-gan-shaaf = I will stop
 * ee-gan-bee = I will buy

Aspect
Eridanian marks for Perfect and Progressive apects and retains the odd semantics of English's Present Progressive and Simple Present in active verbs. --- Progressive: ee-m-shaaf-n = I am stopping Perfect: ee-v-shaaft = I have stopped Perfecto-Progressive: ee-v-van-shaafn = I have been stopping

Forms of the Progressive Affix
When with the Perfect affix it is always "-van". Subjunctive forms in parentheses Non-Past/Past 1stS: -m-/-(w)os- (-vee-/-wr-) 2ndS: -r-/-wr- (-vee-/-wr-) 3rdS: -s-/-(w)os- (-vee-/-wr-) 1stP: -r-/-wr- (-vee-/-wr-) 2ndP: -r-/-wr- (-vee-/-wr-) 3rdP: -r-/-wr- (-vee-/-wr-)

Forms of the Perfect Affix
Non-Past: -v- Past: -d-

Mood
Eridanian has 7 moods, Indicative, Conditional, Subjunctive, Imperative, Obligative and Interrogative. The old Germanic Subjunctive is preserved only in the verb "to be", the result of it stubborning refusing to disappear in American English. A new Subjunctive formed from "if" becoming attached to the subject inflections. The Interrogative Mood is the result of interrogative pronouns fusing to the verb and occur in the place of the normal subject inflections. --- Conditional: ee-ken-shaaf = I can stop/I would stop Subjunctive: fee-wr-shaaf-n = If I were stopping Obligative: eu-gaan-shaaf = I must stop/I got to stop Optative: eu-waan-shaaf = "I want to stop/I would like to stop Interrogative (Animate): au-s-shaaf-n = Who is stopping? Interrogative (Inanimate): wa'-s-shaaf-n = What is stopping? Imperative: dau-shahf = STOP!

Voice
Eridanian has 3 morphological voices, Active, Passive, and Reflexive. The Passive Voice is derived from the English "Be + Past Particple" Passive construction. The Reflexive Voice originated from the fusion of the reflexive pronouns onto the verb. --- Passive: Ee-wos-shaaf-t = "I was stopped" Reflexive: Meusl-shaaf = "(I) stop myself"

Infinitive, Gerund, and Participle forms
Infinitive: ta(w)-ROOT Gerund: ROOT-ng Present Participle: ROOT-n Past Participle: Identical to the Simple Past form of the verb except for a few strong verbs.

Active Indicative
Subject/Object 1stS: eem- 2ndS: yor- 3rdSA: sees- 3rdSI: ts- 1stP: weer- 2ndP: yaar- 3rdP: deer-

Active Subjubctive
Subject/Object 1stS: fem- 2ndS: for- 3rdSA: sees- 3rdSI: fits- 1st: veer- 2nd: fyaar- 3rd: zeer-

Reflexive Indicative
1stS: meeslm 2ndS: yorslr 3rdSA: imsles 3rdSI: itsles 1stP: aarslr 2ndP: alislr 3rdP: deeslr

Reflexive Subjunctive
1stS: imeeslm 2ndS: fyorslr 3rdSA: femsles 3rdSI: fitsles 1stP: forslr 2ndP: falislr 3rdP: zeeslr

=Dictionary= ...

=Example text=

The Lord's Prayer
Faarr Vos enhavn, "Our Father in heaven," neem Vau tsi' hoolee, "Your name is holy." Kengdm Vau tsgonkom, "Your kingdom shall come," 'n wir Vau tsgonveedon, "and Your will shall be done," endawrld leex tsi' enhavn. "in the world as it is in heaven." Yogivos deelee braa vos taudee. "Give us today our daily bread." Yofrgivos sens vos, "Forgive us of our sins," leex wefrgivam doos au deesen twos. "as we forgive those who sin against us." Yodn'leedos idauraangdaun, "Lead us not into temptation," 'n yoseevos freevl. "but deliver us from evil." kos hoolee kengdm, paawr, 'n glooree deer aar Vau, "For the kingdom, power, and glory are Yours," '''nii 'n fravr. Aamenn.''' "now and forever. Amen."