Iaskyon

General information
Iaskyon (IPA: /ˈjas.kjɔn/) is an Yosic language native to an island nation Iaskáca. It is notable for its handling of ergativity, heavy verb conjugation, as well as synthetic noun compounding. Iaskyon can be written in two left-to-right scripts called Iaswü (IPA: /ˈjas.βy/, literally Ias writing) and Xogwü (IPA: /ˈɣɔg.βy/, literally rock writing).

Syllabic consonants
/m/ and /l/ have syllabic counterparts ḿ /m̩/ and ĺ /l̩/.

Long vowels
Long vowels are represented orthographically by an acute accent or adding à. e.g. é or eà.

Diphthongs
There is a large inventory of possible diphthongs, with a total of 15 of them.

!ai !au !äi !äu !ei !eu !iu !üa !üe !üi !üö !ui !oi !ou !öü
 * /ai/||/au/||/əi/||/əu/||/ei/||/ɛu/||/iu/||/ya/||/yɛ/||/yi/||/yœ/||/ui/||/ɔi/||/ou/||/œy/
 * }
 * }

Phonotactics
Iaskyon syllables are maximally:

(C(G))V(C), or (C(G))S,

where C = consonant, G = glide, V = vowel and S = syllabic consonant.

Onset
The initial consonant has no restrictions.

The following glide can be y/j/ or w/β/>[w].

Allowed onsets are of the followings:



!by !py !dw !dy !tw !ty !gw !gy !kw !ky !jy !cw !cy !þw !þy !fy !wi !sy !zy !şw !şy !hw !hy !xw !xy !mw !my !ny !ŋy !lw !ly
 * /bj/||/pj/||/dw/||/dj/||/tw/||/tj/||/gw/||/gj/||/kw/||/kj/
 * /bj/||/pj/||/dw/||/dj/||/tw/||/tj/||/gw/||/gj/||/kw/||/kj/
 * /dzj/||/tsw/||/tsj/||/tθw/||/tθj/
 * /dzj/||/tsw/||/tsj/||/tθw/||/tθj/
 * /ɸj/||/βj/||/sj/||/zj/||/ɬw/||/ɬj/||/xw/||/xj/ [ç]/||/ɣw/||/ɣj/ [ʝ]
 * /ɸj/||/βj/||/sj/||/zj/||/ɬw/||/ɬj/||/xw/||/xj/ [ç]/||/ɣw/||/ɣj/ [ʝ]
 * /mw/||/mj/||/nj/||/ŋj/
 * /mw/||/mj/||/nj/||/ŋj/
 * /lw/||/lj/
 * }
 * }

Nucleus
The nucleus can be any vowel, except for iu üa üe üi üö ui /iu ya yɛ yi yœ ui/ when the onset consists of an initial consonant and a glide.

Syllables such as yui /jui/, wüan /βyan/ are allowed but rare.

Syllabic consonants ḿ /m̩/ and ĺ /l̩/ can also be a nucleus but the syllable cannot have a coda.

Coda
The final consonant, can technically be any consonant except y /j/ and w /β/, but þ /tθ/ and ç /tɬ/ are very rare.

(þaç /tθatɬ/ "red" is an example of an exception.)

Allophony

 * Plosives are usually unreleased at coda.
 * Plosives and affricates are aspirated at onset.
 * h /x/ is realised as [ç] before and after /i/, /y/, and before /j/.
 * x /ɣ/ is realised as [ʝ] before and after /i/, /y/, before /j/, and [ʔ] at the end of a syllable.
 * w /β/ is realised as [w] as a glide (second consonant) in a syllable.
 * t /t/ are realised as [ʔ] at the end of a syllable.

Stress
Stress of a word follows these rules in order of priority:

Stress falls on e.g. hep mé "bright" but not * hep mé
 * 1) First long vowel
 * 1) "Separable affixes" (See below) are not counted
 * 2) Penultimate syllable

e.g. aeg emjo "merge" but not *aeg em jo
 * 1) If stress falls on a grammatical suffix (other than conjugational suffixes), move stress one syllable backwards.

Stress of a "separable compound word" (See below) follow these overriding rules:

Stress falls on e.g.  lwo þwat "have to  find " e.g. kolmun a wa "winter  sky "
 * 1) The head component

Separable and non-separable affixes
Non-separable affixes are: e.g. -en appended to tinwet "teach": e.g.  uk hàg "come down" e.g.  lah yet "make (sb.) eat"
 * All affixes that are inseparable in terms of a new meaning conveyed
 * tin weten "act of teaching" is separable
 * tin wet en "education" is non-separable
 * All infixes
 * Directional affixes
 * Causative prefix

Other affixes are separable.

Separable and non-separable compound words
Non-separable compound words are: e.g. ye tih ken "restaurant" vs. yetih ken "place of eating" e.g. syom xaod "fish meat/flesh"
 * Compound words of which the meaning has shifted, or become specific
 * Compound words which are frequently used

Synaeresis
The following table shows the general formation of diphthongs or long vowels from two adjacent short vowels on a morpheme boundary.
 * Empty spaces imply the vowels are pronounced in two syllables.
 * Combinations resulting in glide + vowel cannot occur if there is already a glide prior to the vowels.

Rendaku
When two consecutive syllables start with the same voiceless consonant, the second consonant is voiced.
 * háhàge (greeting) /ˈxaːxɜɡɛ/ > [ˈxaːɣɜɡɛ]
 * sesḿ (spoke) /'sɛsm̩/ > [ˈsɛzm̩]

Nouns
There are no grammatical genders nor articles in Iaskyon. Nouns are only inflected for cases, and inflection for number is generally obsolete.

There are 7 cases in Iaskyon:

Personal pronouns
Personal pronouns in Iaskyon are relatively simple, as all pronouns are distinct and specific in person and number.

There is a three-way distinction of singular, dual and plural pronouns inherited from older, now obsolete declensions in number.

Another three-way distinction in sentient, animate and inanimate beings in third person pronouns exists, which originates from an even older noun class system.


 * The wu-form is the more generic, while the xeà-form is often considered informal, sometimes even arrogant.

Verbs
Verbs are the most productive lexical category in Iaskyon, which describes an action, an event, a state, or a change in state. It is heavily conjugated to tense, aspect and mood. There exists two grammatical classes of verbs, namely t-class and null-class.

T-class and null-class verbs
T-class and null-class verbs are two classes of verbs that take different forms when conjugated.
 * T-class verbs:
 * By definition end with a 't'
 * May be formed by
 * An obsolete affix added to a root ending with a vowel; verbs formed this way may or may not end with 'et'.
 * Derivation from other parts of speech; verbs formed this way tend to end with 'et'.
 * When conjugated, the 't'-ending of which undergoes irregular consonant mutation.


 * Null-class verbs:
 * Does not end with a 't'
 * May be formed by
 * Unaltered root forms
 * Other derivations into verbs
 * When conjugated, the endings of which may or may not undergo regular sound mutation.

Tense
Iaskyon verbs have 4 tenses, each representing different time of action relative to the time of utterance.

The present, or the unconjugated form, marks: e.g. Wi goxe yet. "I eat rice (now or at an indefinite time)" e.g. Toi wem upleu sesadem su upcyeu (lau) nasḿ. "He said to me at some point but I forgot when." e.g. Tĺbo wakowem þàkfeulletpye, i Sináeu uhöl kaisḿ. "As they are moving east, they discovered plains in Shinar." The past marks: e.g. Wi üşeu goxe yesḿ. "I ate rice yesterday" e.g. Yoi yase lömçupye, wu xyenyopüm. "By the time you (will) read this, I will probably have died. The near future marks: e.g. Wi xuso. "I gonna go". e.g. Wu xyeno. "I am dying soon."
 * Present
 * 1) actions or events that take place in the present, or an indefinite time.
 * 1) actions or events of which the time is unknown.
 * 1) actions or events that have an implied time due to simultaneity with other events, or because it is already mentioned in the main clause.
 * Past
 * 1) actions or events that take place in the past relative to the time of utterance.
 * 1) actions or events that take place in the past relative to the time of another specified event.
 * Near future
 * 1) actions or events that are upcoming, in the immediate, and planned or forcast future.
 * 1) actions or events that take place in a definite, subjectively non-distant future.
 * 2) actions or events that are more temporary than another.

The distant future marks:
 * Distant future
 * 1) actions or events that take place in a far future, i.e. months or years after.
 * 2) actions or events that take place in an indefinite future that is subjectively distant.
 * 3) long term states in the future.

Aspect
The gnomic aspect marks: e.g. Hawon höüi. "The sun shines." e.g. Wu upib öüm. "I used to be young" The progressive aspect marls: e.g. Wi goxe yellet. "I am eating rice." e.g. Ecliyw Nóusononem xusmet. "Ecliyw was going to Northbridge." e.g. Wi kod holàket. "I am putting on a 'kod' (shirt)." not *"I am wearing a 'kod'."
 * Generic / gnomic
 * 1) general truths (must be in present tenses).
 * 1) general, enduring situations (e.g. habits) which may not be permanent (may be in any tense except near future).
 * Progressive
 * 1) incomplete actions in progress in the referenced time.
 * 1) state transition in progress in the referenced time.

Mood

 * Potential
 * Permissive
 * Abilitative
 * Desiderative
 * Imperative
 * Cohortative
 * Optative

Other verb forms
(See below)
 * Causative
 * "Linking" form
 * "Compound" form

Auxiliary verbs
Some moods cannot be expressed by conjugation and auxiliary verbs are utilised.

Irregular verbs
The verb a is the copula. It takes two arguments, both in the absolutive. It is used to: e.g. Hüikiyw wö alnoem a. "Hüikiyw is my mother." e.g. Wu hwe a. "I am a human." e.g. * Hwétoun taulon a. "Dogs are animals." (See sa) The verb sa takes two arguments, the "possessor" being in the ergative and the "possessed" in the absolutive. It is used to: e.g. Hwétoun tauloni sa. "Dogs are animals."
 * a - to be
 * 1) denote identity.
 * 1) denote class mermbership, except for class within classes.
 * la - to exist
 * sa - to belong
 * 1) denote possession.
 * 2) denote class being within other classes.
 * jo - to become

Numbers
The number system in Iaskyon is vigesimal (base-20). The writing system Iaswü has a set of 20 numerals to represent it.

Larger numbers are grouped by yil /jil/ (100020, i.e. 800010), alike the Indo-European system of grouping by thousands.

Basic numerals

 * I is skipped in the vigesimal notation to avoid mistaking for 1.

Attached forms
Numbers are appended as a suffix to the noun.
 * Normal nouns
 * gin (thing): ginya (1), gindon (2), ginlàd (3), ginwöx (4), ginkí (5)...
 * mök (cat): mökya (1), mökdon (2), möklàd (3), mökwöx (4), mökkí (5)...

The word hwe "person" takes irregular forms with numbers.
 * Hwe
 * hwá (1), hudau (2), huyàd (3), huwöx (4), hukí (5)...

The ordinal prefix takes the form of cV-, where V is the first (short) vowel of the numeral.
 * Ordinals
 * cyé (1), codon (2), càlàd (3), cöwöx (4), cikí (5), cowou (6)...

In representing number of times or instances, a suffix -hen is used.
 * Number of times
 * yahun (1), dauhun (2), làdhen (3), wöxhen (4), kíhen (5)...

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

 * Article 1; Kiloncy-1

Fá hwe nixonax yawaoşöüno, hecleŋeu cwakleŋeuel pöüloşöü.

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.

Tĺbo lékmaşehĺ hácexşehĺel üneĺino, i çamkwel mwőgkwolöŋau núgĺ çodgat.

They are endowed with reason and conscience and should treat each other in a spirit of brotherhood.