User:Billyjb/Shelved/Khaz Malanāz

Overview

Err...meow.

=Background=

An a priori language created just for fun, inspired partly by Tolkien's Valarin/Black Speech and Khuzdul and the Romance languages. Currently being used to "reverse engineer" a proto-language tentatively called Proto-Malan by comparing the languages Malâncar & Khaz Malanâz and their dialects. E.g. Malanâz khaz and Malâncar car both from *khar being a reduced form of *kwaram, language(?) ultimately from the stem *KWAR (sound, speech, voice).

=Phonology=

Words in Malanāz cannot begin with two consonants. Khanraz is an acceptable word, Khrabul is not.

Consonants
Most words are of the pattern (V)CVC(V)... but the patterns (V)C(V)(K)VC/(V)C(V)(K)VC(V)(K)(V)(C)(V) (e.g. khanraz - bowl | isaphramišgesi -  entertainment)are also attested with the consonant clusters K:

šd,šg,šb,šp,šk,št,šn,šj (rare)

nr, mr

phm,khm,khn,ghn,phr,ghr,khr,

rk, rd, rg, rb

lg, lkh, lbh, lgh,

Consonant clusters:

aspirated plosive + nasal, š + nasal, plosive and palatal approximant, nasal + rhotic, rhotic + voiced plosive and k,

Plosives

 * Unvoiced: p, t, k.


 * Aspirated: ph, kh


 * In initial word position ph can only be followed by the vowels a ,ā, o, ō and u or by a rhotic consonant. kh has the vowels a, ā, e, ē, u and ū following.


 * Voiced: b, d, g.


 * Aspirated: bh, gh.


 * bh can only have o following.

Fricatives

 * Unvoiced: f [f], s [s], š  [ʃ]


 * Voiced: z [z]

Other consonants

 * Nasals: m, n.
 * Laterals: l
 * Rhotic: R (both uvular and trilled depending on speakers preference.)
 * Glottal: h
 * Semi-vowel: y
 * Palatal approximant: (archaic) [j], only used in pronouns and old words. Elsewhere merged into /y/.

Vowels
a, e, i, o, u and their long counterparts ā, ē, ī, ō, ū.

/a/, /e/ with the allophones [e] and [ɛ], /i/, /o/, /u/

=Alphabet=

Vowels: A, E, I, O, U. Consonants: B,D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, R, S, Š, T, Y, Z and the digraphs Ph, Kh, Bh and Gh.

The macron is used to denote a long vowel (as seen in ašnāg) and the acute accent to mark unusual stress (as seen in the present tense marker -ún, e.g. azfērún).

The cirkumflex ^ may in cases be used instead of the macron.

(Archaic) The shorthand ai representing the sound ay is found extremely rarely in modern words.

Hypenathion
The hyphen is sometimes used to separate the person marker from the verb stem though this usage is infrequent and not very much widespread. E.g. izil-akálābat enukāšna , (She) fell violently.

It is also used when sometimes shortening and prefixing the prepos. aya to the accusative object in the sentence.


 * E.g. zín iz-zâkat ai-ekašemiz nâr instead of zín iz-zâkat aya nâr ekašemiz, He was going to the boats.

This might also be written in certain dialects as iz-bâzatún ai-ekašemiz, He was going to (the) boats.

The hyphen is also used when forming new words. Normally no hyphen is used at all unless forced by an illegal consonant cluster e.g. in the name Ekhêd-dûm, Shiny Cave since the combination dd isn't allowed. The hyphen is then read as a small pause. On the contrary Bâl, lord + Rôkh, power should not be written Bâl-rôkh but Bâlrôkh, Emperor. The same goes for Bâl + Khatú, head; The correct formation is Bâlkhatú, chieftain not Bâl-khatú.

=Basic Grammar=

Malanāz is a pro-drop language. Normally uses SVO word order with adjectives before the nouns they modify. Adjectives agree with nouns in number but not in gender or case. Malanāz has three cases: nominative, accusative and the genitive.

The definitive article
Malanāz has no indefinite article but it does use a definite article nâr. The definite article is prefixed infront of the noun it governs such as in : nār Ēphrenībil The white flower, note that it isn't Nār ēphrenībil. In cases where definite/indefinite is implied by context the article may be left out. This feautre is increasingly uncommon being a remnant from old Malanāz. E.g. az ešagûkhnê eyôhiphrûz, from (the) bay (of) pearls

Cases
There are three (four if separating the reverse genitive from the standard genitive) cases in Malanāz : nominative, accusative and the genitive.

NB: For a more thorough in-depth explanation of the cases please continue reading.

Nominative
The nominative singular is unmarked, the plural is not.

The nominative plural is formed with -(V)z where the vowel V is a duplication of the vowel in the last syllable. If the last vowel is long it shortened. Note, if the last letter is a vowel it takes the place of V in -(V)z.

The nominative plural -(V)z (where V is any valid vowel) is derived from the archaic suffix -kar denoting pluralism. Therefore the original plural form of Ēphrenībil would've been Ēphrenībil kar .

With time the -kar turned into -> -ar dropping the 'k'. The vowel sound was later harmonised with the ending vowel in the last syllable of the word giving us -(V)r. This changed initially in all dialects to -(V)z giving us the modern Malanāz form -(V)z.

Examples: nār Ēphrenībil iz ,The flowers, nār Amuna z , The bracelets, bāl az, lords.

Note: In some dialects the word-final z has returned as r giving us e.g. bâl ar, lords. In some dialects the reduplicated vowel also lengthens and shortens the last syllable vowel giving us the forms bal ār and bal āz ,

Accusative
The accusative singular case is formed with the ending -(V)m where the vowel V is a duplication of the vowel in the last syllable. If the last vowel is long it shortened.

nār Ēphrenībil im ,

The accusative plural case is again formed with the ending -(V)m (and with the same vowel shortening rule) but has the addition of the plural marker -(V)z. The full formula for the ending for the plural acc. case is then -(Va)m(Vb)z.

The vowels for the plural acc. ending is special, demanding a special stem-controlled harmony between the vowel Va and the vowel Vb. If the vowel a is u, a or o the b vowel has to be a. If the vowel a is i or e ,the b vowel invariably is i.

Example: nār Ēphrenībil imiz, nār Amunam would result in nār Amunamaz, nār Balam would ergo result in nār Balamaz,nār Āgasûštum - the building block would be nār Āgasūštumaz.

Genitive of pos.
Is only used when denoting possession. Formed in sing. with -(u)lun and in plural with -(u)lunaz.

Ex. âzure Anatūlun. - The island owned by Anatū.

Note! To ONLY say the island of Anatû one would say: âzure Anatû NOT âzure Anatûlun.

Reverse genitive of governance
The reverse genitive of governance or "2gen" is used when meaning X ruler/master of Y.

The reason for why the declined noun is not Y is because Y is viewed as dependent of X, X being its ruler, ergo the reversed genitive. To say Anatûzul Arašumru would mean Anatû ruler of Earth (seeing Earth as dependent of its ruler.)

The formula for the singular ending is -(V1)z'V2l.

The formula for the plural ending is -(V1)kV1zV2l.

Verbs
NB: '' The example verb used in this article is bakín (to see). ''

Introduction:

Verbs in Malanāz are conjugated in three tenses past, present, future. The three moods: indicative, optative, imperative and the voices active/passive are also distinguished in the infinitive. The modified stem is procured from the infinitive stem marked with mood changes and then the tense marker is suffixed. We then mark the persons by prefixing person markers to this modified stem. The optative mood is used to express a hope, wish or something taken to be unreal.

The substantive derivative
This is a verbal noun formed by suffixing the derivative verbal noun marker -ín to the unmarked, unmodified root of the verb and is used when discussing the non-conjugated verb and in the construction of the past continous tense.

It is also known as the neutral infinitive.

Example of the first use: rūl bakín izākún , to see is good(lit. good to see it is).

Example of the past continous tense: bakín kariz-zākat, - they were seeing (lit. to see they were).

Imperative
Is formed by prefixing dar to the root for sing. and kar for plr. and aspirating the last consonant.

Example: darbakh- (See!), karbakh- (See! plr.) The passive is formed by changing the vowel in the imperative prefixes to u. Example: durbakh- (Be seen!), kurbakh-(Be seen! plr.).

Indicative
The indicative active infinitive stem is formed by lengthening the vowel in the root.

Example: bak -> bāk

The passive is formed by prefixing a(b) to the root and then lengthening the main root vowel.

Example: bak -> abak -> abāk.

Optative
The optative mood is used for a variety of purposes, such as:
 * Potential Optative, in which the possibility of an action taking place is indicated. "I would be gladdened to visit you."
 * Optative of Wish, which, as the name indicates, is used to express wishes such as those beginning, "If only..." or "Would that...".

The optative active infinitive stem is formed by aspirating the last consonant.

Example: bak -> bakh

NB: Notice how the vowel isn't lengthened.

The passive is once again formed by prefixing a(b) to the root, lengthening the main root vowel but this time also aspirating the last consonant.

Example: bak -> bakh -> abakh -> abākh.

Past Tense
The past tense stem is formed by adding -at to the infinitive.

Indicative:

Active voice example: bāk (to see) + an = bākat.

Passive voice example: abāk (to be seen) + an = abākat

Optative:

Active voice example: bakh (wishing/wanting + to see) + an = bakhat.

Then the grammatical persons are prefixed with the following markers:

1st person sing. : az

2nd person sing. : uz

3rd person sing. : iz

The plurals are formed by prefixing the plural marker kar to the singular equiv. example: 3rd person plural indicative active is karizbākat i.e. they saw.

Note: Some dialects maintain the ancient tense simple past continuous sense used when describing an acting ongoing in the past such as they were going, this is formed by suffixing the present tense marker after the past tense, giving us forms such as karizbākatún, they were seeing.

Common Malanāz does not normally use this instead opting for a construction with the neutral infinitive using the appr. past tense form of zakín, to be, similar to english. In this construction the neutral infinite form (-ín) is always before the conjugated form e.g.  bakín karizākat - seeing they were (lit. to see they were)

Present tense
The present tense stem is formed from the infinitive root + the present tense suffix ún.

Indicative:

Active voice example: bāk (to see) + un = bākún.

Passive voice example: abāk (to be seen) + un = abākún

Optative: Active voice example: bakh (wishing/wanting + to see) + un = bakhún.

Passive voice example: abākh (wishing/wanting + to be seen) + un = abākhún.

The persons are the same as in the past tense.

E.g. azbākún I see, azabākhún I want to be seen, karizbākún they see, karizabākhún they want to be seen, darbakhún! ''See! (sing.)''

Future Tense
The future tense stem is formed by adding -an to the infinitive.

Indicative:

Active voice example: bāk (to see) + at = bākan.

Passive voice example: abāk (to be seen) + at = abākan

Optative:

Active voice example: bakh (wishing/wanting + to see) + at = bakhan.

Passive voice exmaple: abākh (wishing/wanting + to be seen) + at = abākhan.

The persons are the same as in the other tenses.

E.g. karizbākan they will see, karizabākan they will be seen, azbakhan I want to see (future), darbakhan ''See! (future sing.), darzakhan Become!''

=Numbers=

The ordinal numbers 1-3 are inflected in number: -nāg for singular and -nagī.

=Dictionary=

Malanāz to English
Words starting with A

Words starting with B

Words starting with D

Words starting with E

Words starting with F

Words starting with G

Words starting with H

Prepositions
aya, ayim - to, towards

bakhaz (takes gen.) - out of, bakhaz tahulun darbašún! Go out of the house!

bakhayim - out to, bakhayim taham darbašún! Go out to the house!

az - from

dal - under, below

dalayim - towards shadow

Other
uk - and

Regular
bakín - to see, azbākún I see

burín - to do, azbūrún I do

barín - to eat, azbārún  I eat

bikín - to build, azbîkún I build

bukín - to read, azbūkún I read

farín - to travel, azfārún I travel

ferín - to transport, azfêrún I transport

furín - to destroy, azfūrún I destroy

khazín - to speak, azkhāzún I speak

khuzín - to shout, azkhūzún I shout

kibín - to want, azkîbún I want

mahín - to know, azmāhún  I know

rakín - to find, azrākún I find

zakín - to be, a(z)zākún I am

zirakín - to explore, a(z)zirākún I explore

Category 1
zín (root for inf. act. baz, root for inf. opt. bar) - to go, walk, azbāzún I go, uzbarún (Opt.) You walk + desire

gazín (root for inf. act. gaz, root for inf. opt. gar)- to die, azgāzún I die, uzgarún (Opt.) You die + desire

=Example text= Malanāz izakún khaz. Malanāz is a language.

Azbūkún malanāzum. I read Malanāz.

Iškhūr darbakhún! See them (mask.) !

Karazākún ašnagī. We are first.

Karuzākún gašnagī. You (plr.) are second.

Karizākún kašnagī. They are third.

Azferún êphrenîbilimiz ânayar az nâr alâri arašumru aya nâr âzure akhnašaz Anatûlun. I transport silver windflowers from the blue country to the sixth island of Anatû.

Êphrenîbilimiz ânayar az nâr arašumru alâri aya nâr akhnašaz âzure Anatûlun azferún. I transport silver windflowers from the blue country to the sixth island of Anatû.

Abibêšgam Malanāz izdûrún. Malanāz has a dictionary.

nâr Abibêšgâ izâkún ašûbu. The dictionary is new.

izâkún ašûbu nâr Abibêšgâ. The dictionary is new.

Khaz izākat izabākat ašnāg bakhaz gašnāgī. - This language was once featured.

Aya enâyî-êkekô. - "Thanks to its level of quality."