Language of the Valley

General background
The Language of the Valley is a dead language spoken by a fictional Elven race who lived in a prosperous valley before the arrival of the Human race. After immigration, Humans found only ruins of palaces, monuments and common houses. They began to study the inscriptions, manuscripts and books left by this mysterious Elven race and adopted the language for its cultural worth and beauty. Since then, the Language of the Valley took the same role as Latin for Romance languages​​, although not directly descendant. Thus, there was the differentiation between the Educated Language and the Common Speech.

The Language of the Valley means to be simple and agglutinative. It 's based on syllables that can express a verbal or nominal value, depending on the suffixes they take.

The main features are:
 * 5 vowels: up to 7 sounds if we includes the couples /e, ɛ/ and /o, ɔ/ as allophones
 * 14 consonants: [sh] is considered as a digraphs for /ʃ/; [j] has 3 allophones /ʒ, dʒ, tʃ/.
 * nominative-accusative alignment: subjects of a transitive or intransitive verb are treaten as same.
 * topic-prominent alignment: the word order emphatizes the sentence topic, allowing a "double subject" - topic+subject.
 * strongly pro-drop: the personal pronouns are often omitted. They can be used with emphatic effect in both nominative and vocative cases.
 * case inflection: the grammatical role of the word is descirbed by the suffix case.
 * large use of verbal modificators (suffix) that enrich verb meanings.

Script
Note: It's an adaptation of the Korean Hangeul. Vowels and consonants are linked together in a squared block.

Exemples: They are mostly used as ideograms than phomenes, yet don't lose their phonological role: The only exception is -m for the first singolar person of the verb. It can be written both: The 1° is considered as a contraction of 2°, but is more common.
 * bol (pot) = 봏
 * jom (fire) = 촘
 * hus (beauty) = 웄
 * kun (smooth) = 쿤
 * mos (defend) = 몼
 * 쿤이(kun-hi) and not 쿠니 (ku-ni) [beautiful]
 * 봏아니 (bol-ha-ni) and not 보하니 (bo-la-ni) [in the pot]
 * 1) 실아짐 (zir-ha-shim) > zirashim = I am
 * 2) 실아지므 (zir-ha-shi-m) > zirashim = I am

Note: when reduction or reinforcement occured, the syllable changes:
 * 1) 촴joam (reinforced) = forest-fire
 * 2) 좀jom (basic) = fire
 * 3) 죰jyom (reduced) = flame

Syllable
Type: CVC

The syllables are the basic units for nouns, adjectives and verbs. Each syllable is made up by an initial consonant ("head"), a central vowel ("body") and a final consonant ("tail").

The script system is the Korean Hangeul, but used in a way far different.

ㅇh
ㅇ is always mute and can be found at the beginning or end of a syllable. At the beginning, it's linked to the vowel otherwise "unpaired"; at the end it's used to mark a special class of words (such as adverbs, etc...).

ㅍ f / p
It sounds as [f] and is trascribed as "f". If it has preceded by a consonant, it sounds as [p] and trascribed as "p".

ㅈ j
It has two allophons: [d ʒ] at the beginning and [ ʒ] in all the other context; however they are quite exchangeble and their rendering depends on the general emphasis.

ㅅ s / z / sh
 ​  It sounds like [s] before [a], [e], [o] and [u]. It sounds [ʃ] before [i] and trascribed as "i". If it's surrounded by vowels, it sounds as [z] and trascribed as "z".

ㄷ d and ㅌ t
They are pronunced as [d] and [t] before [a, e, o, u]. They also can gain a light aspiration depending on the emphasis. Before [i], they become [ dʒ] and [tʃ], and trascribed as "dj" and "ch".

ㅁ m and ㄴ n
They are respectively [m] and [n], however their distinction isn't sharp: when they are preceded by a consonant, they can converged to each other, assimilating the same place of articolation of the following consonant.

ㄹ r
It sounds as [r] (some speacker can render it [l] too), before consonant becomes [i] and trascribed "y".

Geminate
Geminate consonants (or double consonants) are the following: ㅃ (pp), ㄸ (tt), ㄲ (kk), ㅉ (jj).

Before [i], ㄸ sounds as [tt ʃ] ("cch") and ㅆ sounds as [ ʃ ʃ] ("ssh").

Only ㅆ can be found at the end of a syllable.

Fusion
If the consonants meet each other because of the flection of words, they merge together according to following rules. Note: sibilant is meant for fricative ㅅ [s, z, sh] plus affricate ㅈ [ ʒ].

Gemination
The second syllable head is doubbled, the first syllable tail is mute and not trascribed.
 * stop + stop
 * stop + sibilant
 * sibilant + sibilant

Exemples:

압hab + 산san = 압싼hassan [ha(b) + ssan]

압hab + 발bar = 압빨happar [ha(b) + ppar]

Compound consonant
Compound consonants are a particular end clusters: 읎 (ps), 읐 (ss, coming from ts) and 윿 (ks). They are the result of an inversion between head and tail consonants.
 * sibilant + stop
 * sibilant + trill

Exemples:

앗has + 캄kam = 앇캄haksam [haks (k)am]

앗has + 롬rom = 았롬hassom [hass (r)om]

Nasal
A. Tail nasal (first syllable ending) They are graphically unchanged, but the nasal place of articulation converge to the following consonant.
 * nasal + stop
 * nasal + sibilant
 * nasal + nasal

Exemples:

암ham + 콘kon = 암콘hamkon [sounds like ankon]

안han + 본 bon = 안본hanbon [sounds like hambon]

B. Head nasal (second syllable beginning)
They are graphically unchanged, but stops and sibilants are mute and nasals are pronounced as they were doubbled.
 * stop + nasal
 * sibilant + nasal

They are trascribed as double nasals to semplify the reading.

Exemples:

앝hat + 만man = 앝만hamman [ha(t) man]

Trill
They are graphically unchanged, but [r] changed into [i] and it's trascribed as "y".
 * trill + stop
 * trill + sibilant
 * trill + nasal

Exemples:

알har + 만man = 알만hayman

앨hair + 만man = 앨만haiyman

Vowels
Note: ㅗ and ㅓ can be both open [ɔ, ɛ] or close [o, e]. In ㅔ, the sound [i] is really short.

Basic: these vowels are found in basic syllables.

Weak (y + basic): these vowels are the weakened (or palatized) version of the basic ones. Weakening is a productive phenomena to create new words. It expresses generally something "smaller" than the basic (such as 좀jom fire > 죰jyom flame).

Strong (w + basic): these vowels are the stenghten (or rounded) version of the basic ones. Strenghtening is also another phenomena to create new words. It express generally something "bigger" than the basic (such as 좀jom fire < 좜joam forestfire).

Natural (basic): are diphtongs admitted in the basic syllables.

Trascription note: "h" are omitted before "y" and "w"; ㅘ and ㅙ are written "wa" and "wai" at the beginning and "oa" and "oai" if preceded by a consonant.



Word Order
Word order is quite free in the speech, but it's prefered the standard order in the writing.
 * 1) Topic
 * 2) Subject
 * 3) Dative
 * 4) Object
 * 5) (Adverb) Predicate

The following could be a typical phrase:

"This morning, Mark gave to Paul the book as promised"

넛싼요, 매코삼아포로삼키톨고넬반시먼더킴바툐.

Nessanyo, Mayko-sama Foro-samki toygo neiyban-shimende kimbacho.

In details:

넛싼요nessanyo = morning (요 topic)

말코삼아Mayko-sama = (Mr.) Mark (아 subject)

포로삼키 Foro-samki = (Mr.) Paul (키 dative)

톨고 toygo = the book (고 object)

넬반시먼더neiyban-shimende = as promised (더 mode)

킴바툐kimbacho = gave.

Case markers
The cases are suffixes attached to the syllable they modify:

Topic marker
The main function is to mark the topic of the action and can be translated by "as per..." or "about...":

Subject marker
The main function is to mark the subject of the action:

Additive marker
This marker could be a little bit hard to understand. Let's say that mainly it means "with/and" and can be apply to any other marker:

Object marker
Its function is to mark the object of the action.

Other locative cases
더 can be change by 키 or 시 too.

"I'm going behind the house" = 번요켬시 끼텃아쇼benyo kyemshi reikki tezasho.

Positive grade (or zero grade)
Exemple:
 * Radix + -i (ㅣ ) (Invariable).


 * huzi = good, genuine (from hus "genuinity")

Comparative grade
Exemples:
 * Majority: adjective + -ka (카 )
 * Minority: adjective + -shi (지 )
 * Equality: adjective
 * huzi = good / as good as
 * huzika = better
 * huzishi = less good

Comparative word order
Exemples:
 * With noums: adjective + comparative + genitive.
 * With adjectives: majority + minority


 * wih noums: huzika masho = better than me (litt. better of me)


 * with adjectives: huzika ranishi = better than happy (litt. more good and less happy, e.g. "she's more good than happy")

Superlative grade
It uses the same comparative form with nothing next.

Exemple:


 * huzika = the best

Demostrative

 * Sheh (정 ): "here", but also "this/these".

Sheh and teh are adverbs but are evoleved as demostratives too.
 * Teh (텅 ): "there", but also "that/those".

Exemples:
 * sheh bola = this pot, the pot here.
 * teh bola = that pot, the pot there.

Verbal adjective (nominal phrase)

 * Adjective + -z (ㅅ ) + verbal inflection.

An verbal ajdecite is simply an adjective merged with the contraction of "to be" (zir > -z). It acts as a verb.

Exemple:
 * I am good = huzizam (litt. "good-be-me").
 * huzi = good > huziz- = to be good.

As adjectives do, an adjectival verb can get superlative grade too.

Exemple:


 * I am better/the best = huzikazam (litt. "good-more-be-me").
 * huzi = good > huzika = better > huzikaz- = to be better.

Participle
The participle is a verb mood with a nominal and adjectival function. Unlike other languages​​, elven participle is divided into two voices, rather than tences: solar (or active) and lunar (or passive).
 * Solar form: radix + -ai
 * Lunar form: radix + -ui

The solar form gives an active diathesis (voice) to the participle, while the lunar gives a passive one.
 * ran- = basic syllable for "happiness"
 * rani (adjective) = happy
 * ranai (solar) = amusing (that is making happy)
 * ranui (lunar) = amused (that is made happy)

Solar form is "giving the action", while the lunar form is "receiving the action", like in the exemple below:
 * ranai suda ranui sudadari ranizashi = an amusing person is making happy many amused persons.
 * suda ranai kojada kimara = a person takes an amusing book.
 * kujasho ranui, suda kujada kimate = amused by the book, a person bought it.

The participle can be also used to form agent nouns:

ran (happiness) + ai (solar) = ranai > toy (the thing that is amusing)

jom (fire/burn) + ai (solar) = jomai > burner or kettle (the thing that is burning)
 * jom (fire/burn) + ag (causative) + ai (solar) = jomagai > stewpan (the thing that is coocking)
 * jom (fire/burn) + ag (causative) + ui (lunar) = jomagui > stew (the thing that is cooked)

Personal pronoum: sha (he/she)
Note: It doesn't distinguish the gender.

Verb structure
Verbs are structured as following.

Exemple using all the stems:
 * Radix = the meaning-career part of the verb
 * Diathesis = the voice that express the relationship between verbs and their arguments.
 * Mood = the modality which the speaker expresses their attitude toward the action.
 * Aspect = indicates if the action is ended or continous.
 * Person = indicates who's doing the action.
 * Number = indicates singolarity or plurality.

Let's break the verb down:
 * Junijishimi = We can see each other (but also "we can meet").

Another exemple:
 * Jun = the radix syllable meaning "to see".
 * -ij- = diathesis/voice that express reciprocity and can evolves the verb from "see each other" to "meet". "Seen each other" means "we stand one in front of the other, we meet each other".
 * -i- = potential mood, expressing possibility.
 * -shi- = imperfective indicates that the action is actual and it's not yet over.
 * -m- = first person.
 * -i- = plural for the first person.

Let's break it down:
 * Junagutekari = You (plural) would had the desire to show.


 * Jun = the radix syllable meaning "to see".
 * -ag- = diathesis/voice that express causativity and can evolves the verb from "see" to "make see/show".
 * -u- = optative mood, expressing desire or will.
 * -te- = perfective indicates that the action is over.
 * -ka- = second person.
 * -ri- = plural for the second and third person.

Note: Since the language was originally spoken by an Elf race, the language itself prefers aspects than tences. For an almost immortal Elf, time/tence is not that important. He doesn't care if the action was in the past, in the future or is happening right now. The point is "Is it already done/finished?". A verb like huzizashim means a sort of "I'm good and I'm continuing to be like that", while huzizatem means "I am good and I've finished to be like that".

Diathesis (voice)

 * Active: zero-stem


 * Passive: -ib- (ㅣㅂ )


 * Reflexive: -em- (<span lang="KO" style="font-family:바탕; mso-hansi-font-family:바탕;mso-bidi-font-family:바탕;mso-fareast-language:KO">ㅓㅁ )


 * Reciprocal: -ij- (<span lang="KO" style="font-family:바탕; mso-hansi-font-family:바탕;mso-bidi-font-family:바탕;mso-fareast-language:KO">ㅣㅊ )

Diathesis can make the verb evolving into what in English seems to be another verb.
 * Causative: -ag- (<span lang="KO" style="font-family:바탕; mso-hansi-font-family:바탕;mso-bidi-font-family:바탕;mso-fareast-language:KO">ㅏㄱ )

Exemple:

Even mixing each other:
 * Junib = passive "been saw"
 * Junem = reflexive "see myself"
 * Junij = reciprocal "see each other" -> "meet"
 * Junag = causative "make see / let see" -> "show"
 * Johnada hol em am = reflexive "I call myself John" -> "my name is John" [hol = "call, name"]
 * Holag = causative "send someone to call someone else" -> "to summon".
 * Jomag = causative "make something burns" -> "boil, coock" [jom = "fire"].


 * Junijib = reciprocal + passive "been met"
 * Junijem = reciprocal + reflexive "meet myself"
 * Junagem = causative + reflexive "show myself, be present at something, preside, take part in"

Mood

 * Indicative: -a- (<span lang="KO" style="font-family:바탕; mso-hansi-font-family:바탕;mso-bidi-font-family:바탕;mso-fareast-language:KO">ㅏ ) ( I see)


 * Optative: -u (<span lang="KO" style="font-family:바탕; mso-hansi-font-family:바탕;mso-bidi-font-family:바탕;mso-fareast-language:KO">ㅜ ) (I want to see, I would like to see, I desire to see, I would see)


 * Potential: -i (<span lang="KO" style="font-family:바탕; mso-hansi-font-family:바탕;mso-bidi-font-family:바탕;mso-fareast-language:KO">ㅣ ) (I can see, I could see)

Exemples:
 * Imperative: -oa (<span lang="KO" style="font-family:바탕; mso-hansi-font-family:바탕;mso-bidi-font-family:바탕;mso-fareast-language:KO">ㅘ ) (I must see, I have to see, I should see)


 * Junam = I see.
 * Junum = I want to see, I would see, I would like to see, I desire to see.
 * Junim = I can see, I could see, there's a chance, probability or possibility that I see.
 * Junoaka = See!, you must see, you have to see, you should see.

Aspect

 * Aorist: zero-stem


 * Imperfective: -shi- (<span lang="KO" style="font-family:바탕; mso-hansi-font-family:바탕;mso-bidi-font-family:바탕;mso-fareast-language:KO">지 )


 * Perfective: -te- (<span lang="KO" style="font-family:바탕; mso-hansi-font-family:바탕;mso-bidi-font-family:바탕;mso-fareast-language:KO">터 )

Exemple:
 * Future: -ra- (<span lang="KO" style="font-family:바탕; mso-hansi-font-family:바탕;mso-bidi-font-family:바탕;mso-fareast-language:KO">라 )

Again:
 * zira = it is (undeniable truth over times)
 * zirashi = it is (still running)
 * zirate = it is (over)
 * zirara = it will be

We can say also:
 * Johnada ziram = I'm John, I'm always been John and will be John even when I'll be dead.
 * Johnada zirashim = at the moment, I'm John
 * Johnada ziratem = I'm John nomore, I finished to be John (it's not really a past or a negation, it simply states that the "action of been John" is done, is over).
 * Johnada ziraram = I will be John, one day...


 * Aorist = the door is always opened, forever.
 * Imperfective = I'm closing the door.
 * Perfective = the door is closed.
 * Future = the door isn't closed yet, but it will be.

Note 1: As we stated before, the language is more aspectual than temporal. However the imperfective has a sense of present, while perfective has a sense of past. For instance, we can state that "I'm sitting, I sit" is imperfective, while "I'm seated" is perfective.

Note 2: as per the verb zir (to be), the future plays an unexpected effect. Let's see below:


 * I will be in the town (static) = kemani ziraram (town.LOC be.IND.FUT.1sp)


 * I go to the town (dynamic) = kemini ziraram (town.ILL be.IND.FUT.1sp)

"I will be" somehow also express that "I go" (...so I will be there.)

Also with verbal adjective contrustions (let's remember that -z is a contraction of zir)​:


 * I'm good = huzizam (genuinity.ADJ.be.IND.1sp)


 * I become good = huzizaram (genuinity.ADJ.be.IND.FUT.1sp)

"I will be good" express that "I become good" (... so I will be good). Thus, we can assume that the verb zir (to be) can also mean "to become" and/or "to go" by the future aspect.

Person

 * First: -m (<span lang="KO" style="font-family:바탕;mso-hansi-font-family: 바탕;mso-bidi-font-family:바탕;mso-fareast-language:KO">므 )


 * Second: -ka (<span lang="KO" style="font-family:바탕; mso-hansi-font-family:바탕;mso-bidi-font-family:바탕;mso-fareast-language:KO">카 )


 * Third: zero-stem

Number

 * Singolar: zero-stem.
 * Plural for the first person: -i (<span lang="KO" style="font-family:바탕; mso-hansi-font-family:바탕;mso-bidi-font-family:바탕;mso-fareast-language:KO">ㅣ <span style="font-family:바탕;mso-hansi-font-family:바탕;mso-bidi-font-family:바탕; mso-fareast-language:KO">)
 * Plural for the other persons: -ri (<span lang="KO" style="font-family:바탕;mso-hansi-font-family:바탕;mso-bidi-font-family:바탕; mso-fareast-language:KO">리 <span style="font-family:바탕;mso-hansi-font-family: 바탕;mso-bidi-font-family:바탕;mso-fareast-language:KO">)

Flection of jom (fire)
Basic syllables and derivations

<span style="font-family:바탕;mso-hansi-font-family: 바탕;mso-bidi-font-family:바탕;mso-fareast-language:KO">
 * Radix: jom = basic meaning "fire, to burn"

Plural (valid for any forms: noun and verbs)
 * Reduced: j y om = flame
 * Reinforced: j o am = forestfire

Cases
 * Plural (nominative): jyoma ri  = flames

Adjectives and derivations
 * Nominative: jom a  = the fire (subject)
 * Vocative:  a jom a  = oh the fire!
 * Accusative: jom ada  = the fire (object)
 * Genitive: jom asho  = of the fire
 * Locative: jom ani  = in the fire (without motion)
 * Dative: jom ida  = to the fire, for the fire
 * Ablative: jom isho  = from the fire (with motion)
 * Illative: jom ini  = to the fire, in the fire, toward the fire (with motion)

Participles
 * Adjective: jom i  = warm, hot
 * Comparative of majority: jomi ka = warmer, hotter
 * Comparative of minority: jomi shi  = less warm, less hot
 * Adjectival verb: jomi z - = to be warm, to be hot

Diathesis or voices
 * Active: jom ari  = burning / "bern-er" -> kettle
 * Passive: jom ui  = burned
 * Potential: jom idi  = inflammable


 * Active: jom- = to burn
 * Passive: jom ib - = to be burned
 * Reflexive: jom em - = to burn oneself -> to get burned

Moods
 * Reciprocal: jom ij - = to burn each other -> to talk excitedly (figurative)
 * Causative: jom ag - = to make burn -> to boil, to coock

Aspects (in the indicative mood)
 * Indicative: jom a - = burn
 * Optative: jom u - = would burn, want to burn
 * Potential: jom i - = could burn, can burn
 * Imperative: jom oa - = should burn, must burn, have to burn

Persons (plus indicative mood and imperfective aspect)
 * Aorist: joma- = (never-ending) burn
 * Imperfective: joma shi - = is/are burning (right now)'
 * Perfective: joma te - = is/are done with burning (burning is over)
 * Future: joma ra - = will burn, going to burn

</li>
 * First: jomashim = I'm burning
 * Second:  jomashika = you are burning
 * Third: jomashi = he/she/it is burning