Language of the Valley

Phonetic
Syllable structure Type: CVC


 * 1) Head (or initial consonant): all the consonants.
 * 2) Body (or simply vowel): all the vowels.
 * 3) Tail (or final consonant): all the consonants except B (ㅂ ), G (ㄱ ), D (ㄷ ), Z (ㅅ ).

Note: All the final voiced consonants ("tail") between 2 simple vowels become voiceless.

Consonants
Note:

- T/D = sounds like Spanish or Italian, not like in English.

- G = voiceless like in "Guardian"

- J = can be pronounced in 3 different way: "ch" like in church, "j" like in "joke", but more commonly "j" like in "jarden" (french)

- Z = sound like "s" in "rose"

Vowels, grammatical and natural diphtongs


Reduction and reinforcement
Reduction and reinforcement is a way to semantically reduce or reinforce a syllable meaning and affects the central vowel of the syllable itself. Generally adding y- reduces the meaning, w- reinforces it. However, some sounds cluster isn't allowed (e.g. basic -o = red. yo = reinf. oa // basic -i = red. wi = reinf. ei).

Exemple of reduction and reinforcement: Bol = pot/casserole/basket (basic meaning: container/holder/receptacle)

Byol (reduced) = basin/bowl/dish (as per a smaller container)

Boal (reinforced) = barrel/cask (as per a bigger container)

Jom = fire / burn

Jaom (reinforced) = bushfire / forestfire

Word fusion
When 2 or more syllables merge together to make a new word, the final consonats of the 1st syllable merge with the first consonant of the 2nd syllable (cVc + cVc = cVCCVc; where "c" is a consonant and "CC" is a new consonant cluster after the junxion)

1° Group: -P, –T, –K, –S, –Sh, –J:


 * Cause the gemination of the next consonants and are assimilated.


 * S+R, SH+R and J+R = always JJ.

2° Group: -M, -N:


 * Become M- before P, B, M.


 * Become N- before T, D, K, G, S, Z, SH, J e N.


 * M+L and N+L = ND.


 * M+R and N+R = NJ.

3° Group: -L, -R:
 * Keep the same before P, B, T, D, K, G, M, N.


 * Cause the gemination before S, Z, SH, J and are assimilated.



Word Order
1. Topic = has not a specific grammatical marker, but is always at the first place of the sentence. It can collide with the subject in nominative form. It could be also in the genitive (subject's or object's attribute), locative (expressing time like "in summer" or places like "at home") or even vocative (like in the sentence: "Oh John, I used your pen!").

2. Subject = the actor of the action.

3. Dative = the actor receiving the action.

4. Object = the object of the action.

5. Verb = the action.

6. Other oblique cases.

This could be a standard phrase: John gave me a piece of the apple at home.

"Apple" is genitive because is refered to "a piece" (a piece of apple), not to John and since it's the topic of what we are talking about, goes to the first place.

Noums

Syllable (often CVC) are inflected by cases.

Suffix
State: radix + -a (ㅏ ) Movement: radix + -i (ㅣ )

Plural Radix + suffix + case + -ri (리 )

Static cases (state suffix)

Dynamic cases (movement suffix)


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

E.g. huzi = good, genuine (from hus "genuinity")

Comparative grade
Majority: adjective + -ka (카 ) (e.g. huzika = better) Minority: adjective + -shi (지 ) (e.g. huzishi = less good)

Equality: adjective (e.g. huzi also can stand for "as good as")

Comparative word order.
With names: adjective + comparative + genitive.

E.g. huzika masho = better than me (litt. better of me)

With adjectives: majority + minority E.g. 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.

E.g. huzika = the best.

Dimostrative adjectives/pronoums and adverbs.
Since they end with -h, they aren't really pronouns, nor adjective (-i). They are adverbs.

Sheh (<span lang="KO" style="font-family:바탕;mso-hansi-font-family: 바탕;mso-bidi-font-family:바탕;mso-fareast-language:KO">정 ): "here", but also "this/these". Teh (<span lang="KO" style="font-family:바탕;mso-hansi-font-family:바탕;mso-bidi-font-family: 바탕;mso-fareast-language:KO">텅 ): "there", but also "that/those".

Exemples:

This girl = the here girl, the girl here, near to me.

That boy = the there boy, the boy there, near to you.

Verbal Adjectival.
Adjective + -z (<span lang="KO" style="font-family:바탕; mso-hansi-font-family:바탕;mso-bidi-font-family:바탕;mso-fareast-language:KO">ㅅ ) + verbal inflection.

A verbal adjective is simply an adjective merged with the verb "to be" (zir). It acts as a verb.

E.g. I am good = huzizam (litt. "good-be-me").

As adjective does, a verbal adjective can get superlative grade.

E.g. I am better/the best = huzikazam (litt. "good-more-be-me").

Participle
Active (it acts like a noum): radix -ari (<span lang="KO" style="font-family:바탕; mso-hansi-font-family:바탕;mso-bidi-font-family:바탕;mso-fareast-language:KO">ㅏ리 ) (e.g. teacher)

Passive (it acts like an adjective): radix -ui (<span lang="KO" style="font-family: 바탕;mso-hansi-font-family:바탕;mso-bidi-font-family:바탕;mso-fareast-language:KO">ㅟ ) (e.g. teached)

Potential (it acts like an adjective): radix -idi (<span lang="KO" style="font-family:바탕; mso-hansi-font-family:바탕;mso-bidi-font-family:바탕;mso-fareast-language:KO">ㅣ디 ) (e.g. teachable)

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

Verb structure.
1. Radix = the meaning-career part of the verb

2. Diathesis = the voice that express the relationship between verbs and their arguments. 3. Mood = the modality which the speaker express their attitude toward the action. 4. Aspect = indicates if the action is ended or continous. 5. Person = indicates who's doing the action. 6. Number = indicates singolarity or plurality.

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 (I see)

Passive: -ib- (<span lang="KO" style="font-family:바탕; mso-hansi-font-family:바탕;mso-bidi-font-family:바탕;mso-fareast-language:KO">ㅣㅂ ) (I am seen)

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

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

Causative: -ag- (<span lang="KO" style="font-family:바탕; mso-hansi-font-family:바탕;mso-bidi-font-family:바탕;mso-fareast-language:KO">ㅏㄱ ) (I "make" you see, I show you)

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)

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)

Aspect
Aorist: zero-stem (I see, undenieble truth over times)

Imperfective: -shi- (<span lang="KO" style="font-family:바탕; mso-hansi-font-family:바탕;mso-bidi-font-family:바탕;mso-fareast-language:KO">지 ) (I'm seen, action is running)

Perfective: -te- (<span lang="KO" style="font-family:바탕; mso-hansi-font-family:바탕;mso-bidi-font-family:바탕;mso-fareast-language:KO">터 ) (I saw, I finished to see, action is ended)

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

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">)

<span style="font-family:바탕;mso-hansi-font-family: 바탕;mso-bidi-font-family:바탕;mso-fareast-language:KO">