Xalo

Xalo is a constructed auxlang within a fictional world (not named yet).

It was designed by the very first linguist of all humanity, an eremian. Eremians are humans (homo simiens) blessed by an Archean (little god-like being) who gave them eternal youth, that's why the first linguist had plenty of time to think about what are languages, why and how they should make one. The Eremians and their wisdom being respected and even sometimes worshiped among humanity, many countries adopted Xalo as an auxlang, and it basically became the Common Tongue over the centuries.

I beg your pardon for the unavoidable English mistakes I'll make. Sorry!

Vowels
The sounds above are acceptable variations, while those below are the official ones.

Phonotactics
Xalo is a (C)V(N) language, with N being any nasal. Any consonant or none is fine in the onset. Any nasal (m,n,g) or none is fine in the coda.

Consonant Clusters
A consonant cluster is possible if the consonants all have the same place of articulation (labial, coronal or dorsal). Here are the only allowed consonant clusters:

Vowel Clusters
Only two "strong" (mid or low) vowels can follow each other, "weak" (high) ones are always preceded and followed by a consonant. Here are the only allowed vowel clusters: If a weak vowel happen to be next to a strong one, a consonant must be added between them (/f/ if the weak one is /u/ and /x/ if it's /i/).

A cluster of twice the same vowel can either make a single long vowel, a glottal stop, or even a dripping tone (falling then rising).

Example


 * aa → a:
 * aa → aʔa
 * aa → ǎ

Avoidable Minimal Pairs
Minimal pairs of /ŋ/ and /n/ are forbidden in root words, and those of /n/ and /m/ are avoided as much as possible. Minimal pairs of /ae/ and /ea/, /ao/ and /oa/, /eo/ and /oe/, /aa/ and /a/, /ee/ and /e/, and finally /oo/ and /o/ are also avoided, or at least put in root words very unlikely to appear in the same context.

Stress
The stress is on the penultimate syllable for content words and on the last syllable for function words, but it doesn't carry any meaning.

Content Words
Content words are substantives, verbs and modifiers (adverbs and adjectives are not distinct). Their root is either a transitive verbal root that begin with a vowel, or an intransitive substantival root that begin with a consonant.

Substantival Roots
All substantival roots begin with a consonant, and they also end with -o just like in Esperanto. However, they do not decline according to number or case.

Examples


 * xalo - xalo
 * mao - (the) mouth(s)
 * xatso - (the) sneeze(s)

Verbal Roots
All verbal roots begin with a vowel then a consonant, and they also end with -e just like not exactly in Esperanto. However they do not decline according to tense or mood. They are always transitive.

Examples


 * ame - to eat (something)
 * alale - to sing (something)

Substantival Root → Verb
Sometimes, the substantival root can turn into an intransitive verb by replacing the -o ending by the -e ending.

The meaning of the verb is then either "to use (substantival root)", "to be/ behave as (substantival root)" or "to make (substantival root)". The meaning of the noun should be able to clearly indicate which option is more obvious or more common. For example, nouns for tools or instruments become "use (tool/instrument)", while nouns for occupations become "be/behave as (occupation)" and some nouns for products will be "to make (product)". When needed, the use of affixes can precise which is the meaning: "-" means "to use", "-" means "to be/behave as", and "-" means "to make" (see Function Words).

Verbal Root → Noun
Often, the verbal root has to turn into a substantive by replacing the -e ending by the -o ending. The meaning of the substantive is then either "the object of the verb" or "the action of the verb". The meaning of the noun can be clarified by the use of affixes: "-" means "the action", and "-" means "the object".

Substantival Root → Modifier
Both substantival and verbal roots can turn into a modifier by replacing their ending by the -a ending. Thus all verbs end with -e, all nouns with -o, and all modifier with -a. No exceptions. A substantival root that turns into a modifier has the meaning of either "related to (substantive root)" or "has the quality/characteristic of (substantive root)". If the noun is a quality, the meaning is generally the second one, otherwise it's the first one. But it can be clarified by the use of affixes: "-" means "related to (substantive root)", and "-" means "has the quality/characteristic of (substantive root)".

Verbal Root → Modifier
A verbal root that turns into a modifier has the meaning of either "related to (object of the verbal root)" or "doing (action of the verbal root)". If the noun is a quality, the meaning is generally the second one, otherwise it's the first one. But it can be clarified by the use of affixes: "-" means "related to (object of the verbal root)", and "-" means "doing (action of the verbal root)".

Affixes
Of course, like in many real auxlangs, there's a set of affixes that are regular, easy-to-use, and helpful to let the vocabulary grow. The suffixes, like in Esperanto, come before the ending.


 * -it (diminutive)
 * -ot (augmentative)

Example:


 * ame - to eat → amote - to devour / amite - to peck


 * -es (abstract thing, it can clarify action)
 * -us (concrete thing, it can clarify object or quality)

Examples:


 * ame - to eat → amesa -

Syntax
Xalo is heavily head-initial.


 * SVO (Subject-Verb-Object)
 * Prepositions
 * Determiners (Selectors, then possessive pronouns, then numerals) come before the noun
 * Modifiers modify what comes before them

Pronouns

 * mo - I, me
 * to - you (sing.)
 * xo - he, him, it, she, her
 * somo - we, us
 * soto - you (plur.)
 * soxo - they, them


 * ma - my, mine
 * ta - your, yours
 * xa - his, its, hers
 * soma - our, ours
 * sota - you, yours
 * soxa - their, theirs

Prepositions

 * kun - with (comitative)
 * ken - without (abessive)
 * Locative/Temporal
 * atun - in front of/before
 * aten - behind/after

Selectors

 * un - this or that one/these or those ones
 * en - another one/other ones
 * on - all/each
 * in - none

Numbers
The number system is senary (base-6).


 * so - some
 * in - 0
 * si - 1
 * mi - 2
 * ka - 3
 * mu - 4
 * su -5
 * xi - 6 (10)
 * xi si - 7 (11)
 * xi mi - 8 (12)
 * xi ka - 11 (15)
 * xi mu - 12 (20)
 * mixi si - 13 (21)
 * mixi mi - 14 (22)
 * kaxi - 18 (30)
 * muxi - 24 (40)
 * suxi - 30 (50)
 * xa - 36 (100)
 * xa xi ka - 45 (113)
 * mixa kaxi su - 95 (235)
 * suxa suxi su - 383 (555)
 * xixa - 384 (1 000)
 * suxixa suxi su - 1 115 (5 555)
 * xosixo - 1 116 (10 000)
 * suxixa suxi su xosixo suxixa suxi su - 1 679 615 (55 555 555)
 * xomixo - 1 679 616 (100 000 000)
 * suxixa suxi su xomixo suxixa suxi su xosixo suxixa suxi su - 2 176 782 336 (555 555 555 555)
 * xokaxo - 2 821 109 907 456 (1 000 000 000 000)
 * xomuxo - 3 656 158 440 062 976 (10 000 000 000 000 000)
 * xosuxo - 4 738 381 338 321 616 896 (100 000 000 000 000 000 000)
 * xoxixo - 6 140 942 214 464 815 487 216 (1 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 )
 * ... (Eremians need big numbers because maths is cool, they do not always realize that normal humans do not have time to make calculus at such scales...)

Verbal Roots

 * ame - to eat (something)
 * ama - alimentary
 * amo - meal or food


 * atene - to be behind (something)/to follow
 * atune - to be in front (of something)/to precede

Substantive Roots

 * kxako - (the) break(s)/broken part(s)
 * kxaka - broken
 * kxake - to be broken


 * xaxo - (the) laugh(s)
 * xaxe - to laugh

Interjections/Onomatopoeias

 * alala! - ?? (singing)
 * am! - yum! (I'm hungry/I like this food)
 * xa xa xa! - ha ha ha (laughs)
 * xo xo xo! - ho ho ho (loud laughs)
 * xi xi xi! - hi hi hi (soft laughs)