Metsx

Metsx (Metsx marus /mɛtʃ ˈmarus/) is the language of the fictional country of Metsx. It is spoken by approximately 900,000,000 people.

Classification and Dialects
Metsx has two main dialects - the South Metsx (Sapametsx) and the Latgalian Metsx (Latgalsk). Both are spoken by less than 2 million people, mostly in the south part of the country.

Consonants
-In certain positions, especially if stressed and before /ɛ/, a consonant can get palatalized.

- /p/, /b/ and /k/ can get aspirated.

-/r/, /p/ and /s/ are sometimes voiceless.

-The affricate consonants that exist in Metsx are: /t͡ʃ/, /t͡s/, /t͡ɕ/ and optionally /d͡ʑ/

Vowels
-Vowels /ɛ/ and /ɔ/ can be nasalized.

-In stressed syllables /ɛ/ makes the consonant before it palatalized.

-The /i/ sound makes th consonant before it palatalized.

Writing System
(C stands for a consonant)
 * 1) /ɛ/ can alternate into /ɛ:/ in the inferential, renarrative or dubitative infix -te-.
 * 2) /ɛ/ can also change into /ɨ/ in an unstressed syllable at the beginning of a word that have 4 or more syllables.
 * 3) after /t͡s/ the /i/ sound is changed to /ɨ/.-The apostrophe is not counted as a letter, but it represents the palatalization of the syllable before it. e.g. -ibbe' /ibbʲɛ/ or the glottal stop.
 * 4) 'gh' can be also pronounced as /d͡ʑ/ in the northern speech.
 * 5) It can be optionally replaced with /ʙ/ as it is in Latgalsk.
 * 6) It can be optionally replaced with /x/.

Stress
In Metsx stress is always located on the second syllable. Compare:

 ' femmai vs. fem 'maior 

Notice that the /ɛ/ sound in the stressed syllable causes the palatalization of the consonant before it. Compare:

/ˈmankɛ/ vs''. /man'kʲɛtɛːs/''

In words that have 4 or more syllables the \ɛ\ sound in the 1st syllable changes to /ɨ/. Compare

/pɛˈmannɛj/ vs. /pɨmannɛjˈt͡sɨɔr/

Nouns
Metsx nouns are classified according to the grammatical gender (1st, 2nd, 3rd) and are used in a number (singular, dual or plural). According to their position in the sentence their form can change to one of 9 cases. The set of forms that a noun will take for each case and number is determined by the declension that it follows.

Diminutive: the -ci suffix

1st Gender- visible creatures with ability to speak

2nd Gender-invisible or fictional creatures; states of mind, the rest

3rd Gender-plants, animals

1.Here some consonants change: s-z, c-q, z-x, sx-tsx, tsx-c,b-p, g-k, gh-q

2.Here s alters to sx, x to z and q to tsx.


 * 1) 'e' changes to 'ë'
 * 2) 'o' changes to 'u'

Adjectives
Metsx adjectives can end either in -ides or in -is. It depends on their function in the statement. The comparatives and superlatives are declined according to the noun gender. The adjective gets the longer suffix if it describes a noun and the shorter suffix if it is placed after verbs like 'to be', 'to remain' or 'to become'. ''Geides linides hafayor særxëet æsveis (nei) opides adrides ærbeim'. ''

/ˈgʲɛi̯dɛs liˈnidɛs ɣaˈfajɔr sɔ̃r'ɕjɔjɛt ˈɔ̃svai̯s (nei̯) oˈpidɛs aˈdridɛs ˈɔ̃rbajmʲ /

This wild animal was popular in our big city.

Adverbs
Metsx adverbs always end in -ida and describe the verb placed after it.

Êstrallookh va esuremeida bilarne didap'.

/ɛ̃ˈstraʎɔʔɔkʰ va ɛsurɛˈmʲɛi̯da biˈlarnɛ ˈdidʲap/

The Australian will surely teach you (two).

Example text
'''Pretaki, desxijho sêmëb, troenokh u lininiarei, dormexëet, sxaoides mælls kescexëet eta-ho-ota oi. Ge esxida appatext sêmëb - squtsxrext oides adrides rullo mællsibbe' ho sxæbext ilt- manket oi.'''

Once when a lion, the king of the jungle, was asleep, a little mouse began running up and down on him. This soon awakened the lion, who placed his huge paw on the mouse, and opened his big jaws to swallow him.