Tërolang

Tërolang is an auxiliary language based on the most common features in the world's languages, with some exception to make it easier to learn. The lexicon is influenced by the most spoken natural languages: some words come from Germanic languages, some from Romance ones, some from Chinese, Arabic, Hindi and Malay, some others are created by fusing together words belonging to two or more languages. Other words, such as pronouns and particles, are totally made up. Some traits are taken from other auxiliary languages, such as Esperanto and Toki Pona.

Phonology
Tërolang has 19 consonants and 6 vowels. Consonant and vowel inventories take into account the most common sounds in the world's languages.

Phonotactics
Syllable structure is (C)(C)V(C)(C). Consonant clusters are fairly flexible since the lexicon is based on several natural languages. Generally, a word can start with any consonant or vowel and end with any consonant (except for /ɲ/) or vowel. Nouns always end with a consonant, while adjectives always end with -a and adverb with -e. The language has fixed stress which always comes on the first syllable of a word.

Writing System
Tërolang has a highly phonemic orthography. Each letter is pronounced as in the table.

Nouns
Nouns do not have genders and always end with a consonant in the singular form. Plurality is made by adding the suffix -i to the singular form. There are no articles and if you would like to emphasize that the object is just one, you use the cardinal number an before the noun. Since there are no declinations, a preposition always precedes the noun phrase. Tërolang makes sometimes use of derivational morphology.

Possession
Tërolang lacks possessive pronouns, but there are at least three ways to express possession.

The preposition fon
The preposition fon does the same work of the preposition of in English. It is also used instead of substantive possessive pronouns. The personal pronoun does not change.

Possessive -o'
The clitic -o' has the same role as the clitic -s' in English.

Compounding
One can even express possession with compound nouns. One can create a compound noun by simply putting a -o- between the first noun (the possessor noun) and the second one (the possessed noun).

Adjectives
Adjectives always end with -a and follow the noun they modify.

Higher and lower comparatives
Higher and lower comparatives are made by adding the word mër (more) or lës (less) before the adjective and then the conjunction fër before the noun.

Same degree comparative
Same degree comparative is formed with the conjunction lik.

Superlative
Tërolang does not express superlative with suffixes or with the word most.

Demonstratives
As in English, pronominal demonstratives and adnominal demonstratives have the same form. Demonstratives (as pronouns) follow the same plurality rule used for nouns.

Verbs
Tërolang has three grammatical moods (indicative, conditional and imperative), three tenses (past, present and future) and two aspects (progressive and habitual).

Present tense
The present tense is formed by adding the suffix -ka to the infinitive form of the verb.

Past tense
The past tense is formed by adding the suffix -to to the infinitive form of the verb.

Future tense
The future tense is formed by adding the suffix -i to the infinitive form of the verb.

Conditional mood
The conditional mood is expressed by adding the particle ve before the verb.

Imperative mood
The imperative mood is formed by using the infinitive form of a verb. In this case, the subject is removed. The second-person plural adds the suffix -i.

Progressive aspect
The progressive aspect in Tërolang is made with the particle li placed between the subject and the main verb in any tense.

Habitual aspect
The habitual aspect corresponds to the English form used to and it is formed with the particle masil.

Passive voice
The passive voice is formed by adding the particle wo between subject and verb. If the agent is mentioned, it appears in a prepositional phrase introduced by the preposition je.

Interrogative sentences
You can ask questions by simply adding the particle ga at the end of the sentence. Word order does not change.

Interrogative pronouns
Interrogative pronouns take the place of the element they refer to. If they refer to the object, they must be placed at the end of the sentence.

Syntax
Tërolang is an SVO language, where the distinction between subject and object is made syntactically. Adjectives always follow the noun they modify. Word order is strict and it goes as follows:

subject - (negation) - verb - object - place - time

Word order does not change in relative and dependent clauses.

Relative clause
The relative clause is introduced by the conjunction som. Then, the clause follows the usual word order.