Chathan

Chathan (/tʃeɪθən/ sounds like "chay-thuhn") (Tcatamsck /tʃatamʃk/) is an a posteriori constructed language conceived by user Isaac Bonewits during an August '07 trip to Amsterdam as a (semi-)naturalistically Germanic conlang. As its creator learned more about natural Teutonic languages, Chathan has gone through numerous changes since being what may now be called "proto-Chathan". The etymology of "Chathan" is a demonym coined for a mispronounced Chatham Dr., a street in his subdivision. In the Kingdom and Republic of Pacardia, Chathan is a national language alongside English.

Classification
Chathan is an is an a posteriori Germanic conlang, meaning it is heavily influenced by tongues such as Afrikaans, Dutch, German, Danish, Swedish, and Iceladic. Grammar, more specifically, is mostly West Germanic in morphology and syntax. Unlike natural languages, Chathan lacks a definite taxonomic location, but in general, can be said to have features lying between German and Dutch, with a number of words from North Germanic languages. See Chathan words of North Germanic origin.

Chathan Ek vejst niek velk honden sin scvart. /ɛk veɪst nik vɛɫk hɔndɛn sɪn ʃvɑɚt/ English I don't know which hounds are black. Dutch Ik weet niet welke honden zwart zijn. Afrikaans Ek weet nie wat honde swart is nie. German Ich weiß nicht, was Hunde schwarz sind. Danish Jeg ved ikke, hvilke hunde er sorte. Swedish Jag vet inte vilka hundar är svarta. Icelandic Ég veit ekki hver hundarnir eru svartir. Auregan Ikt witte whilch honde swarthe zischens nick. Dearish Ick wid neet wilk hoend swaard aar. Oxman Ik weat neat welke hounds sy'n swart.

Alphabet
With 24 letters, Chathan's variant of the Latin alphabet excludes Q, X, Y, and Z. It includes Æ and Ë.

Aa Ææ Bb Cc Dd Ee Ëë Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww

Letter : Name Aa : /a/ Ææ /eʃ/ Bb : /bi/ Cc : /çi/ Dd : /di/ Ee : /eɪ/ Ëë /ɛ/ Ff : /ɛf/ Gg : /ɡi/ Hh : /ha/ Ii : /i/ Jj /jɔt/ Kk : /ka/ Ll : /ɛɫ/ Mm /ɛm/ Nn /ɛn/ Oo /oʊ/ Pp : /pi/ Rr : /eɚ/ Ss : /ɛs/ Tt : /ti/ Uu : /u/ Vv : /vi/ Ww /aʊ/

Ë is used in the case of a word like gëejtt /gɛeɪt/ (eaten), gërowkt /gɛʀoʊkt/ (smoked), and siën /siɛn/ (to see). The umlauts keep them pronounced as /ɛ/ ans not influenced by the following letter.

Consonants
/b/ : b /ç/ : c /d/ : d /f/ : f /ɡ/ : g /h/ : h /j/ : j /k/ : k /l/ : l /ɫ/ : l before consonant, ending l /m/ : m /n/ : n /ŋ/ : ng /ŋk/ : nk /p/ : p /ʀ/ : r before a vowel and not following one /s/ : s /t/ : t /v/ : v /ʃ/ : z /tʃ/ : tz

Vowels and Diphthongs
/ə/ : ending e, consonants before l/m/n unless preceding e                             /a/ : a    /u/ : u   /ɛ/ : short e, ë /ɪ/ : short i                                                              /ɔ/ : short o                                /eɪ/ : long e, ej  /i/ : long i, ie /oʊ/ : long o, ow                                 /aɪ/ : aj  /ɔɪ/  : oj /aʊ/ : aw

Diphthongs with Vocalic R
/ɑɚ/ : before consonant/ending ar /eɚ/ : before consonant/ending ær /ɚ/ : before consonant/ending er /iɚ/ : before consonant/ending ir    /ɔɚ/ : before consonant/ending or  /uɚ/ : before consonant/ending ur

Diphthongs with Alveolar Tap
/aɾ/ : ar before vowel /eɾ : ær before vowel /əɾ/ : er before vowel /iɾ/ : ir before vowel /ɔɾ/ : or before vowel /uɾ/ : ur before vowel

Copulae
Ek bes... (I am...)

Jaw best... (You are...)

Hej/Sej/Hes ist... (He/She/It is...)

Vej/Jej/Dej sin... (We/You (all)/They are...)

Ek/Jaw/Hej/Sej/Hes var... (I/You/He/She/It was/were...)

Vej/Jej/Dej varen... (We/You (all)/They were...)

Ek hab... (I have...)

Jaw habt (You have...)

Hej/Sej/Hes havt... (I/You/He/She/It have...)

Vej/Jej/Dej haven... (We/You (all)/They have...)

Nouns and Orthographic Accommodations
-en is added to the end of a noun to denote its plural form. In this case, no accommodation is needed to be made for any vowels.

hond (dog)

honden (dogs)

In this next example, an extra t must be added to retain the o's short /ɔ/ sound.

flod (river)

flodden (rivers)

In the following situations, the w must be removed because if the o precedes a single consonant before a vowel, it will still be pronounced with a long /oʊ/ sound.

bowt (boat)

boten (boats)

Articles
Nouns, and all other words, are genderless and the sole definite article is den.

den rowk (the smoke)

en is the only regular indefinite article.

en bord (a table)

kejn is a negative indefinite article akin to the Dutch geen and German kein. It is used to denote not having, not being, or there not being something.

Ek hab kejn vaser. (I have no water.)

Det ist kejn haws. (This is not a house.)

Dar sin kejn volken (There are no clouds.)

Adjectives
Chathan adjectives are placed before the noun. They undergo no variants.

en rowd abl (a red apple)

rowd ablen (red apples)

On a side note, when -en is added to apl, the /ə/ sound between the p and l is dropped.

Verbs
fligen (to fly)

Present Simple

Ek/Jaw/He/Se/Hes/Ve/Je/De fliegt. (I/You/He/She/It/We/You (all)/They fly/flies.)

Present Progressive

Ek bes fliegning. (I am flying.)

Jaw best fliegning. (You are flying.)

Hej/Sej/Hes ist fliegning. (He/She/It is flying.)

Vej/Jej/Dej sin fliegning. (We/You (all)/They are flying.)

Past Progressive

Ek/Jaw/Hej/Sej/Hes var fligen. (I/You/He/She/It was flying.)

Vej/Jej/Dej varen fligen. (We/You (all)/They were flying.)

Simple Past

Ek/Jaw/Hej/Sej/Hes/Vej/Jej/Dej gefliegt. (I I/You/He/She/It/We/You (all)/They flew.)

A verb like legen (to play) becomes gellejgt, with an extra l so the e in ge- is still pronounced /ɛ/ and not /eɪ/.

Past Perfect Simple

Ek hab gefligen. (I have flown.)

Jaw habt gefligen. (You have flown.)

Hej/Sej/Hes havt gefligen. (You/He/She/It have flown.)

Vej/Jej/Dej haven gefligen. (We/You (all)/They have flown.)

Future

Ek/Jaw/Hej/Sej/Hes/Vej/Jej/Dej ska fligen (I will fly.)

Imperative (command)

Flieg! (Fly!)

Pronouns
Person : Subject : Object : Possessive 1st singular : ek : meg : mejn 2nd singular : jaw : jaw : jejn 3rd singular (m) : hej : hem : hems 3rd singular (f) : sej : hen : hens 3rd singular (n) : hes : hes : hets 1st plural : vej : os : ons 2nd plural : jej : jej : jejns 3rd plural : dej : dem : dejn

Demonstrative Pronouns
this : det these : des that : dat those : das

Prepositions
about : uver after : ekter among(st) : bland at : om before : for behind : hinter between : tvuscken by : bej for : fur from : awt of : fon on : awp through : drok to : su under : onter with : mid

Conjunctions
and : ond because : omdat but : mar either : hetsej if : fals neither : varkn nor : nok or : eller than/then : dan whether : veder

Basic Phrases
excuse me : onskild goodbye : farvel hello : halo hey : hoj please : astcublief sorry : rawvig thank you : tank ju (no) thanks : (nej) tanken welcome : vilkom good morning : gud morgn good day : gud dag good evening : gud avdn good night : gud nakt

Interrogatives : Fragenden
who : vir what : vas where : vawr when : van why : varfor how : vorn which : velk

People : Folken
boy : dreng girl : jent man : man woman : kvin brother : broder/bror sister : scvester/scves father : fader/far mother : moder/mor son : sown daughter : dotter husband : ektman wife : fraw

Numbers : Talen
0 : nol 1 : ejn 2 : tvej 3 : drej 4 : fir 5 : fejm 6 : seks 7 : sievn 8 : akt 9 : nawn 10 : tien 11 : ellev 12 : tvolv 13 : dretien 14 : firtien 15 : fejmtien 16 : sekstien 17 : sievntien 18 : aktien 19 : nawntien 20 : tvantig 21 : enondtvantig 22 : tveondtvantig 23 : dreondtvantig 24 : firondtvantig 25 : femondtvantig 26 : seksondtvantig 27 : sievnondtvantig 28 : aktondtvantig 29 : nawnondtvantig 30 : dretig 40 : firtig 50 : fejmtig 60 : sekstig 70 : sievntig 80 : aktig 90 : nawntig 100 : honderd 1,000 : dawsend

Amounts : Fielheden
all : al every : jider many : fiel some : sommig few : venig none : kejn more : mær less : fær

Colors : Fargen
red : rowd orange : oransc yellow : gejl green : grun blue : blaw violet : fjolet purple : lila pink : rows black : scvart white : vis grey : graw brown : brawn

Days : Dagen
Sunday : sondag Monday : mandag Tuesday : tisdag Wednesday : vonsdag Tuesday : torsdag Friday : fredag Saturday : lordag

Months : Monaden
January : januari February : februari March : marts April : april May : mej June : juni July : juli August : awgust September : september October : oktober November : november December : disember

Seasons : Jarsteden
winter : vinter spring : forjar summer : sommer autumn : hærst

Directions : Riktingen
north : nord south : sawd west : vest east : owst up : op down : ned left : links right : rekts

Clothing : Kleden
blouse : blus dress : kjol glasses : bril glove : handscko hat : hud helmet : cjelm jacket : jak pants : bruk shirt : hemd shoe : scko skirt : rok sock : sok sunglasses : sonbril sweater : traw

Animals : Diren
ape : ap     bear :	bjorn cat : kats cow : ku     deer: cjort dog: hond dolphin : howfrung elephant: olefant fish : fisck frog : frosck giraffe: giraf goat : gejs hippo : flodpærd horse : pærd human : mensck lion : leu lizard : owgl louse : laws mouse : maws rabbit : konin rat : rot rhino : nejshorn shark : haj sheep : sckap snake : sclang swine : scvejn tiger : teger turtle : sckilpad whale : val zebra : sebra

Birds : Fowglen
chicken : kikling crane : kran, tran duck : ejnt eagle : orn falcon : falk flaming : flamingoj goose : gans gull : mowv loon : lom, tawker partridge : akerhown penguin : morgans pheasant : fasant quail : kvartl, vaktl stork : sctork swan : scvan tropicbird : tropikfowgl turkey : kalkun vulture : gejr

Weather : Vær
cloud : volk fog : mist hail : hagl hurricane : orkan ice : ejs lightning : bliks rain : rejgn snow : scnej storm : sctorm sun : son thunder : tonder tornado : tornado wind : vind

Body Parts : Likamtelen
arm : arm belly : bawk breast : borst blood : blod brain : cjærn ear : or eye : awg face : gessikt finger : finger foot : fus hair : har hand : hand head : hawfd heart : cjært knee : kni leg : bejn mouth : mond nail : nagl neck : hals nose : nejs skin : hawd tail : scvant toe : ta tongue : tong tooth : tand

Food and Drinks : Mad on Dranken
apple : abl bacon : scpek beer : bir bread : browd (breakfast) cereal : morgngran burger : borger butter	: smor cake : kak carrot : gulrot cheese : kas coffee	: koffi cola : kola cookie : kejks corn : majs egg : ej fruit : frukt garlic : knoflawk ham : sckink ice cream : ejsrowm jam : silt juice : saf ketchup : ketcup meat : flejsck milk : mjelk mustard : semp nuts : nosen onion : tvibl orange : sinabl pepper : pefer pie : tort pizza : pitsa potato : jardabl salad : salat salt : salts sausage : vorst soup : sup steak : (bief)sctejk sugar : suker tea : tej toast : towst vegetable : grownsak water : vaser

Media and Communication : Medjen on Samskipt
box : boks letter : brief mailbox : briefboks mailman : briefman magazine : tejdsckrift newspaper : teding package : paket postage stamp : briefmark postcard : briefkort satellite : filgisvejn (tele)phone : (tele)fown television : fjærnsi video game : videoscpejl

Transport : Ferfur
airplane : fliegtawg bicycle : tvejol boat : bowt bus : bus car : awto, biel helicopter : helikopter hot air balloon : (hejs)luftbalong motorcycle : motorjol submarine : onterbowt subway : onterban truck : fraktbiel

Fire : Eld
candle : kærs chimney : sckorsctejn extinguisher : eldbuscker fireplace : eldscted flame : flam incense : rokerverk lighter : eldtanden match : eldsctok smoke : rowk

Places : Stedden
town : bi city : sctad state : stat city-state : sctadstat realm : rejk kingdom : koningrejk country : land continent : værldtejl world : værld

Religions : Religiën
Bahá'í : bahaj Buddhism : budendum Christianity : kristendum Hinduism : hindudum Islam : aladum Judaism : jodendum Paganism : hedendum Shinto : scinto

Hair : Har
bald : kal beard : skjeg facial hair : gessikthar mustache : uverskjeg

Countries : Landen
North America : Nordamærika Canabda : Kanada Cuba : Kuba Greenland : Grunland Mexico : Meksiko United States : Ferenigt Staten

South America : Sawdamærika Brazil : Brasiljen Chile : Tcili Colombia : Kolombjen Venezuela : Venesvela

Europe : Evropa Austria : Owsterejk Belgium : Belgjen Czech Republic : Tcekjen Denmark : Danmark England : England Finland : Finland France : Frankrejk Germany : Dawtscland Great Britain : Growsbritanjen Greece : Grekland Iceland : Ejsland Ireland : Irland Italy : Italjen Netherlands : Nederland Norway : Norvegen Poland : Polen Portugal : Portugal Scotland : Skotland Spain : Spanjen Sweden : Scveden Switzerland : Scvitserland United Kingdom : Ferenigt Koningrejk

Africa : Afrika Algeria : Algerjen Egypt : Egipten Morocco : Marokko South Africa : Sawdafrika Tunisia : Tuniesjen

Asia : Asjen Afghanistan : Afganistan Bhutan : Butan China : Scina India : Indjen Iraq : Irak Japan : Japan Mongolia : Mongoljen North Korea : Nordkorea Pakistan : Pakistan Philippines : Filipenen Russia : Rusland Saudi Arabia : Sawdiarabjen South Korea : Sawdkorea Thailand : Tajland Vietnam : Vietnam Yemen : Jemmen

Oceania : Oseanjen Australia : Awstraljen New Zealand : Njuseland Papua New Guinea : Papua Njuguinea

Adjectives : Befuglik Namvorden
bad : sclekt big : grows clean : rejn cold : kawd correct : rektig creative : sckapend dirty : fawl, scmutsig dry : drowk dull : sctomf fast : scnel far : fjærn first : ærst full : fol empty : tom good : gud heavy : scvar last : sidst light : likt long : lang loud : hojt narrow : scmal near(by) : dikt(bej) new : nju old : awd quiet : sctil rotten : rot round : rond sharp : sckarf short : kort slow : langsam small : klejn smooth : glad straight : grad thick : dik thin : dun warm : varm wet : nas wide : brejd, vejd

Verbs : Verkvorden
to ask : sporgen to bite : besen to blow : blasen to breathe : admen to buy : kawpen to chew : kawen to come : kommen to count : tellen to cut : scneden to dance : dansen to die : scterven to dig : graven to do : gjoren to drag : scleppen to drink : drenken to eat : eten to get : kregen to give : geven to go : gaen to fall : falen to fear : fresen to fight : kjempen to fly : fligen to follow : folgen to freeze : frisen to hear : horen to hit : sclogen to hold : halden to hunt : jagen to jump : scpringen to kill : doden to know : vesen to laugh : laken to learn : læren to lie (down) : ligen to listen : lawsten to live : leven to open : owbnen to play : legen to pull : trekken to push : driuen to run : lawpen to rub : vreven to scratch : kratsen to see : siën to sew : najen to sing : sengen to sit : sitten to sleep : sclapen to smell : rawken to smoke : roken to speak : scpreken to spin : scpinnen to spit : spjuten to squeeze : druken to stab : scteken to stand : sctaen to stay : bleben to steal : sctjelen to suck : sawgen to swell : scvellen to swim : scvemmen to take : nemmen to taste : scmaken to think : tenken to throw : kasten, gojen to tie : binden to touch : roren to understand : begrefen, fersctaen to want : vollen to wash : vascken to wear : dragen to wipe : vescken to wish : venscken to write : sckreven

Dawngate Dialect
Chathan speakers within the urban core of the City-State of Dawngate, Pacardia are likely to observe the Dawngate Dialect, in which more words end in voiceless sounds, and the spelling changes accordingly. The dialect is also more rhotic than Standard Chathan.

Standard Chathan : Dawngate Dialect -b : -p -d : -t -g (exception for -ng) : -k -v : -f

/ɹ/ : r except in er /ɑɚ/ : every ar /ɚ/ : every er /iɚ/ : every ir /ɔɚ/ : every or /uɚ/ : every ur

Human Right
Standard Chathan

''Al mensclik senen sin gebbort frej ond glejk ien værdighejd ond rekten. Dej sin geggift med ferstand ond gevvejs ond skolt handlen til enander ien en gejst av brodersckap.''

Dawngate Dialect

''Al mensclik senen sin gebbort frej on glejk ien værdikhejt on rekten. Dej sin geggift met ferstant on gevvejs on skolt hantlen til enander ien en gejst af brodersckap.''

SC IPA

/aɫ mɛnʃklɪk seɪnɛn sɪn gɛbɔɾɛn fʀeɪ ɔnd gleɪk in veɚdɪgheɪd ɔnd ʀɛktɛn. deɪ sɪn gɛgɪft mɛd fɚstand ɔnd gɛveɪs ɔnd skɔlɛn handlɛn tɪɫ eɪnandɚ in ɛn geɪst av bʀoʊdɚʃkap/

DD IPA

/aɫ mɛnʃklɪk seɪnɛn sɪn gɛbɔɹɛn fɹeɪ ɔn gleɪk in veɚdɪkheɪt ɔn ɹɛktɛn. deɪ sɪn gɛgɪft mɛt fɚstant ɔn gɛveɪs ɔn skɔlɛn hantlɛn tɪɫ eɪnandɚ in ɛn geɪst af bɹoʊdɚʃkap/

English

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Featured
English

This language was once featured.

Thanks to its level of quality, plausibility and usage capabilities, it has been voted as featured.

Standard Chathan

Det scprak var ejnst gëopvejst.

Tanken su hets nivo fon kvalitejd, gellawfværdighejd ond gebrawk bekvamheden, hes havt gessenen gesctempt als gëopvejst.

IPA

/dɛt ʃpʀak vɑɚ eɪnst ɡɛɔpveɪst/

/taŋkɛn su hɛts nivoʊ fɔn kvaliteɪd, ɡɛlaʊfveɚdɪgheɪd ɔnd ɡɛbʀaʊk bɛkvamheɪdɛn, hɛs havt ɡɛseɪnɛn ɡɛʃtɛmpt aɫs ɡɛɔpveɪst/