Hükzhiohish

Classification and Dialects
Houkcziawish is a sinitic language, spoken in the fictional island of Houkcziaw. It is a mixed language, with origins from Siyi yue, Canton yue, Teo-Swa minnan, Tsuan-Tsiang minnan, Houguan mindong, Oujiang wu, Taihu wu, Hongchao huai, Jiaoliao. It tries to preserve the most features of Southern dialects/languages of Chinese as they a bit threatened.

Inventory and Phonotactics
The structure is (C)(H)V(H)(N/P).
 * Words starting with /m, /n/, /ȵ/, /ŋ/, /l/ would change to /ˀm/, /ˀn/, /ˀȵ/, /ˀŋ/, /ˀl/ in Dark tones (Rising tones considered dark tone), vice versa.


 * Long and short variety for /i/,/y/,/ʊ~u/ do exist, but are they in complementary distribution and are considered the same phoneme.
 * Some vowels come in open and close pairs, the vowels at the left of / is close vowels (natural vowel), at the right is open vowel. Dark flat, Dark departing, Light departing, Dark checked are close vowel. Light flat, Rising and Light checked tone are open vowel. However, it does not work for vowels with glides.
 * /ỹ/,/ɨ̃~ɯ̃/ only appears in medial


 * /ɫ/ is only used in /əɫ~ɤɫ/.
 * Apical Er-hua patterns as follow,
 * For coda,


 * 1) /i/ and /n/ are deleted.
 * 2) /ŋ/,/m/ is deleted and the syllable becomes nasalized.
 * 3) /ʊ~u/ would become /ʊɻː~uɻː/.
 * 4) /ʔ/,/p̚/,/t̚/,/k̚/ would become /ɻːʔ/.
 * For Nucleus,


 * 1) /eː/ would become /ɤɻː~əɻː/. /æː~ɛː/ would become /ɐɻː/.
 * 2) /ʊ~u/ would become /ʊɻː~uɻː/.
 * 3) /i/,/y/ becomes median with /ɤɻː~əɻː/ added after.
 * 4) /ʅ~ɿ/ would be changed to /ɤɻː~əɻː/.
 * For median,


 * 1) /i/ is deleted.
 * Nasal Er-hua patterns as follow 
 * 1) All other codas are replaced by /nː~ŋː/.
 * 2)   All nucleus without coda will add a coda /nː~ŋː/


 * Vowel Er-hua patterns as follow
 * 1) Add /eˑ/ after the word.


 * Er-hua takes up half to one timing unit after the syallable.


 * The tone for neutral tones depends on the previous word's tone.
 * The Rising tone is considered dark rising. There's also a light rising tone only used in tone sandhi. Light Rising tone would reverse close and open syallable.
 * Tone Sandhi:
 * 1. When in a sentence words with 22˨˨, 44˦˦ or 213˨˩˧ tone comes together before 213˨˩˧ tone, the first words turns to 131˩˧˩ and the last words of the vocabulary keeps 213˨˩˧, the words in between is distinguished by vocings and becomes 22˨˨(voiced) and 44˦˦(unvoiced).
 * 2. When two checked tones comes together, the first word of all vocabularies changes to 213˨˩˧(voiced) and 342˧˦˨(unvoiced) and would drop its coda. (Checked tones does not change in literary readings)
 * Also closed vowels turns into respective open vowels after it changes to 342˧˦˨.
 * /ˀm~mb/, /ˀn~nd/, /ˀȵ/, /ˀŋ~ŋg/, /ˀl/ got changed to /m, /n/, /ȵ/, /ŋ/, /l/ as tones changes to 342˧˦˨.
 * Light tones are stuck to voice consonants. Dark tones stuck to devoice consonants, except 342˧˦˨.
 * Upper checked tones come with short vowels. Lower checked tones come with long vowels.

Tense, Mood, Aspect
The language almost entirely lacks inflection and so words typically have only one grammatical form. Tense, mood and aspect are indicated by verbs, adverbs or phrase that indicate them.

Word order
Houkcziawish is a Topic-Prominent Language, so words order tends to be determined by the topic. The topic is always placed before the subject. Sentences are in mainly in Subject-Verb-Object order. Sometimes sentence could be changed to Subject-Object-Verb order.


 * S-V-O mostly, S-O-V sometimes

But the language allows the object to be promoted to the topic of the sentence, resulting in an apparently passively Object(Topic)-Subject-Verb word order. There is also sentences with so-called "double subjects", but actually a topic plus a subjects. In these structure, only when the subject and object can't be analysed, we have to add function words after Object or Subject, otherwise it is omitted.


 * OT-S-V
 * ST-S-V-O
 * OT/ST-HV-S-V-(O)

The object of a verb could also be placed after the function word, and the verb placed after the object, forming in an apparently Subject–Object–Verb sentence.


 * S-HV-O-V

Subject is determined by the topic, and there is no dummy pronoun. '''A sentence does not necessarily have subject or object. It may be Implied or omitted.'''

When there is two objects, normally indirect object goes first. However, if the sentence has indirect object marker verbs(give), the more emphasized one goes first, and the direct object could be placed before the marker verbs in this situation.


 * S-V-Oi-Od/S-Oi-Od-V, S-Give-Oi-Od/S-Give-Od-Oi, S-Od-Give-Oi

Measure words is found in Hoykcziawish after quantity and in most situation before nucleus. Measure words could also be used without quantity. Only when the nucleus is the direct object placed before the marker verbs with measure words with quantity, it would be placed after the nucleus.


 * (Qty)-Meas-S/O, Od-Qty-Meas-V-Oi

The boundaries of Modal verbs and verbs are really blurry in Hoykcziawish and modal verbs/adverbs are placed before verbs.


 * M-V

Both prepositions and postpositions are found in Houkcziawish. Both modifiers before and after nucleus are founded.

You can connect verbs (or verb phrases) by simply placing them one after another. No connecting word is needed whatsoever.

Negative
In most situation negative Word comes before verbs.


 * Neg-V

However, if there is a complement after the verb, then there is 3 ways to from a negative sentence.


 * 1) V-Neg-C, put negative word between verb and complement
 * 2) Neg-V-得(C), put negative word before verb and 得, which is a complement.
 * 3) V-O-Neg-C, put the complement after object and negative word between complement and object.

Question
There are 9 different ways to construct a question in Houkcziawish,


 * 1) (S)-V-(O)-Prt, put Question Auxiliary Word at the end of the sentence
 * 2) (S)-V-(O)-Neg, put Negation Word at the end of the sentence
 * 3) (S)-V-(O)-Neg-V, duplicate the Verb and put it at the end of sentence, while putting the Negation Word before the second verb
 * 4) (S)-V-Neg-V-(O), duplicate the Verb and put it after the the Verb, while putting the Negation Word before the second verb. The second verb could also be omitted.
 * 5) (S)-Adv-V-(O), put Question Adverb before the Verb
 * 6) (S)-M-Neg-V-(O), put Modal Verb/Adverb before Negation Word and Negation Word before the Verb
 * 7) Qrn-(S)-M/Neg-Drn-V-(O), put Modal Verb/Adverb after Demonstrative Pronoun, and the phrase after the Verb, and put the Question pronoun at the beginning of sentence
 * 8) (S)-Qrn-M/Neg-Drn-V-(O), put Modal Verb/Adverb after Demonstrative Pronoun, and the phrase after the Verb, and put the Question pronoun after the Subject
 * 9) Hybrid of 4 and other ways

Complex sentence

 * 1) Coordinate Sentences, clauses are combined with equal importance, and tell different things or different aspects of one thing
 * 2) Inherited Sentences, clauses are added by the time order of certain activities
 * 3) Selective Sentences, two or more clauses indicate alternatives or selections
 * 4) Progressive Sentences, the later clause has a deeper meaning than the previous one
 * 5) Transitional Sentences, the later clause has an opposite meaning to the previous one
 * 6) Assumption Sentences, the previous clause makes an assumption and the later makes a conclusion
 * 7) Conditional Sentence, the previous clause sets a condition and the later makes a conclusion
 * 8) Reason-result Sentences, the previous clause tells a reason and the later comes to a result
 * 9) Aim Sentences, one clause states a fact or an action and the other one tells the aim
 * 10) Lead-subsequent sentences, the previous clause states a overall and the later states the details

Readings
Quite a number of words in Houkcziawish have totally different pronunciation for colloquial, literary (or even kunyomi) readings.

Numbers
The Houkcziawish number system have different pronunciations for numbers with different use. However, it does not divided numbers by cardinal, ordinal, nominal like languages normally do, instead it divides by cash amount, time calendar and normal use. 3 has merged to one pronunciation.

0:

kʰoŋ˥˥(amount of cash/ digits after decimals), lɛːŋ˩˧(time calendar/ normal use)

1:

t͡sik̚˥(amount of cash/ digits after decimals), jɐt̚˥(time calendar/ normal use)

2:

zɿ˨˨(amount of cash/ digits after decimals) ,lỹõ˨˨(Names, nouns phrases), ȵiəɫ˨˨(normal use), nŋ̍˨˨(time calendar)

3:

ɬaːm˥˥

4:

səi˨˩˧(amount of cash/ digits after decimals), sɿ˦˦(time calendar/ normal use)

5:

ˀŋõũ˦˦(time calendar), ɔu˦˦(normal use), ŋ̍˨˨(amount of cash/ digits after decimals)

6:

lɔuʔ˨˩(amount of cash/ digits after decimals), laːk̚˧˨(normal use/time calender)

7:

t͡ɕʰik̚˥(amount of cash/ digits after decimals), t͡sʰɐt̚˥(time calendar/ normal use)

8:

pueʔ˧(amount of cash/ digits after decimals), paːt̚˧(time calendar/ normal use)

9:

kɐu˦˦(amount of cash/ digits after decimals), t͡ɕiəu˦˦(time calendar/ normal use)

10:

t͡saːp̚˧(amount of cash/ digits after decimals), sip̚˥(Names, nouns phrases), zəʔ˨˩(normal use), ʂʅʔ˥(time calendar)

20:

jɛː˨˨/jaː˨˨

30:

θaːp̚˧ (only used in 30)

θaː˥˥ aː˨˨ (only used in 31-39)

40:

siaːp̚˧ (only used in 40)

səi˨˩˧ aː˨˨/ sɿ˦˦ aː˨˨ (only used in 41-49)

Example text
ʔoŋ˥˥ fuŋ˥˥ ɦiɛː˧˦˨/ɣiɛː˧˦˨ fɔ̃ː˨˩˧ ɸɯaː˥˥ t͡ɕʰãːĩ˥˥ zy˨˨

kən˥˧ t͡ʂʰœːy˥˥ lɔːʔ˧˨

ɬiŋ˥˥ ɻɔu˩˧ œy˦˦

pɛː˧˦˨ ˀmɔː˨˩˧ tyou˥˥ keː˥˥ ɕỹõ˥˥ mɯaːn˨˨ lou˨˨

voŋ˨˨ ɕiɛːɨ̃˥˥ ɬiŋ˥˥ dɔːŋ˨˨

ȵok̚˨˩ hɔu˩˧ kʷɑ̃ː˥˥ t͡ʂœyn˦˦

jɐt̚˥ ɦiɛː˨˨/ɣiɛː˨˨ ŋɔu˩˧ loŋ˩˧ ˀmɔu˦˦

ŋɔː˨˨ əɫ˩˧ ɕiɛːt̚˧ ˀlɛːɨ˦˦ ɦɯ̃ɑ̃ː˩˧ t͡ɕʰiaːm˥˥ leːɨ˨˨

ʃyou˧˦˨ ˀȵy˨˩˧ jong˩˧ jong˩˧ ˀm ɕỹõ˥˥ kʰɛːi˨˩˧

t͡ʂuoŋ˨˩˧ leː˨˨ ʑɐm˩˧ tʰaː˥˥ t͡ɕʰãːĩ˥˥ paːʔ˧ dou˨˨

mok̚˨˩ ɻĩãː˩˧ βɨɛːi˩˧ ʂɛːu˥˥

naː˨˨ ɻiən˩˧ t͡ʃʰɵk̚˥ d͡zɔːy˨˨

tɐŋ˥˥ ɸuo˦˦ laːn˩˧ ʂãː˥˥ t͡ʂʰy˦˦

青玉案·元夕 宋 辛棄疾

꜀"ong ꜀Fung ꜃Hhiee Fã꜄ ꜀Pfuaa ꜀Qããĩ Ssü꜅

東風夜放花千樹

꜆Gen ꜀Choei Looh꜁

更吹落

꜀Lling ꜁R^u ꜂Y^ü

星如雨

꜃Bee Mhoo꜄ ꜀Diou ꜀Gii ꜀Xĩõ Muaan꜅ Lou꜅

寶馬雕車香滿路

Vong꜅ ꜀Xieeu ꜀Lling Ddoong꜅

鳳蕭星動

Njok꜇ ꜁H^u ꜀Gwã ꜂Zh^ün

玉壺光轉

Yat꜆ Hhiee꜅ ꜁Ng^u ꜁Long ꜂Mh^u.

一夜魚龍舞

Ngoo꜅ ꜁El Xieet꜀ ꜂Lheeu ꜁Hhũã ꜀Qiam Liiu꜅

蛾兒雪柳黃金鏤

꜃Xhiou Njhü꜄ ꜁Yong ꜁Yong Mh ꜀Xĩõ Ki꜄

笑語盈盈暗香去

Zhuong꜄ Lii꜅ ꜁Xxam ꜀Taa ꜀Qããĩ Baah꜀ Ddou꜅

眾裡尋他千百度

Mok꜇ ꜁Rĩãã ꜁Bvueei ꜀Sheeu

驀然回首

Naa꜅ ꜁Riën Qheok꜆ Zzooi꜅

那人卻在

꜀Dang ꜂Pfuo ꜁Laan ꜀Shãã ꜂Chü

燈火闌珊處

The Lantern Festival Night - to the tune of Green Jade Table

by Xin Qiji

Night lights a thousand trees in bloom

A shower of stars blown

By the east wind

Ornate carriages drawn by gallant horses

Filled the boulevards with a sweet fragrance

Voice of the magic flute flowing

Luster of the jade white urn turning

All night the fishes and the dragons danced

Butterflies willows charms of gold

Gone that angelic laughter that subtle perfume

In the crowds for her I’d searched a thousand times

Perchance I turned

And there she was

Where lights were few and dim