Lucid International Language, LIL

This conlang aims to be minimal yet nuanceable. And by its very nature to maintain that course. Starting at ground zero, where somebody from New Guinea is on the same level playing field as somebody from New York, i.e., international in that sense, the question is asked, What returns the greatest mental and expressive flexibility in the least amount of learning and practice time? The caveat is that those two from New Guinea and New York should be able to understand each as well as any two from overlapping dialects, adjusting to each other in any social interaction.

A word about the use of the term “minimal”. LEL seeks to restrict the number of grammatical features by allowing words that are otherwise used as content words to logically supply them. In other words, one word could, and should, be used as a noun, modifier, verb, adposition, conjunction, interjection. There should be a minimum of syllables used as particles outside of these context-derived classifications.

Consonants
Those in parentheses are considered allophones. The varieties of [p], [t], [k]; [s]; [m], [n], [l]; [w], [j] are the 9 most common consonants in the languages of the world. [f] is added so that a base 10 can be used to economically direct the vocabulary mnemonically, as LEL aims to make maximum use from a limited number of words.

LEL will also make the maximum use it can from the most internationally available keyboard: Qwerty. A freed Qwerty letter can be considered open to repurposing if it can be legitimately and lucidly used outside of the minimal, root lexicon. [x] is one of those.

Vowels
A 6-vowel system is used for a reason explained in Prosody.

Phonotactics
1) All languages have CV, and LEL has 10 × 6 = 60.

And all languages intuitively know the proper shapes of their native words. As stated, LEL aims to maintain its course to be phonologically and, thus, grammatically and lexiconically, minimal. Allowing for an open ended number of roots (the world’s worst offender being English) does not encourage restraint. Therefore, all (root) words are monosyllabic.

CVC is allowed as well. But all proper LEL words must be followed by a vowel, a resonant-initial word used grammatically or a break in the flow of speech. So, CVC is phonologically CVC+V/R. Nuclear syllable being: CV/R.

Unless it is followed by a comma, period or some other break that could be written as a punctuation mark. ...C, C... ...C‒C..., ...C. C..., etc., thus, has a grammatical function. If, that is, the two C-s have these syllabic features: Being a coda, the first C is naturally weakened while the second C is strengthened by it being an onset. (You can hear this these happening at commas in English.) Therefore. if a third C is not strengthened, then it is a word functioning as a piece of grammar.

10 C × 6 V = 60 × 10 C = 600 + 50 = 650 possible (root) words native to LEL.

II) When there is no consonant in a coda, a glottal stop /ɂ/ after the vowel is used at a punctuation break. It is not used morphemically. Its absence allows two vowels to come next to each other and form a CVV or CVVC word (i.e., /CV:/ or /CV:C/). LEL makes overt use of length. See Prosody.

a) LEL also makes use of diphthongs. /w/ and /j/ are the default realization with /u/ and /i/ being used to lengthen the word. Diphthongs, though, are only used for words beyond the most basic, entry level set of words.

b) Long vowels and diphthongs can be divided into two syllables to indicate prosodic differences on the sentence level. So there are more than 650 acceptable LEL words. /w/u/ and /j/i/ is 2 × 4 vowels (/wu/ and /ji/ doesn’t count) = 8 possibilities. 8 × 650 = 5200 + 600 = 5800. Words with glides/diphthongs are not to be among the most frequently used roots. Unless there is an excellent reason to draw attention to its meaning.

A LEL rule of thumb is that whatever can be prosodically done with vowels can also be done with the other resonants, /m/, /n/, /l/. (For practicality sake, a nonphonemic central vowel may be inserted if need be.) Resonance increases the possibilities of a minimal language. See Paralinguistics.

Writing System
Qwerty is used because it is the most common Latin keyboard internationally and does not require extra strokes.

That means

Prosody
LEL makes extensive use of pitch and length at both the word morpheme and sentence levels so that they operate cooperatively.

I) First of all, LEL is syllable-timed not, like English, stress-timed. Each vowel is to be pronounced with more or less equal force. Pitch accent is a feature that helps maintain this prescription. {II}

II) LEL pitch is not an arbitrary accent. It is not a tone. It is not a true part of intonation. There are reasons for their variations.

1) Where pitch goes in a group of words acts can distinguish between those that are compounded and those not. (Don’t tell me “I see a pink elephant” is the same as “I see a pink elephant”. One is a description and one is, hopefully, not to be taken literally.) See Syntax.

2) Which pitch is used is determined by its 3(+) semantics of degrees:

(a) up/rising = “usually more attractive/positive”, (c) down/falling = “opposite/negative” (b) level/mid range = “in-between the poles/neutral”. (The quotation marks allow for fudging, that is to say, for expanding beyond the strict limitations of minimalism).

3) But what if you don’t clearly hear the all-important pitch that determines the semantics of the word? There’s a system of vowel mutation, (i > y > o > i ); ( e > a> u > e) that goes with the 3 pitches. If you don’t hear the pitch, you hear false homophones and (hopefully) can tell which is meant by context. If no pun is intended.

But to the 3-pitch system is added reduplication of the word. In LEL, reduplication is used to indicate shades of meaning. “good good” has more force than simple “good”. “good. Good!” can have a different interpretation than “Good! good”. The high pitched good reduplicated would mean "excellent", while by changing its vowel and giving it a low pitch good becomes bad and reduplication can mean "inferior", and a different vowel from the set of 3 vowel options and mid pitch gives the root the meaning of "so-so", reduplicated into "mediocre". Separate modifications are then needed to indicate which value-system is applied. Of left to be supplied by already establish context.

Counting 0 reduplication and reduplication combined with the root also being with or without pitch increases the number of degrees possible. 3 × 5 = 15. 15 × 5800 = 8700.

LEL’s underlying lexicon is still minimum. The great number is an expansion from the far fewer root words. It is easier to learn/remember an “opposite” and “neutral” equivalent of a word than to have to memorize and remember the same in a completely different form (English). Or making what you’re trying to say even longer and more complex to understand expressions by agglutinating yet more verbiage. (“The Turkish say Sorry using the French merci because by the time they say “özür dilemek” they no longer feel so sorry”)

Taking the time and effort to do (II) (should) increase the importance the speaker puts on expressing the degree right. It does discourage hyperbole when the strongest expressions take the longest time and effort to say and write.

III) Different from the morpheme-level degrees (above) is the sentence-level degrees. The morpheme-level features are what the sentence-level ones are built upon.

1) Every language every sentence will have at least one important word. Why? Focus, contrast, emphasis, assertion, relevance, etc. They are marked quite naturally by lengthening the vowel.

2) Long vowels can be made into two syllables to allow more degrees of expressiveness here. And a LEL rule of thumb allows resonants to be treated the same way.

3) To this end, the two side-by-side vowels/resonants can each have their own pitch features. The more time and effort something takes, the more worthwhile the user thinks that something is. This is especially made clear as there are a minimum of mandatory grammatical rules.

IV) The pitches can be spoken higher or lower than the person’s normal level. Briefly, like English, higher elevates the importance of the word, phrase or clause, lower lessens it. Think of such punctuation marks such as dashes and parentheses. Think of restrictive/essential (“the man who dropped the ball and lost the game”) verses the nonrestrictive/nonessential (“the man, who dropped the ball, hit a home run”).

V) Certain laryngeal, epiglottal, pharyngeal and other non-Qwerty sounds can fairly naturally be associated with meanings that could be used to increase the subtlety of LEL even further. The are also often heard in the interjections and onomatopoeias of different languages. It is a real challenge to write them using Qwerty. Speech-to-text opens the possibility that they can be systematized.

The below examples, though are taken from Qwerty sounds:                                                                                                                                       1) Vocative Cues

mm um: / ' / stage-holder; /-/ stage-enabler; /,/ stage-claimer                                                                                                                                                     ll      / ' /, /-/, /,/ = degrees of approval, pleasure, enjoyment                                                                                                                                                                                                                               ff     feh!: / ' /, /-/, /,/ = degrees of disapproval, displeasure, or disgust. ss   ss: / ' / wishing for attention (psst);  /-/ accepting attention; /,/ denial of attention (shh)                                                                                                                                hh   sigh: / '/ wishing to reset (towards positive) ; /-/ just "neutral" letting the breath out ; /,/ (towards the negative)

Grammar
I) Speech Flow Breaks  or Punctuation Breaks

Particles. ...C, C... punctuation breaks separate Modifiers, be they Adjectives or Adverbs.

II) Pure Vowel Particles (These were inspired by Mini by S.C. Gruget and was the final spark the lit LEL)

a) ...V... particles are needed for when there is no punctuation break. The have no inherent pitch, but when pitched it is the pitch of the word before it.

The one ...V... absolutely needed is [e]. Being mid, unrounded this vowel is the most convenient vowel to each that isn’t a schwa [ə]; it separates consonants but also links words into a unit. It does not compound the words, but it can be part of the compounding method. See Prosody

b) Realistically, nouns need to be differentiated from the verb. Not counting /e/, that’s two vowel particles. Phonetic symbolism can be called upon to decide which vowel goes with which particle. By the relative gradation of effort and the metaphor of the position in the vocal mouth:

i) This second vowel particle is for the Verb. The high, rounded /u/ requires more effort and that makes it more important, the definition of an action predicate, as well as its going through the mouth all the way from the back to out into the world where people can see it by its rounded lips.

ii) The third available vowel particle, mid, round /o/, should be related to the /u/ particle. In some languages, adjectives are not usually differentiated grammatically from the verb. The Adjective Particle does not mark it as a modifier but as an adjective complement orbiting its verb.

iii) The fourth matches the vowel in the middle of the mouth /i/ with what is in the middle of an action, the Direct Object.

iv) The fifth, the /a/ particle, would then mark the Subject, as it is closest to the origin of the action if the actor is the speaker.

c) When the /a/ and /i/ mark Subject and Object, they are 'suffixed' to their nouns.                                                                                           But /a/ and /i/ as well as /e/ can be 'prefixed', provided they come within a greater NP where the /u/ of the predicate can be referenced. This does limit the amount of freedom of placement within a sentence, though.

note) The Indirect Object is not technically marked by a particle but by certain serial verbs, like "give" and "benefit". Though the "to/for" verb/adposition is a possibility.

III) Vowel Particles as Prefixes  If used, their pitch comes from the word they are 'prefixed' to

i) a-NP with an a-NP marks the 2nd NP as a modifying NP, more or less equivalent to a genitive

ii) a-NP with an o-NP marks the two (more) NPs as sharing a dependency Valence: Complementary,Contingent; Reciprocal, Mutual. Which is meant can be disambiguated, or not, by added means. /e/ immediately before or after the /o/ may be one of those

iii) a-NP with an y-NP marks the two (or more) NPs as sharing a response Valence: Indicative, Demonstrative; Imitative, Duplicative. Which is meant can be disambiguated, or not, by added means. /e/ immediately before or after the /y/ may be one of those

note) a-NP with the conjunction  and  can be treated as a 'prefix' and, so, mark the two (or more) NPs as sharing a general, loose Valence: Parallel, Corollary, Nonrelational (if the same predicate is used). /e/ immediately before or after the and may be one of those

(iv) /e/ as a prefix inside a NP... )

III) Adpositions and their Modifiers  The same processes can also occur with metaphoric comparison within a VPs

There is a limited number of words that can perform the "adposition" functions and as such they themselves do not have to be marked. They are put into groups with a set of three vowels - /e, a, u/ or /i, y, o/ - sharing the same initial consonant. They have inherent vowels because outside of their use as adpositions, they are also used as full content words. But as adpositions, they usually have a neutral tone, taking on that of the phrase they govern.

LEL's use of reduplication is not meant to be used as they are traditionally used across languages. Instead, it is to put the word-into-words to related but less frequent use. Which has the least frequent use should be the deciding factor. Rule of thumb: Specific is usually more common than the less specific

The (etc) is to remind that the word used may (have to) be translated by different word(s). See Lexicon

a) Three of the most useful are those that form the basis of  from  (etc) ~ at (etc) ~ to (etc), made more explicit in the lexicon. Of note is how reduplicating them makes them less specific: not (confidently) know or relevant but mentioned because something has to be used for it to be useful as an adposition.  from from  means the origin or source: from the direction of, back as far as.  at at  means that the location: around, about. to to means that the destination: toward, go for.

b) To these three are added three that are the similar but are temporal based trio. The spatial uses inform how their metaphoric twins are to be used. They are used inside VPs to supply tense and other uses other languages employ affixes, auxiliaries, and the like to express. When there is no direct metaphoric comparison with the spatial, then consideration should be given to using the equivalent form to missing in-VP uses with no easily or economy of form fix

note) It is possible for a spatial to be used inside a VP as well, used as immediate, utterance-tensed, Meta for the speaker on the sentence level (e.g., relevant or not, put aside for later consideration). Or a meta trio similar to the spatial and temporal 'adpositions' may be instituted, to give free range of employment, outside as well as in the predicate

Modifiers with an adposition's NP can further specify and disambiguate. None, though, are grammatically mandatory like the adpositions are. There are two places for these: the adposition and its NP modifies the adposition, the one inside the NP itself modifies the NP

Dimensions : Two Sets

c) 0D = point  (redup. = indefinite point: atom, pixel); 1D = line  (redup. = also has a surface, but the line is considered more relevant: e.g., road, ribbon); 2D = surface  (redup. = also has volume: grass, slide); 3D = volume  (redup. = something 0D/1D/2D relates to it: tunnel, penetration). Beyond the redupications unspecifying, the dimensions can be added to each other for greater specification. Like 3D 2D= surface on a volume.

c) ØD = relative  (from/at/to). Dimensions are not considered relevant, per se. But 0D, !D, 2D, 3D may be added to this. Redup. = related generally.                                                                                                                                                                                                                               note) from + relative = landmark (from which to take bearings); to + relative = target. Redup. makes them less specific. (Like, say, being unsure where the landmark or target is)

Direction

d) Spatially: back (etc) ~ axis (etc) ~ front (etc). Reduplication makes them more specific: (body) parts                                                                                                                                                                d) Temporally: past - present - future   Tense 

e) Spatially: bottom (etc) ~ level (etc) ~ top (etc). Reduplication makes them more specific: (body) parts                                                                                                                                                                    e) Temporally: (mean)while: non-causal support - 'in view/interactable' - 'out of sight'

f) Spatially: left ~ middle ~ right. Redup. = the mirror p.o.v. Reduplication makes them more specific: (body) parts                                     f) Temporally:

g) Spatially: center ~ West ~ North ; East ~ South ~ Ø. Redup.:                                                                                                                                                      g) Temporarily:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      note) These are among the Mnemonic Candidates.  These form a paradigm of very separate meanings that would make for maximal confusion without additions to disambiguate them. (say., West ~ purple ~ nine ~ j ). And that is the whole purpose of a mnemonic. They help the memory by creating ad hoc stories the brain can hold onto: action, color, concrete, emotional, etc, 1, 780 can become "river-green-puppy-donut"). The one of the best way to remember a lexicon is supposed to be through mnemonic randomization. LEL has the ability to both disambiguate  and ambiguate - at the same time

Distance

Gap, the space between, is the default setting: Assume it until expressed otherwise

h) Spatial: invisible (yonder) ~ in "view' (there) ~ close (this).  Redup.: have no idea where ~ becoming in view is judged possible ~ within easy reach.                                                                                                                                                                                                                      h) Temporally:

Contact

i) Spatially: abutting ~ inserted/overlapping ~ coexisting.  Redup.:                                                                                                                                                      i) Temporally:

j) Spatially: attached ~ merging ~ a part of.  Redup.:                                                                                                                                                                            j) Temporally:

Span, there is no relevant gap.

k) Spatially: extensive ~ long (etc) ~ short (etc). Redup.                                                                                                                                                                              k) Temporally:

Now for the other particles and words being purposed for grammar? Vowel substitutes are needed. That means they have to be a resonant, the quality that allows for the easier transition between consonants. Sonance is ordered this way:

[a], [e, o], [i, u], [j, w], [ɾ](flap), [l], [m, n, q]; [v, ð, z], [f, þ, z]; [affricatives]; [b, d, g], [p, t, k],

A LEL rule of thumb is that whatever can be paralinguistically done with vowels can also be done with the other resonants, [m, n, l]. Resonance increases the possibilities of a minimal language. See Paralinguistics.

Nouns
Nouns are only required to have their case particles.

Everything else is optional. There is a list of options that the speaker should keep in mind to add if context does not provide adequate clarity. LEL is meant to allow language to be lucid without being burdensome.

Verbs
Verbs are only required to have their particle marker.

Everything else is optional. There is a list of options that the speaker should keep in mind to add if context does not provide adequate clarity.

Note that these options can be moved out of the predicate in order to link them up with what has come before, demote or promote them. An example would be the word used to mark an assertion mood that continues with the same force, is made less confidently or made more emphatically.

Syntax
Compound words: The main pitch goes on a modifier, otherwise it is on the head, Noun/Verb.

SVO with an Indefinite Object that can even be brought not only before the object but next to the Subject with a valence conjunction.

Noun+case_particle  Modifier   e/punctuation-break   Modifier   punctuation-break   Meta

Noun+case_particle  Noun+case_particle(same) = 2nd noun is a genitive

Verb+u  Modifier   e/punctuation-break   Modifier   punctuation-break   Meta

Verb+u  Verb+u = 2nd verb is a serial verb.

Critique, I am not yet satisfied that auxiliaries are adequately distinguishable from modifiers. Perhaps [y] will be used, it would be better if [y] can be used analogously within the Noun Phrase.

Lexicon
(n) 	head noun

(m) 	modifier (adjective or adverb)

(vt) 	verb, transitive

(vi) 	verb, intransitive

(p) 	quasi-preposition

(c)	conjunction

(d)  * meta

(i)	interjection

A work in progress. (Below is mostly, but not all, taken from Marq Thompson's ta ti. *will mark my own additions)

L+e > a > u set, root set of tones: Sense of Place - Location and Movement

le ' :   (n) movement, transportation   (m) moving, mobile   (vi)  to be moving, to be walking, to be traveling   (vt) to go, to walk, to travel, to move, to set out for  (p) to, in order to, towards, for, until   (c) thus, therefore, so   (i) hello in passing                                                                                                               le le : (n) aim, goal, destination  (m)     (vi)   (vt) to aim for, to have the goal of   (p) towards

la- :  (n) location, place   (m) real, true, existence   (vi) to be there, to be present, to be real/true, to exist   (vt) to actualize, to cause manifestation   (p) to be (located) at/on /in                                                                                                                                                                               la la :   (n) relative location   (m)    (vi) to be (located) somewhere   (vt) to place somewhere carelessly/uncertain  (p) relative to

lu, :  (n) origin, cause   (m) original, causal,   (vi) to be from, to leave   (vt) to go from, to move from, to displace, to leave   (p) from, by, because of, since   (c) because, since                                                                                                                                                                                   lu lu :   (n)  assumption, imputation  (m) provisional  (vi)   (vt)   (p) to seemingly come from

NOTE: le-  la,  lu'   and   le,  la'  lu- are to be given definitions that will be very difficult to confuse with the root set (above) so that those unable to hear tones will still be able to understand what is meant through the context. The word-morphemes that are the most important in conveying grammatical information should be given the fewest false homophones.

L²+i > y > o set, root set of tones: Influencing/Influenced

li' :    (n) head, mind   (m) main, leading, in charge   (vi)   (vt) to lead, to control, to steer

ly- : * (n)  torso, intuition   (m) secondary, deputy, acting   (vi)  to be representing a power   (vt) to channel, to guide, to direct, to abet

lo, :  * (n) joint, impulse   (m) tertiary, following, obedient   (vi)  to be in the power of, to be under the sway (vt) to follow, to obey,

P+e > a > u set, root set of tones: Distance from a Place

pi' :    (n) side, convenience  (m) this, near, reachable,   (vi)  to be on hand, to be near to (vt)  to reach  (p) by the side of, near to           (d) deictic this, here                                                                                                                                                                                                                           pi pi :   * (n) touch, border   (m) abutting, adjacent, conterminous   (vi) to be touching, to be on the border

py- :  * (n) neighbor, area,  (m) that, next-door, close, approximate   (vi) to be next to, to be close by   (vt)                                                      (d) deictic that, there                                                                                                                                                                                                                py py :   * (n) view, sight   (m) visible,   (vi) to be in sight   (vt)  to sight, to find

pu, :   (n) absence   (m) away, absent, missing   (vt) to throw away, to remove, to get rid of                                                                                 (d) deictic yon, yonder                                                                                                                                                                                                              pu pu :   * (n)  lost,   (m) unknown, uncontacted  (vi) to be in an unknown location   (vt) to have no idea  where

T+e > a > u set, root set of tones: +/- Dedicated Instrument  (This was inspired by Ithkuil)

te’ :  * (n) kludge, inspiration   (m) jury rigged, ad hoc, make shift   (vi)   (vt) to use atypically, to improvise

tu- :  (n) application, app, skill (m)   (vi)   (vt) to use   (p) with, instrumental case

ta, :  *(n)  gear, equipment   (m) back up, just-in-case   (vi) to be outfitted with   (vt) to have but not use, to have on hand   (p) bring along