Slwöhnièsà

Classification and Dialects

 * Slwöhnìesà belongs to The Tyrenesian Language group (Tirenesya). It is divided into three major dialects: northern, eastern & southern. The standard language is based on the eastern dialect.
 * Northern dialects have few sounds that the standard variant doesn't have: hl -> ɬ, hr -> r̥ & hs -> θ. Thus hreihsi -> r̥eiθi
 * Eastern dialect is where the standard form was based on so it is really similar to the standard. There are however some words that don't exist in the standard form.
 * Southern dialect pronounces the h+consonant combination as a long consonant. Thus hs -> ss etc. This does not affect if the combination is at the beginning of the word. Thus hreihsi -> hreissi.
 * I & W are pronounced as /j/ & /w/ at the beginning of a diphthong or a triphthong in northern & eastern dialects: zosìera -> /ʦo'ʃjerɑ/

Consonants

 * Slwöhnìesà has a relatively large collection of consonants. This is due to palatalization of certain consonants and velarization of l. Swöhnìesà has also three affricates: ʧ, ʦ and ʃ͡ʧ (palato-alveolar fricative + palato-alveolar affricate).


 * All consonant letters have two different ways to be pronounced. The only exception is the letter l with three ways of pronunciation: alveolar, palatal and velar.


 * Consonants are divided into two groups:
 * The consonants correspond to each other in that order (in other words: c - g, n - m, t - h...). This is an important aspect of forming the past tense and the imperative.

Vowels

 * Slwöhnìesà has only six full vowels and one unstressed vowel for special cases. Vowels e and o can be either closed or open depending on speaker's preference. There is no rule how to use them.


 * The schwa vowel is used only when a word begins with the same consonant as the previous word ends: gals u'sayat = /x ɑls ə 's ɑjɑ t/.


 * The vowel /æ/ is written with the letter e just like the sound /e/ itself. There are four rules to determite wheter to pronunce it as /e/ or as /æ/.
 * 1) At the end of the word it is ALWAYS /e/.
 * 2) If the next syllable has the vowel / ɑ/, /o/ or /u/ it is pronunced as /æ/.
 * 3) The syllable must be stressed to have the vowel /æ/ in it.
 * 4) /æ/ is NEVER part of a diphthong.


 * There are also four rules to determinate the stress of the word:
 * 1) s + `/ t + `/ y + `/ z + ` - sisìstoc = /si 'ʃistok/
 * 2) Long syllable aka. a syllable with a long vowel or a diphthong - wyíhse = /u 'ji:hse/
 * 3) The first syllable if all the vowels are short or rule 1. doesn't happen - saya = /'saja/
 * 4) Affixes are NEVER stressed.

Writing System

 * - Vowels have five possible diacritics: ´, `, ^, ¨ & ~.


 * 1) ´ marks a long vowel: é = /e:/
 * 2) ` marks the second form of a consonant: tè = / ʧe/. It also marks a /h/ sound before a short vowel in front of a vowel-ending word: té àsálètcie = /te: h ɑ' s ɑ : ʎetkie/.
 * 3) ^ marks the third form of l: lâtna = / ɫ ɑtn ɑ/. It also marks a /h/ sound before a long vowel in front of a vowel-ending word: té âlyetca = /te: 'h ɑ:l jetk ɑ /
 * 4) ¨ marks an irregular stress with a short vowel: csozwisölna = /kso ʦuis'oln ɑ /.
 * 5) ~ marks an irregular stress with a long vowel: maisãrca = /m ɑi 's ɑ :rk ɑ /


 * Y is used to show palatalization in front of long vowels. Thus syo = /sjo/ but syó = /ʃo:/
 * Ù is used when there's a consonant after the second/third form or the word ends to it. Eg. zesù = / ʦeʃ/.

Nouns

 * Vowels decline in seven cases and two numbers. There is no grammatical gender. Plural is marked with a prefix and the case is with a suffix.


 * All nouns end in a vowel.


 * There are no articles.


 * All nouns have a form that is used in counting. It is marked with a -t at the end of a word (yaica -> yaicat). It is used with numbers greater than 1 (fés yaica -> gals yaicat -> hyíls yaicat...).
 * Example: Yaica (an apple)


 * Singular: yaica - yaicalû - yaicasie - yaicasnw - yaicasyo - yaicasea - yaicastai


 * Plural: cayaica - cayaicù - cayaicasie - cayaicasnw - cayaicasyo - cayaicasea - cayaicastai


 * Words ending in -ie or -ea have a bit different forms in locative and comitative. In those cases, the last diphthong is removed and the ending is attached straight to the last consonant. (riëtèa -> riëtùsea). This happens only with the case that has a similar ending, thus riëtèasie, not riëtùsie. If the last consonant is /s/, then this doesn't happen. (hrwnozìsie -> hrwnozìsiesie)


 * (!!) Words ending in -zie/-zea get the entire ending replaced (asmostözie -> asmostösie)

Cases

 * Nominative is the basic form of a noun. It marks the subject of a sentence. It is never used with any prepositions.


 * Genitive is used to mark the owner of something: asmostözielû atsíe = the location of a parking lot. Another possibility is to add a possessive suffix at the end of the thing being owned. They are: la, sw, hi, mé/né, ce & fo. Example: mostoze -> mostozehi, car -> his/her car.


 * Locative is used to express location. It's used with prepositions sa, il, hlo, ra, ye, wl, is, co, le, oz, pa, sya.


 * Dative is used to express the receiver. (Znàwtasasnw so = Give it to me).


 * Accusative is used to mark the object of a sentence. (Lyẃnal yaicasyo. = I eat an apple).


 * Comitative marks that something is done with something. (Méreh cozosìeraseahi hlo tàtrasie. = He went to the theatre with his sisters.)


 * Abessive marks that something is done without something. (Mérel zotìenestaila hlo tàtrasie. = I went to the theatre without my brother.)

Adjectives

 * Adjectives end in -aya, -eye, -iyi, -oyo or -wyw.
 * They have two different forms depending on if they're attributive or predicate.
 * Attributive adjectives have the -aya etc endings. Predicative adjectives have -as, -es etc endings.
 * They have three comparison degrees: positive - comparative - superlative.
 * Attributive comparative is made by replacing the ending with -ast, est etc. With predicatives the ending is -àsù, -èsù etc.
 * Superlative is made by adding -ais, eis, ies, oi or wis with attributives. With predicatives -ayalû, eyelû etc.
 * Example: To mwtro ê carnas. = This house is red.
 * Example: To ê carnaya mutro. = This is a red house.

Verbs

 * All verbs end in -z in infinitive form.


 * The subject is attached in place of -z. There are two endings for 1st person plural. -m is used for groups with the listener included. -n is used when the listener isn't included. Eg. nérem = we go (and you too), néren = we go (but you don't).


 * The passive is marked with -tù. Eg. retroscaz -> retroscatù.
 * The object is included as a vowel after the subject. It is marked also if the object is inanimate. In singular -i is used and in the plural -o is used. Eg. nowlàli mostozesyo - nowlàlo comostozesyo, I buy a car - I buy cars.
 * Negation is made by using the negation verb and declining the verb being negated to the correct persona. Eg. I don't sing = la scalal . The negation verb declines like this: la, sw, hi, mé, ní, ca, fo.

Tenses

 * Verbs have three tenses: present, past and future.
 * Past tense is formed by changing the initial of the verb. Every single verb begins with a letter from group 1 in the present tense. The corresponding letter is used to form the past tense. Eg. siez -> ziez, sielw -> zielw (I love you -> I loved you).


 * Verbs beginning with /r/ simply lose their initial letter. Eg. riasacal -> iasacal (I draw -> I drew).
 * Future is marked with a prefix ans-. Verbs beginning with /s/ will get only an- added in front of them.

Moods

 * Verbs have 5 moods: Indicative, Imperative, Conditional, Quotative and Potential.


 * Imperative is formed from the same stem as the past tense (siez -> ziez). To distinguish them apart from each other, one must add ` to the first vowel (ziez -> zìez) and thus either palatalizing or changing the initial sound. In the case of verbs beginning with /r/ the lost initial will just be a long vowel ´ (riasacaz -> iasacaz -> iásacaz [´ is always marked on the last letter of a diphthong/triphthong]).


 * The conditional is formed by adding a prefix ies-/iese-. Eg. siez -> iesesiez, nérez -> iesnérez. Iese- is used only before verbs beginning with /s/. In past tense the prefix is added in front of the new root. Eg. siez -> ziez -> iesziez.


 * The quotative marks hearsay. It is formed by palatalizing the ending. Eg. Cwirahù. = He is sleeping (apparently). The past tense is formed just like with other moods. - Gwirahù. = He was sleeping (apparently). Exception is the passive where the palatalization is removed. Eg. sietù -> siet.


 * Potential marks possibility. It is formed by adding a prefix lâz-/lâza-. Eg. Lâznéreh. = Maybe he comes . The rules are almost the same as for the conditional except now also verbs beginning with z- will use the lâza- prefix. Eg. siez -> lâzasiez, ziez -> lâzaziez.

Gerund

 * To express that someone was doing something one must remove the -z and add -sùt. Subject's object vowel is added instead of the consonant. To express the object, the consonant is used. Eg. lariazaz = to wait, lariazasùta = I 'm waiting, lariazasùtas = I'm waiting for you

Syntax
(Basics on the picture.)
 * Syntax.png word order is extremely free due to the case system. However, the main order is VSO. All these sentences are correct:
 * 1) Lyẃnah maisãrca yaicasyo.
 * 2) Lyẃnah yaicasyo maisãrca.
 * 3) Maisãrca lyẃnah yaicasyo.
 * 4) Maisãrca yaicasyo lyẃnah.
 * 5) Yaicasyo lyẃnah maisãrca.
 * 6) Yaicasyo maisãrca lyẃnah.
 * However, the first one is the most common.
 * The basic order for suffixes is this:
 * 1) Verbs -> (mood -) tense (- mood) - body - subj. - obj.
 * 2) Nouns -> plural - body - case - possessiveness
 * Adjectives come either before the noun (attribute) or afret it (predicative).

Example text
Hàcolis mnworosla hlo nalaya trwocsie.

Sohsie cè zwitáli lariazasùtim.

Tohsie êm, u'mnworos. Trwociemé hlotih zesù.

Zinsaya... zwitáli pwontrah!

Cót Lòco - ê gìsazemé.

Cót Lòco - tgò saprayasé.

Cót Lòco - yèmo citìesyo.

Cót Lòco - názeh trwocie!!

Come with me to an electric world.

There is an evil waiting for us.

Here we are, together. Our world gets brighter.

Today... the evil disappears!

Code Lyoko - is our power.

Code Lyoko - when you ask for us.

Code Lyoko - let's help the victims.

Code Lyoko - the world survives!!

~ Code Lyoko theme song