Siangwaanian

In-universe history
Siangwaanian (Siāng waanʟ bunʟ) is a language spoken by the people of Siangwaan, a republic located to the northeast of Vozolaz at the eastern coast of the continent of Palkyras. The people of Siangwaan were descended from slaves and prisoners of war brought in by the Sarmelonid Empire during its wars to conquer the Western Hemisphere of Jerde. When the Sarmelonid Empire weakened, the Siangwaanians revolted and created their own country. They later distanced themselves from their homeland of Daizhou, condemning it for its backwardsness and adopting Vozonid rites and customs in its culture.

It has its own dialects: for example, in the eastern dialects, the sound bl can replace l and b, and the western dialects sometimes replace m and b with a v.

Vozonid languages and others on the continent of Palkyras used Siangwaanian as their reference for Daizhouvian and Chinese names. For example, the city of "Luoyang" is read in Vozonid as "Lokijongaz" or "Lokjenngaz" (lok-yeung).

External history
HorsesDrivingVans created Siangwaanian at around 2017 as a language for the setting of Unicorn Farmhand. As the setting was supposed to be based on Hong Kong popular culture, he based the Siangwaanian language on Cantonese Chinese.
 * The author based Siangwaanian on his native language, Cantonese. The addition of sh and the distinction between eu and ew were from his dissatisfaction with how the language has changed.
 * The author made the modern Siangwaanian writing a Cyrillic alphabet because he liked its letters, and he wanted to used the obsolete letters Ѧ and Ѫ (here they are used for aa [ɐ] and eu [ø]).

Tones

 * a - middle tone [ā, a˧]
 * á - rising tone [ǎ, a˧˥]
 * ā - high tone, long vowel in foreign languages [á, a˥]; [aː]
 * à - falling tone [â, a˥˩]
 * aʟ - low tone [à, a˩]

Pronunciation notes
bp, dzh, dt, f, gk, kh, lh, ô, q, r, rh, ssh, v, and zh are used in foreign words and names.
 * aa - [ɐ]
 * b - [p]
 * bp - [b], also spelled as b
 * ch - [t͡sʰ~t͡ɕʰ]; [t͡ʂ] in loanwords
 * d - [t]
 * dt - [d], also spelled as d
 * dzh - [d͡ʑ] in loanwords
 * eu - [ø]
 * ew - [eu] (e-u becomes this)
 * g - [k]
 * gk - [g], also spelled as g
 * gh - [ɣ~h], [j] before [i]
 * k - [kʰ], [-k]
 * lh - [lw] in Vozonid loanwords
 * ng - [ŋ]
 * ô - [ɔ~a] in loanwords
 * p - [pʰ], [-p]
 * q - [q~k] in Vozonid loanwords
 * rh - [tr~dr~rw] in Vozonid loanwords
 * sh (ssh) - [ɕ], [ʂ] in loanwords
 * t - [tʰ], [-t]
 * th - [θ~s]
 * ü - [y]
 * y - [j]
 * z - [t͡s]; [z], [-s] in Vozonid loanwords. At the end of a word, ź is [t͡s].
 * ź - [z] in loanwords. At the end of a word it becomes z.
 * zh - [ʑ] in Vozonid and Bujanski loanwords
 * a - middle tone
 * á - rising tone
 * ā - high tone, long vowel in foreign languages
 * à - falling tone
 * aʟ - low tone

Phonotactics
CwVC/CuVC, CiVC, CVV, CiVo, CwVi/CuVi

Writing System

 * gh - [ɣ~h], [j] before [i]
 * ао - ao - [aw]
 * еу - ew (not eu, Ѫ) - [ɛw]



Pronouns
-yā - plural
 * mó - I, me
 * naa - thou, thee
 * kúi - he/she/it, him/her/it
 * móyā - we, us
 * naayā - you all, ye all
 * touʟ - they, them

-yē is used as a genitive for pronouns and words, but it becomes -mē in mó

Verbs

 * ... zó - had finished
 * ... gwo - done before
 * ... sái - all done
 * ... gáan - (continuous)
 * ... há - still doing to now
 * ... hōi - usually does


 * ... héi séung lèi - started to do
 * kiew ... - will do

Other verbal aspects

 * ... mouʟ - did not do (after a verbal aspect)
 * -mauʟ - have not done
 * ... de - by someone, (passive, after a verbal aspect)
 * néng ... - can, able to do
 * néng ... -mauʟ, ... néngmauʟ - cannot

Location

 * sheungʟ - up
 * yèuk - right
 * hià - down
 * zák - left
 * bok - north
 * dōng - east
 * namʟ - south
 * sèi - west
 * mien - direction
 * héung - towards
 * hongʟ - from
 * zoī - at, in
 * wài - out
 * nou - through
 * de mien - ahead
 * tāa - against
 * hàau mien - behind
 * hià mien - under
 * sheungʟ mien - over

Amount

 * ... máo - a certain ...
 * dāi - great
 * luén - medium
 * yǖt - small
 * gáan - almost

Time

 * chàm - previous
 * gāk leiʟ - next

Question words

 * -ngaa - (interrogative)
 * dí, māat yeʟ - what
 * bēn gó - who
 * bēn douʟ - where
 * gái shi - when
 * dím gáai - why
 * dím ... - how
 * dím shaakʟ - how much
 * ... lúi māi - is ... or not?
 * X Y mouʟ Y? - is X Y?
 * X Y meiʟ - has X Y or not?

Others

 * ei niè - this
 * mán niè - that
 * gei - as
 * yāt chái - together
 * gōn chái - with (someone)
 * yòng - with/using (something)
 * dà ... - very

Verbs

 * zōk - to do
 * āau - to have
 * yēw - to want
 * ngāi - to like
 * shēng - to become, to be
 * lúi - is, am, to be

Directions

 * sheungʟ - up
 * yèuk - right
 * hià - down
 * zák - left
 * bok - north
 * dōng - east
 * namʟ - south
 * sèi - west

Others

 * shái - yes
 * bāat - no, not
 * zān haiʟ - truly
 * chòngmaai - never

Greetings

 * ket shō (doʟ naa) - hello
 * míng sāan - welcome
 * zan ché - please
 * shó yē lúi ngāa - how are you
 * mó lúi ong - I am fine
 * mó lúi bāat ong - I am not fine
 * tāng zó - thank you
 * dí naa mē luan ngāa - what is your name
 * mómē luan X - my name is X
 * shengʟ ngōn - good morning (before 6 am/sunrise)
 * cháo ngōn - good morning (6 am/sunrise and after)
 * hán ngōn - good afternoon
 * ban ngōn - good evening
 * yāt ngōn - good night
 * cha giēn - goodbye
 * tói naa lēi - see you again

Lexicon
See also: Siangwaanian glossary

A

 * ai sa - happy
 * ài - life

Aa

 * āau - to have

B

 * bān ngōn - good evening
 * bāat - no, not
 * bōk - north

Ch

 * cha giēn - goodbye
 * chiè lok - freedom
 * Chōng Tiēn - Heaven, the Gods
 * chóng - village

D

 * dá - one


 * daiʟ - or
 * daiʟ - ceremony
 * dāng - parent
 * daa - very much
 * dáa - order, divine order, plan of the gods


 * dálōk - independent, sovereign
 * daʟ-kiāo nuè - unicorn, horse with one horn
 * dēng - metal
 * dí - what
 * dō - many, a lot
 * dōng - east

E

 * ei - yellow


 * ei niè - this
 * ei yatʟ - today

G

 * gā - family
 * gaʟ - eight
 * gái shi - (CD) when
 * gāi - chicken, rooster
 * gāk leiʟ - next
 * gào gāng - aspiration
 * gáan po waiʟ - almost damaged, dilapidated
 * géi - (CD) willow
 * gèndō - more than
 * gènsiū - less than
 * geuiʟ - last, remaining
 * giáo - (CD) nine
 * giā yau - (CD) come on!
 * giēp zō - chicken meat
 * giēu - to refer someone as, to call someone as
 * gié - well-being
 * ging - well, cistern
 * ging - fit, muscular, handsome/beautiful
 * gong góng - maternal grandfather
 * gōuméng - help

Gw

 * gwán - lance, pole
 * gwanʟ - to snatch
 * gwanʟ kiào - abduction
 * gwanʟ le - robbing, robbery
 * gwep zō - pork
 * gwo - (CD) to approach a god or someone holy, (formal) to visit
 * ... gwo - already did ...

H

 * ... há - still doing
 * hán ngōn - good afternoon
 * hangʟ - to hide
 * hangʟ - to build, to set up, to assemble
 * hangʟ gāi - (CD) strolling, shopping, to go buy things, to wander around at a shopping mall
 * hangʟ güʟ - a small machine, a small robot
 * héi - wake up
 * heng - like, resembling
 * hèw - arch
 * hēung - (CD) countryside
 * hēungzé - (CD) rural
 * Hiām Ka - City of the Sky, Heaven, City of the Gods
 * hià - down
 * hiàzáo - escape
 * hie máai - torment, agony
 * hiēk - blade
 * hin - orange
 * hīng - to return, to come back
 * hīng gié - rehabilitation, recovery
 * hiok - pyre
 * hiōm, hiām - sky
 * hiōm lé - All Under Heaven, the whole country, (our) Siangwaan
 * hiōng - hope
 * hiōng - (CD) horrible, inauspicious, dangerous
 * hó - sad
 * hoi - sea
 * ... hōi - usually does
 * hokʟ - darkness, shadow, dim
 * homʟ - swamp
 * Hong Chi - (CD) Confucius, a cruel person
 * hong̀ chàa - red tea
 * hongʟ - from
 * hongʟ - inner darkness, agony
 * hóu wanʟ - (CD) good luck
 * huà liong - angry
 * hüʟ - deep darkness, abyss
 * hǖt - snow

K

 * kà - city
 * kang deuʟ - homework
 * káo - character
 * kào - roast
 * karʟkì, kaʟrikì - (V) spinel
 * ket shō doʟ naa - greetings, nice to meet you
 * kiāo - horn
 * kiew ... - (future tense), will ...
 * kīn - (CD) gold (substance)
 * kó - fire
 * kóng - dark metal
 * kúi - he/she/it

Kw

 * kwaai - fragment, piece, chip

L

 * lam bà - fire, shoot
 * lao kang - self-sufficiency
 * láng - pale light, moonlight
 * lā - three
 * laʟ bā - older brother
 * laʟ néi - older sister
 * lapʟ wai - (CD) orderly domination, authoritarianism, tyranny
 * láu zō - beef
 * láa - draw
 * laauʟ - a round of a game or sport, a turn, a phase, a session, a match
 * lé - (native) down, base, lower
 * lék - primitive, bottom, low-minded, vulgar
 * lei - purple
 * lengʟ - (CD) zero
 * Leun Yu - (CD) The Analects of Hong Chi, oppressive literature, instrument of oppression
 * leung - mother
 * leungʟ paangʟ - (CD) friend
 * lí bā - older sister
 * lí néi - younger sister
 * liáng - sun
 * liè - defeat
 * lién, liéng - god, deity
 * lingʟyǘ - (CD) imprisonment, jail
 * līng - to visit, to approach
 * lip - cricket
 * ló - very much
 * lokʟ - (CD) six
 * long - (CD) sea dragon, water dragon
 * lóu - water
 * lū - nine
 * luan - name
 * luén - medium
 * lúi - surely
 * lúi - to steal
 * lúi le - stealing
 * ... lúi māi - ... or not?

M

 * mái - rice
 * maanʟ - moon
 * mō - red

N

 * namʟ - south
 * nót, niót - festival, rite
 * nóm - brown
 * nuè - horse
 * nuè chēung, má chēung - horse-spear, jousting

Ng

 * ngāi - love

O

 * ō - two
 * ōmséw - night
 * ong - good

P

 * pāng - wind
 * pé - pink


 * Phot, Phot da - (S) Buddha
 * Phot Giào - Buddhism
 * phu saat - (S) bodhisattva

S

 * sa - green
 * saʟ - and
 * sān - silver
 * saa - day
 * sáap - to write
 * sé - daylight
 * sèi - west
 * sekʟ - to eat
 * són - black
 * süʟ - frost

Sh

 * sha - star
 * shái - yes
 * shān - mountain
 * shàa - to charge
 * sháang - province
 * shúi - rain

T

 * tang - people
 * tang daa - fairness
 * tang lok - unity
 * tang yok - fairness
 * tang zo - republic, democracy
 * tāng zó - thank you (for help)
 * tāa - against
 * tek - seven
 * tēn, tīn, tiēn - (CD) sky, Heaven
 * tēng - problem
 * tēng yàng - incident
 * tēng yatʟ - tomorrow
 * tie naa - determination
 * Tiēn Hià - (CD) All Under Heaven, the world, other countries, Daizhouvian or Siangwaanian monarchy, our land
 * tīng - gold
 * to dā - grandfather
 * to leung - grandmother
 * tó - elder
 * tói naa lēi - see you again, may we meet again
 * tòk - to halt, to impede, "stop" (in road signs)
 * tòng bouʟ hwa - (CD) synchronising
 * tou - they
 * tūn món - speech, dialogue
 * tuō - rice farm
 * tuò - any farm

W

 * wai - for
 * wanʟ - blue
 * wongʟ - wight
 * wongʟpo - madam wight
 * wongʟye - sir wight
 * wuk - luck, fortune

Y

 * ... yānbienʟ, ... yānyütʟ, ... héiyeukʟ - (CD) May you have a happy ...
 * Dálōk Zit Héiyeukʟ! - Happy Independence Day!
 * Pu-rul-li Yānyütʟ! - Happy Purulli/Happy New Year!
 * Zom-yo-nor-se Dansheng Yānyütʟ!/Zom Zit Yānyütʟ! - Happy Zomjonor's Birthday!


 * yàng - matter, subject
 * yangʟ - wish; to wish for, to yearn for
 * yèw - cat
 * yok - white
 * yón - chaos, horror
 * yüʟ - to heal


 * yüen - round, a unit of currency, dollar, credit
 * yüén - primordial order, divine order
 * yük - (CD, sl) jade
 * yǖt - small

Z

 * zái - son
 * zài - bigger incident, disaster
 * zák - termination, death
 * zakʟ - (CD) swamp
 * zàm - silkworm
 * zamʟ - shatter, break down
 * zān (haiʟ) - surely
 * zanʟ ché - please
 * zang da - justice
 * záo - (CD, sl) Let's go!
 * zāau - nation, land
 * zengʟ - (CD) clean, tidy
 * zi - (CD) knowledge
 * ziʟ yàau - (CD) liberty
 * zí - to stop
 * zíyaoʟ - only, just
 * ziā - woman
 * ziapʟ - sign, road sign
 * zīm - steel
 * ziok - region
 * zit - (CD) festival
 * zo - country
 * zó - have done
 * zō - meat
 * zōi - in
 * zòk - ten
 * zòk shó - sixteen
 * zong, ngōng - (CD) foolish, stupid
 * zōng - centre
 * zóu nienʟ - (CD) early years, youth
 * zù zaak - torture
 * zun - discord, disorder
 * zütʟgaai - (CD) world of ruin, grimdark
 * zütʟmongʟ - (CD) despair

Vozonid loanwords

 * a-dì - lord, my lord, sir
 * ai-loʟ - cat
 * a-ri - to rise
 * an-bā-ro(z) - steel
 * a-chanʟ - to gain
 * at-choʟ - attack
 * a-zì - glass
 * a-źài - glory, glorious
 * bā-wal, bā-volʟ - great, mighty, powerful
 * baaiʟ-sok - to abandon slavery, to be free
 * bē-za - (formal) to die, to pass away
 * bē-zu - (formal) death
 * dā-la, dtā-la - light
 * da-sài - ten thousand, many, (formal) long live
 * dek-shàn - to explain
 * dta-dù-la - great drum
 * dzhin-dtá-wei - be careful
 * ē-ri-yaa - rain
 * gwol - no, nay
 * gke-khu-sa - monsoon
 * hái-ma - (formal) thousand, army
 * hau-sān-wi-yo(z) - good luck, well-wishes, success
 * he-yo-baz - fruit
 * hiè-nu - dishonour, shame, desecration
 * hiù-to - mind, thinking
 * hok-qil, hok-qi-lo - happy, joyous
 * i-mal, i-ma-la - (formal) home, abode, residence, domain
 * kal-shi - procession
 * ka-ne-sa, ka-ne(s)-sa - knowledge, wisdom
 * ka-trù - knight, paladin, righteous warrior, hero
 * karʟ-kì, kaʟ-ri-kì - spinel
 * kra-vi-yaz, ku-ra-wi-ya - goddess, deity
 * kra-wi-yoz, kra-vi-yoz, ku-ra-wi-yo - god, deity
 * kre-yoz, ku-re-yoz - (formal) tree
 * krōn-dtoʟ, gu-rōn-doʟ - temple, Vozonid temple
 * lue(s)- - (present tense, only used in ceremonies)
 * mīn-so, mīn-tho - student, (to those below you in rank) thou
 * mū-ri-yoz - honour, nobility (behaviour), righteousness
 * Niè-basʟ - Heaven, the Gods
 * o-nō-ro - king
 * (o-)nō-ro-noʟ, (o-)nō-ro-norʟ - emperor
 * -(p)po - (plural)
 * ra-sià, ra-thià - awakening, awareness, renaissance
 * ras-pe-sa - robes
 * rei-wà - rejoicing, celebration, feast, festival
 * rò-yul - ghost
 * sié - yes, aye, verily
 * -so - (plural for divinities)
 * sok - slave, tormented person, victim
 * tù-ro - hail to you, long live, victory to
 * vik-saaʟ - hope
 * vik-saaʟ(-roʟ)-ya - have hope; do not give up; fear not
 * vi-nà-raa - faith, belief, honour, presence of the Gods, strength
 * vi-nà-ri - to be empowered by the Gods, to become strong, to overcome an enemy
 * wō-sioz, vō-sioz - angel, celestial
 * yau-bô-ro - gryphon, angel
 * yè-źoi - hatred, hate
 * zā-wan - bright
 * źō-yen - how, how come
 * źol-lhù-seiʟ - long live

Ch

 * Chōng Tiēn Mōn Suòi - (CD) Praise Heaven/Thank Heaven/Long Live Heaven, it is very good, I'm in luck
 * Chōng Tiēn yí séi; Hwòng Tiēn dōng laapʟ/ChTYI;HTDL - (CD) the Azure Sky is dead, the Yellow Sky is set up; hip hip hurrah; I did it for the lulz; YOLO
 * Often shortened to Chōng séi Hwòng laapʟ (ChSHL)

D

 * Dāi giēt dāi lei, giām ōm(séw) sekʟ giēp - (CD) Lucky for you, we'll eat chicken tonight; all or nothing; I've won
 * dīm - steel, courage
 * dok - person, fellow, bloke

Gw

 * gwàn shàa - charge forth (with lances), go and win

M

 * màai - what
 * máao dēk - compulsory, test, examination

S

 * sào - unbroken
 * siào - to strike harder, to try harder, to never give up

Sh

 * shàa - to charge, charge!

T

 * tào yaʟ - stand up and fight!
 * tià - to rise after a fall

Y

 * yè - horse
 * yègwán, yègwón - jousting
 * yèw zo - what you are inside
 * yò - eclipse, horror, something frightening or evil
 * yóm - to worship, to pray, to seek the Gods
 * yóndaiʟ - alignment, worship, ceremony
 * yónggaai - (CD) world of courage, noblebright
 * yòng - wisteria, pink-hair, Ontemazei, horror, beautiful woman or man, forest fairy
 * yù - to defeat a fear or weakness, to kill a demon

Z

 * zāk, zāng - to bang a shield, to challenge
 * záo - (CD) Let's go!


 * zütʟgaai - (CD) world of ruin, grimdark



Example text
'''Bāat hōi pā. Niè-basʟ yé móyā, sa móyā kiew dazitʟ.'''

[pɐ́t hói pʰá ɲêpàs jě mǒjá sa mǒjá sa mǒjá kʰiɛu tat͡sìt]

''No afraid. Heaven with we, and we will triumph.''

Do not be afraid. The Gods are with us, and we will prevail.

Naa chāng ong zōi nuè chēung shàa, lóiyo!

[nɐ t͡ɕʰáŋ oŋ t͡sói nwɛ̂ t͡ɕǿŋ ɕɐ̂ lǒijo]

Thou perform good in jousting charge, fellow!

You did well in your jousting charge, dude!

'''Gōn chái Lu-ri-sha-yē yaangʟ, tià mó shāau mómē yún-yā. Tià mó zaauʟ mómē hǜt-yā, sa léi shēung mómē hòu-yā!'''

[kón t͡ɕʰǎi luriɕajé jɐ̀ŋ tʰiâ mǒ ɕɐ́u mǒmé jǔnjá tʰiâ mǒ t͡sɐ̀u mǒmé çỳtjá sa lɛ̌i ɕǿŋ mǒmé hôujá]

''By Lurisha-GEN light, let I burn my fear-PLU. Let I destroy my weakness-PLU, and rise above my sorrow-PLU!''

By the light of Lurisha, let me burn my own fears. Let me destroy my own weakness, and rise over my sorrow!