Kiitra

General information
Kiitra is one of the six major indigenous languages of the planet Alplai, and used through its solar system as a universal auxilliary language.

Historical background
The name Kiitra refers to a confederation of city-states, representing nine different ethnolinguistic groups. Over time, as trade and inter-community cooperation demanded a common language, a series of simplified combined lexicons ("pidgins" and "creoles" in Terran terminology) began to emerge. Eventually, the government of the Ferap Kiitra formed a commission to unify and standardize these into an official Kiitra language. The result was a highly modal, phonetic and regular language which was easy to learn and understand - so much so that it displaced the other languages and dialects within a few generations, and its written alphabet would be adopted by the Konarai, Saakh and Krishkarha (the Baija would continue to use their own complex script).

When the United Nations Interstellar Ark arrived in Alplai's solar system, and contact was made with the Terran settlers on board, the decision was made in short order to continue to use Kiitra as the mode of communication. Since the Alplaians are descended from birds, and have beaks instead of lips, this limits some of the phonemes they are able to pronounce, compared to Terrans with their flexible lips. While Terrans continue to use their own languages (especially English), Kiitra retains its place as the focal point of communication for Alplai and its interplanetary settlements that make up the Gentakraat Alplai (Alplai Concordance government).

Variety of verbal usage
When the modern Kiitra language was formulated, the main priority was grammatical word order and correct enunciation of phonemes. This left syllabic stress and tonal pitch open to interpretation by the user. As a result, a number of variant forms emerged within both the Ferap Kiitra and other regions of the Concordance. Many of these variants follow stress and pitch patterns of a speaker's native language.

Alphabet
The Kiitra alphabet is highly phonetic, with each character representing one and only one sound. There are eight vowels, nineteen consonants, and one glottal-stop marker: There are also two additional vowel sounds, represented by combining two vowel characters:

Restrictions
With the exception of ai and ei, there are no other cases of combined or "blended" vowels; in many words the glottal-stop marker is used to separate vowels from one another. This restriction is also present in other Aplaian languages, and even more so with Konarai having only one vowel sound (a). Combined with the restrictions of Alplaian vocal physiology (ie, rigid beaks making it difficult to reproduce more nuanced labial sounds) and the absence of certain consonants and digraphs (such as w and ch), this makes it more difficult for Alplaians to pronounce Terran words than for Terrans to pronounce Kiitra and other Alplaian languages.

Punctuation and written format
Kiitra is written in continuous form; words are separated by a special punctuation mark instead of blank spaces. Paragraphs are formatted with hanging indents; this was originally adopted so that a recipient could write responsive notes in the margins. Also, Kiitra has only one letter case; proper names are designated by a special marker placed in front of the first letter. [1] = placed in front of sentence; [2] = placed in front of name

Numbers and mathematical symbols
Alplaians use a base-10 numerical system, with the nine positive numbers in groups of three, along with symbols for different mathematical operations:

Nouns
Kiitra nouns have a highly regular pattern, with plural and possessive forms created by the addition of suffixes. Verbs, adjectives and nouns can likewise be made into certain concrete noun forms by adding specific suffixes
 * Plural : add -jiit
 * Possessive : add -luu
 * Person : add -ai (example: "medical science" to "physician" = rekaavaag to rekaavaagai
 * Group or organization : add -aat (example: "traditional" to "Traditionalist Party" = diirdezna to diirdeznaat
 * Vehicle or craft : add -juush (example: "sea" to "boat"/"ship" = mura to murajuush
 * Structure or complex : add -dara (example: "sky" to "airport" = eksa to eksadara
 * Sub-unit of complex structure : replace -dara with -badra (example: eksabadra for "airport terminal")

Pronouns
There are fourteen pronouns, organized according to person (first, second, third), number, (singular, plural), gender (male, female, neuter, inanimate) and formality. The formal forms were used in the past for speaking to or about a person of higher social station; as Kiitra and Alplaian society became more democratic, their use fell out of favor, and they are now restricted to either deities or highly esteemed decedents.

Familial relationships
Kiitra nouns for relatives are grouped into two general categories: Thus the basic words: Gender is indicated by prefixing either ada- for "male" or ava- for "female".
 * "Horizontal" relationships share the -aita root
 * "Vertical" relationships share the -idra root
 * jaita for "sibling"
 * laita for "cousin"
 * vidra for "parent"
 * pidra for "child/offspring"
 * kidra for "parent's sibling" (aunt or uncle)
 * zidra for "sibling's child/offspring" (niece or nephew)

Vertical relationships also have a system of conjugation for indicating generational "levels" based on comparative and superlative indicators:
 * second level ("grand-"): change root to -idriil
 * third level ("great-grand-"): change root to -idriikh
 * fourth level ("great-great-grand-"): prefix ekaa- to third level
 * fifth level ("great-great-great-grand-:): prefix ekiil- to third level
 * sixth level ("great-great-great-great-grand-"): prefix ekiikh- to third level
 * seventh level and above: continue adding prefix as in fourth through sixth level

Marital status and relationships
Marriage is indicate by the root word takra ("promise"). One's spouse is therefore takrai ("promised one"); as with familial relationships, gender is indicated by prefixing ada- or ava- to the root.

In-laws are indicated by adding the suffix -krai, followed by the appropriate possessive pronoun. Thus:


 * "my brother-in-law" = adajaitakrai mraluu.
 * "their daughter-in-law" = avapidrakrai airaluu

Additionally:
 * pekhtakrai = divorced person
 * mlenotakrai = widowed person
 * nitakrai = single or never-married person

Verbs
Kiitra verbs follow simple form and tense conjugation rules Example: Some actions are indicated by "compound" verb forms, where two verbs are utilized to indicate a single action
 * all verbs end in a consonant, both to better distinguish them from other words, and to enable tense conjugation
 * the same tense form is used for all subject forms; thus there are no irregular verbs
 * past tense is indicated by adding the suffix -iit
 * future tense is indicated by adding the suffix -iis
 * adra hosh drof alplai = "he is traveling to Alplai"
 * adra hoshiit drof alplai = "he has traveled to Alplai"
 * adra hoshiis drof alplai = "he will be traveling to Alplai"

Example 1 : bersh + [person] + kijem = "to beg someone to forgive" = "to apologize" Example 2 : shrib + [person] + ozgar = "to help someone to remember" = "to remind someone"
 * mra bersh shra kijem mra = "I beg you to forgive me" = "I apologize to you"
 * avra shribiit adra ozgar zaam val goja = "she helped him to remember time for food/meal" = "she reminded him about mealtime"

Adjectives and determiners
With three exceptions, adjectives are prefixed to the subject noun; the exceptions are: In all of these exceptions, the adjective remains a separate word; quantifiers are placed in front of the subject noun, and the other forms are placed afterwards. Kiitra has no indefinite article, and the definite article prefix id'- is used sparingly. The Kiitra prefix eja'- can translate as "this, that, those or these", but only in adjectival form. Pronoun forms would mean prefixing eja to the third person inanimate form, therefore eja'era for singular, and eja'iira for plural.
 * quantifiers
 * ethnic, linguistic and/or geographic designations
 * possessive noun forms
 * nuj = "north or northern"; okriina = "monorail"; nujokriina = "northbound monorail"
 * okh = "one"; adabaakh = "boy or juvenile male"; teraa = "Terran"; okh adabaakh teraa = "one Terran boy"
 * nela = "blue color"; bruu = "bowl"; adraluu = "his"; nelabruu adraluu = "his blue bowl"

Adverbs and auxilliary verbs
Most modifications are placed before the verb's subject: With complex sentences, one must be careful to place the adverb before the correct subject: The negative particle ni- can be prefixed to many verbs; one should be aware, however, of existing polar verb pairs (ie, ozgar and nuujar = "remember" and "forget") and use a verb's existing opposite whenever possible.
 * kulpa mra nuujariit = "I almost forgot"
 * "they saw her quickly take those bowls" = aira bejiit vroja avra reniit eja'brujiit

Necessitative modality
The word jalrii ("necessary" or "imperative") is used in much the same way as "must" or "should" in English; it is placed in front of the verb's subject in a sentence
 * jalrii avra tolug = "she must know"
 * inra dozol jalrii shra bersh adra kijem = "we believe you should apologize to him"

Naming Conventions
Alplaians do not have surnames like many Terrans do. Instead, the proper name is followed by a phrase known as a vartoga; this roughly corresponds to a patronymic, but is not strictly patrilineal, and since there are different forms for various cultures (as well as for descendants of Saakh nobility and devotees of Murai) it is also indicates ethnic and/or other elements of one's background.

Kiitra
[name] + vara + [mother's name] + en + [father's name]

Fajrok vara Taluukadovej en Fajaran

Konarai
[name] + fala + [mother's name] + laja + [birthplace]

Shaladajana fala Tasharana laja Dajamarava

Saakh and Krishkarha
The Krishkarha adopted the Saakh convention while under the suzerainty of the ancient Saakh emperors.

[name] + vaar + [father's name]

Marok vaar Tonavon

Descendants of Saakh nobility
Individuals descended from the Saakh imperial nobility retain their own naming convention of following the father's name with uu'maaj ("house of") and the name of their ancestral noble house; more formally, the name may be preceded with the courtesy title Rhas ("prince" or "lord")

Rhas Ganak vaar Jenzalak uu'maaj Jiiraan

Baija
[name] + khelaa + [father's name] + eglaa + [father's clan]

Toralok khelaa Zunarash eglaa Giiradra

Murai devotees
When the Murai religious movement began in the aquatic floating cities, some viewed it with suspicion and hostility, causing many devotees to be estranged from their families. In response, many adopted a "spiritual" vartoga to emphasize their commitment to Murai devotion community.

[name] + edravara + [spiritual mentor]

Keritanej edravara Duushranan

Gender disctinctions in names
In most cultures, male names end in k, n or sh; female names end in g, m or j. These endings also correspond with one another - k with g, n with m, sh with j. This allows transgender individuals to easily change names by replacing the last letter with its counterpart, or (in the case of androgynous individuals) with z.

The exception to this is with the Konarai. Male names end with a consonant, and female names end with a vowel; transgender individuals therefore drop or add a vowel.

Vocabulary
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