Sktk'wk

This language is a language which has no verbs, no pronouns, no vowels, and rather fluid word order. All clauses are in brackets.

I tried to contradict multiple linguistic universals and make strange sounds, while also making a language with an artificial history. Eventually, I ended up not contradicting all that many, honestly.

Phonotactics
In this language, all consonants are syllabic and they cannot be non-syllabic. This means that there are 14 possible syllables and all of them consist of a single consonant.

The alphabet/syllabary consists of symmetrical glyphs. The alphabetical order (in Roman transliteration) is: p s t l w k 'p 's 't 'l 'w 'k v r 'v 'r

Grammar
It doesn't have any verbs. Relations between words are created using word modifiers, most (but not all) of which are cases and most (but not all) of which come before the word proper and are written separately. Both the head word and the word to which the action applies are declined, but in different ways. If there is an equal relationship, both are declined in the same way.

Numbers
The numbers are bijective base 16. This means there is no zero, and there is a specific number representing sixteen.

When used in a sentence, these are surrounded by number markers (see below).

Modifiers
Normal

Animate Locative (both parties are animate) = H: lt-'lt O: lt-'lt 'lt statue lt lt death 'lt = The statue and death happened at the same general place.

IDK Case (both parties are separate) = H: tl-'tl O: tl-'tl tl dog 'tl tl man 'tl = The man and the dog are connected. (The implication is that they know each other.)

Inanimate Locative (one or more parties are inanimate [head]) = H: tt-'tt O: t't-'t't tt statue 'tt t't man 't't = The man was at/near the statue.

Partitive (head is part of other) = H: pl-'pl O: p'l-'p'l pl man 'pl p'l hand 'p'l = The man's hand

Comparative (compares two things (using X)) = X: sv-sv H: st-'st O: s't-'s't sv courageous sv st man 'st s't person 's't= The man is courageous compared to the person.

Modified/Modifier (modified is head) = H: wt-'wt O: w't-'w't wt causation 'wt w't happiness 'w't = The causation of happiness.

Allative+Dative(shows X going to H from O) = X: kr-kr H: kt-'kt O: k't-'k't kr information kr kt man 'kt k't book 'k't = The information goes from the book to the man.

Causative/Instrumental (the thing that caused it to happen is the head) = H: pw-'pw O: p'w-'p'w pw man 'pw p'w hammer 'p'w = There was a hammer because of the man OR The man causes something to happen using the hammer OR The man uses the hammer to do something.

Non-Word

Name Marker (marks name, which is the only thing it goes around; goes inside other modifiers) = H: ll-'ll wt pl man 'pl 'wt w't ll Johnny 'll 'w't p'l hand 'p'l = the hand of the man named Johnny.

Thing Number Marker (for defining the number of nouns; around number N outside modifiers and around O inside modifiers) = N: pj-jp O: 'pj-j'p pj 5 jp pl 'pj man j'p 'pl p'l hand 'p'l = the hands of five men Placement Number Marker (for clarifying sentence order; the number indicates the number of words one should skip backwards in the sentence to find the right word; around number N outside modifiers) = N: sj-js wt man 'wt wt cat 'wt w't happy 'w't sj 2 js w't green 'w't = The man is green and the cat is happy.

Words
rwptp = land t'ttp'p = language rtr'rt = speed/fast thing rtvlp = beautiful thing/beauty p'lpwp = path etched into the ground pl'tkt = path put upon the ground lt'tkr = non-attachment tlw'tl = valuable thing/value rwpr'p = person (thinking thing) rpvrv = number ptvp't = this state pvl'lt = body of liquid (ocean, lake, river, etc.) tvr'tp = conversation wp'lrt = metal rwwrw = great size t'ptrw = physical form r'ltrt = inside r'ltr't = outside r'lvrt = direction rtvr't = in motion* vrvrr = imaginary thing vtlr'l = inequality rwsrk = government wd'trl = hard substance/plastic vtvv't = sameness* srvl't = physical separation/otherness (NOTE: This is not the opposite of sameness.) dlft't = place vtlts = useful thing/usefulness pr'plv = protector (parent, guardian, army, shell, etc.) ltlrt = the connection of one to one's relatives/friends and the land pstv't = something which can be read tk'ksp = shape with X sides rzt'lz = morally correct (action) l'ltrw = something inorganic reaching towards the sky lltp'r = something more spread out across the ground klrlw = edible substance tpv'pr = family member separated by a bend tprpv = family member separated by a straight line lwp'wr = container (house, bowl, etc.) lw'krl = system of tunnels (cave system, vascular system) vstpt = word/phrase with X actors s'lpt't = painful thing/pain tvtkv = microorganism pr'ltp = death (when someone is no longer warmer than the world) krtvt = ground-dwellers kwlwl = vomit t'rtpt = plant p'rp'tr = stomach cavity, inside p'rktv = underside, underneath

rwt'tk = rotten thing (positive connotation) plp'll = reckless abandon (positive connotation)

Sample Sentences

pw plp'll 'pw p'w tl tvr'tp 'tl tl wt rwpr'p 'wt w't rpvrv 'w't 'tl 'p'w. = The conversation about the number of people was/is a thing of reckless abandon.

kt ptvp't 'kt k't tl lt'tkr 'tl t'l wt t'ptrw 'wt w't wp'lrt 'w't 't'l 'k't. = The thing which is made of metal will eventually use/understand the principle of non-attachment (and become a person, etc.).

sv lw'krl sv st pl rwt'tk 'pl 'st p'l 'w't pr'ltp w't wt rwpr'p 'wt 'p'l s't tvtkv krtvt 's't. = Rotting bodies in cemeteries form systems of tunnels which house microorganisms and ground-dwellers.

Bookish Sentences

All beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

wt pl vtvv't 'pl 'wt w't tlw'tl 'w't w't wt srvl't 'wt w't vtvr'l 'w't 'w't k't p'l rwpr'p 'p'l 'k't pl rwpr'p 'pl kt wt rwpr'p 'wt w't srvl't 'w't 'kt kr wt tlw'tl 'wt w't tvr'tp 'w't kr.

LITERAL TRANSLATION: Beings are the same pertaining to their value and lack of inequality. They are beings that can think, and thinking beings that are foreign to them should have valuable conversations with them. UNIVERSALS CONTRASTED SO FAR:

All languages have stops. All languages have either bilabials, fricatives or nasals. All languages have some non-syllabic consonants. All languages have voiced sounds. All languages have rounded sounds. No language has a linguolabial trill. All languages have non-implied verbs. No language conjugates for both the head word and the affected word in every relationship. No language has cases that work like brackets.