Phonology
Consonants
| Bilabial | Alveolar | Velar | Glottal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | m | n | ||
| Stop | p b | t d | k g | |
| Affricate | ts dz | |||
| Fricative | ɸ β | s z | x | h |
| Trill | r | |||
| Lateral Approximate | l |
Vowels
| Front | Back | |
|---|---|---|
| High | i | u |
| Mid-high | e | o |
| Low | a |
Phonotactics
All vowels can be lengthened and all consonants can be geminated. These features are shown in the orthography by double letters.
All fricatives except /h/ become approximates when syllable final.
Syllables follow a (C)V(C) structure, with only stops, nasals and the trill /r/ permitted in the rime.
No stress accent.
Female speakers place a rising tone on all syllables except final syllable, which is given a falling tone. Male speakers do the opposite, placing a falling tone on all syllables except the last, which is given a rising tone. Monosyllabic words are given no tone.
Grammar
SVO(V2O2) word order.
Adjectives are placed before the words they describe, and can describe nouns, verbs, or other adjectives.
All clauses are preceded by the particle fid. Noun, verb and adjective clauses are all permitted, with one word in any clause able to be 'highlighted' by the prefix gu-, which has the same function as the English particles that, which and who in the sentences
It was the one that he saw yesterday.
The red car which he drove was parked outside.
and
The man who pruned my garden laughed.
Gender given by prefixes fu- (feminine), da- (masculine) and er- (neuter). These can be placed on nouns and pronouns only.
All nouns and pronouns are naturally singular unless inflected.
Plurality is given by superfix which renders all vowels in a word voiceless. This is represented in the orthography by an apostrophe before a word. Voiceless vowels are not given full phonemic status. When placed on a verb, this superfix indicates a repeated action. Adjectives cannot be pluralised.
Apart from plurality, there are no grammatical structures that denote number in Alandabor. Numbers (both cardinal and ordinal) are represented by nouns. The noun ri, for example, represents the concept of 'thirdness'.
Person can be given to both nouns and pronouns, by the preceding particles gai (first), li (second) and kic (third).
Only a single pronoun is used, kaer, which can be given gender, plurality and/or person by the affixes and other modifying structures listed above.
If a noun or pronoun is not given a particular gender or person, these aspects of it are considered unspecified.
Dictionary
Nouns
-People
| adolescent | nipa |
| adult | koto |
| aunt/uncle | rae |
| child | kir |
| daughter/son | maku |
| grandparent | orote |
| hunter/forager | bilu |
| parent | nol |
| provincial ruler | kaireu |
| ruler | cac |
| sibling | notokta |
| warrior | tsagra |
-Animals
| anemone | riipo |
| barnacle | kusa |
| bat | nae |
| bird | roi |
| cat | naka |
| chicken | orac |
| cow | tipe |
| crab | eeko |
| crayfish; lobster | cactabua |
| deer | irlo |
| dog | aabu |
| dolphin | rabafa |
| donkey | vu |
| duck | aro |
| eel; snake; worm | fidza |
| ferret | nokuo |
| fish | taescu |
| frog | nasca |
| horse | or |
| insect | bit |
| lizard; newt | hoka |
| mouse | inubo |
| octopus | tsa |
| pelican | iru |
| pig | kli |
| rabbit | gof |
| rat | rin |
| shark | adza |
| scorpion | aeru |
| spider | karope |
| squid | mii |
| tortoise; turtle | aeka |
| whale | fivudzu |
The Natural World
| air | nosca |
| ash | bi |
| beach; coast | noraka |
| bracken | ostaba |
| bush; shrub | go |
| cave | hire |
| charcoal | nau |
| clearing (in a forest) | oabaa |
| cliff | rik |
| cloud | dabu |
| creek; stream | dzak |
| darkness | toso |
| daytime sky | fiko |
| desert | aramaki |
| echo | suhu |
| evening sky | blara |
| fire | tiho |
| hill | air |
| ice | urka |
| lake | blis |
| lava | otoma |
| leaf | fuika |
| light | asi |
| lightning | catseu |
| log | roa |
| moon | nohaki |
| mountain | hoaa |
| mushroom | tsakiho |
| night sky | sifkac |
| ocean; sea | rue |
| pool | nauomi |
| reflection | dza |
| river | tubi |
| rock; stone | ama |
| sand | crit |
| shadow | doba |
| smoke | fivro |
| snow | ascu |
| snowfield | doraekti |
| star | amm |
| stick | shibekta |
| sun | ro |
| thunder | auts |
| tree | kasalo |
| tree stump | riike |
| volcano | vaen |
| water | usa |
| waterfall | idzopki |
| wave | rua |
-Man Made Objects
| arrow | norom |
| axe | kidd |
| bit (horse tack) | nnukla |
| blade | tsatsaa |
| board; beam | hurk |
| bow | uu |
| bowl; pot | aramfi |
| breastplate | tsarlog |
| browband (horse tack) | giool |
| building | parakfa |
| ceiling; roof | niu |
| chair | haikk |
| cheek piece (horse tack) | fivee |
| carriage | norap |
| cart | hitente |
| carved wood | dzuuba |
| club | kaliogga |
| cut wood | atseu |
| crossbow | bubra |
| dagger; knife | hass |
| fireplace; furnace; stove | hirumno |
| flap (horse tack) | ranimo |
| gauntlet | issu |
| girth (horse tack) | banasku |
| grindstone | inekkso |
| hammer | aribot |
| handle; hilt | iss |
| hat | but |
| hauberk | ainn |
| headstall (horse tack) | urek |
| helmet | badaktra |
| house | tsaf |
| ingot | unbo |
| jug | basi |
| leather | kui |
| leathers (horse tack) | umgall |
| mace | hufadziul |
| martingale (horse tack) | utsetse |
| metal | magul |
| metal disk | gaespu |
| nail | hii |
| nose band (horse tack) | orka |
| pants | gihakapp |
| pitchfork; trident | ggiorda |
| pole | harnu |
| pommel (of weapon) | kiua |
| prowlgrin | daroko |
| quiver | sauu |
| rein | tioo |
| saddle | ascuppa |
| shield | girredon |
| shirt | taesu |
| shoe | bbi |
| spear | kus |
| spoon; ladle | rapi |
| staff | ttor |
| stirrup | gierna |
| sword | gaski |
| table | lic |
| throatlatch (horse tack) | dobo |
| undergarment | ac |
| wall | nipuru |
| wheel | saua |
| whip | his |
| wooden disk | hunanda |
| wristguard | bru |
-Anatomy
| back of hand; top of foot | kippa |
| blood | guu |
| bone | siue |
| ear | ssaa |
| eye | bbi |
| eyebrow | ure |
| eyelash | akusa |
| fat | tso |
| finger | hibi |
| fingernail; toenail | iar |
| forearm | so |
| hair | orni |
| head | amm |
| heart | usak |
| heel | dzebeto |
| inside of mouth | riddo |
| intestines | irupe |
| joint | asu |
| lip | basa |
| liver | kolia |
| lower leg | haif |
| lung | sapu |
| mouth (opening) | tsikk |
| muscle | hanasa |
| naval | dzorie |
| neck | bumakra |
| nose | zo |
| organ | ani |
| palm of hand; sole of foot | hugoso |
| roof of mouth | kaidzeul |
| skeleton | kaa |
| spleen | uum |
| stomach (organ) | iak |
| thigh | sakuka |
| throat; windpipe; oesophagus | dziarbo |
| toe | ma |
| tongue | hia |
| torso | iubo |
| upper arm | isese |
| vein; artery | kazo |
-Psychological
| admiration | oko |
| ambition; desire | sibaa |
| anger | torho |
| belief in something | inusa |
| belief that something is likely | sidende |
| bravery | osorki |
| compassion; love | vaefu |
| confusion | tsikeka |
| cowardice | hadzu |
| disbelief | oniitso |
| doubt | dzae |
| dread | os |
| dream (while asleep) | hiap |
| eagerness | oudzie |
| envy; jealousy | braeduk |
| fear | isuuma |
| happiness; joy | kalo |
| hatred | ggiur |
| indifference | isonde |
| knowledge | badoi |
| laziness | dziuppeu |
| sadness | fookke |
| self pity | ariom |
| uncertainty | caszat |
| understanding | fosaezi |
| waking state | tsi |
-Shapes
| circle | paesu |
| cone | paesupp |
| cube | coza |
| cylinder | taerue |
| dome | hisott |
| polygon with five or more sides | purar |
| rectangle | basaku |
| rectangle based pyramid | hidzo |
| rectangular prism | aerosa |
| semicircle | giokto |
| semicircular prism | gio |
| sphere | ggapaes |
| square | basak |
| square based prism | bas |
| triangle | ciku |
| triangle or square based pyramid | cikupp |
| triangle with a five or greater sided base | rara |
| triangular prism | cik |
-Numbers
| Cardinal | Ordinal | |
|---|---|---|
| zero | baa | aab* |
| one | ropo | roop |
| two | sasci | sasic |
| three | kibbe | kiebb |
| four | gazu | gauz |
| five | ripa | riap |
| many | dzabo | dzaob |
| all | tesu | teus* |
| infinity | kasu | kaus* |
*These words are only used metaphorically, poetically or in philosophical writings, and are of no practical value in everyday life.
