|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 11:17 am
Okay, on my first conlang, I was going for the ultimate in complexitude. Turns out, I'm too lazy to follow through with that, since I've got a big bunch of natlangs that take priority over conlangs. So this time, I'm going for the exact opposite, the simplest language possible.
Basically, I excpect that this will become sort of a pidgin English. What I plan to do is basically, using English as a base, create a simpler, yet still effective language. I want it to be the simple in all aspects, grammar, pronunciation, phonotactics, orthography... yet still be suitable for communication, not just some sort of stereotpical caveman speak, or crappy nooblang. I'm afraid thats what it might become, though I will avoid it. Hooray for run on scentences.
Though it is meant to be based mostly on English, I plan to borrow words from other languages related to English to give it a more authentic Germanic feel, and phase out some of the extreme French/Latin borrowing in modern English. Scots and Frisian especially, since those are very close relatives to English.
I do want people to make suggestions for improvements if they have any, my brain has been known to miss the obvious. I don't trust it.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 11:53 am
Phonology & Orthography The writing system of this language shall be an alphabet. I borrowed letters from Greek, Hebrew, Russian, some old abandoned English letters, and modern English to get a good mix of letters that are simple in shape but still easily dinstinguished from each other, and quick to write. It is phonetic, though not super phonetic. Super precise allophones can be ignored, such as distinguishing the difference between the T of "stop" "top", which differ by aspiration. There is no case disinction. Vowelsɔ - b ut e - m et ı - it і - m eet υ - p ut ɥ - f ood o - sw ord ϙ - h ot ε - h am α - f ather Consonantsρ - put ь - bet л - tap, may be glottalized ԁ - dog c - cat г - get θ - thing þ - the s - set z - zip ɕ - ship ч - chip J - job l - let σ - rat п- nub м - mat и - ha nger v - vet φ - fat ɣ - yet Λ - win ɦ - hat Punctuation. - • ! - same ? - ʔ " " - ( ) , - same ' - used show separation between prefixes or suffixes and the word to which they are added. Ex:, in the tite, (þ'іиlıɕ), "the english", the ' showing the separation between the definite article prefix "th'" and the original word. Also," : ", which is used at the beginning of a new paragraph, instead of an indent. Other StuffMany new words are made from simplified versions of the original English words. Some examples of common changes when words are brought over: - Dipthongs reduced to single vowels- "play" to (ρlε), "buy" to (ьα). - The often diphthongised in English "o", such as in "go", reduced to just "o", no diphthong, as the Scots would say it. - R, except as the first letter of a word, not pronounced as in British English. - Initial H is removed, since in quick speech and many dialects of English this is done. Ex, "horse" becomes "orse". - The sound "ng" as in "english" which has a more stressed "g" sound, is removed and replaced in all cases with ng as in "hanger", which is without that. - The sound "ʒ", like in "mea sure", which is rare in English as it is, is removed or substituted. - Aspiration is slightly less than that of actual English, There should be no distinction between pairs like P's in "pot" and "spot", where aspiration differs them, and any subtle difference doesn't need to be indicated.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 4:15 pm
Pronouns
~Unlike normal English, these pronouns don't change for case. Also, It, He, and She are merged into one all purpose genderless pronoun.
I/Me - ıг
We/Us - Λi
Thou (singular you) - þɥ
You (plural you) - ɣɥ
It,He/She, Him/Her - i
They/Them - eм
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 6:15 pm
Nouns
~Nouns work in the same way as English. They have no gender.
cεл - cat
ԁo - door
Pluralization
~Add ('п)
cεл'п - cats
ԁo'п - doors
~For nouns that it is hard to smoothly add the (ח) sound to, add (ıח).
ερl - apple
ερl'ıп - apples
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 6:16 pm
Articles
Definite Article- Use (þ') prefixed to the beggining of the word.
þ'cεл - the cat
~This is also fine for plural nouns.
þ'cεл'п - the cats
~For nouns that begin with a vowel, the (þ) is merged onto the beggining of the word without any pause between, though the apostraphe might make you want to.
os - horse
þ'os - the horse, pronounced as "thorse"
ερl'ıп - apples
þ'ερl'ıп - the apples, pronounced as "thapplin"
Indefinite Article
~(ı'),(ıп') for words beggining in vowels.
ı'cεл - a cat
ıп'ερl - an apple
~Unlike normal Enlgish, this indefinite article can be attached to plural nouns, giving the meaning of "some__", an indefinite amount of something.
ı'cεл'п - some cats
ıח'ερl'ıп - some apples
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 6:17 pm
Basic Verb Stuff
~Verbs work in the same way as normal English, place the subject of the verb before it to show that that is the doer of the action.However, if that same thing is the agent of a series of verbs, during which the agent does not change, it does not need to be continually re-stated. When linking verbs, all verbs in the list are linked with (ɔח), "and"..Verbs do not conjugate.
þ'ɦɔпԁ iԁ φɥԁ ɔп гo ɥ'þ'sлo ɔп Jσiиc vϙԁɔ• - The dog eats food, goes to the store, and drinks water.
~The infinitive form of the verb is made by adding the definite article.
þ'iԁ - to eat
Tenses
~ 3 Basic Tenses
Present
~Same as first example, just put the verb with no attachments.
Past
~Add ('ԁ) to the verb.
ıг Jσiиc'ԁ - I drank.
~If ('ԁ) alone is awkward to pronounce, make it ('ıԁ)
i iԁ'ıԁ - he/she/it ate.
Future
~Add (l') to the front of the verb.
ıг l'iԁ - I will eat/ I'll eat.
~If the verb already begins with (l), use (lɔ')
Can't think of any verbs that start with L at the moment.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 6:17 pm
"To Be", The Copula
For the sake of ease of pronunciation, this might be hopefully the only irregular bit.
The infinitive form of "to be" is (þ'ьi).
Present
~In the present tense, it is not needed.
ıг sмαר - I'm smart.
þɥ ԁɔм - You're dumb.
Past
ıг - ıks
Λi - Λσ
þɥ - θσ
ɣɥ - ɣσ
i - ik
eм - eσ
Ex: ıks cεл - I was a cat.
~For normal nouns of any number, add ('σ).
þ'cεл'σ - the cat was
þ'cεл'п'σ - the cats were
Future
ıг - αl
Λi - Λl
þɥ - θl
ɣɥ - ɣl
i - il
eм - el
Ex: αl cεл - I will be a cat.
~For normal nouns, add ('l).
þ'cεл'l - the cat will be
þ'cεл'п'l - the cats will be
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 10:37 pm
Adjectives
~Adjectives are used in the usual English way. But, any articles are always kept next to the noun.
i гσeɣл ı'ɦɔпԁ - "he/she/it great a hound" - Hes/shes/its a big dog.
~Other prepositions are put infront of the adjective.
ɥ'гσeɣл þ'ɦɔпԁ - to the big dog
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 10:44 pm
Various Prepositions
All prepositions are combined to the original word, as it has been with (þ'), (ח') and others. I've made these by simplifying the regular English prepositions, but making sure they each have one and only one meaning, not as much overlapping like the originals.
Prepositions can be written as individual words, or as prefixes added to another word, with the ' to help keep things straight. I prefer this method, because it is closer to actual speech, where words are slurred together.
þ' - the
ı'/ıп' - a/an
ε' - place where something is done. ıг iԁ ε'þ'sлo• - "I eat at the store."
e' - place where something exists in. ıг e'þ'sлo• - "I am at/in the store."
л' - to. ıг гo л'þ'sлo• - "I go to the store."
φσɔ' - from
'z - 's
Λısл' - "with", doing something in the company of.
Λɣs' - "with", the thing by which something is done.
o' - of
θσ - through
φσ - for, in order to, because
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 11:48 pm
Possession
~Possession is shown by adding ('z), to all nouns. Since pronouns have no case changes, this is used for them also.
ıг'z - my
Λi'z - our
þɥ'z - your
ɣɥ'z - your(plural)
i'z - his/hers/it's
eм'z - theirs
~Those words also are used for "mine", "yours", "ours", and the others, and they act as adjectives. Also for other nouns, where it also can take the meaning of "of__".
þ'ɦɔпԁ'z - the dog's, of the dog
þ'ɦɔпԁ'ıп'z - the dogs's, of the dogs
~Though "of" can also be expressed by "o'"
o'þ'ɦɔпԁ - of the dog
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 10:23 am
Negation
~Negation is done by (пe), placed before whatever is being Negated.
~In statements that "something is something", add (пe) before the thing that the subject is not.
ıг пe sмαл - I'm not smart.
þɥ пe ԁɔм - You're not dumb.
ıks пe cεл - I wad not a cat.
θl пe cεл - you weren't a cat.
~For verbs...
ıг пe iԁ - I don't eat.
ıг пe iԁ'ıԁ - I didn't eat.
ıг пe l'iԁ - I won't eat.
~The negative infinitive can also be made this way.
пe þ'iԁ - to not eat
~(пe) cannot stand for "no" as a response to a statement. Yes and no are (αi) and (пα).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 9:37 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 8:21 pm
I love this language! Especially the orthography. It kicks a**!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
