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Sylvanic Languages

Copyright © 2004-2021 C.E. by Dustin Jon Scott

Introduction

The Sylvanic languages are those derived from open-syllable dialects of Proto-Palæoboreanic that underwent voicing of consonants adjascent to back-vowels (Terran languages), followed by glottal deconsonantalization (Alpine-Agrarian languages), and then further lenition (Sylvan-Agrarian languages).

While the phonaesthetic structure of the Sylvanic languages constrained their phonetic evolution, they instead evolved a great deal of variation in grammars and word boundaries.

The Sylvanic languages include the Elfish languages, the Sylphish languages, the Nymphish languages, the Faerish languages, and the Hobbish languages.

Further Lenition: Onset Voicing in Open Dialects
+ Consonantal Vowel Deletion

ba > ma > m
pe > be > b
pi > pi > p
py > ɸy > ɸ
bu > βu > β
bo > wo > w

da > na > n
te > de > d
ti > ti > t
ty > sy > s
du > zu > z
do > ɹo > ɹ
tata > ɾaɾa > l

ga > ŋa > ŋ
ke > ge > g
ki > ki > k
ky > xy > x
gu > ɣu > ɣ
go > ʎo > ʎ

Narilo: Early Ancient Faerish
Open, preformative, suffixing, OVS

Ancient Faerish appends nouns to the end of verbs in the intransitive, order [IO][V][S], but appends direct objects to the end of verbs in the transitive and ditransitive, in which case transitive order is [S][V][O] and ditransitive order is [IO][S][V][DO].

Transliteration: dombunokra niniodi neraonkjao’ŋikimburro

Pronunciation: dombunokɹa niniodi neɹaonkʎao-ŋikimbulo

Transcription: dombunokra niniodi neraonkyao’ngikimbulo

Gloss: cause-big-object-gerund-before things-object-all-of exist-verb-past-evidental nothing-big-ness-subject

Translation: Before the great origin of all things, there must have existed in those days a great nothingness.

Transliteration: Haserane’Kararra nwai nirra ninutu burane’vurrini

Pronunciation: haserane-Karala nwai ninutu nila burane-vulini

Transcription: Haserane’Karala nwai ninutu nila burane’vulini

Gloss: Sigh-past Kara-subject and him-to she bring-past (a) draught

Translation: “Kara sighed and to him she brought a draught.”

Transliteration: Haserane’Kararra nwai ninatu mirru burane’vurrini

Pronunciation: haserane-Karala nwai ninatu milu burane-vulini

Transcription: Haserane’Karala nwai ninatu milu burane’vulini

Gloss: Sigh-past Kara-subject and she-to I bring-past (a) draught

Translation: “Kara sighed and I to her I brought a draught.”

Narilo: Late Ancient Faerish
Open, preformative, suffixing, OVS

Transliteration: dombunokra niniodi neraonkjao’ŋikimburro

Pronunciation: dombunokɹa niniodi neɹaonkʎao-ŋikimbulo

Transcription: dombunokra niniodi neraonkyao’ngikimbulo

Gloss: cause-big-object-gerund-before things-object-all-of exist-verb-past-evidental nothing-big-ness-subject

Translation: Before the great origin of all things, there must have existed in those days a great nothingness.

Transliteration: Haserane’Kararra nwai nirra ninutu burane’vurrini

Pronunciation: haserane-Karala nwai nila ninutu burane-vulini

Transcription: Haserane’Karala nwai nila ninutu burane’vulini

Gloss: Sigh-past Kara-subject and she him-to bring-past (a) draught

Translation: “Kara sighed and she to him brought a draught.”

Transliteration: Haserane’Kararra nwai mirru ninatu burane’vurrini

Pronunciation: haserane-Karala nwai milu ninatu burane-vulini

Transcription: Haserane’Karala nwai milu ninatu burane’vulini

Gloss: Sigh-past Kara-subject and I she-to bring-past (a) draught

Translation: “Kara sighed and I to her brought I a draught.”

Old Faerish began with OVS word order, but, perhaps influenced by a SVO language such as Aldelfish, began placing topical nouns at the beginning of sentences while appending the appropriate pronouns to the verbs, having the order [T][V][S] or [T][IO][V][S] in intransitive sentences, with [S] being a pronoun referring to [T]. Functionally, this made the language [S][V] or [S][IO][V] in the intransitive. In the transitive, the sentence would begin with a topical noun [T], followed by a nominative noun [S], followed by the verb [V], to which the objective pronoun [DO] would be appended referring to the topic [T], for a [T][S][V][O] word order that was functionally [O][S][V].

Transliteration: ŋikimbujo dombunokra niniodi neraonkjao’nirro

Pronunciation: ŋikimbuʎo dombunokɹa niniodi neɹaonkʎao-nilo

Transcription: ngikimbuyo dombunokra niniodi neraonkyao’nilo

Gloss: nothing-big-ness-topic cause-big-object-gerund-before things-object-all-of exist-verb-past-evidental

Translation: A great nothingness it seems existed in the days before the great cause of all things.

Sound change 2: The Great Vowel Deletion

Sound change 2 with orthographical change 1

ba(q) or pa(q) = /ma/ > ppp = /m/
be(q) or pe(q) = /be/ > pp = /b/
bi(q) or pi(q) = /ɸi/ > qp = /ɸ/
by(q) or py(q) = /py/ > p = /p/
bu(q) or pu(q) = /βu/ > qpp = /β/
bo(q) or po(q) = /wo/ > qppp = /w/

da(q) or ta(q) = /na/ > ttt = /n/
de(q) or te(q) = /de/ > tt = /d/
di(q) or ti(q) = /si/ > qt = /s/
dy(q) or ty(q) = /ty/ > t = /t/
du(q) or tu(q) = /zu/ > qtt = /z/
do(q) or to(q) = /ro/ > qttt = /r/

dada(q) or tata(q) = /la/ > tttttt /l/
dede(q) or tete(q) = /ðe/ > ? /ð/
didi(q) or titi(q) = /ʃi/ > ? /ʃ/
dydy(q) or tyty(q) = /θy/ > ? /θ/
dudu(q) or tutu(q) = /ʒu/ > ? /ʒ/
dodo(q) or toto(q) = /rho/ > ???

ga(q) or ka(q) = /ŋa/ > kkk /ŋ/
ge(q) or ke(q) = /ge/ > kk /g/
gi(q) or ki(q) = /xi/ > qk /x/
gy(q) or ky(q) = /ky/ > k /k/
gu(q) or ku(q) = /ɣu/ > qkk /ɣ/
go(q) or ko(q) = /jo/ > qkkk /j/

New version: Ttoppppputttokqttta tttitttiotti ttteqtttaotttkqkkkao Kkkikippppputttttto. Kkkikitttopppqpppi ttttttatettttttaotttkqkkkao kkkikipppppupitttttto; pitttio kitttattttttaotttkqkkku kkkikipppppupitttttto. Qppqtttikkttti, ttteqtttiokkkue ttttttatikitttttto. Qtttoettaeqtttootttkqkkka tttittttttiottttta taokaeqtttotttkqkkkue tttittttttiotttta. Kitttikipitttotti taakaeqtttaotttkqkkkaa ttttttatikitttttto. Qtttautteqtttaotttkqkkkaa pppaeqtikitttttto. Pppaeqtikititttppppi ttteqtttiotttue tttittttttio.

Sound change 2 with orthographical change 2

Orthographical change 2 is separate and distinct from orthographical change 1. Orthrographical change 2 does not follow sequentially or build upon orthographical change 1.

ba(q) or pa(q) = /ma/ > m = /m/
be(q) or pe(q) = /be/ > ph = /b/
bi(q) or pi(q) = /ɸi/ > pp = /ɸ/
by(q) or py(q) = /py/ > p = /p/
bu(q) or pu(q) = /βu/ > phph = /β/
bo(q) or po(q) = /wo/ > mh = /w/

da(q) or ta(q) = /na/ > n = /n/
de(q) or te(q) = /de/ > th = /d/
di(q) or ti(q) = /si/ > tt = /s/
dy(q) or ty(q) = /ty/ > t = /t/
du(q) or tu(q) = /zu/ > thth = /z/
do(q) or to(q) = /ro/ > nh = /r/

dada(q) or tata(q) = /la/ > nn /l/
dede(q) or tete(q) = /ðe/ > ? /ð/
didi(q) or titi(q) = /ʃi/ > ? /ʃ/
dydy(q) or tyty(q) = /θy/ > ? /θ/
dudu(q) or tutu(q) = /ʒu/ > ? /ʒ/
dodo(q) or toto(q) = /rho/ > ???

ga(q) or ka(q) = /ŋa/ > ŋ /ŋ/
ge(q) or ke(q) = /ge/ > kh /g/
gi(q) or ki(q) = /xi/ > kk /x/
gy(q) or ky(q) = /ky/ > k /k/
gu(q) or ku(q) = /ɣu/ > khkh /ɣ/
go(q) or ko(q) = /jo/ > ŋh /j/

New version: Thomphunoknha niniothi nenhaonkŋhao Ŋikimphunno. Ŋikinommhi nnatennaonkŋhao ŋikimphupinno; pinio kinannaonkŋhu ŋikimphupinno. Phphŋhikhni, nenhioŋue nnatikinno. Nhoedaenhoonkŋha ninniontha taokaenhonkŋhue ninnionta. Kinikipinothi taakaenhaonkŋhaa nnatikinno. Nhaudenhaonkŋhaa maettikinno. Maettikitinmpi nenhionue ninnio.

Sound change 2 with orthographical change 3

Orthographical change 3 follows sequentially from and builds upon orthographical change 2.

m = /m/
ph = /b/ > b = /b/
pp = /ɸ/ > ph = /ɸ/
p = /p/
phph = /β/ > bh = /β/
mh = /w/ > mh /w/

n = /n/
th = /d/ > d = /d/
tt = /s/ > s = /s/
t = /t/
thth = /z/ > z = /z/
nh = /r/

nn /l/ > = l /l/
? /ð/ > dh = /ð/
? /ʃ/ > sh /ʃ/
? /θ/ > th = /θ/
? /ʒ/ > zh = /ʒ/
???

ŋ /ŋ/
kh = /g/ > g = /g/
kk = /x/ > kh = /x/
k = /k/
khkh = /ɣ/ > gh /ɣ/
ŋh = /j/ > lh = /j/

Newer version: Dombunoknha niniodi nenhaonklhao-Ŋikimbulo. Ŋikinommhi latelaonklhao-Ŋikimbupilo; pinio kinalaonklhu-ŋikimbupilo. Bhlhigni, nenhioŋue-latikilo. Nhoedaenhoonklhoa-nilionda taokaenhoonklhue-nilionta. Kinikipinodi taakaenhaonklhaa-latikilo. Nhaudenhaonklhaa-maesikilo. Maesikitinompi nenhionue-nilio.

Sound change 2 with orthographical change 4

Orthographical change 4 follows sequentially from and builds upon orthographical change 3.

m = /m/
b = /b/
ph = /ɸ/ > f = /ɸ/
p = /p/
bh = /β/ > v = /β/
mh /w/ > w /w/

n = /n/
d = /d/
s = /s/
t = /t/
z = /z/
nh = /r/ > r = /r/

l /l/
dh = /ð/ > ð = /ð/
sh /ʃ/ > ? = /ʃ/
> th = /θ/ > þ = /θ/
zh = /ʒ/ > ? = /ʒ/
???

ŋ /ŋ/
g = /g/
kh = /x/ > x = /x/
k = /k/
gh /ɣ/ > ? = /ɣ/
lh = /j/ > y = /j/

Newerer version: Dombunokra niniodi neraonkyao-Ŋikimbulo. Ŋikinomwi latelaonkyao-Ŋikimbupilo; pinio kinalaonkyu-ŋikimbupilo. Vyigni, nerioŋue-latikilo. Roedaeroonkyoa-nilionda taokaeroonkyue-nilionta. Kinikipinodi taakaeraonkyaa-latikilo. Rauderaonkyaa-maesikilo. Maesikitinompi nerionue-nilio.

Sylvanic Languages

Proto-Sylvanic

Ancient Sylvanic

Classical Sylvan

Old Sylphish

Middle Sylphish

Late Sylvanese

Faerish languages

Drayadic

Elfish languages

Dark Faerish languages

Under-Faerish languages