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My first conlang - Tierian

9/12/2022 11:58 pm | : 10 mins. | Share to:

I happened to dig into an old email listserv from my time in high school. I had spent a number of hours working on this language for a fantastical world called 'Tier.' It's all been lost over the years unfortunately, however, I was delighted to find this email from Dec. 8th, 2000 when I was just seventeen years old and a junior in high school.

I would also go back and change the 'chinga' base to 'linga' once another member of the email list informed me of the Spanish meaning of that base word (a pure linguistic coincidence.)

My last note, the way it is written causes some odd bolding due to the nature of markdown (the way I write this blog in the backend), that is just something I'll have to deal with for now until I figure out how to overcome it.

What a blast from the past.

Okay, here it is. What I have so far of my first (let me re-emphasize that, FIRST) conlang. It is still in its infancy, but it's complete enough to where I am focusing on the lexicon and dealing with more minor grammar parts when they arise.

There are 27 letters in the alphabet as it is right now, with only one letter which is modified by an outside mark. Forgive me, I haven't learned the pronunciation setup, if someone wants to rewrite the alphabet sounds in the format which is used on the language, it would be appreciated greatly. The sounds are -- ah, a (long), ch, r, s, p, j, k, eh, t, n, ee, i (as in it), z, o (long), m, g, b, d, f, h, l, v, w, ur, sh, oo. The only letter which is modified is the t, which when an apostrophe is put over it becomes a "tl" sound. And another not is the 'n' and 't'. These 2 consonants when their sound is combined with another consonant, this is not the modified t, their letter is omitted. If a t comes before an s, you put double dots over the s. If after, a single dot. If the n comes before the s, put a carat(^) over the s, if after a tilde (~) over the s.

Thats the alphabet.

There are 7 tenses for a verb,
future present = will X = -zeek
future past = will have X = -zeep
Present = X = -dar
Incomplete = have X = -dir
Past = did X = -jig
Subjunctive = may/might X = -stur
Subjunctive Pass = May have/might have X = -star (pronounced. stare / stair)

I saw no need to make a new mood for Subjunctive.

Present Infinintive = to X = -mur
Incomplete Inf. = to have X = -mig

Imperative = X! = normal form of verb

To make a verb passive you tag -dray onto the end of the verb, after adding tense ending.

Example Conjugation:
Chinga = love
Fut. Pres. = chingazeek = will love
Fut. Past. = chingazeep = will have loved
Pres. = chingadar = do love
Incomplete = chingadir = have loved
Past COmp. = chingajig = did love
Subj. = chingastur = may/might love
Subj. Pass. = chingastar (hard a in star) = may/might have loved

Pres. Inf. = chingamur = to love
Incomp. Inf. = chingmig = to have loved

Imperative = chinga = love

Progressive is also a choice in translation, there is no forced way for it to be translated.

On to Nouns:

6 Cases,
Nominative = Subj. = -tah
Accusative = DO and PN = -ma (long a)
Dative = IO and Prep. Phrases = -mur
Genitive = possession = -toro (hard o's)
Vocative = naming a person = -vok (hard o)
Locative = naming a place = -nok (hard o)

I am debating how to hand prepositional phrases, right now I have them in Dative case with helper words. But that may change.

I am using the 3 number system, nullar, singular, and plural. Depending if the last letter of the root word is vowel or consonant you use the vowel or consonant ending for the number.

Nullar: -o / -wo
singular: -- / --
plural: -ur / -kur

Adj. must match noun they modify in case and number.

Pronouns:
Pers Pron:
I/me - pa (pron. pay)
you* - dar (pron. dare)
he/him - sho (hard o)
she/her - noob
it - keh
we - rish
they - nek

It is not unusual if you are not using a singular 'you' then put the number of you's (ie: 1,2,3) right after the you, matching case. Or if it is a group (ie: you men, you girls, you in the back) place immediately following the 'you'. This may get clumsy, will require tweaking I am sure.

Pers. Pronoun. Adj. =
my - ptoro
your = dtoro
his = shtoro
her = natoro (soft a, hard o. pro. nah-toro)
it's = ktoro
our = ritoro
their = neetoro

Demonstrative Pronouns
This - deeng
that - dong (hard o)
these - deengur
those - dongur (hard o)

Reflexive Pronouns
myself - panor (hard a)
yourself - durnor
hisself - shonor
etc...

Questions in a sentence - Using the Latin style, there is a key word which shows that a sentence is a question. If "sans" appears at the beginning of a sentence, then it is a question. "sans" is always the first word.

Numbering system: The people who speak the language have only 8 fingers, thus they use a base 8 numbering system. I will spare the lengthy number list and if requested will type it up later for you guys.

That is the end of the grammar which I have, there is much left to do, vocab, and tweaking this system. I am having a mental battle concerning salutations and farewells. We will see, I have many hours on the road ahead of me.

Please share any comments / questions / suggestions / constructive criticism. I am but an infant learning to walk, I am always looking for a hand to hold me. I am travelling for a few more days, I may not get back to you and your comments until new years.

Thanks all

Oh and if you are still reading, good job :)

Patrick