Re: Conlang book?

>I've started compiling information for the book. It would be helpful if
>people could send information on their languages to me so I can incorporate
>it directly into the book instead of putting it together myself (it would
>also help to make errors less likely). The areas I need information on for
>each language are:
>
>1. a general description of the language and background information
Spoken Thoughts is a language spoken by most of the trader-folk and the
peasants and the royal people as well.  The language exists in the land
thought to be known as Ninvar ( previously anyways, haven't figured out new
name ).  This land exists nearly on the opposite side of the world in
comparison to Middle-Earth, yet the people and language are very different.
Religion is an important part with the people and the language, as is war...

>2. basic summary of the phonology
Sounds like english without the rules ( ate == ah-teh != ait ), save for
certain things.  J sounds like ( as I am told by Nik Taylor, IIRC ) /Dz/, as
in Bonjour.  There are a couple of rules in the phonology prohibiting the
words from ending in a stop sound ( IE: T, D, P, K, and the like, nor J ).

>3. overview of the writing system
Used is the Tengwar writing system ( the two Istari that had apparently
dissapeard from Middle-Earth had brouth some bits of the language, and the
writing system, and educated the uneducated by constructing libraries and
teaching and such. )

>4. description of the morphology
Well, um, I dunno how this would exactly work.  ^_^
I know very little of morphology as it is, so I will leave this alone for
now.

>5. description of the syntax
Word order does not matter, and it is NOT a V2 langauge.  Adjectives and
adverbs go before the thing they modify.  To get a compound verb or noun,
you will have to have the two nouns/verbs one after the other with the exact
same endings and such.
For comparisons, you start off the comparison with a keyword, for less then,
or more than, then you have the first element that is supposed to be better
then ( or worse then, depending on the key chosen ), then the adjective
describing how the first noun is better then ( or worse then, etc ), then
you have the next noun, which is prefixed by _je-_ to show that is it the
second ( so you _can_ change the order ), followed by the rest of the
sentance.
Conjunctions are formed by a keyword followed by the first element, followed
by the linker, followed by the second element, and so on.

>6. other grammatical information which does not fit into the other
>categories
Well, softeners are used to make the words with the would-be endings fit
together in case the ending would conflict phonologically with the rest of
the word: EG: MIK in the allative case ( -ndil ), you need to add the
softener to make it follow the rules: IE: mikkendil not mikkndil.

>7. a sample of text in the language, with interlinearization
I have no poems, but just a short sentance, which goes as follows:

_Toh Vetta kot Mikka audrienta aanuntulta jette carnenna olossanin_

I do not think an interlinearization would work all that well, but here is
just a translation with each part discussed.

"Vetta and Mikka faught beautifully in the bloody battle."

_toh_ = key for conjunction

_Vetta_ = Male name, yet has no meaning as of yet ( I had to think of
something ).  The normal (nom.) noun ending (-e) was displaced by the male
name signifier -a.

_kot_ = Linker, seperates the two ( or more ) clauses.

_Mikka_ = Yet another (male) name, meaning Master.

_audrienta_ = Adverb meaning "beautifully".

_aanuntulta_ = Past tense (un-) of Tulta, meaning fight.  Intransitive
(aan-) verb because it has no object.

_jette_ = Demonstrative for this, unspecified distance.  Used in place for
"The" ( and done quite frequently ).

_carnenna_ = Adj Bloody.  -[e]nna from noun _carne_ (blood), giving it
adjective properties.

_olossanin_ = Noun in locative case showing where they did this thing, from
the noun _olosse_ meaning "Battle, war".

I hope that was sufficient.

>8. possibly a short lexicon
I have a very short lexicon of words ( from which I derive roots ) that have
meaning ( I worked on the list this morning on my way to my basketball game
).

Word  -   ROOT -           PoS - meaning ( non-listed form )
========================================================
Tulta -      TUL -          V  - fight or battle
Mikke -      MIK -         N/V - master (V: mikketa )
Elquenne -   ELKW(A/E) -   N/V - immortal (V: Elquenta )
Eruë -       ERU -         N/V - map (V: Erunta )
Ambarre -    AMBAR -       N/V - harmony (V: Ambaretta )
Mettare -    METAR -        N  - twilight
Orrine -     ORIN -         N  - Gate
Huuve -      HUVA -        N/V - Keep (IE: treasury ) (V: Huuventa )
Alta- -      ALTA -         S  - a person of...  NOT SURE ON THIS ONE!
Anne -       ANA -         N/V - Voyage, a journey on the sea (V: Anne[n]ta
)
Tekke -      TEKO -        N/V - Journey (V: Tekkenta )
Same -       SAMI -         N  - Plant
Pyorre -     PYOR -         N  - Building
Khaare -     K[H]AR -       V  - Plant
Essenta -    ESEN -         V  - Build
Tarjata -    TARJ[A] -      V  - Sing
Parme -      PARM -         N  - A place or location
Varde -      VARD[A] -      N  - The ground ( earthy ground, NOT building
floor )
Tullume -    TULM[E] -     N/V - Fantasy (V: Tullumenta )
Quette -     QUET -        N/V - Trade (V: Quetta )
Lumba[n]ta - LUMBA -        V  - Die ( NOT Kill )
Marde -      MARDA -       N/V - Time (V: Marde[n]ta )
Carne -      CARNA -        N  - Blood
Alasse -     ALAS[A] -      N  - Song
Olosse -     OLOS -        N/V - Battle, War
Nikke -      NIK -         N/V - Hammer (See Note1) (V: Nikke[n]ta )
Dannenna -   DAN -         ADJ - Insane, crazy, demented ( ONLY AN ADJ )
Laure -      LAUR -        N/V - Friend (V: Laurenta: befriend )
Ambere -     AMBER -        N  - North / Northly (ADJ: Amberenna )
Turenne -    TUREN[A] -    N/V - Melody (V: Turenta )

NOTE1: When used as an adjective, has another meaning than hammer: deft(ly).

NOTE ON ALL: All nouns can be used as adjectives by using ( usually )
-(e)nna.  To make an adverb, add -(e)nta.

NOTE ON ALL: Verb endings can be -(n)ta, -(n)tya, -ya, or -a.

>Thanks for your help.
No problem!  I wouldn't mind writing some other stuff on some parts of
speach if needed!

Namaarie,
Eruanno
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