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Syllabry names

From:Nik Taylor <fortytwo@...>
Date:Monday, October 9, 2000, 3:59
I've discovered the names of all the syllabic characters in the native
syllabry of Utakassí.  Most of them have a meaning, all of them did when
the syllabry was devised (a few words have become obsolete since then).

All names are actually preceded by Má, so, for example, Li is called Má
Likán, but to cut down on repetitive typing, I'll leave it off.

Notes: Fricatives are indicated with a diacritic, so that <pi> and <fi>
are both represented by the same character, just with a diacritic added.
Also, the L-series is normally last, but I put them first to make the
CL-series clearer.

All the names did, in Common Kassí, begin with the character they
represent, but in a few cases, sound-changes have obscured the
connection.  The CL-series are derived from ligatures of the original Cë
and the L-characters.

Li = Likán (offspring)
La = Lásta (bird)
Lu = Lúka (hole)
Pi = Fitáa (a mouse-like animal)
Pa = Famáa (ear)
Pu = Pugán (chest; obsolete word)
Pli = Patí-ku-likán
      All CL are like this, X-ku-corresponding.L; ku = and; patí is
      an obsolete word for "flock"
Ti = Tidáska (scratch)
Ta = Taklú (glass)
Tu = Pásna (box - originally Tuásna)
T- = Saní (Family)
Ki = Ilá (star - in CK, <h> was represented with k- plus the frication
     diacritic; <h> was lost)
Ka = Kalí (fate)
Ku = Útta (major storm)
K- = Kadí (sun)
I = Kíspan (a type of arboreal animal; null-consonants are from the
    old <q> series; /q/ -> /k/ before stressed vowels, lost elsewhere)
A = Altíi (a type of tree)
U = Ustá (wave; obsolete)
Bi = Viklú (choose)
Ba = Vámisu (head)
Bu = Bustá (goal)
B- = Vluká (net)
Di = Disága (egg)
J(i) = Disága safílki (hatching egg)
       J(i) is a later modification of <di>.  Earlier, there'd been
       ambiguity between /dZ/ and /dj/.  A line was drawn thru <di>
       to indicate /dZ/.  As it happens, Disága is actually a circle,
       looking rather like an egg, so the line could be thought of as
       a crack.  Incidentally, the same word is used for "hatch" as
       for "be born/give birth"
Da = Jíga (shadow; contraction of Dazíga)
Du = Duvá (tooth; obsolete)
D- = Dlikán (fire)
Gi = Iúra (pen - /gi/ became /i/; all occurences of <gi> in the modern
     language are either geminates or in borrowings)
Ga = Gasiú (night)
Gu = Guátti (ant)
G- = Gazínu (red)
Mi = Misúta (weather; obsolete word)
Ma = Matási (horse-like animal)
Mu = Mála (a type of fish, originally muála)
M- = Mastádu (a honey-like substance)
Ni = Nimá (bow and arrow)
Na = Náu (fruit)
Nu = Nuusí (morning)
N- = Nadá (idol; obsolete)
L = Lafássi (hall) - this is used for syllable-final L, e.g., _dal_
    would be jíga followed by lafássi

Diacritics
Codas
-f = patí upífi (little _patí_)
-s, -v, -z, -n same pattern
Long vowel = Kadí upífi (little _kadí_)
Fricative = Láa (grain of sand; obsolete)
Gemination = Lafássi upífi - goes on *preceeding* character
Stress = Iúnu (line)

With the exception of Láa, all diacritics go underneath the character,
coda, long vowel, and gemination are all mutually exclusive; stress goes
underneath all over diacritics.  Láa goes *inside* the character

--
Dievas dave dantis; Dievas duos duonos
God gave teeth; God will give bread - Lithuanian proverb
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