Macambese: Difference between revisions
Jukethatbox (talk | contribs) Created page with "{{construction}} {{infobox language | name=Macambese | nativename = lang Macambe | pronunciation = laŋ maˈkamə | creator = User:Jukethatbox | created = 2026 | familycolor = Indo-European | fam2 = Italic | fam3 = Latino-Faliscan | fam4 = Latinic | fam5 = Romance | fam6 = Italo-Western | fam7 = Western | fam8 = Gallo-Iberian | fam9 = Gallo-Romance | fam10 = Gallo-Rhaetian | fam11 = Arpitan-Oïl | fam12 = Oïl | speakers = ~1,200 | date = 2025 | ancestor1 = Old Latin | a..." |
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'''Macambese''' (''lang Macambe'' [[Help:IPA|{{IPA|[laŋ maˈkamə]}}]]) is an Oïl language spoken natively in the English town of Macamby. It was historically natively spoken by about 50,000 residents of Macamby and its surrounding countryside ('' | '''Macambese''' (''lang Macambe'' [[Help:IPA|{{IPA|[laŋ maˈkamə]}}]]) is an Oïl language spoken natively in the English town of Macamby. It was historically natively spoken by about 50,000 residents of Macamby and its surrounding countryside (''peissaîde''), but is now designated as a definitely endangered language by the UNESCO ''[[w:Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger|Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger]]'', with only an estimated 1,200 truly native speakers remaining, though estimates of L2 speakers are much higher at around 20,000 L2 speakers. It is unofficially regulated by the Cirquel Solei (pronounced {{IPA|[ˈsirkəl soˈlei̯]}}, <small>lit.</small> "Circle of the Sun"). | ||
As an Oïl language, Macambese is most closely related to the Northern Oïl languages such as [[w:Norman language|Norman]] and [[w:Picard|Picard]], as well as [[w:French language|Standard French]]. However, its isolation from France has led it to develop unique and sometimes English-influenced features that are rare in other Oïl languages; for example, many Macambese words are calques of English words, such as ''amei-fillia'' "girlfriend" being a calque of English {{l|en|girlfriend}} as opposed to the equivalent French term, {{l|fr|petite amie}} (lit. "little friend (f.)"). Other features borrowed from English include the vowel /ʌ/ (usually written ''u'', often cognate with French /y/) and phonemic [[w:Affricates|affricates]] /tʃ dʒ/ and [[w:Dental fricatives|dental fricatives]] /θ ð/. | As an Oïl language, Macambese is most closely related to the Northern Oïl languages such as [[w:Norman language|Norman]] and [[w:Picard|Picard]], as well as [[w:French language|Standard French]]. However, its isolation from France has led it to develop unique and sometimes English-influenced features that are rare in other Oïl languages; for example, many Macambese words are calques of English words, such as ''amei-fillia'' "girlfriend" being a calque of English {{l|en|girlfriend}} as opposed to the equivalent French term, {{l|fr|petite amie}} (lit. "little friend (f.)"). Other features borrowed from English include the vowel /ʌ/ (usually written ''u'', often cognate with French /y/) and phonemic [[w:Affricates|affricates]] /tʃ dʒ/ and [[w:Dental fricatives|dental fricatives]] /θ ð/. | ||
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/ɱ/ is an allophone of /m/ before /f v/ (as in ''se'''m'''fogne'' "symphony, song") while /ŋ/ is an allophone of /n/ before /k g/ (as in ''ou'''n'''cle'' "uncle, bro (to an older person)"). | /ɱ/ is an allophone of /m/ before /f v/ (as in ''se'''m'''fogne'' "symphony, song") while /ŋ/ is an allophone of /n/ before /k g/ (as in ''ou'''n'''cle'' "uncle, bro (to an older person)"). | ||
Macambese only has one phonemic rhotic, /r/, but the realisation of this phoneme varies greatly depending on dialect and sometimes even at the idiolect level. In Northern dialects, /r/ is pronounced as uvular /ʁ/ in word-medial coda syllable positions, as in ''pardoun'' [ˈpaʁdõw̃], and is pronounced as tap /ɾ/ everywhere else. However, in the Foidegrin dialect, word-medial coda /r/ is only uvular before sonorants, as in '' | Macambese only has one phonemic rhotic, /r/, but the realisation of this phoneme varies greatly depending on dialect and sometimes even at the idiolect level. In Northern dialects, /r/ is pronounced as uvular /ʁ/ in word-medial coda syllable positions, as in ''pardoun'' {{IPA|[ˈpaʁdõw̃]}}, and is pronounced as tap /ɾ/ everywhere else. However, in the Foidegrin dialect, word-medial coda /r/ is only uvular before sonorants, as in ''parlé'' {{IPA|[paʁˈlei̯]}} and is trill /r/ everywhere else. In Southern dialects it is traditionally trill /r/ everywhere, though with the more recent influence of English the /r/ has been gradually replaced by alveolar /ɹ/, which is also the most common realisation in all positions by L2 speakers of the language (called ''anglen'' or ''bushrons''). | ||
===Vowels=== | ===Vowels=== | ||
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;" | {| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;" | ||
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| a || | | a || | ||
|} | |} | ||
Word-final {{IPA|/e/}}, generally written ''é'', is usually diphthongised to {{IPA|[ei̯]}} | |||
====Nasal vowels==== | |||
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;" | |||
! !! Front !! Central !! Back | |||
|- | |||
! Close | |||
| ĩ || || ũ | |||
|- | |||
! Mid | |||
| ɛ̃ || ʌ̃ || ɔ̃ | |||
|- | |||
! Open | |||
| || ã || | |||
|} | |||
Macambese is generally agreed to have six phonemic nasal vowels, {{IPA|/ã ɛ̃ ĩ ɔ̃ ũ ʌ̃/}}. {{IPA|/ɛ̃/}} is often realised as {{IPA|/ẽ/}} in Southern dialects, while {{IPA|/ũ/}} is very commonly realised as {{IPA|[õw̃]}}, though many speakers in Chapsfield (''Shampsfeile'') still seem to retain the {{IPA|[ũ]}} pronunciation that today is otherwise considered archaic. {{IPA|/ʌ̃/}} only occurs in some words such as ''un'' "singular masculine indefinite article" and ''pron'''un'''cé'' "to pronounce", and may be variably realised as {{IPA|[ɨ̃]}}, {{IPA|[ə̃]}} or in the most divergent dialects as {{IPA|[ỹ]}}. {{IPA|/ĩ/}} is even rarer, mostly occurring in verb conjugations like ''v'''in''''' "he/she/it goes", and also has a tendency especially among younger speakers to morph into a combination of {{IPA|/i/}} and a nasal homorganic to the consonant after it, as in ''is vinte'' {{IPA|[is ˈvĩtə]}} "he went" pronounced as {{IPA|[is ˈvintə]}}. {{IPA|/ã/}} is pronounced firmly centrally. | |||
==Grammar== | ==Grammar== | ||
Macambese nouns inflect on two [[w:Grammatical gender|genders]], masculine and feminine, and two [[w:Grammatical number|numbers]], singular and plural. | |||
===Articles=== | |||
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;" | |||
! rowspan=2 | !! colspan=2 | Indefinite !! colspan=2 | Definite | |||
|- | |||
! Singular !! Plural !! Singular !! Plural | |||
|- | |||
! Masculine | |||
| ''un'' || rowspan=2 | ''sum'' || ''le'' || ''lé'' | |||
|- | |||
! Feminine | |||
| ''oune'' || ''la'' || ''las'' | |||
|} | |||
''sum'' is borrowed from English {{l|en|some}} and replaced native ''uns'' and ''ounes''. | |||
===Pronouns=== | ===Pronouns=== | ||
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;" | {| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;" | ||
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| ''â'' || ''sa'' || ''as'' || ''âse(s)'' | | ''â'' || ''sa'' || ''as'' || ''âse(s)'' | ||
|} | |} | ||
The genitives of ''nou'' and ''vou'' are '' | The genitives of ''nou'' and ''vou'' are ''no’'' and ''vo’'' respectively before consonants and ''noz'' / ''voz'' before vowels. The genitives of ''els'' and ''as'' are ''ise'' and ''âse'' before singular nouns and ''ises'' / ''âses'' before plural nouns, but the final /s/ is never pronounced, so ''ise'' / ''ises'' and ''âse'' / ''âses'' are both homophonic pairs. | ||
==Example texts== | ==Example texts== | ||
===The Lord's Prayer=== | ===The Lord's Prayer=== | ||
Revision as of 13:25, 25 January 2026
 | This article is a construction site. This project is currently undergoing significant construction and/or revamp. By all means, take a look around, thank you. |
| Macambese | |
|---|---|
| lang Macambe | |
| Pronunciation | [laŋ maˈkamə] |
| Created by | Jukethatbox |
| Date | 2026 |
| Native speakers | ~1,200 (2025) |
Indo-European
| |
Early forms | Old Latin
|
| Official status | |
| Regulated by | Cirquel Solei |
Macambese (lang Macambe [laŋ maˈkamə]) is an Oïl language spoken natively in the English town of Macamby. It was historically natively spoken by about 50,000 residents of Macamby and its surrounding countryside (peissaîde), but is now designated as a definitely endangered language by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger, with only an estimated 1,200 truly native speakers remaining, though estimates of L2 speakers are much higher at around 20,000 L2 speakers. It is unofficially regulated by the Cirquel Solei (pronounced [ˈsirkəl soˈlei̯], lit. "Circle of the Sun").
As an Oïl language, Macambese is most closely related to the Northern Oïl languages such as Norman and Picard, as well as Standard French. However, its isolation from France has led it to develop unique and sometimes English-influenced features that are rare in other Oïl languages; for example, many Macambese words are calques of English words, such as amei-fillia "girlfriend" being a calque of English girlfriend as opposed to the equivalent French term, petite amie (lit. "little friend (f.)"). Other features borrowed from English include the vowel /ʌ/ (usually written u, often cognate with French /y/) and phonemic affricates /tʃ dʒ/ and dental fricatives /θ ð/.
Phonology
Consonants
| Bilabial | Labiodental | Dental | Alveolar | Postalveolar | Palatal | Velar | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | m | (ɱ) | n | ɲ | (ŋ) | ||
| Stop/Affricate | p b | t d | tʃ dʒ | k g | |||
| Fricative | f v | θ ð | s z | ʃ ʒ | |||
| Approximant | w | r | j | ||||
| Lateral | l |
/ɱ/ is an allophone of /m/ before /f v/ (as in semfogne "symphony, song") while /ŋ/ is an allophone of /n/ before /k g/ (as in ouncle "uncle, bro (to an older person)").
Macambese only has one phonemic rhotic, /r/, but the realisation of this phoneme varies greatly depending on dialect and sometimes even at the idiolect level. In Northern dialects, /r/ is pronounced as uvular /ʁ/ in word-medial coda syllable positions, as in pardoun [ˈpaʁdõw̃], and is pronounced as tap /ɾ/ everywhere else. However, in the Foidegrin dialect, word-medial coda /r/ is only uvular before sonorants, as in parlé [paʁˈlei̯] and is trill /r/ everywhere else. In Southern dialects it is traditionally trill /r/ everywhere, though with the more recent influence of English the /r/ has been gradually replaced by alveolar /ɹ/, which is also the most common realisation in all positions by L2 speakers of the language (called anglen or bushrons).
Vowels
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close | i | u | |
| Close-mid | e | o | |
| Open-mid | ɛ | ə | ʌ ɔ |
| Open | a |
Word-final /e/, generally written é, is usually diphthongised to [ei̯]
Nasal vowels
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close | ĩ | ũ | |
| Mid | ɛ̃ | ʌ̃ | ɔ̃ |
| Open | ã |
Macambese is generally agreed to have six phonemic nasal vowels, /ã ɛ̃ ĩ ɔ̃ ũ ʌ̃/. /ɛ̃/ is often realised as /ẽ/ in Southern dialects, while /ũ/ is very commonly realised as [õw̃], though many speakers in Chapsfield (Shampsfeile) still seem to retain the [ũ] pronunciation that today is otherwise considered archaic. /ʌ̃/ only occurs in some words such as un "singular masculine indefinite article" and pronuncé "to pronounce", and may be variably realised as [ɨ̃], [ə̃] or in the most divergent dialects as [ỹ]. /ĩ/ is even rarer, mostly occurring in verb conjugations like vin "he/she/it goes", and also has a tendency especially among younger speakers to morph into a combination of /i/ and a nasal homorganic to the consonant after it, as in is vinte [is ˈvĩtə] "he went" pronounced as [is ˈvintə]. /ã/ is pronounced firmly centrally.
Grammar
Macambese nouns inflect on two genders, masculine and feminine, and two numbers, singular and plural.
Articles
| Indefinite | Definite | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |
| Masculine | un | sum | le | lé |
| Feminine | oune | la | las | |
sum is borrowed from English some and replaced native uns and ounes.
Pronouns
| Singular | Plural | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | gen. | nom. | gen. | ||
| 1 | masc. | m(e) | me | nou | no(z) |
| fem. | ma | ||||
| 2 | masc. | tu | tu | vou | vo(z) |
| fem. | ta | ||||
| 3 | masc. | is | son | els | ise(s) |
| fem. | â | sa | as | âse(s) | |
The genitives of nou and vou are no’ and vo’ respectively before consonants and noz / voz before vowels. The genitives of els and as are ise and âse before singular nouns and ises / âses before plural nouns, but the final /s/ is never pronounced, so ise / ises and âse / âses are both homophonic pairs.
Example texts
The Lord's Prayer
No' Per qu'eit iné cieu
Que tu noum eit santifi
Que tu reng vin
Que ta volonte eit fert sur la ter com in cieu.
Doun in nou hui nou pan de se jurne.
Pardoun in nou noz ofenses
Com nou pardenouns ousi îs que nou ofensa.
E ne nou souvemit in tentasion,
Mes delivré nou far male,
Amen.