Neckthai

From Linguifex
Revision as of 00:14, 31 October 2015 by IlL (talk | contribs) (Loanwords)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Lexicon

Neckthai
Nékthij
Created byIlL
SettingĦérestem
Native speakers50 million (2200 v.C.)
Isolate
  • Neckthai

Neckthai (native name Nékthij) is the official language of Nekthijmien or Neckthailand (the demonym in English is Necktie).

Phonology

Consonants

Initials

Neckthai initials
Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Uvular Glottal
Nasal m /m/ n /n/ ng /ŋ/
Plosive plain p /p/ t /t/ tj /tɕ/ k /k/ /ʔ/
aspirated ph /pʰ/ th /tʰ/ thj /tɕʰ/ kh /kʰ/
voiced b /b/ d /d/
Fricative v /f/ z /s/ g, sch /x/ h /h/
Trill/App. w /w/ j /j/ r /ʀ~ʁ/
Lat. app. l /l/

Allowed initial clusters: pl, phl, vl, pr, phr, vr, tr, thr, kl, khl, gl, kr, khr, gr, kw, khw, gw

Many speakers in the capital merge the pairs /pʀ pʰʀ/, /tʀ tʰʀ/, and /kʀ kʰʀ/. Some dialects merge /ʀ-/ and /ŋ-/ into a nasalized uvular flap /ʀ̆ⁿ/ or approximant /ʁ̃/.

Finals

Neckthai finals
Labial Alveolar Dorsal Laryngeal
Nasal m [m] n, l [n] ng, r [ŋ]
Plosive p [p̚] t [t̚] k [k̚] ' [ʔ]
Trill/App. (uw [w]) (i [j])

Vowels

Monophthongs

Neckthai monophthongs
Front Central Back
short long short long short long
Close i /i/ ie /iː/ u /ɯᵝ/ uu /ɯᵝː/ oe /uː/
Close-mid e /e/ ee /eː/ eo /ɤ/ eu /ɤː/ o /o/ oo /oː/
Open-mid æ /ɛ/ ae /ɛː/ /ɔ/ oa /ɔː/
Open a /ɐ/ aa /aː/

Diphthongs

Long Short
Neckthai IPA Neckthai IPA
aai /aːj/ ij /aj/
aauw /aːw/ ouw /aw/
ia /iːa/ ia' /ia/
ieuw /iw/
oea /uːa/ oea' /ua/
oei /uːj/
eeuw /eːw/ euw /ew/
aeuw /ɛːw/
ua /ɯːa/ ua' /ɯa/
eui /ɤːj/ ui /ɤj/
aoi /ɔːj/
ooi /oːj/ oi /oj/

Triphthongs

Neckthai IPA
iauw /iaw/
oeai /uaj/
uai /ɯaj/

Tones

Standard Neckthai uses 5 tones.

  • Mid: raa /ʀāː/ [ʀaː˧] 'easy'
  • Low: ràa /ʀàː/ [ʀaː˨˩] 'loud'
  • Falling: râa /ʀâː/ [ʀaː˥˩˩] 'fruit'
  • High: ráa /ʀáː/ [ʀaː˥] 'white'
  • Rising: raaʔ /ʀǎː/ [ʀaː˨˩˦] 'vase'

Orthography

Neckthai is written in an abugida derived from the Netagin abjad.

A kherschàwierlie (Gerschwihrli; an analogue to the Thai thanthakhat) marks letters that are silenced in the Neckthai pronunciation of Wiobian loanwords.

Grammar

The syntax is very German-like, except that there is no case or number.

Loanwords

Capital of Neckthailand:

Khrúmá Kijphen Zàtaalá Vaenʔ Zàtijlen Khruuzenʔ Tràk; Zàtrèt Khéschàwijʔphét Khijn Théloatèt Kia Wítzàtà Kan Wákhenʔ Phlátzàtouvenʔ Kîjk Trouphen Khéteul Thétphouzèt Houwá Thing Vîer
/kʰrɯ́ʔmɐ̀ʔ kāipʰēn sɐ̀ʔtāːlɐ̀ʔ fɛ̌n sɐ̀ʔtāilēn kʰʀɯ̄ːsěn tʀɐ̀k | sɐ̀ʔtʀèt kʰéʔxàʔwǎipʰét kʰāin | tʰéʔlɔ̄ːtèt kīːɐ wítsàʔtàʔ kān wáʔkʰěn pʰlɐ́tsàʔtāufěn kâik | tʀāupʰēn kʰétɤ̄ːn tʰétpʰāusèt hāuwáʔ tʰīŋ fîːŋ/
In Wiebian spelling: Grümmerŧeibenstalerfernsteilenđrüßentrachtensträtzgeschweibesđeinesdelorteskierwisterŧannwachenblatzstaufenŧeischestraubengetöhldesbaußeshauerdinŧ Vîer
The miracle of the exalted king of celestial splendor who forged paradise, shines in art and wisdom, and guards his subjects in a ten-wister-long eternal marble wall (1 Wister = 20 km)

Derivational morphology