Vethari
| Vethari | |
|---|---|
| Vethari | |
 | |
| Pronunciation | [ⱱe̞'θä.ɾi] |
| Created by | – |
| Setting | Vetharin |
| Native to | All of Vetharin, and exceeding the border into India. It is less prevalent in the West and South. |
| Native speakers | 63.5 million (2021) |
Vethari
| |
Vethari is the official language of Vetharin, a kingdom located north in the Vetharin Peninsula, that goes off the northeast coast of India into the Bay of Bengal. It’s the mother tongue from 63.5 million people, that is 96% of the country’s population of 66.1 million, although it is not spoken so much on the west and south regions. On the other hand, it is spoken at a certain level on the other side of the border with India, with around 2 million speakers there. During World War II, a massive immigration from Vethari occurred, scattering speaker all across the world, but specially on England, Brazil, United States and Spain.
Vethari has only 2 dialects, although there is a standard form, that is the one taught in the schools and also the one that it is studied in this article. Vethari uses the Vethari script, that evolved from the Brahmi script. It is an abugida, like its ancestor. A standard romanization was made in 1898 and it used on guides, grammar books and transcriptions. The romanization is used on this article for being easier to understand. On certain places of Vetharin, people write with the Latin alphabet. Vethari is an agglutinative Ergative-Absolutive morphosyntactically aligned language.
Phonology
Consonants
| Bilabial | Dental | Alveolar | Retroflex | Palatal | Velar | Uvular | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | m /m/ | n /n/ | rn /ɳ/ | ny /ɲ/ | |||
| Plosive | p /p/ | t /t/ | rt /ʈ/ | c /c/ | k /k/ | q /q/ | |
| Voiced Plosive | b /b/ | d /d/ | rd /ɖ/ | rj /ɟ/ | g /g/ | ||
| Velarized | pp /pˠ/ | tth /θˠ/ | tt /tˠ/ | rtt /ʈˠ/, rss /ʂˠ/ | kk /kˠ/ | ||
| Affricate | ty /ʧ/ | dy /ʤ/ | |||||
| Fricative | f /f/ | th /θ/ | s /s/ | rs /ʂ/ | cy /ç/, sy /ʃ/ | kh /x/, gy /ʝ/ | |
| Voiced Fricative | v /v/ | dh /ð/ | z /z/ | j /ʒ/ | |||
| Approximant | w /w/ | ry /ɻ/ | y /j/ | jy /ɰ/ | |||
| Lateral | l /l/ | rl /ɭ/ | ly /ʎ/ | ||||
| Flap/Tap | r /ɾ/, rr /ɺ/ |
Vowels
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | i /i/ | ì /ʏ/ | u /u/, ù /ɯ/ |
| Mid | e /e/ | è /ə/ | o /o/, ò /ɔ/ |
| Low | a /a/ | à /ɒ/ |
Phonotactics
The phonotactic system of this language is defined by a carefully controlled set of phonemes with rich distinctions, especially among nasal, retroflex, palatal, and velarized sounds. Syllables generally follow a (C)V(C) or (C)(C)V(C) structure, with CV and CVC being the most common. Syllables cannot begin with a vowel-only onset unless they are grammatical clitics or interjections. The language makes extensive use of consonant contrasts, and many phonemes—such as retroflexes (/ʈ/, /ɖ/, /ɳ/, /ɭ/), palatals (/ɲ/, /ʎ/, /ɟ/, /ç/, /ʃ/), and velarized consonants (/pˠ/, /tˠ/, /kˠ/, /ʈˠ/, /ʂˠ/)—have restricted environments within syllables.
Consonant clusters are permitted in onset position, but are subject to strict rules. Common onset clusters include stop + glide (e.g., /pj/, /kj/, /gj/) and stop + lateral (e.g., /pl/, /kl/, /bl/), though not all combinations are allowed. Retroflex and velarized consonants almost never appear in clusters, and instead tend to occur in singleton positions. Clusters in coda position are extremely limited and generally dispreferred; most codas contain a single nasal (/n/, /ɲ/, /ɳ/) or a stop (/p/, /t/, /k/).
Vowels appear as syllable nuclei and never as codas. Diphthongs are not phonemic in this language; sequences like /ai/, /ei/, or /au/ are analyzed as separate syllables, often broken by a glide or a consonantal transition. The vowel system distinguishes between front (/i/, /e/), central (/ə/, /a/), and back vowels (/u/, /o/, /ɔ/, /ɒ/, /ʏ/, /ɯ/), each with clear distributional tendencies. Rounded front vowels like /ʏ/ occur primarily in closed syllables or as part of morphological alternations. The high back unrounded vowel /ɯ/ is restricted to unstressed syllables or function words.
Velarized consonants such as /pˠ/, /tˠ/, /kˠ/, /ʈˠ/, and /ʂˠ/ never occur next to front vowels like /i/ or /e/. They prefer low and back vowels, such as /ɒ/, /ɔ/, or /ɯ/, reflecting articulatory harmony. Their distribution is also limited by stress and syllable weight; for instance, velarized consonants often appear in stressed root syllables or as markers of emphasis. Retroflex segments—particularly /ʈ/, /ɖ/, /ɳ/, and /ɭ/—tend to be root-internal and are rarely found in affixes, which are more likely to contain plain coronal or palatal consonants.
Affricates /ʧ/ and /ʤ/ only occur syllable-initially, never in codas or clusters. They are often used in expressive or ideophonic vocabulary. Fricatives are more flexible: /f/, /s/, /ʂ/, /θ/, and /x/ can occur in both onset and coda positions, while their voiced counterparts /v/, /z/, /ð/, and /ʒ/ are mostly restricted to onsets. Palatal fricatives /ç/ and /ʃ/—written as cy and sy—appear only before front vowels and cannot occur after back vowels. The voiced palatal fricative /ʝ/ (gy) and the approximants /ɻ/, /j/, and /ɰ/ appear frequently in medial position, helping to transition between vowels.
Nasals play a central role in phonotactics. The contrast between /n/, /ɲ/, and /ɳ/ is fully phonemic and occurs in all positions. The retroflex nasal /ɳ/ only appears in environments where other retroflex consonants are also present, often due to regressive assimilation. The palatal nasal /ɲ/ commonly appears before front vowels, and is usually represented as ny. Approximants such as /w/, /j/, and /ɰ/ cannot appear in syllable-final position, and /ɻ/ is limited to stressed onsets. The flap or tap is not part of this phonemic system at all.
Lateral consonants /l/, /ʎ/, and /ɭ/ have strict distribution. The plain /l/ is the most common and occurs freely in onsets and codas. The palatal lateral /ʎ/ (ly) only occurs before /i/ or /e/, and never after back vowels. The retroflex lateral /ɭ/ (rl) occurs almost exclusively in medial position, often within roots or compounds, and avoids front vowels entirely. These laterals never appear geminated or in complex clusters. Morphophonemic processes involving these sounds tend to preserve their quality rather than undergo assimilation.
Stress interacts with phonotactics by allowing heavier or more marked consonants in stressed syllables. For example, velarized and retroflex consonants are favored in stressed roots, while palatals and glides dominate in unstressed affixes. Final syllables are stressed when closed by a consonant or contain a lower vowel like /ɒ/ or /ɔ/, while otherwise, penultimate stress is the norm. Vowel reduction does not occur dramatically, but centralization of high vowels to /ə/ is attested in fast speech, particularly in grammatical endings. Words cannot end in consonants, and also, there aren’t geminated consonants.
Vocabulary
The language's lexicon is closely linked to the natural world and tangible experiences. The land, the body, the weather, and movement are all associated with many of the oldest words. The short, strong words for mountains, rivers, sky, and earth frequently occur in compounds to create place names or evocative expressions. Terms pertaining to the body are equally well-developed, with distinct differences between internal and external characteristics, bodily functions, and sensations. With distinct words for walking, running, creeping, falling, and climbing—often with subtle distinctions based on direction, effort, or purpose—the vocabulary for daily movement is rich. Loan words are adapted for the language’s phonotactics and phonemes. While writing in the native script, loanwords or when something is about that word, it might be written in the Latin alphabet.
Dialects
The language has two major dialects spoken in distinct regions, each with its own lexical preferences, stylistic tendencies, and unique word formations. While mutually intelligible, the dialects are immediately recognizable by their choice of expressions, use of certain affixes, and subtle differences in how compounds are constructed. One dialect, often called the Highland variety, is spoken in inland, mountainous regions and tends to preserve older forms and more conservative structures. The other, known as the Coastal dialect, is found along the seaboard and exhibits more innovation and lexical fluidity due to trade, mobility, and cultural exchange.
In the Highland dialect, words are often more compact and traditional. Speakers tend to favor archaic compound structures and maintain distinctions that have faded elsewhere. For instance, they retain older vocabulary for natural elements and kinship that have been replaced by broader or simpler forms in the Coastal dialect. The Highland variety also avoids certain abstract coinages, preferring to express concepts through metaphor or storytelling. A speaker might describe “forgiveness” not as a single abstract noun but as “the softening of stone,” invoking imagery to carry meaning.
The Coastal dialect, on the other hand, thrives on creative compounding and the reimagining of roots. It regularly generates new terms by combining common stems in playful or efficient ways, often shortening or streamlining them for ease of use. This dialect also borrows more readily from trade partners or neighbors, though such borrowings are adapted to the native morphological style. For example, instead of using an external word for “compass,” the Coastal dialect might coin a new term from “sea” and “circle.” These neologisms reflect the region’s outward-facing culture and openness to adaptation.
Grammatically, the Highland dialect is more conservative, retaining older plural and case markers that the Coastal dialect has leveled or generalized. This leads to a slightly more complex structure but offers speakers greater nuance and stylistic range. Coastal speakers, conversely, tend to rely on fixed word order and contextual cues, streamlining communication in fast-paced or trade-heavy environments. These grammatical tendencies shape the rhythm and pacing of speech: Highland speech is deliberate and rhythmic; Coastal speech is quick and clipped.
In terms of vocabulary related to social interaction, the dialects reflect differing cultural priorities. The Highland dialect includes a wide range of terms for honor, tradition, and kin responsibility, with precise verbs and nouns for obligations between relatives, neighbors, and leaders. The Coastal dialect, meanwhile, favors terms of negotiation, cooperation, and group dynamics, with a lexicon rich in words for alliances, agreements, and shared ventures. While both dialects are grounded in the same cultural worldview, their vocabularies emphasize different aspects of daily life and community identity.
Despite their differences, both dialects are seen as prestigious within their own contexts. Literature, song, and oral tradition exist in both forms, and speakers often shift between dialects depending on setting, formality, or region. This duality adds richness to the language as a whole, fostering internal variation while maintaining a unified linguistic identity.
Morphology
Verbs
Vethari verbs are constructed by a series of affixes put together with the verb root to form the form. When auxiliary verbs are used, they are put before the verb. The infinitive is the verb root + -ku. The participle is made by putting “fnu” before the verb.
| Verb Slot | Allowable Inputs |
|---|---|
| Ergative Subject Person/Number |
ta- (I) vi- (you) li- (he/she/it) jo- (we) fu- (you all) rlo- (they) |
| Absolutive Subject Person/Number |
tu- (I) ru- (you) le- (he/she/it) ju- (we) fo- (you all) rlu- (they) |
| Mood | -cyi- (indicative) -cye- (subjunctive) -tthi- (imperative) -gyu- (volitive) -mo- (jussive) -rlì- (optative) -ppu- (vetitive) |
| Voice | -ple- (active) -kle- (passive) -fle- (middle) -gle- (antipassive) |
| Aspect | -Ø- (simple) -syi- (perfect) -sye- (imperfect) -rsù- (progressive) -se- (prospective) -sau- (iterative) -slu- (conative) -nyu- (gnomic) |
| Tense | -ga- (past) -lye- (future) -rja- (aorist) |
| Verb Root + Question Infix |
any verb |
| Incorporated Noun (for transitive verbs) |
any noun root, without adjectives, determiners, possessive affixes, etc. |
| Evidentiality | -no- (firsthand) -ra-(indirect, hearsay, presumptive) |
| Mirativity | -g (expected) -r (unexpected) -y (surprising) |
Irregular Verbs
Vethari has some irregular verbs. They have special forms for the past and future. Two of them are very important verbs; Suri (to be) and Gusu (to have), also, they are the only one that don’t end in the normal -ku ending. When they are used as auxiliary verbs, they ignore the different affixes and uses the normal ones.
- Ta-cyi-ple-rno-klu-no-g
- 1SG.ERG-IND.ACT-PST-have-EVID.FH-MIR.EXP
- I had.
- Ta-cyi-ple-ga-klu-no-g ta-cyi-ple-ga-sifunari-ra-g.
- 1SG.ERG-IND-ACT-PST-have-EVID.FH-MIR.EXP 1SG.ERG-IND-ACT-PST-reject-EVID.IDT-MIR.EXP
- I had rejected.
The following irregular verbs exist:
Wh- Questions
Noun Incorporation
Sequential verbs
Causative
Equative sentences
Nouns
Possession
Postpositions
Derivation
Syntax
Word Order
Conjunctions
Relative and Independent Clauses
Sample Text
See Also
Sources
- Nowojyirasu, 1962, Paris Roosevelt
- Grammatica Uetari, 1762, Ernest Hilbert McCartney
- Lùnyefarusu Tapiara, pgs 16-179 1870, Nefaru Odienatyana
- Retroflexes: Way Back, 2008, High Pine Books
- The Rttirrian Language, 1895, Obediah Taylor