Lion's Tongue

**Phonology**

[ʌ] - Open-mid back unrounded vowel - ‘Luck’ or ‘gut’

[ɑ] - Open back unrounded vowel - ‘hot’

[ɒ] - Open back rounded vowel - ‘not’ and ‘thought’

[ə] - Mid central found - generic ‘Tina’

[ɔ] - Open mid-back rounded vowel - as in ‘thought’

[o] - Close mid-back rounded vowel - as in ‘go’

[ɐ] - Near open central vowel - as in ‘nut’

[aɪ̯] - Dipthong as in ‘eye’ or ‘light’

[x] - Voiceless velar fricative - as in scottish ‘loch’

[ɣ] - voiced velar fricative - does not exist in English

[χ] - Voiceless uvular fricative - does not really exist in English, the high rolled ‘h’ sound

[ʁ] - Voiced uvular fricative - does not really exist in English, but the high rolled ‘r’ sound

[ʀ] - Uvular trill - does not exist in English but a proper trilled with the tongue ‘r’

[ɦ] - Voiced glottal fricatves - the deep ‘h’ sound if you’re being posh saying ‘behind’

[k] - Voiceless velar stop - any word such as ‘cat’ or ‘cart’

[ʜ] - Voiceless epiglottal trill  - does not exist in English, sounds like a very deep ‘h’ trill

[r̥] - Voiceless alveolar trill - high roof of mouth trill

[ʀ̥] - Voiceless uvular trill - back of the mouth trill

[s] - Voiceless alveolar sibilant  - English ‘s’ used mainly as a hiss

[j] - Voiced palatal approximant - English ‘yah’

[m] - Bilabila nasal - English ‘man’ or ‘mo’

[n] - Alveolar nasal - English ‘night’ or ‘nanny’

The language does have a certain stress, intonation, and rhythm that lend more meaning

**Background**

Lion’s Tongue is said to be the original language of Al’terran, and has influenced modern Al’terran of which common has also deviated a long time. The language has favoured an open, back of the throat and a lot of voiceless consonents. There are some non-translatable sounds: hisses, mews, roars that nonetheless have meanings. Casual phrases like this are not translatable and amount to just sounds: Beware, not a chance, get back, ho, wait, yes, where are you, I am here, this is me’ These declarations can be loud and from afar.

Sentence structure follows a ‘to/from’ structure where the sentence says who is speaking or address this first, then the action. This is the best way I have to describe of word order, although I will bring it up again.

Eg. You, my sister-friend, look at this gift you were brought by me, your brother. Friends-look say I!

**Morphology**

A fusional  language made of several kinds of prefixes, suffixes, and circumflexes. Roots are always verbs. Verb tense is an all in how the vowels are input the verbs (denoted by \* within the words). No use of adipositions, as this is a fusional language, so no small word unless they are combined in as a circumflex

Nouns are marks before and after verbs, typically people who are just learning written lion’s tongue mark these with a hyphen but this isn’t standard for them. Nouns are not gendered or cased - possibly because I’m lazy? Following a general trend found in North American first nation languages, some nouns can be completely vowelless.

While you’ll have nouns and verbs, it omits articles and conjugations. Adjectives and adverbs are few and quite selective and rare, while pronouns and prepositions are modifiers onto either nouns or verbs. You can also turn verbs into nouns by placing them, without vowels, as prefix or suffixes in sentences: as in [j\*m] of ‘want’ becoming [jm] of ‘a want’. Sentences tend to be short, with the stress on the end like a bite

Numbers and multiples - There are add ons to make nouns plural but not a very good counting system - things are thoughts about in certain group sizes as you might see within lions in particular. Simple variant is a single vs plural object, then multiple for pairs, small groups, and large prides. None of these have exact numbers. Exact numbers came later in the history of the language

[o] - is a vowel only used as a prefix to nouns to denote ‘more than one’ but nothing more specific, at least in the early forms of the language

Possessives - All possessives are treated as ‘of X’ that sounds a bit like medieval English. This is the proper, old school way of saying it. Modern use of Lion’s tongue will rearrange the sentence to what we would say in English - saying my sister’s meal vs meal of my sister. The substitute for ‘of’ is the phoneme [r̥]  which is said but usually skipped over to put emphasis on the noun.

Adjectives/Adverbs are not complex and meaning is extended with repeat words, such as fast-car (or car-fast) emphasised by then saying fast-fast-car. Samples of adjectives are below and usually come in pairs to denote light/not-light (dark).

Pronouns and classifiers

Distance modifiers onto pronouns (near or next to, a bit away but within ear shot, far away but in sight, out of sight): [ɦɐ-], [ɐʁ-], [sɐ-], [χɐ-]

Plural modifiers: [-n] for pair, [-k] for a small group, [-ʀ] for a large group (these are added onto plural pronouns to further modify exactly what kind of plural they are). They also can be used for other nouns. There are no official numbers.

Verbs - all verb tenses are shown as infixes, which are vowels that go in or around the verb. They do not  differ for pronouns. Negation in verbs is followed by a ejected [k] sound following the verb that it modifies.

*ə-ʌ-ə* | *Went*
*ɐ-o-ə* | *will go*
*o-'**aɪ̯-o*** | *would go*
*ɒ-ʌ-ə* | *was/were going*
*ɒ-o-ə* | *will be going*
*ɒ-'**aɪ̯-o*** | *would be going*

* Command tense is unconjugated verbs with no vowels within them and come off as quite harsh.

* + There is no imperfect or cont perfect tense

Sentence Structure - generally SVO

**Grammatical analysis**

I ate it - I ate it

My sister ate it - Sister of me ate it

I ate the blue food - I ate blue food OR I ate food blue

When I was young, I ate that - I ate that. I was young.

I don’t have a mouse’s palate but I would hope that synthetic fibres are less pleasant to chew through - I have not palte of mouse. I would hope (that?) synthetic fibres are un-pleasant (OR less-pleasant, depending on translation) chew.

First 100 Basic English Verbs

To be -  [ʜ\*]

To have - [m\*]

To Do - [k\*k]

To Say - [\*ɦ]

To go - [ʀ\*s]

To get - [n\*n]

To Make - [ɣ\*]

To know - [ʁ\*n]

To Think - [ʀ̥\*s]

To Take - [x\*]

To see - [j\*n]

To come - [k\*n]

To want - [j\*m]

To look - [ʜ\*n]

To Use - [\*j]

To find - [m\*r̥]

To give - [r̥\*ʀ]

to tell - [χ\*x]

To work - [s\*j]

To call - [ʁ\*n]

To try - [ɦ\*ʜ]

To ask - [ɣ\*χ]

To need - [k\*ʀ]

To feel - [x\*k]

To become - [m\*n\*n]

To leave - [s\*r̥]

To put - [j\*s]

To mean - [ʁ\*ʁ]

To keep - [ɦ\*k]

To let - [\*ɦ]

To begin - [\*n]

To seem - [\*x]

To help - [j\*k]

To talk - [s\*s]

To turn - [\*ms]

To start - [\*ʀ]

To show - [ɣ\*ɣ]

To hear - [ʜ\*s]

To play - [s\*ʀ̥]

To run - [\*nk]

To move - [ʁ\*x]

To like - [n\*s]

To live - [χ\*χ]

To believe - [r̥\*s]

To hold - [\*jn]

To bring - [\*ʜs]

To happen - [ʀ̥\*n\*]

To write - [ɣ\*j]

To provide - [\*r̥m]

To sit - [\*ms]

To stand - [ʁ\*k]

To lose - [kɦ]

To pay - [\*js]

To meet - [ns\*]

To include - [m\*k]

To continue - [ʁ\*x]

To set - [s\*j]

To learn - [ɦ\*ɦ]

To change - [m\*n\*]

To lead - [χs\*]

To understand - [r̥\*n]

To watch - [m\*m]

To follow - [k\*s]

To stop - [r̥\*x]

To create - [\*ʜ]

To speak - [r̥\*r̥]

To read - [ɣ\*r̥]

To allow - [ɦ\*k]

To add - [ʀ̥\*x]

To spend - [k\*χ]

To grow - [ʜ\*m]

To open - [m\*ʀ]

To walk - [j\*ʀ]

To win - [ʁ\*ʀ\*ʀ̥]

To offer - [χ\*y]

To remember - [ʜ\*n]

To love - [ʜ\*s]

To consider - [\*ɣ\*x]

To appear - [\*r̥\*s]

To buy - [χ\*m]

To wait - [\*ɦ\*n]

To serve - [s\*n]

To die - [n\*ʀ̥]

To send - [\*ym]

To expect - [\*χ\*χ]

To build - [ʀ\*n\*]

To stay - [k\*ʜ\*]

To fall - [ʁ\*x]

To cut - [\*j\*m]

To reach -  [\*k\*m]

To kill - [k\*n\*]

To remain - [m\*ɣ]

To suggest - [m\*ɦ\*]

To raise - [χ\*n\*]

To pass - [r̥\*s\*]

To sell - [m\*ɦ]

To require - [x\*ɣ]

To report - [j\*j\*]

To decide - [ʁ\*ʁ]

To pull - [ɦ\*k\*]

To dream - [\*ʀ̥n\*m]

To wake - [ʜ\*ʜ\*ks]

To jump - [\*xχ\*j]

To climb - [\*ɣnɣ\*]

To eat - [\*ʁk\*]

To breathe - [s\*sk\*]

To drink - [\*nk\*ɦɣ]

To bite - [ʀ̥a\*χ\*n]

To lie down - [ɦ\*ɦm\*]

To shout - [kʁ\*m\*]

To laugh - [\*k\*k]

To dance - [ɦm\*m\*]

To touch - [n\*\*m]

To Kiss - [ʀ̥\*\*k]]

To hunt - [\*r̥\*r̥n]

To wrestle - [mʁ\*x\*]

To starve - [sn\*χ\*]

To drown - [k\*k\*k]

To hide - [\*mʜ\*n]

To reveal - [y\*yx\*n]

More/less - (ɔ)[ʜʌʀ]

Tall/short - (ɔ)[saɪ̯sʀ]

Wide/narrow - (ɔ)[nɑnʌ]

Big/little - (ɔ)[ʁəm]

Ahead/behind - (ɔ)[ɦoʀ̥]

Over/under - (ɔ)[ɑmʀ̥]

Near/far - (ɔ)[kʜo]

good/bad - (ɔ)[χɒnj]

true/false - (ɔ)[saɪ̯k]

same/different - (ɔ)[xomʌ]

easy/difficult - (ɔ)[əʜ]

simple/complicated - (ɔ)[omonɣ]

smarts/stupid - (ɔ)[ɣʌjo]

old/new - (ɔ)[xɐj]

safe/dangerous - (ɔ)[nɔj]

mean/nice - (ɔ)[χɒm]

privileged/common - (ɔ)[jokaɪ̯]

hot/cold - (ɔ)[aɪ̯r̥ɦʌ]

quiet/loud - (ɔ)[mɒk]

rough/smooth - (ɔ)[ɐʜos]

light/dark - (ɔ)[nəʁə]

Red - [nɐ]

Blue - [mʌ]

yellow/green - [sɒ]

clear/unclear - (ɔ)[ɣoms]

important/trivial - (ɔ)[ʁɑxj]

whole/broken - (ɔ)[jɒʀ̥sʌ]

Yes

No

Not

Except

Should

Maybe

Also

King

Quen

Hunter

Huntress

Warrior

Warrioress

Seeker

Maiden

Elder

Person

Infant

Child

Adolsecent

Boy

Girl

Adult

Lion

Lioness

A pride

Sire

Dam

Aunt

Bachelor

Son

Daughter

Brother

Sister

Cousin

Mate

‘Wife’

‘Husband’

Leader

Underling

Master

Slave

Friend

Enemy

Nomad

Thief

Traveller

Chief

Second

Culture

Community

Race

Tribe

Body

Head

Neck

Nape

Back

Chest

Torso

Face

Jaw

Cheek

Chin

Ear

Eye

Brow

Hair

Facial hair

Neck hair

Nose

Mouth

Lip

Tongue

Tooth

Throat

Top of shoulder

Shoulder blade

Forearm

Upper arm

Elbow

Wrist

Hand

Finger

Nail

Palm

Lower leg

Upper leg

Knee

Toe

Foot

Heel

Hip

Buttocks

Penis

vulva

Tail

Bone

Skeleton

Spine

Blood

Tear

Urine

Sweat

Heart

Brain

Gut

Flesh

Muscle

Skin

Horn

Feather

Egg

Shell

Wing

Birth

Alive

Dead

Healthy

Ill

Wound

Disease

Awake

Asleep

Pain

Pleasure

Bug

Animal

Ant

Jump-bug

Crawl-bug

Worm

Bee

Fly

Snake

Cattle

Horse

Sheep

Goat

Deer

Lion

Tiger

Leopard

Dog

Rabbit

Mouse

Bird

Crow

Hawk

Eagle

Sparrow

Plant

Tree

Grass

Weed

Mushroom

Garden

Berry

Bud

Leap

Root

Seed

Lemon

Tomato

Olive

Potato

Cucumber

Grape

Onion

Pepper

Salt